Sororities prepare for rush

On Tuesday evening, hundreds of freshmen women will set out to discover exactly what Penn's sororities have to offer.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Penn's formal rush process for the seven sororities on campus. This two-week period, sponsored by the Panhellenic Council, consists of four rounds, during which prospective sisters visit each sorority house and get to know its members.

This year, more than 450 freshmen are vying for spots in sororities. Although some are expected to drop out in later rounds, the number of applicants is consistent with last year's total.

During the initial round, which lasts for two days, women will attend open houses to help them get an idea of which sorority is the best match for them.

By Sunday night, the rush participants will turn in a list of preferred sororities and wait to hear from their top choices. Next week, current sorority sisters will deliberate over the candidates and invite a select number of applicants back for preference parties.

The process culminates on Jan. 20, when a certain number of women will receive a bid to join a particular house.

According to Lindsay Baker, a College junior and president of one of Penn's seven sororities, the Panhellenic Council's goal is to "make sure every girl finds a house that can make her as happy as she can be."

"Every house is looking for something different in a girl," Panhel Vice President of Recruitment Kristin Moon said. "They're looking for someone who is going to show leadership. The main goal for houses is to find someone who is going to be involved, who will be an active sister."

The recruitment process began last fall when freshmen women were invited to register and attend informal open houses. Each woman was then assigned to a group led by a rho chi, a sorority sister, who is not affiliated with a particular house, and who acts as a guide through the rush process.

Although the sorority rush process is relatively formal in comparison to fraternity rush, Moon likened the process to applying for college or for a job.

Panhel President Kristen Buppert said that she encourages freshmen to go into rush with an open mind and think of the Greek system as a way to "supplement their education at Penn."

"There are a lot of things that the [Greek] system as a whole has to offer, and no matter what reason you've registered for, rush gives you that opportunity," she said.

Associate Director for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Leah Shafer described rush as a time for women to ask questions and explore each house in order to figure out which one is best for them. Visiting each house, she explained, provides rushees with the opportunity to make an intelligent, educated decision.

Shafer added that Panhel has made some additions to the process this year in order to expose freshmen to different areas of Greek life. For instance, Panhel has significantly increased its marketing in an attempt to spark interest among freshmen.

One major addition to the rush process this year is the inclusion of a philanthropy round. Next Thursday at each house, rushees will help with community service projects, including making stress relief balls and bookmarks. The completed gifts will be donated to breast cancer patients at the Rena Rowan Cancer Center.

Moon pointed out that Panhel completes more community service hours than any other organization on campus. The philanthropy round is a way to showcase and promote awareness about the volunteer work that the Greeks do.

"We're trying to get rid of the stereotypes we have, mostly because we believe that they don't hold true," Moon said.

Another change this year is the involvement of a new Penn sorority -- Sigma Kappa. However, Sigma Kappa will only be participating in the first round of rush, and will begin formally recruiting its founding members next month.

For some, rush is a highly anticipated process. College freshman Courtney Kay said that she hopes to pledge -- opting to join a sorority -- mainly for social reasons.

The Greek system "gives you an expanded group you can... hang out with," Kay said.

Others, though, are rushing for the experience and have not decided whether or not they will actually pledge.

College freshman Molly Dixon decided to rush because she heard it was "a great way to meet a lot of other freshmen" and thinks it will be a fun experience. Dixon only plans on pledging if she finds a house that she likes and thinks would be a good fit for her.

And Wharton freshman Celia Castellanos is rushing just to get an idea of what the Greek system is like.

"I just want to see if it's for me or not," Castellanos said.

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