By: Anna Aguillard, Senior Writer
Over the weekend of Feb. 12, Wofford Greek organizations held their first-ever formal recruitment – in the spring.
Although the houses are yet to be finished (the projected completion date has again been pushed back to April 25, 2016, depending on cooperative weather), recruitment was held as planned.
Thirty-seven young women enrolled in Panhellenic Recruitment, which was higher than most projected. On Friday, two parties of about 15 women visited all four Panhellenic organizations in Anna Todd, Phase V, Shipp Lounge and underneath Burwell.
Conversations at these parties focused on recruitment in general and what it is like to be a part of a sorority at Wofford. On Saturday, each potential new member visited only one party each. These parties focused more individually on sorority life and each organization’s respective philanthropies.
On Sunday, each young woman visited the preference parties of her choosing. Bid Day followed on Monday afternoon in Leonard Auditorium – another change from the past. Bid Day has usually taken place in Anna Todd, but due to inclement, icy February weather, administration changed the venue to a warmer location.
“Although it was different than what we were used to in the past and required a lot of hard work, we are all excited to welcome new members to our organization,” says Sami Bernstein, recruitment chair for Zeta Tau Alpha. “There were some kinks to work out, but I hope that by next year, Spring Recruitment will run just as smoothly as it has in the fall.
Fraternity recruitment followed a slightly different timeline; however, each organization ended the weekend with new members. Fraternity recruitment events began on Thursday, and formal bid day took place on Saturday, Feb. 13.
Unlike bid days of the past, each fraternity welcomed their new members without mud pits or orange jumpsuits. Even so, by the end of the weekend, IFC organizations had added thirty-seven new members to their respective groups.
Like this past year, the upcoming year will see the end of old and many new traditions created on campus. While no formal recruitment will be held in the fall of 2016, a full-blown recruitment will take place in the following spring. This year’s spring recruitment served as a dress rehearsal to the full event to take place next year. By that time, Wofford will have completed the Greek Row, and recruitment as we know it will be entirely different.
