Watch out! Sorority Recruitment 2010 is taking over campus for the next week and a half. Potential new members (PNM) will be visiting each of the 19 Panhellenic Council Chapters in hopes of receiving bids to be a part of their Fall 2010 pledge classes.

The process of formal sorority recruitment is very different than what you may have heard about IFC. Sororities go through a number of rounds: Open Houses (Sept 21-23), First Rounds (Sept 24 & 26), Second Rounds (27 & 28), and Preference Night (September 29th). On the final day (Bid Day – September 30th) invitations to join are given out.

All of the girls registered to participate in recruitment are split up into groups which are lead by Pi Chis: juniors and seniors from each chapter that are disaffiliated from their orgs until Bid Day to allow the new recruits to feel comfortable speaking openly about the process. The Pi Chis are responsible for keeping track of each girl’s schedule and to answer any questions.

Open House: Every PNM goes to each sorority suite and talks to the members of that chapter for 20 minutes. This round is short enough so they can get a preview of that organization.

First Rounds: PNMs visit a maximum of 14 Chapters for a longer period of time and learns about their specific philanthropy. Each chapter focuses on their own philanthropic events such as Breast Cancer awareness – Zeta Tau Alpha, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. – Kappa Delta, Alzheimer’s Association – Sigma Kappa, etc.

Second Rounds: This round provides some comic relief: girls from each chapter put on a skit. PNMs will visit a maximum of 8 chapters.

Preference Night: Pref night is the longest and most sacred of all the rounds. This is a more personal time where the suites are decorated, PNMs typically will go upstairs to the sorority’s floor and hang out in a few of the rooms, and more information about the sisterhood is revealed. PNMs will visit a max of 3 chapters, and will rank them afterwards with hopes of receiving a bid to their first choice.

Bid Day: The girls finally receive their invitations to join a chapter and begin their journey as a Panhellenic woman. All of the chapters wait to great their new pledge classes outside Heritage Hall on the HUB Lawn with banners and balloons.

There are many benefits to joining any Greek organization whether it be within Panhel or from another council. Affiliation grants members a chance to become involved in THON, Greek Sing, Greek Week, and Homecoming. It also provides opportunities within each chapter to build a strong foundation for leadership skills.

Best of luck to all involved in Recruitment 2010, but please don’t turn out like this girl: