By Lauren Heil
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – It is late afternoon on Wednesday as hundreds of girls gather in the plaza outside the Lory Student Center chattering and pacing. It is bid day at Colorado State University; nerves are through the roof and emotions run high as a long week of interviewing, touring, and constant smiling finally (and hopefully) pay off.
Every sorority on campus is lined up around the plaza like football players waiting on the sidelines. They chant and shout as the tension builds in anticipation of their new members. The moment has arrived when a bid card is placed in the hands of each girl and an eruption of cheers and screams fills the plaza as a stampede of women breaks out, running to join their houses. More screaming follows warm embraces, chanting and a massive celebration, as everyones family grows a little more. The new members are escorted back to their sorority houses where a party and photographer await them. It is certainly the beginning of a new chapter.
Beginning on Saturday, Sept. 11 and ending on Wednesday, Sept. 15, over 500 women will have gone through fall recruitment. Rush week starts on Saturday when the girls are divided up into eight groups and are able to go around to all seven chapters. At the end of the day, the women rank each house from the house they liked the most to the house they liked the least. Each house then goes through a similar process in ranking individual girls to decide whom they want to invite back. Sunday the women will visit their top six houses, provided they are invited, then Monday the rounds narrow to the top four. Tuesday night is preference night, at which houses make their final decisions on women they want to give bids and the women will visit their top two ranked houses. Bid Day wraps up the entire process on Wednesday with a final decision and distribution of bid cards.
“To me, sisterhood means never having to be alone. Everyday I feel like I’m being a part of something bigger than myself, and I really couldn’t imagine my life without [my chapter],” says Mallory Beckman, a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority as she waits with her chapter for the arrival of their new members.
According to the CSU Greek Life website, recruitment is a chance to “meet a lot of new people, make new friends, and get a head start on becoming acquainted with Colorado State,” and 2010 has been one of the largest turnouts that Greek life has ever seen. When asked the question, ‘What made you want to go through rush?’ the answers were as varied and different as each chapter on campus.
“I am an only child,” said Alexandria Ash, a freshman going through recruitment at CSU. “I never had any brothers or sisters, and I felt like Greek life would be the place to gain that sense of family.”
Lauren Gonzales, a sophomore, says, “I’m a transfer student, and not knowing anyone in an unfamiliar place can be hard. I thought that joining a chapter on campus would help me make new friends, and become more involved in the school.”
“I didn’t want to go through recruitment at all actually,” says Elizabeth Donely. “My roommate wanted me to do it with her, and I didn’t really have anything else going on this weekend.” When asked why she didn’t think Greek life was a good match for her Elizabeth replied, “There would be way too much drama living in a house with fifty girls, and I don’t want all the negative stereotypes that go along with sororities.”
“It was the philanthropy of my chapter that did it for me,” says Charissa Hoffer, member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. “I felt a strong connection to the Camp Fire USA charity that we contribute to since I went to camp every summer as a kid.”
Speaking with already initiated members of chapters on campus, allows for a better sense of the various ways Greek life had impacted their lives.
“It’s basically like having a fifty-person support system around you 24-7,” says Kathryn Arrington, member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, “I never feel alone or left out because I always have someone around to listen to my problems or just hang out and have fun with.”
According to Chelsea Shaffer, an initiated Chi Omega, “It’s an absolute blast! I can’t imagine not living in the house because there’s always something going on and you’re never ever bored.”
Many elements go into the decision process of choosing a house as it pertains to each individual woman.
“I just want to find a house that I can truly connect with,” says Marianna Mathews, a freshman at CSU. “I want to find lifelong friends, not just while I’m at school, but forever. I want these girls to be in my wedding.”
However, the process of recruitment has to be a mutual desire of both the house and the new member to become a part of the chapter.
“We look for girls who come through the house with an open mind, a good attitude and an honest desire to become a part of our family,” Katrina Redding, president of Gamma Phi Beta says. When asked about the recruitment process she replied, “We have to be sure to get a good read on every girl who we invite back, that’s why the recruitment process is five days long so that by the end of the week we’re able to really get to know every girl for who they are and decide if their values match those of the house.”
After a long week of recruitment practice which includes singing, dancing, chanting and lots of smiling, the houses are ready to bring back their new members. Welcome home, ladies!
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