Panhel sponsors open rush sessions for Kappa Delta

The Panhellenic Council held two informational meetings this weekend for women interested in a spring rush to join the sorority system. Though the event was advertised as a "Panhellenic Open Rush," Kappa Delta is the only house conducting a spring rush this year. Still, all nine Panhel sororities participated in the meetings and showed their support for KD. "As was reported in [The Daily Pennsylvanian], Kappa Delta did not make quota, and therefore they have the option of holding an open rush," Panhel President and Delta Delta Delta sister Allison Marinoff said. "Any house that doesn't make quota has the option." Approximately 40 women -- including Panhel chapter presidents, KD sisters and interested women -- attended each meeting. The meeting rooms were filled with KD paraphanalia ranging from hats, shirts, socks and boxers to shot glasses, playing cards, buttons and keychains. Both meetings began with a five-minute slide show depicting sorority and fraternity members enjoying the benefits of being in the Greek system. Following the slide show, there were speeches by four women who spoke about sisterhood and sorority life. Nancy Hacker, the Panhel vice president for rush and an Alpha Chi Omega sister, said that Panhel is the largest women's organization on campus with over 1,300 members. She added that all of its nine chapters share similar principles and structures, but that "1,300 women do have a very powerful voice when used together." Chi Omega President Kerry Walsh spoke about the lifetime benefits of sisterhood, saying that a Panhel sisterhood is "more than a best friend." She also called for the women of Panhel to take leadership roles in dealing with such issues as eating disorders, sexual harassment, date rape and alcohol and drug abuse. KD President Jessica Gross spoke about membership in her sorority, and offered the intrerested women an opportunity to join it. "I offer to you a chance to help build a sisterhood, your own group within the larger University community," Gross said in her speech. "I offer to you three formals a year, two major philanthropies to rally behind, your own house close to campus, educational programs . . . a group of sisters dedicated to you and women everywhere, social activites such as mixers and parties, and a voice in the direction of all this. I offer to you Kappa Delta." Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Tricia Phaup also spoke at Friday night's meeting, and second-year Law student Margaret Scott spoke at Saturday afternoon's meeting. Scott was a third generation Kappa Delta sister at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "The empowerment of women through a sorority and the opportunity that a sorority provides for women on campus . . . shows so much of what a sorority has to offer," Phaup said Friday night. Marinoff said yesterday that the members of Panhel have been uniting in support of KD. "I personally respect Kappa Delta, I respect its president, and I think that its reputation on this campus is unfair and unwarranted," the College junior said. "[Panhel's] number one goal [has been] full support of Kappa Delta." Gross added that she was "overwhelmed by the tremendous support" from Panhel, and that she is looking forward to initiating new members to her sorority. "I believe that each woman adds her own unique personality and ideas to the organization," she said last night. "In that repsect, every time a new woman chooses to join Kappa Delta she brings with her a fresh new prospective." Phaup said Friday night that a spring rush is has a "completely different" procedure than a formal rush, but that since each sorority can use a different approach, it is unclear how KD will continue its rush process. Staff writer Cara Tanamachi contributed to this article.