Sorority and fraternity recruitment has officially begun on campus. ETSU’s Greek life currently consists of 17 active chapters, each with its own unique set of values that its members strive toward.
“By going through the recruitment process, students are going to meet a lot of new people and they’re going to be able to see if this is something for them,” said Zack Sholes, coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL). “I firmly believe that every student can find a home in one of our fraternity and sorority organizations on this campus.”
Rush offers an opportunity for any student interested in Greek life to find a community that aligns with his or her own values and goals and will help push them to excel in those areas.
ETSU’s Greek life is made up of three councils: the College Panhellenic Council (CPH), the East Tennessee Fraternity Council (ETFC) and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). The CPH governs five social sororities, the ETFC governs eight social fraternities and the NPHC governs four currently active — Divine Nine — organizations (historically African American-founded sororities and fraternities).
CPH’s recruitment will run from Thursday, Aug. 28, through Monday, Sept. 1. It begins with Potential New Member Orientation, which will introduce each of the five chapters and their values, so potential new members (PNMs) can discover where they may best fit. Each day will add to the initial introduction by allowing PNMs opportunities to continue getting to know the chapters and their members. This also narrows down the options before Bid Day when offers will be extended and PNMs will be welcomed as new members.
ETFC’s recruitment starts off similarly with its own PNM Orientation Night on Monday, Sept. 1, which will also introduce PNMs to the different fraternity chapters. But its recruitment process will last until Friday, Sept. 12, on its Bid Day. Throughout the two weeks, the chapters will each host their own events and activities, allowing the PNMs more time to get to know each chapter and its members on a more individual level.
NPHC has its own process for recruitment called Intake. To get involved, people can reach out to the chapters, attend events or go to an information session. FSL encourages those interested in joining to reach out to them for specific details about Intake and to find out more about when information sessions will be held.
“Be yourself and realize that chapters want to see who you are, what you’re interested in and if you would be a good fit for their chapter. So in going through the process, be genuine and also know what you want out of the experience,” said Sholes.
“Knowing what you want out of a fraternity or sorority can really help you make a decision because if a chapter aligns with your values, then you know that might be a really good chapter for you,” he said.
Certain sororities and fraternities offer recruitment and bid opportunities beyond Rush. If anyone is interested in becoming a part of Greek life and misses the deadline, reach out to FSL or directly to a specific chapter to find out if they offer bids at other times.
“Once joining, my advice is to just get involved. Get involved with your chapter, get involved with other organizations outside of your chapter and realize that you’re a representation of your chapter now,” said Sholes. “I think that sometimes members don’t realize how much of an impact they can have on their chapter just by being involved in other areas of campus.”
More information and recruitment links can be found at https://www.etsu.edu/students/sao/fsl/.
