Collegiate Times

Image: 2013-01-28 22:11:34

Virginia Tech’s Greek community ended their annual recruitment process Sunday night with bid night, concluding two weekends of sorority recruitment.  

The recruitment process has been taking place at Tech for over half a century, and it determines which sorority interested freshmen and sophomore women will join.

Because it happens at the beginning of the spring semester, the rounds often fall during some of the coldest weekends of the year. However, according to Nicole Antolino, a freshman communication major, the harsh weather is worth it to take part in a lasting and increasingly popular tradition.

“I’m really excited to learn all about my sorority’s traditions and my sisterhood, and I’m excited that the sorority I chose felt the same way about me,” Antolino said.

The first weekend of the process is labeled “Open House.” Hopeful rushees visit each of Tech’s 12 sorority houses in Oak Lane. After meeting and greeting with members of each sorority, rushees construct a list of their top nine choices.

After choosing their initial nine chapters, rushees spend the next portion of the recruitment process learning about the wide variety of philanthropy programs that each house offers, before narrowing their list to their top six choices.

The final round, called “Sisterhood Night” is meant to further illuminate each sorority’s personality. Sisters and rushees are able to talk in longer and more in-depth conversations, followed by often emotional testimonials by senior members of each individual
chapter.

Over the years, Tech’s women have shown a steady increase in interest in “Going Greek.” From an average size of 116 women per chapter in 2005 to 183 last year, it has become evident that Tech’s recruitment process is working.

Sarah Russo, a freshman majoring in sociology and art, was a strong supporter of the process.

“It gave you the opportunity to be around people that I can really relate with,” Russo said.

Tech’s increased number matches a national trend. Annual reports from the National Panhellenic Council, the governing body for sororities nationwide, have shown drastic increases in sorority interest across the United States. 

From 240,218 undergraduate members in 2006, membership has increased by little more than 26 percent to 302,792 women last year.

According to the Panhellenic Council at Virginia Tech, Greek life makes up 20 percent of Tech’s undergraduate population. 

A version of this article appeared in the Jan 29 issue of the Collegiate Times.