Panhel concludes rush, delivers bids

Panhellenic Council officials called the new and improved rush process a success. Although most Penn students spent Sunday evening watching the Super Bowl, the hundreds of women who participated in the two-week-long Panhellenic Council rush process had much more than the game on their minds. After Saturday night's preference round concluded rush, the prospective pledges gathered in Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge at 4 p.m. to receive their anxiously awaited bids. The eight Panhel sororities gave bids to 331 women, a 5 percent increase from the 315 women in last year's pledge class, according to outgoing Vice President of Rush Jenny Wigman, a College senior. The number equals 65 percent of the 531 women who originally registered for rush. Most of the 35 percent who did not get bids had voluntarily withdrawn from the process before the bids were given out. About 30 women who did complete the entire process also failed to receive bids, said Wigman, an Alpha Chi Omega sister. Sunday's ceremony concluded a rush period characterized by several experimental changes. Many of those involved said they felt the changes -- which were intended to allow the rushes to better acquaint themselves with the sisters and the different houses -- were successful. Incoming Panhel President Janelle Brodsky, a College and Engineering junior, said rush "went really well." "I think the majority of the women who rushed are going to be happy where they are pledging," the Pi Beta Phi sister said. The final stage of the rush process involved each sorority matching the list of women they selected with the list of women who chose their house as one of their two top preferences. The selections are coordinated so that no woman receives more than one bid. Some women who were not matched with the house of their choice still received a bid from other houses that did not fill their quota of bids. The quota was set at 45 this year. Seven of the eight sororities have now filled their quota, according to Wigman. Pi Beta Phi, which has traditionally had smaller pledge classes, was the only sorority that failed to fill its quota. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said he felt the process was successful. He praised the leadership of Wigman and Assistant Vice President of Rush Julie Galluzzo, a College junior, in maintaining order throughout the two weeks. "Jennifer and Julie did a fantastic job of keeping things organized," Reikofski said. "With the changes we made, they did a good job of educating people." After receiving their bids, pledges went to their respective houses for a celebration event Sunday night to get to know their new sisters, according to Brodsky. Alpha Phi President Lindsay Miller, a College senior, said the mood at her sorority's event was a happy one. "[Many of the women] were talking about how excited everyone was at Houston Hall," Miller said. "When I rushed, people were crying about bids." Miller added that changes in the rush procedure -- allowing the rushes to spend longer periods of time at each house during the later rounds -- probably helped make more rushes happy about the houses to which they were returning. Kappa Alpha Theta President Sophie Bosch, a College junior, said it seemed to her that "most of the girls were anxious" and couldn't sleep the night before the bids were given out. "I really wanted the bid and I was really nervous at one point," said College freshman Krista Saunders, who received a bid from Alpha Chi Omega. Saunders added that when she received her coveted bid, she felt "extremely happy and extremely satisfied." And College freshman Melissa Pierre said walking into Houston Hall was a "little scary" at first because of the "horror stories" she heard about women who did not get bids. But Pierre added that "[she] was happy" once she received her bid from Kappa Alpha Theta.