Panhel sororities deliver bids

Carrying umbrellas to dodge the rain Sunday, hundreds of female rushees slowly trickled into the Veranda at 3615 Locust Walk to receive the verdicts of the two-week Panhellenic rush process -- their sorority bids. According to outgoing Panhel Vice President of Rush Julie Galluzzo, a College senior, the eight Panhel sororities gave out 318 bids this year, slightly fewer than last year's 329. Of the 489 women registered for rush, 69 percent completed the process and received a bid, a 4 percent increase from last year. About 130 women dropped out of the process before bid day, and some women did not receive bids at all. Outgoing Panhel Vice President Elisabeth Bernard, a College senior, said rush was "so well done" this year. But this year's rush was marred by an infraction against Kappa Alpha Theta for breaking Panhel rules, according to Office of Sorority and Fraternity Affairs Director Scott Reikofski. "There are always a few little snags here and there," Reikofski said. As a result of the infraction, the sorority has been placed on one month of social probation and must undergo mandatory educational programming, Reikofski added. 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 top two 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 the other houses which did not fill their quota of bids. The quota was set at 43 this year. Reikofski commended Galluzzo and incoming Vice President of Rush Cara Schmid, a College junior, for successfully channeling nearly 500 women through all eight Panhel chapters. And outgoing Panhel President Janelle Brodsky, a College and Engineering senior, said the pledge classes "have a lot of diversity." After the women received their bids, the chapters' "bid day protocol" began, according to Bernard. The new pledges went to their respective houses for a celebration event Sunday night to get to know the sisters. College sophomore Tina Armando said she was skeptical about the Panhel system at first. "You hear stories? how every house is the same -- petty and superficial," Armando said. By bid day, however, she was pleased with the process and her Alpha Phi bid. College freshman Avital Even-Shoshan said she was nervous Sunday as she waited for her rush counselor, also known as a rho chi, to call her and inform her about whether or not she received a bid. Stressing that "I wanted to know [early]," Even-Shoshan said she was relieved when she eventually received her bid from Phi Sigma Sigma.