It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Greeks, and while not-so-ideal weather alarmed some, the recruitment team combated the cold as best they could.
Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Carol Nickoson, assured that recruitment ran as smoothly as possible despite the cold weather.
“The Panhellenic Council is doing everything possible to ensure all PNMs [potential new members] have a warm, fun, memorable recruitment experience,” said Nickoson in preparation for the beginning of recruitment. “The procedures will be the same, but the Panhellenic Council has purchased hand warmers for PNMs, we have strongly encouraged PNMs dress in very warm layers, and we are providing additional blankets and scarves.”
The women moved from chapter house to chapter house as usual, but this year “warming stations” made for an additional stop. The warming stations included Shouvlin, Kreig, and a student rental house, where women could take a pit stop and drink provided hot chocolate.
“We are trying to keep the PNMs from being outside no more than 3-5 minutes at a time,” said Nickoson. “The weather may impact morale and attitude some, but we have communicated this process to everyone involved and believe the experience will still be positive.”
As fraternity recruitment is less structured than sorority recruitment, the weather made for little impact on Wittenberg’s brotherhoods. However, snow emergencies would have cancelled Witt van reservations for fraternities that hosted off-campus recruitment events.
This year, 133 women registered to participate in Philanthropy Day, the first day of formal recruitment. This is an increase from last year—124 women participated, even higher still than 2012. Of course, numbers change as some women depart throughout the week.
Freshman women are typically the majority of sorority recruits, but sophomores, juniors, and transfer students also participate. Last year, 5% of the women registered were non-first-year students; as of now, 9% of the women registered are non-first-years.
Recruitment is one of the busiest times of the year for chapter members, but Nickoson provided advice for both members and potential new members alike:
“Recruitment can be especially stressful when students do not manage their time well or plan ahead,” said Nickoson. “Academic obligations come first and since recruitment dates are set far in advance, students should be prepared to adjust their schedules. For potential members, my best advice is to keep an open mind, ask a lot of questions, and make your own decision – don’t let others influence your experience. For current sorority/fraternity members, I recommend getting some rest whenever possible and maintaining a positive attitude; current members love recruitment and introducing their organizations to new members – the more you show how much you love your experience, the more your new members will take that cue.”
Greek life continues to be a prominent aspect of Wittenberg’s tradition and each chapter looks forward to bringing in new members each recruitment season.
“I believe fraternity/sorority membership is one of the best ways for students to apply what they learn inside and outside the classroom to their lives,” said Nickoson. “Members are able to explore many forms of involvement through their fraternal organizations, their connections to Wittenberg during and after college are strong, and they enjoy their experience.”
