When I first joined a sorority, I had no idea what to expect. I was the PNM who joined late and did absolutely no research. I was thrilled to find sisterhood within my chapter but everyone always talked about how daunting recruitment was from the other side. As a PNM, recruitment looked polished and perfect from the outside looking in. I never put much thought into how much time and effort went into perfecting each chapter’s recruitment strategy.
I recruited for the first time just last year as a Junior and it was one of the most rewarding few weeks. I was nervous going into work week, knowing that there were many long days ahead and unsure of what to expect throughout the process. However, what I didn’t expect was the growth of the relationships I was going to make with my sisters throughout these long days. Looking back, the mundane tasks such as practicing conversations and bumping seemed boring at the time but it was fun to be able to talk to my fellow sisters about things I loved and appreciated with my chapter. We were able to reflect on fun experiences we’ve all had with one another which was a great reminder right before recruitment. Taking pictures together, doing fun TikToks, and bumping what felt like 500 times per day all seemed worth it once I saw the bond that my sisters and I had strengthened going into recruitment.
The bond that we created prior to recruitment was so helpful once recruitment began. Being able to bring up fun facts about other sisters that I had just learned a week prior. Or reminiscing on the fun adventures I had with my sisters that I was just recently reminded of was really helpful when talking to PNM’s every round of recruitment. Eating lunch together, lining up for every group, and sharing all the fun conversations after each round were all such simple perks to each day that made it all so fun. One of my favorite moments from recruitment last year was right after I had a successful preference round with a girl I knew would fit in so well within our chapter. I remember running up to one of my best friends and sister to fill her in on how amazing the conversation went and how excited I felt that we would be adding so many new girls into our chapter. Being able to share this moment is something I’ll never forget and then on bid day this same girl ended up running home to me and it was so fun to see the full circle moment that I endured with my sisters.
Being an older girl while going through recruitment for the first time was something I was nervous about as many girls tend to say they’re looking for girls that could be their potential little. However, I found joy in knowing I was finding women who would continue to make an impact in my chapter for years following my own time within the chapter. Since joining a sorority, there is nowhere I can imagine going back to right after summer break than a room with my sisters. It’s so fun being able to rekindle and share all the fun memories with your best friends while preparing to strengthen your individual chapter and Panhellenic community in the weeks ahead. Recruitment is the one time per year that all your members will be in the same place, so don’t waste it with a poor attitude. Embrace these moments with your sisters and take it from me as a rising senior, I’m sad to think that next year at this time I won’t have these moments with my sisters ever again.
I’ll leave you with this, you may have joined your chapter for the fun events, the philanthropy, or how nice the girls seemed when you went through recruitment. But my guess is that you’ve stayed in your chapter for the friendships you’ve created along the way. Recruitment is a long and tiring process on both sides. But the difference is that you have friends that you can lean on throughout the process. Recruitment will always be one of my favorite experiences while being a sorority woman and I am eager to get back on my campus and see another successful recruitment season unfold.
