Discrepancies abound when ‘going Greek’

Alpha Delta Pi - Jade Park, Diana Kinn, Michelle Kojs, and Alexa Harris

Photo by Frankie Roskam

Sorority and fraternity recruitments differ

By Lauren Oliver, For The Miami Student

"Boys, booze, beliefs and bank accounts." To many girls involved in a Miami sorority, these four B's may sound familiar. Allegedly, these are the four taboo topics during formal recruitment - the four conversations girls should avoid.

Although formal recruitment for sororities and fraternities will not begin until next semester, the Greek organizations have already begun to prepare.

The Panhellenic Association at Miami University is hosting Sprite Dates for any girls who are interested in or considering joining a sorority.

Sprite Dates are the equivalent of meet-and-greets, where sororities host events for potential new members, and allow both sides the first organized opportunity to get to know one another. Conversely, this same process, hosted by the Interfraternity Council (IFC) is referred to as Coke Dates.

After familiarizing themselves with the Greek system and the various sororities or fraternities on Miami's campus, women and men will have the opportunity to go through the process of formal recruitment early in the Spring Semester.

When Spring Semester rolls around, Panhellenic recruitment will be held Jan. 25 through Feb. 8, with most events taking place on the weekends. IFC recruitment will be held Jan. 26 to Jan. 29.

One of the main differences between the two recruitment processes, however, is that women are required to visit each sorority's chapter during recruitment, whereas men are allowed to pick and choose which houses they are interested in.

"We do not require potential new members to go to every house because we want the recruits to have freedom during their recruitment process," Joe Weirtz, Executive Vice President of the Interfraternity Council, said.

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Caitlin Duckworth, the president of Panhellenic Association, said their requirement is in place to promote equality among the chapters and ensure potential new members (PNMs) are exposing themselves to every available opportunity.

Bianca Misiti, Vice President of Recruitment for Panhellecic, said that it is also more feasible for women to be required to attend each sorority's recruitment events, as they only have 16 chapters and men have 27.

"[Another difference is] the men are more able to actively interact with potential new members during the first semester, whereas Panhellenic has rules regarding contacting potential new members," Duckworth said.

Duckworth said this is intended to prevent "dirty rushing," which is essentially unfair recruiting.

"Panhellenic encourages all women to go through recruitment with open minds and not to allow previous experiences influence decisions about which chapter to join," she said.

Isaiah Watts, a member of Theta Chi fraternity, said he believes that although the recruitment process may seem daunting, they just want to make sure both sides are a good fit for one another.

"We try to get kids who we see as being beneficial, such as those who have a good head on their shoulders and those who want to have an impact on the future, as well as guys who are also pretty outgoing and fun," he said.

Although students are presented with an array of contrasting opinions and may be nervous, Weirtz said he believes overall, the recruitment process can be a very positive experience.

"I only rushed one fraternity those four nights as a freshman, but I remember how accommodating everyone was and how many people I met and still am in contact with," he said. "[It] helped me meet a lot of great people and find the right fraternity for me."

However, Francesca Veluscek, a member of Kappa Delta sorority, admitted the process can be difficult for some.

"It can be challenging, especially with the longevity of the process, but that's what ultimately gets you to the sisterhood you're supposed to belong to," she said. "You really want to find people that share similar goals and interests as you."

For any girls who may be nervous or excited, Duckworth offered some advice.

"I encourage all women to keep an open mind throughout recruitment," she said. "Focus on the women in each chapter. Evaluate your connections with them [and] really try to picture yourself as a member of a chapter. Ultimately each and every chapter on Miami's campus contains wonder women that would be happy to have you as a member in their sisterhood."