“I chose to join a sorority for involvement, socially and academically. I’m happy with the girls that I met in the sorority because they get me through tough times. Joining has also helped me be part of philanthropy and boosting leadership skills.” –Katherine Mazziotti, a senior at The University of Illinois at Chicago
Every girl’s dream is to have a sister they can rely on, confide in, share stories and secrets with, and just to share that ultimate bonding experience. One way to get involved on your campus and really feel at home is by joining a sorority. A sorority is a society, a sisterhood, of female students who come together for one purpose: philanthropy. Philanthropy is the idea of promoting the welfare of others by volunteering and donating to specific causes.
Through the Center for Student Involvement, the University of Illinois at Chicago’s “Greek life” contains more than 32 on-campus sororities and fraternities since 1970. Each sorority undergoes a “formal recruitment” process in the early Fall and Spring semester. “Recruitment” is a three-day process in which you get a chance to get familiar with each female figure, philanthropy, and sisterhood that the different sororities offer. You are welcomed into each sororities’ room, get familiar with their “sisters” and customs. Together the members “bid” on the prospective members they feel will fit best in their sisterhood, and you “bid” on which sorority you believe is your best fit. Panhellenic members review the results, and if a sorority and prospective member’s bid has a mutual selection, you are invited back to that sorority for another round of greetings. Sunday concludes the recruitment process with “Bid Day.” Sunday afternoon, you receive an envelope that entails the sorority that is offering you a “bid” to join their chapter! UIC’s Collegiate Panhellenic Council’s offers details about each sorority and the process of recruitment.
Lambda Zeta Chi poses on the Quad in preparation for Bid Day Fall 2017. Photo Credits: Lambda Zeta Chi
Mazziotti, a member of Lambda Zeta Chi, a local sorority at UIC, remarks on the process each sorority undergoes to prepare for recruitment. “Our sorority starts preparing for formal recruitment in the summer. There are several “rush chairs” that are in charge of recruitment, but the rest of the sorority helps them out. There is a lot of planning and preparation before. We do a lot of crafting and practice for how the weekend will run. We make a “recruitment video” that basically shows girls who signed up for recruitment and what our sorority is all about. We also have a speech during recruitment that describes our three pillars that we follow: Sisterhood, Loyalty, and Trust.”
If you missed fall recruitment, do not hesitate to “Rush” in the spring. Not all sisters you gain are by birth!