Some students love the idea of going away to college but still feel the need to find what they view as a home away from home. A number of these students discover this through membership in a fraternity or sorority.
Recently, many BSU students learned about Greek life during the three-day Panhellenic Association recruitment weekend. The organization welcomed the interest of 81 young women who were hoping to find their place among the university’s four sororities.
“I hope your bags are packed because this is your Passport to Panhel,” as Emma Manning, association president said at the outset of the event, which was held on campus.
The annual recruitment weekend consists of learning about and meeting with all four sororities, engaging in casual conversations with sisters, and asking questions about the organizations. The sororities at BSU are Delta Phi Epsilon, Gamma Phi Beta, Phi Sigma Sigma and Alpha Sigma Tau. The process can be overwhelming and daunting, but the women had the assistance of the recruitment counselors who are temporarily disaffiliated from their organization in order to provide unbiased guidance in finding for each participant a home within Greek Life.
It was an experience that Erinne Butler, a sophomore in the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority, will never forget.
“I remember how excited I was to going through recruitment last year, and seeing these girls come in and take an interest in the philanthropies and values that we hold dear to us,” said the Pittsfield native, who is studying anthropology and Spanish.
This year, Alpha Sigma Tau sorority celebrated its first time participating in recruitment weekend. The sorority arrived on campus last fall. In recent years, Greek Life has experienced an uptick in membership and interest at BSU, with a goal of building strong community leaders and students.
The moment that all sorority women will never forget is the realization that someone wants them to finally “come home” – bid day. Sunday morning, there was a flood of emotions spreading throughout Kelly Gym, as organizations cheered on their new members and welcomed back the recruitment counselors to affiliate back.
“I was so happy to welcome one of my own best friends, our new members and all the new sorority women into the Panhellenic community,” Ms. Butler said. “I think it is so inspiring to see women cheering for other organizations besides their own, because we are all here for the same reason.”
Organizers said this year’s recruitment weekend was a success, allowing young women to find their place and the chance for sisters to reflect and remember why they joined their organizations as dedicated and faithful sisters. (Story by Heidi Belanger, University News)
