Sorority members kicked off the first night of the Panhellenic Council's week-long rush period Tuesday night. This fall marks the first time that Alpha Phi, a sorority that was introduced in the winter of 2006, will participate in rush.
Although rush was primarily a Winter term event in past years, this year marks the third consecutive time that rush has taken place during Fall term. A second rush week will also be held this Winter term for students who are currently off-campus or who otherwise cannot or do not want to go through rush this term.
The first round of rush, during which all women visit all sororities in a series of 45-minute parties, concludes tonight. Because of the addition of the new sorority, Alpha Phi, prospective members will visit seven houses this year, as opposed to six houses in previous years.
Assistant Director of Co-ed, Fraternity and Sorority Administration Megan Johnson said that Alpha Phi was prepared to enter the rush process.
"They're ready to go," Johnson said. "Their excitement is fairly contagious."
In the second round of rush, which takes place on Friday and Saturday night, women can receive up to seven invitations to come back to houses, but they can only attend four parties. On Sunday night, known as Preference Night, women are invited back to two houses and later rank them as their first and second choices. Women will meet with their recruitment counselors on Monday and find out which houses gave them bids.
Marisa Origel '07, Panhellenic vice president of recruitment, said that recruitment counselors can see which women received which bids beforehand and are trained in basic counseling and communication techniques to help their women through the process.
The rush process makes use of a software program adopted by Panhellenic councils nationwide. The system automatically and randomly assigns women into groups, helps assign preferences, and eventually helps determine bids. Origel said that the program had been very effective in the past.
"I can't imagine what it'd be like without it," she said.
Origel reported that 285 women signed up to participate in rush, fewer than the 317 women who signed up to participate last year, though she was unsure what led to this decrease.
Rachel Karpf '07, Sigma Delta sorority's rush co-chair, said she is excited about having new members in her sorority and offered some words of advice to women beginning rush.
"I think it's helpful to remember that you can feel awkward; it's awkward to be standing at four parties a night," Karpf said. "You just have to remember that everyone here was once in that same position, and we're really excited to get to know you and to meet you."
