Recruitment season is well in motion for Greek Life at University of Rhode Island and numbers are continuing to climb.
According to Jayson Hutchinson, the recruitment director for the Interfraternity Council (IFC) “the Greek Life community makes up 25% of the student body,” which has been on a steady increase over the course of the past several years. As of last year, participation in Greek Life reached approximately 3,700 students, and it is predicted that number will continue to rise.
Currently, Greek Life consists of 16 fraternities and 12 sororities. As of last week, there were approximately 800 women signed up for recruitment, as well as 250 men prior to the recruitment process closing. Within the past few years, multiple new chapters have been added including Alpha Chi Omega for sororities and Theta Delta Chi and Sigma Pi for fraternities.
According to Hutchinson, the recruitment process has many events, including Freek Day, which occurs on-campus and Seas the Day which is at Narragansett Town Beach.
“New members and first-years get to know the chapters and see what they have to offer and they start to see where they fit,” Hutchinson said. “It can make the larger university feel like a smaller community where people find life-long friends and a sense of belonging.”
The process for sororities is more intensive with multiple formal rounds where students rushing will interact with all the different houses to find their fit, whereas the fraternity process is far more informal, where students rushing can pick and choose the events they attend.
First-year Gabby Lepore, a potential new member (PNM), is currently going through the recruitment process.
“Going through recruitment as a PNM is very intimidating,” Lepore said. “Rush is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before so it takes some getting used to.”
Although it can be overwhelming, Lepore has enjoyed the process for the most part.
“It is very exciting going to each house and learning more about them and their philanthropies. As you talk to girls in each house, you get a feel for each sorority and how they differ. Then, you list them in an order you are most likely to find yourself being a part of.”
The recruitment process is coming to a close for the fall semester, with bid day coming up this Sunday, Sept. 24.
“Jayson and I are thrilled that we’ve been able to increase interest in the Panhellenic and Interfraternal communities even more this year. We cannot wait to officially welcome new members into our family,” Lucy Kaczmarski, vice president of recruitment on URI’s Panhellenic council, said.
Although fall recruitment is coming to a close at the end of the week, Hutchinson pointed out that it is never too late to get involved with Greek Life. Students are encouraged to continue to rush either in the spring or through the informal recruitment process that continues throughout the semester.