A growing family
It was the first night of rush, like that of any other semester, but everything was different this time.
No one stood at the door dressed in extravagant outfits, chanting in unison. Houses were free of flashy balloons and flowers. Each visitor dressed the same: in a T-shirt.
This semester, the Panhellenic Association’s recruitment season began without the usual frills in an effort to emphasize each Greek chapter’s values and to strive to be more of a united community. And the strategy worked: The council, as well as the Interfraternity Council, gained dozens more new members than it did last year, increasing the percentage of Greek students on the campus from 13 to 16.
Along with the addition of a new organization, Alpha Xi Delta, the PHA attracted 576 new members this semester — 61 more than last year. The IFC also saw an increase, adding 381 members to boost the average chapter size by 15 members, said Brian Golden, the IFC adviser. Representatives from both councils attributed the membership spike to new initiatives centered on the larger community and a shift away from negative stereotypes.
“Sometimes women get called up because, ‘Oh, this woman had really cute boots on — I really liked her because of that,’” said senior marketing and supply chain management major Leanne Hug, PHA vice president of recruitment. “Now it’s directed more about what the values are, why they want to go Greek.”
Typically, many interested students don’t find what they’re looking for and drop out of rush early, Hug said. But this year, the PHA and IFC held low-key, conversation-based events designed to help students find their best fit. Unlike in previous years, very few people dropped out after the first weekend, Hug said.
With the rise in membership — 10 IFC organizations now have between 95 and 132 members — management may become more difficult, Golden said. One fraternity, he said, can’t even fit all its members in its house for meetings. The council will explore downsizing as members graduate in the spring and possibly adding more chapters in the future to make chapter sizes more manageable, he added.
But both PHA and IFC members said the rising numbers were much more of a benefit than a limitation. After the success of the PHA’s “no frills” rush, Griffith said the council hopes to continue emphasizing the deeper themes of its sororities.
“People should not be going because of the balloons and flowers and chocolate-covered strawberries,” Griffith said. “They should be joining because of the diversity and community. That’s why we call it a home away from home. You get to choose a family for yourself.”
At the IFC’s new Meet the Greeks event, where each fraternity set up a table in the mathematics building so potential members could walk around and learn about each organization, freshman finance major Ben Wills said he felt a community atmosphere.
“No one was talking down to the other fraternities,” Wills said. “They were stressing any one you join will be a great experience — find the one that’s best for you.”
Normally, individual sororities are usually wrapped up in their own activities, said PHA President Taylor Griffith, a senior history and journalism major.
“But the end of the day, we are a community and couldn’t exist without each other,” she said. “When a non-Greek student sees you wearing chapter letters, they just see Greek letters; they don’t know the difference.”
Last semester, the PHA began building relationships between sororities by randomly pairing organizations together for mandated cross-chapter events. On the assigned day and time, the sororities met to make tie-dye, bake cookies or watch movies, among other activities, Griffith said. The program will continue this semester with joint philanthropy events.
The council also began another program this fall focusing on social justice within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Representatives from the councils are also looking at creating a cross-sorority mentor program and a “Greek Ambassadors” program, in which students would talk at events about positive aspects such as community service and leadership.
“Say I’m in Terp Thon, and the guy in Terp Thon I’m friends with, I realize he’s in a fraternity,” Golden said. “And I say, ‘Oh, I never thought a fraternity guy would be interested in Terp Thon — maybe I would be more interested in joining a fraternity.’”
Nationwide, Greek life is being viewed more positively, Griffith said, an outlook Golden seeks to bring to College Park, where IFC organizations have been trying to improve relationships with city residents.
Relations between residents and off-campus Greek students have often been strained, with residents complaining of neighborhood disturbances such as excessive partying. But this fall, each IFC fraternity “adopted” a street in Old Town and volunteers by cleaning up trash every other week, Golden said.
Hoping to further a positive image, the IFC has also been cracking down on “underground” fraternities, organizations that have been removed from the campus for violations such as hazing but still continue to operate on their own, Golden said.
In high school, Wills said he was always opposed to the idea of Greek life, but his mindset changed when a friend convinced him to attend a few rush events this semester.
“A lot of my friends are shocked I am in it,” Wills said. “In the media, it’s portrayed as a lot of jerks who all they care about is partying. I think there’s definitely been a push for a community service aspect and social growth aspect. It’s really a multifaceted organization that has a lot more to offer.”
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