The matching outfits, the secret passwords, the glitter-blowing and loud cheering, it sounds like it’s recruitment season. While all of those things are nice, being a sorority woman is a lot more than what people see through social media and the news.
As a graduating senior and Vice President of Panhellenic Recruitment, I have been fortunate enough to learn first-hand what it truly means to be part of something bigger than yourself, and feel how rewarding it is to help other young women find their own place at Monmouth University.
The National Panhellenic Council is an umbrella organization for 26 Panhellenic sororities. NPC sororities are centered around values such as scholarship, sisterhood and philanthropy.
Most importantly, sororities are centered around the great women that founded them and their fight for women to have the right to assemble and discuss academics, make friends, and further the empowerment and collaboration of women.
So, how does a woman become a part of a Panhellenic sorority? At Monmouth University, Panhellenic Formal Spring Recruitment takes place a few weeks just into the spring semester. To be eligible for this process, a woman must have 12 college credits and possess a GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Potential new members are divided into groups and assigned two to three recruitment counselors.
Recruitment counselors are disaffiliated members of respected Panhellenic sororities. They give up their own letters to help young women find theirs. The idea of this council is to offer the opinions of unbiased members of Greek life, in order to aid women through the process of potentially finding their new home.
A recruitment counselor for Formal Spring Recruitment 2017, Allison Gonzales, a social work student, said, “I wanted to be a recruitment counselor because I think that everyone deserves to find their place on campus and if I could help anyone find their home like how my counselors helped me it will be a rewarding experience.”
Recruitment is a formal process that lasts three days and is broken down into three themed sections: Round Robin, Philanthropy, and Preference.
Round Robin enables every potential new member to meet each Panhellenic sorority at Monmouth in half-hour rounds.
This day’s purpose is for Greek women to meet with these young women and get to know them.
Philanthropy day is dedicated to service. This day’s mission is to educate potential new members on the causes and philanthropy that each sorority supports.
The conversation is mostly value-based. The intent is for these young women to find a philanthropy that they really care about and connect with.
Preference day involves connecting on a deeply emotional level. Greek women will welcome these potential new members into their chapter for a short time to really show them why their organization is special.
By the end of recruitment, these women will have developed an opinion and chosen an organization that speaks to them on an emotional as well as a practical level. These women will then vote in a mutual selection process.
The Monday after recruitment is Bid Day, where these potential new members will open an envelope that reveals the organization they got into.
Senior Recruitment Counselor and social work student, Emily Krakowski said, “My favorite part about being in a sorority is that it brings everyone together. You are able to connect with groups of people you may not have otherwise both inside and outside of your organization.”
But even after college is all over, the Greek experience does not end there. The values held and ritual learned are things one takes with them along the way, even after graduation day.
Greek life advisor at Monmouth, Michele Kaplan, said, “Being a sorority woman throughout my collegiate career enabled me to develop into a better version of myself both personally and professionally. I knew I wanted to continue my Greek journey and help other women realize their potential.”
Recruitment begins this Friday Jan. 27 and runs until Sunday Jan.29.
For information contact Gina Crowell at 0947605@monmouth.edu.
PHOTO TAKEN from MU Panhellenic Council Instagram