Beyond the deafening roar of all nine College Panhellenic Council (CPC) chapters at the Spring 2015 Sorority Walk, the heat of adrenaline electrifies the free speech zone on the afternoon of Jan. 11.
Sisterhood is more than just the new members running into the embraces of their new home, it’s a carefully planned process to build a unique community.
According to Andrea Martinez, Longwood’s assistant director for Fraternity and Sorority Life, each spring recruitment cycle begins as early as when CPC’s new Vice President of Recruitment is elected the fall semester the year before.
“While there are nationwide standards set by the CPC, Longwood believes in fostering a community where all nine chapters can be equally represented through the guiding values of service, friendship and self- betterment,” said Martinez.
The current Vice President of Recruitment, Lindsey McGibbon, added that, “Longwood has a unique sorority community in which sisters are more friendly, stick together and want the best for each other.”
With 463 women in CPC chapters in 2014 and an additional 19 members acquired through the open bidding process, Longwood’s on- campus sorority life represents 18.46 percent of all women at Longwood. The initial projection of the Greek Life Office is to give out at least 150 bids this semester.
The following chart shows the most updated figures of women recruited by each chapter at walk and through the open bidding process thereafter, as verified by each chapter’s recruitment officers:
| CPC Chapter | New Members at Walk |
Open Bids |
| Alpha Delta Pi | 12 | 2 |
| Alpha Gamma Delta | 14 | 2 |
| Alpha Sigma Alpha | 13 | 0 |
| Alpha Sigma Tau | 11 | 2 |
| Delta Zeta | 13 | 0 |
| Kappa Delta | 17 | 2 |
| Sigma Kappa | 16 | 4 |
| Sigma Sigma Sigma | 9 | 2 |
| Zeta Tau Alpha | 13 | 0 |
Recruitment, though, goes beyond numbers to keep each chapter operational. CPC recruitment counselors are elected to provide advice for potential new members (PNMs) without representing their chapter. According to Kelsey Paulus, “Recruitment counselors are an unbiased source....sound boards for PNMs to guide them to the most informed decision.”
Another recruitment counselor, Hannah Davis, added that although the counselor-mentee relationship lasts only for the three days of recruitment (Jan. 8-10), the potential new member’s decision is likely to be for a life time.
“PNMs are encouraged to be themselves, to not ‘dress themselves up’ to preconceived ideas of what each chapter might be looking for....to encourage them to make individual decisions,” said Davis.
Jennifer Thompson, one such new member before accepting a bid to Alpha Sigma Tau, agreed that the counseling process helped her make an informed decision. “While the process was lengthy, it was as inclusive as can be. Everyone truly made an effort to bond with each other; it’s exciting to join an established organization with values and beliefs.”
The process, according to the Greek Life Office’s website, is three days of meet-and-greets called “parties” between PNMs and each chapter. Recruitment counselors meet with their group of PNMs on the first day. On the second day, all the women are learning about each chapter’s values by visiting all nine chapters. PNMs then select six chapters, as do the chapters select a quota of PNMs they’d like to invite back so that a second round of “parties” can be conducted on the second day. Finally, PNMs go through another “mutually-agreed” cut on the day of walk before accepting their bid for the culminating ceremony at 5 p.m..
Thompson elaborated that during this process three topics were off- limits: “boys, booze and bong.” Emily Waters, the former president of Alpha Sigma Tau, explained this mutual rule in context of Longwood CPC’s goal for a supportive Greek community, “These topics are inappropriate territory that detract from learning about the true values of each chapter. We want to focus on what each potential new member wants to accomplish through the chapter...More on what they want from the experience [of sisterhood] than the stereotypes of Greek life as depicted through the media.”
As Waters explained “sorority silence,” “All Greek women cut contact with PNMs during recruitment outside of CPC events so that all nine chapters can recruit on equal grounds...no ‘dirty rushing,’ putting undue pressure on PNMs.”
“The Greek Life Office oversees the process so that each chapter can meet a ‘quota,’ an established number of women each chapter can take based on the number of women signed up for recruitment and each chapter’s current membership,” Waters added.
With 142 women already choosing to become part of a sisterhood this spring, it is evident that the long-term recruitment process is one of integrity, and the “kind and generous, supportive” community exemplifying a Greek life different from popular depiction.
