As the sun set on Hubbard Lawn on a Sunday evening, the cheers of a crowd of excited women could be heard across campus. Bid day, a celebratory event marking the end of formal sorority recruitment, was in full swing as the Panhellenic Council took over the lawn outside Hubbard Hall.
Texas Woman’s University’s Panhellenic Council held their annual formal recruitment weekend on Sept. 17-19. The council helped almost 60 students find a home at one of the three sororities involved. The Panhellenic Council represents the three National Panhellenic Council chapters at TWU: Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Sigma Sigma Sigma and oversees the weekend.
“We were definitely fighting COVID in terms of getting people interested,” President and Vice President of Recruitment of Panhellenic Council Hannah Breiner said. “One thing people came in worried about was that they weren’t going to get that same greek life experience because of COVID.”
This year, recruitment was held in a hybrid style featuring two days of virtual meetings: a meet and greet, and an introduction to each chapter’s philanthropy. The final day included socially distanced in person meetings where students met with their final choices of sororities. Bid day parties followed in the evening after students chose their preferred sororities.
Compared to last year’s completely virtual recruitment, the hybrid recruitment stirred up excitement for in-person activities. However, there may have been some additional benefits to this atypical recruitment style besides COVID precautions.
“One of the biggest fears I think everyone had was being able to make those connections via video chat, but one thing I took from last year’s recruitment was that people were able to be more comfortable in their own space,” Breiner said. “So, going into the weekend I just reminded active members and potential new members ‘You’re in your own space you are comfortable. You can talk freely. You don’t need to be stressed out about how there’s a million people around you.’”
Sophomore and new member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Destiny Rodriguez had similar thoughts.
“The hybrid style of recruitment made me feel so comfortable, because I felt like I was able to talk with and understand each chapter better before being face to face,” Rodriguez said. “I felt like I was able to make a proper decision without feeling biased or pressured.”
Although the formal recruitment process is over, sororities are still open to interested students. Students who are interested in joining a Panhellenic sorority can reach out to the Panhellenic Council at TWU through social media.
Amber Khan can be reached at akhan14@twu.edu.
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