Every year, hundreds of Penn freshman and sophomore women spend their first week back from winter break participating in formal sorority recruitment. At the end of what can often seem a long and arduous process, rushees hope they will find a new group of friends and receive a bid for the sorority of their choice.
More women completed the formal sorority recruitment process and received bids this year than ever before. But as a result, many sororities accepted over 50 girls in their newest pledge classes. Given the large interest in Greek life, we believe Penn should add an additional sorority.
A new sorority would decrease the size of the average pledge class, helping members to get to know the rest of their sorority. Many women are interested in joining a chapter to make Penn seem a little smaller, to gain a support system and to make friends who truly become their sisters. In larger sororities, it is more difficult to become familiar with all the other members, and it is more likely that some sisters will fall through the cracks.
Establishing a new sorority would also offer more women the opportunity to find their place in the Greek system. There are always prospective new members who withdraw from recruitment because, while they like the idea of being in a sorority, they don’t feel like they fit into one of the eight chapters currently on campus. More chapters would provide women with more options, and would allow women to charter a sorority on their terms that meets their needs.
