By Elizabeth Danos, News Editor
It’s that time of year again folks—recruitment week. An exciting, thrilling, and ultimately rewarding experience according to Alpha Sigma Tau’s chapter president, Tori Dixon. This year, Armstrong’s PanHellenic recruitment began on Sept. 3. and will end with bid day on Sept 7.
According to Dixon, “From a potential member’s perspective, [recruitment week] consists of going to 20-25 minute ‘parties’, which are basically a mixture of presentations and mingling.” Dixon explains, “Recruitment week is one of the most important weeks of the year for sorority women.” It’s a time for members to come together and find new sisters to welcome to their family.
As the week progresses, established members of the sororities make cuts based on which recruitment participants they feel will be a good fit for their particular chapter.
Dixon reflects on when she first rushed, “I saw that Alpha Sigma Tau would truly challenge me and help me to grow, and at the end of the day, it felt like home.”
This sense of community is rich throughout sororities on campus, and it creates a strong bond with other chapters from different schools throughout the southeast.
The annual bid day takes place at the end of recruitment week, which is when those who have been recruited accept bids from a particular sorority. After bid day, all new members begin the education process about their particular chapter, until initiation, which usually takes place about 6 weeks after recruitment week.
For those who aren’t directly involved in Greek life, some might have a warped view of what fraternities and sororities actually do. Dixon explains, “[recruitment week] isn’t intended to be judgmental or harsh, as movies often portray. At the end of the day, we just want to help potential new members make the best decisions they can.”
Dylan Herod, of Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) commented on his personal experience with Greek life, “Through my fraternity I have personally picked up professional business skills, communication skills, and many other important skills that have helped me become the leader I am today.”
Not only is joining a fraternity or sorority a great way to get involved with the community, but it’s also beneficial on many other levels. Alpha Sigma Tau volunteers and donates regularly to Habitat for Humanity, and Pike donates to The Old Savannah City Mission, among other organizations.
According to Ella Greer, president of Eta Rho (Armstrong’s chapter of Tri Sigma), “We are more than a club of girls who pay for t-shirts and dances; we are a true sisterhood. We are there to celebrate each other’s success, and we are still there to pass the ice cream when life starts throwing lemons.”
Recruitment week consists of all kinds of activities, but most girls that are involved in sororities agree that you can never truly appreciate the experience, and what it really means, unless you become a part of it.
