By April Kirchner
Sorority Formal Recruitment week ended last Friday with 116 women accepting bids from the six National Panhellenic Council sororities at U of L. The week was full of social parties at each house that helped better acquaint each propective member with the active members and alumni of each sorority.
The week was kicked off with an information session that could be attended by each prospective member and her parents. This information session for the parents is something new to recruitment week this year. “About 65 parents came this year,” said Director of Greek Life, Joni Burke. “It seemed to be a positive move for us. I think we’ll do it again next year.”Throughout the week, social gatherings at each house consisted of each sorority expressing the meanings and unique qualities that make up their own organization. Much time was devoted to full house tours, skits, informationals on philanthropy and the many positive attributes that make up each individual sorority.
Preference parties were held the night before bid day. It is the night when each prospective member has to choose between the final two sororites with which she and the sororites have chosen to spend their final night. Preference is the night when members show a much more meaningful side of why they chose the organization they are affiliated with. After the preference parties, the prospective members must choose which sorority they wish to call their own. The bids are then matched up by a fair and accurate system.
The women find out what sorority they will belong to on Bid Day when they receive their bids. Each woman must visit the house from which she received a bid to accept her new membership into a specific sorority.
Sorority Recruitment Week brought a lot of new qualities to the greek system this year. “I think rush week was awesome because a lot of talented women went through,” said senior management major, Shannon Rickett.Being in a sorority brings a sense of closeness to most of its members. “I think sororities offer a great support network,” said Burke. “It makes the campus seem smaller when you have a group to be involved with.”
