Sororities’ Winter Rush kicked off Thursday night as 575 prospective members began a six-day, door-to-door quest to find their place in the sorority quads.
The time-honored winter recruitment process gives Northwestern women the opportunity to visit every sorority and interact with women in 30-minute “parties.” The Greek system’s traditional structure is one of the reasons why rush is so effective, said Peggy Yu, Panhellenic Association president.
“The reason why our Greek community is so successful is because we are able to match so many women with the sorority that they think is the best fit for them,” said Yu, a Speech senior.
NU has the largest percentage of students in the Greek community in the Big Ten, Yu said. About five juniors and 98 sophomores are rushing this year, which matches the yearly average, Panhel officials said.
Weinberg sophomore Lacey Pletcher said she had thought being an upperclassman would hurt her chances, until Thursday.
“I heard the nasty rumors that there’s a stigma with sophomores, but the two houses I visited so far said it’s no big deal,” Pletcher said. “A lot of the girls I talked to rushed as sophomores.”
Weinberg sophomore Hanna Kang said some women in her group didn’t receive bids when they rushed last year, but they are hoping to have a better experience the second time around. After not rushing last year, Kang said friends who are in sororities influenced her decision to try it this year.
“It didn’t occur to me to rush last year even though everyone on my floor did,” Kang said.
After entertaining women in Scott Hall for their first rush last year, Alpha Delta Pi members said they are optimistic about this year’s rush effort in their new house. Weinberg sophomore and ADPi member Dianna English said this year’s home-like atmosphere enhances the rush experience for the new members.
“Being in a physical house … makes our establishment in the Greek community more visible,” English said.
To start the evening, the prospective members gathered into 44 groups of about 13 led by a Rho Chi, or sorority member who distances herself from her sorority during rush week.
Weinberg senior Jenny Handel said women are usually placed in groups with other candidates from their dormitories for the first two nights. Some Rho Chis meet with their groups during Fall Quarter for coffee or lunch at Norris University Center where they answer questions about the process, she said.
“It’s similar to the questions students ask before they come to college: ‘What to bring? What to expect?'” Handel said.
The groups visited six houses Thursday and will visit the remaining six houses tonight. Each house served refreshments to their guests while the women chatted with a different group of sorority women every five minutes.
Different women prepared to start the process in their own ways. Music freshman Kathleen Burzycki said she started getting ready at 5 p.m. for the 7 p.m. event, while Weinberg freshman Jeanette Richelson said she opted for jeans and no make-up.
But even the most scrupulous preparations cannot prevent a last-minute mishap. At Alpha Phi, Pletcher said she had an unfortunate run-in with her cider, spilling it on her shirt.
“I feel like I dropped the ball there, but I picked it up, rushed to the end zone, and did a little dance,” Pletcher said.
