Bid Day 2014
For six months, they go undercover.
They cannot wear their letters, represent their chapters at public Greek life events, post pictures with their sisters or use their last name. They “disaffiliate” from their chapters and become a part of something separate: They become Rho Gammas.
Rho Gammas, or recruitment counselors, as they’re known at other universities, assist potential new members through the process of finding a sorority. Each pair of Rho Gammas is assigned a group of PNMs to guide, answering questions, offering guidance and helping as best they can.
“We sort of act as mother figures for the PNMs. I try to help them as they find the right chapter and go through the entire recruitment process, which can be pretty stressful,” Alyse Feldman, a senior communication and sociology major, said.
The Rho Gammas keep their chapter identities hidden from their PNMs in an effort to prevent their letters from coloring the potential members’ decisions. They make their Facebook profiles as private as possible and use different email addresses when communicating with their Rho Gamma group.
Sometimes, though, their efforts are not enough to keep them hidden.
“Yeah, I sort of accidentally found which sorority one of mine was in by Facebook stalking,” Rachel DeSantis, a sophomore journalism major said. “I do think it’s nice that they try and keep it hidden, though. Keeping it anonymous is an important part of the process. It’s really important not to shape your opinion of a sorority on one person.”
For DeSantis, the process was relatively smooth, she said, and she didn’t have to rely on the help of her Rho Gamma. For others, though, she saw the value.
“Going into rushing, it’s a lot of strangers, so it can be really overwhelming,” she said. “Having a Rho Gamma that you know on a personal level makes it feel safer and less scary.”
This year, for the first time, Rho Gamma groups had a pair of recruitment counselors rather than a single Rho Gamma, said Sami Gottlieb, co-Rho Gamma coordinator.
Last year, single Rho Gammas had groups of about 14 to 15 PNMs, but this year each pair mentored a number in the low 30s.
“We thought it would be helpful for PNMs to have more than one person to go to. They might feel more comfortable talking to someone with a personality that’s more similar to theirs,” Gottlieb said. “We try to make them as comfortable as possible.”
The Rho Gammas go through an interview process before being selected and then take a student-taught class the fall semester before spring recruitment. During the class, the co-coordinators met with the Rho Gammas every Wednesday night for two-hour sessions to teach them the process, rules, etiquette and technicalities behind sorority recruitment.
“On a more technical level, the counselors are like the ‘eyes and ears’ of [the Panhellenic Association],” Gottlieb said. “As they go in the individual chapter houses, they also have to make sure people are following the rules.”
In creating the pairs, Gottlieb and her co-coordinator Taylor Kleiner sought to balance different personalities and different chapters in an effort to diversify the pairings.
“Sort of going along with the way they unite all of the school’s sororities in choosing Rho Gammas, I think it’s really nice they paired us up,” Feldman said. “It wasn’t just the PNMs making new friends, I met a ton of Rho Gammas outside of my chapter and became friends with them too.”
Often, the Rho Gammas stay close with their PNMs — sometimes even when the girls drop recruitment or join a different chapter than the Rho Gamma herself.
“I see my PNMs that joined sorority chapters all the time and it’s great. The girl that joined my chapter is my close friend now,” Gottlieb, who was a Rho Gamma before becoming Rho Gamma co-coordinator, said. “Whenever I see them on campus, we run up and give each other hugs. It’s a process that really brings people closer together.”
