This past week has been eventful for many first-years and sophomore women as sororities on campus promote their chapters for Greek life recruitment.
Sigma Kappa, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Gamma Delta, and Kappa Delta are Illinois Wesleyan’s Panhellenic sororities that participate in a week-long formal recruitment to gain new members.
Sorority women have been preparing for this week in a “bootcamp” of sorts for the past four weeks, coming to campus a week before school began.
Sorority members practiced how to give tours of their houses, make friendly and interesting conversation, and explain their core values
Beyond the more formal training and events preparations also included bonding experiences like movie nights and going to a local water park.
Spirit Week is meant to be a celebration of embracing the letters that each woman wears.
“Spirit Week was fun because I was able to reconnect with everyone I couldn’t see over the summer and bond over our shared values,” said Jessa Salvador of Kappa Delta.
All of this was in preparation for Recruitment Week, an annual event that allows young women to explore their different panhellenic options on campus.
This past Wednesday night, Recruitment Week kicked off with Sisterhood Night, where the women were introduced to each chapter through different bonding activities.
Thursday night, each house gave tours to the recruits and began to have more in-depth conversations.
As Recruitment Week continues through Friday and Saturday, more connections will be made and the women can explore if they fit within Wesleyan’s Greek life.
“As I go into my senior year and last round of Greek life recruitment, I am pretty sad,” said Sabrina Steck, a member of Sigma Kappa.
“No other time will a group of women get together to extend a welcoming hand to other young, growing women.”
Steck reflected on her own experience of Recruitment Week: “It was a time of true bonding and sharing within the sorority.”
While it can be difficult to participate in activities and events typically in the evening for a full week, for many women who go through recruitment it can be an opportunity to make many connections in the campus community.
“For those who doubt the effects of Greek life, the connections made can actually be truly remarkable.
Coming from out of state, finding friends was really hard and I immediately felt loved and a part of something truly special,” said Jessa Salvador.
Salvador continued: “We work together to create a sisterhood that celebrates our diversity.”
Greek life can provide the opportunity to create a group of women focused on supporting each other while contributing to the local community through philanthropy.
Recruitment offers an opportunity to transfer students to gain friends within the IWU community, that may not exist for many within their own class.
This Sunday, girls will receive bids from sororities and decide for themselves if and where they belong within the sororities on campus.
This year’s Panhellenic theme was “No matter the letters, we all ride together.”
The goal is intended to focus on the bonds between girls of all different chapters.
Part of being a panhellenic woman means that while members are separated by a specific chapter, all women within panhellenic are connected.