After two busy weekends, men’s recruitment came to a successful end this past Sunday. Associate Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Jesse Koch commented on this success.
“We had 282 men sign up for formal recruitment, with 195 men accepting a bid,” Koch said. “That enrollment number puts us well over the average over the past three years, which is 266. Last year’s enrollment was 269.”
Organization was also more apparent this year.
“Last year, kids did not know where to go, and second and third round was basically anything goes,” Sigma Phi Epsilon member
Kevin Chan said. “This year, recruitment counselors made sure kids left each house after each round rather than letting the kids just stay at the house.”
Some fraternity members said they are satisfied with the results this year.
“It’s awesome when we get a bigger fall pledge class than the year before,” Delta Upsilon Brent Shedd said. “I believe we had 22 fall pledges last year and this year we got 25. It’s only three more but it’s just a great feeling to have.”
Many new members also enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to what greek life will offer.
“going Greek parallels many of the reasons that many of us go to college in the first place,” Alpha Epsilon Pi member Max Footlik said. “It gives you more options as an adult, makes you a more intelligent and well-rounded individual and takes advantage of opportunities that you will never see anywhere else.”
This year was also be the first year in which Interfraternity Council began a transition from formal to informal recruitment.
Koch says there are many disadvantages
with formal recruitment.
“Fraternities are only getting the people who know they want to join,” Koch said. “They’re really missing the boat and losing out on possibly their best members.”
Director of Recruitment for IFC Kris Nickolas said he is glad informal
recruitment was attempted this year.
“Having people interested in greek life allowed to hang out with chapters in their houses during the week really allows a person to see what being in a fraternity is really like,” he said. “It also allows fraternities
to show that they are not the stereotypes that movies put on them.”
Kyle Brashler, a member of Theta Chi, said he agreed with Nickolas.
“I get the feeling that during rush many upperclassmen tend to force conversation,” he said. “If they just come to the house just to hang out, they’ll enjoy the relaxed environment much more.”
Chan said informal recruitment allowed the freshmen to meet many fraternity members.
“It let the freshmen get to know the members of each fraternity on a better basis,” he said. “In my opinion, it gave the smaller houses a better chance to reach out to the freshmen and let them really see who they were and what their fraternity
had to offer.”
