Sisters, Songs, Service and Smiles - It's Sorority Recruitment Week at the University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 14, 2015) — For more than 100 years, women at the University of Kentucky have enjoyed the bonds of sisterhood as members of sororities and UK's Panhellenic Council. Over the next several days, the 14 chapters of the National Panhellenic Conference — including newest chapter Alpha Chi Omega — will open their front doors to approximately 1,500 potential new members as part of the annual fall formal recruitment.

Women were first admitted to UK in 1880 and soon there after, social and service organizations formed. In the early 1900s, local sororities, including Black Cat and Psi, formed on campus. In 1907, Alpha Xi Delta became the first national sorority at UK; Alpha Gamma Delta followed in 1908 and remains on campus today.

Fourteen members of the National Panhellenic Conference call UK home — Alpha Chi Omega (colonizing fall 2015), Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Mu and Pi Beta Phi. These chapters will participate in formal fall recruitment beginning Sunday, Aug. 16, and concluding with Bid Day Friday, Aug. 21.

The 1917 Kentuckian, UK's yearbook, first mentions sorority rush. From then until 1960, women dressed in their finest dresses and coats and met informally with chapter members, sitting and chatting while drinking Coca-Cola. Chapters would offer bids at the end of the rush period and then a presentation of the pledges would be held for campus to meet each chapter's new members.

In 1960, the Panhellenic Council tested a pre-preference rush system complete with rush counselors. In 1961, the formal rush model was launched at UK. Over the years, chapters have performed songs and skits and talked with potential new members as part of formal recruitment. In 2003, sorority rush was changed to formal sorority recruitment and the term "rushee" for a potential new member was dropped.

Today, the Panhellenic Council prepares for recruitment by working all summer to ensure that chapter members, Gamma Chis — active chapter members who leave their chapters for the week to serve as guides to women going through recruitment — and potential new members have the best experience possible during Spirit and Recruitment Week. Several guest speakers, countless trainings, activities and open conversations between chapters foster a sense of community throughout the Panhellenic Association at UK.

"We work throughout the summer but preparation really begins in April," Sarah Macke, UK Panhellenic president, said. "It takes about four months to prepare for this week in the fall each year."

Potential new members will move into their residence halls Saturday, Aug. 15, a week after active members have returned to campus to prepare for recruitment during Spirit Week.

On Sunday, Aug. 16, the nearly 1,500 women going through recruitment will begin visiting chapter houses during Open House. The potential new members are divided into 104 smaller Gamma Chi groups who they will travel from house to house with during open house. An active sorority woman guides these groups. Open House continues Monday, Aug. 17.

"Alpha Chi Omega is colonizing this August and we are so very excited to welcome them to our community here at the University of Kentucky," Macke said. "After participating in the first two days of open house, they will be having their own formal recruitment process that follows the Colonization Procedures of the National Panhellenic Conference."

Each day of recruitment allows potential new members to spend more time getting to know the different chapters and their members. UK utilizes a mutual selection process to match women with chapters. Each day also focuses on a different aspect of sorority life. Tuesday of Recruitment Week focuses on philanthropy, with chapters highlighting the service component of their organizations. Wednesday centers on sisterhood, with chapters sharing what is special about their chapter through a video and testimonials. Thursday is preference day, the last day of membership recruitment functions. Preference presentations will reflect the values and ideals held in esteem by a sorority's members.

Friday is Bid Day, the day when women receive their invitations, or bids, to join a sorority. New members of UK sororities traditionally wear white dresses on Bid Day. Bid Day also signifies the beginning of pledgeship — the time between joining a sorority and being initiated. The new member period can last as few as four weeks or up to a whole semester depending on the chapter. New member meetings are typically held one night a week. During this time new members learn about the history of their chapter, therir national organization and other fraternities and sororities at UK. Many scholarship, philanthropy and social activities are planned to help new members get to know their sisters and other members of the new member class.

"Recruitment is a very exciting time of the year," Macke said. "We anticipate the arrival of potential new members each fall because we cannot wait to welcome more women into our community. Deciding to join the Greek community has been the best decision in my life so far! I would not trade my sisters or this community for anything. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful women and a very close community in my life!"

UK's Panhellenic Council is the largest registered student organization at the University of Kentucky with more than 5,000 women active in the 14 chapters that make up the council.

Women may also join a sorority through the continuous open bidding process. Continuous open bidding (COB) begins after the conclusion of Sorority Membership Recruitment Week and continues throughout the academic year. COB is recommended for anyone who chooses not to participate in Membership Recruitment Week or did not receive a bid during the week. COB offers women the opportunity to participate in sorority life and join a sorority through an informal process

Phi Sigma Rho, national engineering sorority, is an associate member of UK's Panhellenic Council and Ceres Agricultural Sorority and Delta Phi Mu Latina Sorority are members of the United Greek Coalition; these organizations do not participate in fall formal recruitment. The four sororities that make up UK's National Pan-Hellenic Council, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho and Zeta Phi Beta, also do not participate in formal recruitment. Information about joining these organizations is available on the Greek Affairs website.