Greek Organizations: A Look into Recruitment

Every Greek organization here has a different purpose and different goals to achieve for the members who are part of it. All Greek organizations however, strive towards the common goal of making Greek life flourish and promoting the welfare of the organizations themselves. The Greek organizations here at Concord worked to achieve those goals by having their own sort of drive towards recruiting. They also implemented their well thought-out plans to allow promising recruitment during Rush Week. As a result, the organizations gave students who were interested in Greek life, the chance to get out and have fun experiences with the members of a fraternity or sorority.

Sigma Tau Gamma (ΣTΓ)

    Jordan Smith, President of the Alpha Lambda chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma, feels this Rush Week was better than the previous Fall semester. The entire recruitment week seemed to work out well for Sigma Tau Gamma, along with everyone liking the events. There were also a lot more active members who came to the events, along with a lot more new guys. Sigma Tau Gamma did events such as cornhole in the valley, volleyball, and even a game of “Cards Against Humanity.” Like every Rush Week for this fraternity, the last night consisted of the guys getting together to go bowling. Their goal towards recruitment was to find guys whom they could help become better individuals over time. “It doesn’t matter who you are when you come in just as long as we can help you out to reach your full potential in academics and social life,” says Smith.

Phi Sigma Phi (ΦΣΦ)

    The Phi Mu chapter of the Phi Sigma Phi fraternity had been planning for a good recruitment all summer. After putting a lot of work into recruiting, the Phi Mu chapter had a great turnout along with getting a lot of names. Kade Fortner, Recruitment Officer of the Phi Mu chapter, describes the recruitment as being very organized and going well. Their Rush Week events included having a game night, a barbeque, a hide-and-seek event, and outdoor activities in the Valley. Fortner explains that all of the Greek organizations wanted good recruitments. “Us and all the nationals, we just want a better Greek life back on campus. It’s died down and we want it back,” Says Fortner. For people who wouldn’t consider Greek life, Fortner describes Greek organizations as not being the way television portrays them. “Fraternities are a group of friends,” he adds.

Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE)

    The Iota Xi chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity aimed to have a very successful recruitment this semester. The members were driven by the goal of engaging new students on campus to gain interest in their organization. Tyler Coy, Vice President of the Iota Xi chapter, says that getting involved with a Greek organization can help better developmental skills. “I feel like it gives students who are not involved with sports or other clubs, an opportunity to become a part of something that can not only better themselves as a student but as a person,” Coy adds. Tau Kappa Epsilon’s agenda of Rush Week events included an interest night with pizza, “NBA 2K” tournament, a cornhole tournament in the Valley, and giving out bids Thursday night. Coy says being in a Greek organization gives you the opportunity to engage with people from different cultures and backgrounds. He feels that is helpful for going into the workforce, which is also diverse.

Alpha Sigma Alpha (AΣA)

    The Beta Pi chapter of the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority managed to have a great turnout for Rush Week. “I think it was better advertised than last year, and a lot of eager freshmen [were] interested in joining the Greek community,” says Hannah Walsh, President of the Beta Pi chapter. This semester’s Rush Week was their chance to help their chapter grow before a majority of the members graduate. Seeing how they were able to extend bids to as many women as they want, they saw that as an opportunity to gain new members. Alpha Sigma Alpha’s first recruiting event was “Circle Night,” which was a 30 minute rotation talk of all freshmen interested in joining Greek life. The other events included a beach theme Tuesday, a military support event on Wednesday, “The Final Rose” theme from “The Bachelor” on Thursday, and Friday was bid day with a mermaid theme. Walsh believes that a strong Greek community is important for any campus. She thinks it’s important for helping students establish ties between the Concord campus and the surrounding community. “Greek life has given me lifelong friendships and memories that will last far beyond my college years. It’s full of many opportunities that you don’t want to miss out on,” says Walsh.

Sigma Sigma Sigma (ΣΣΣ)

    Another sorority that conducted a recruitment was Sigma Sigma Sigma. Madison Comer from the Alpha Alpha chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma, feels this year’s recruitment was not that good due to conflicting activities like the home football game and less promotion of Greek events.

    However, she says that Sigma Sigma Sigma was focusing more on quality over quantity when it came to recruiting new members.

    The first night involved the showing of a recruitment video telling recruits what the sorority is about, along with welcoming them and getting to know all of them. Another night dealt with Sigma Sigma Sigma’s philanthropy through March of Dimes. Everybody made scrapbook pages for kids in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and made piggy-banks for the March of Dimes Penny War that Sigma Sigma Sigma will do later on this semester.

    The question of whether to go Greek or not can be tough to answer. Some people however, never get the full picture of something until they look into it or give it a try. Greek life seems to be a subject that fits that category, seeing how it tends to present more than what people expect at times. Rushing for a Greek organization can help a student in deciding whether to get involved with that organization, or remain independent throughout his/her journey through college.