www.thesunflower.com
MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016
SURVIVAL GUIDE | PAGE 7
Formal sorority recruitment week feels like a rush CONNOR CLAPHAM
REPORTER
@clapdaddy1
For women who have experienced formal recruitment, the first week of sorority “Rush Week” is something they will remember for the rest of their lives. Jenny Nguyen, president of the Panhellenic Council at Wichita State, compares sorority bid day to Christmas morning. The week gives interested ladies a chance to learn about each Greek chapter and have the opportunity to eventually join. Formal recruitment — “Rush Week” — runs from Sept. 8 to 12. Registration costs $50 until Sept. 1, when the fee increases to $60. Nguyen said the Greek community at WSU is a passionate group that supports each other and has been expanding more each year. “It’s really helped me get out of my comfort zone and learn more about myself,” Nguyen said. “While also making memories that will last
forever.” To survive rush week, keeping up with academics is the biggest help, Nguyen said. Making sure all classwork and studying is completed before each night’s activities is favored by each sorority chapter. Each chapter is different, but the end result of joining a different chapter is largely determined by how much effort a member contributes, Nguyen said. Activities such as meetings, retreats and philanthropy events are mandatory, but so much more is offered, she said. Kylie Wuestewald, president of recruitment for the Panhellenic Council, said some of the best benefits Greek life offers are networking, leadership development, and lifelong friendships. For the week, ladies are officially known as PNMs, or Potential New Members. On night one, they are given a house tour of all five chapters, and go out to dinner with their recruitment group. On the second
night, they learn about each chapter’s philanthropic interests. On the third and fourth nights, they learn about each chapter’s values and have a chance to engage in more personal conversations with chapter members. The last day is always the most exciting, Wuestewald said, with each PNM receiving a bid card to their desired chapter. After each new recruit has received their bid card, they rush down the stairs to be greeted by their new sisters. Nguyen describes it as a thrilling experience. After uniting with their chapters, new recruits — with the rest of the sisters — walk over to their houses in Omega Court north of 21st Street for a celebration. Nguyen and Wuestewald suggest PNMs be themselves during rush week. “Don’t be afraid to express yourself, because chapters want to see the real you during recruitment,” Wuestewald said.
Greek life plans for year ahead after ‘record-breaking’ year ALIYAH FUNSCHELLE
@funschelle18
REPORTER
Wichita State is home to 22 chapters of Greek life, which has seen growth in the past year. In the past year, Greek life recruits at Wichita State has grown by 16 percent, said Lyston Skerritt, assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Not only has recruitment gone up, but the community-service volunteer hours by fraternities and sororities rose, setting records for philanthropy dollars raised by Greek life. As a whole, the average GPA for students who participated in fraternities and sororities was 3.192 for the 2016 spring semester. Skerritt said it is evident why Greek life achievements for 2016 coined the name “record year for success.” With a strategic plan in motion, Greek life plans on carrying that success into 2017. “Our goal is to get our Greek population to 10 percent of the university’s undergraduate population and we are working towards that goal,” Skerritt said. “We now are in the process of developing it for the next year and our priorities from 2017-2020.” Maintaining a good grade point average is not only a rule implemented by the Greek life directors, but it is required by the university. Chapters with a high GPA have the opportunity to apply for national awards. In the 2016-2017 school year, each council had their highest GPA since 2012. “What we’ve done to really help GPAs is creating systems of academic support,” Skerritt said. “We refer
them to tutoring. Chapters hold them accountable for study hours, tutoring, and grades.” “We report the grades out, and with that level of transparency they know someone is checking on them. That pushes them to be more accountable,” Skerritt said. Recruitment is a big goal for Greek life each year. Greek life discovered that the best way to reach recruitment goals and promote Greek activity is to support and participate in events for new students. “We need to support admissions by attending their visits, their camps, their events, and programs. We help get students to WSU and in that promote Greek life,” Skerritt said. “Once the students come to campus, they look for us when they get here.” Individual councils take a different approach to recruitment, but they also have a similar tactic — starting early. Many fraternities have sand volleyball nights every week throughout the summer to recruit and sign students before classes start. Fraternities and sororities help with move-in day at Shocker Hall to recruit new students. Skerritt said it is this show of good character that is an important aspect to recruiting for the councils. “We wanted to focus on utilizing our strengths instead of trying to improve our weaknesses,” said Bailey Bryand, Sigma Alpha Epsilon President. “Our goal was to be completely transparent and be genuine guys. One strategy that worked well was doing a lot of recruiting in Shocker Hall.” Last year was a record year for Sigma Alpha Epsilon for philanthro-
py money raised. The fraternity raised $100,236.37 for the Children’s Miracle Network at its event, Shockerthon, a $24,781.89 increase from the $75,454.48 they raised in 2015. SAE plans to be just as successful for the 2017 school year by implementing goals and a plan early on in the year. “A strategic plan is a must,” Shockerthon Director Shelby Grosch said. “Last year we planned out three months ahead and that didn’t even seem like enough, so that will be bumped up and there will be tons of goals setting.” The success of Greek life on campus was not only recognized locally, but nationally. Wichita State was one of 50 universities in the nation asked to be a pilot for the national #RethinkGreek campaign. The campaign focuses on the perception of fraternities and sororities due to challenges of students joining by what people see in the media. “The main question raised is that there are more things nationally promoting Greek life in a negative manner,” Skerritt said. “Why aren’t we coming together to show students, staff, and parents what it’s truly about?” “They chose us because they already saw us as a trendsetter for marketing for sororities and fraternities, and so it blends them giving to us and sharing with them how we do things and then it is shared nationally.” With the 2014-2017 strategic plan 90 percent completed and a new plan coming together for 2017-2020, Greek life expects to have a record-breaking year.
photos by Brian Hayes
(Top) Upperclassmen volunteers move boxes in front of Shocker Hall, Saturday afternoon during move-in day. (Middle)Wu Shock greets students in front of Shocker Hall, Saturday afternoon during move-in day festivities. (Bottom) Wu Shock poses with members of the Delta Gamma sorority in front of Shocker Hall, Saturday afternoon. Members of Delta Gamma and other Greek life organizations helped assist new students moving into the dorms.
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