Fraternities, sororities meet with potential new members

Women dressed to the nines, dashed with perfume and wearing perfectly coiffed hair offered warm,…Women dressed to the nines, dashed with perfume and wearing perfectly coiffed hair offered warm, bright smiles as long lines formed and the room became packed.Meet the Greeks night had begun —the first night for potential new members to meet sorority chapter representatives, learn about recruitment and consider initiating the process of joining a sisterhood for life.

Sophomores Stephanie Scarci and Molly Winiecki waited outside the doors of the William Pitt Union ballroom, filling out registration papers given to them by sisters asking straightforward information, along with a question for potential legacies.

Scarci waited a year before rushing, adjusting and exploring college as a freshman, and she is the first of her family to go Greek.

“It was hard finding different organizations that had everything — service, social, friendship. The Greek life offers that all in one place,” Scarci said.

“I didn’t really know about the rushing process as a freshman — it hadn’t been advertised a lot,” Winiecki said. “But over the summer, some of my friends from other schools rushed and loved it, so I began looking into it more at Pitt.”

At 9 p.m., the doors of the ballroom opened, and Scarci, Winiecki and dozens of other potential sisters were ushered into the center of the room, surrounded by identical smiles.

“I want to welcome you all to Meet the Greeks, and I hope you’re as excited as we are. Just walk around to all the tables, get the facts and meet all the sisters,” said Maria Tomasetti, National Panhellenic Council vice-president of recruitment.

With that, voices were raised as sisters swarmed each potential new member, greeting the young women with inquiries of age, major and residency. Women learned quickly to navigate the ocean of colleagues, pushing forward to the sorority tables lined with scrapbooks, stuffed animals and flowers to sign each house’s guest book.

Tomasetti and Barrett Erbe, her Interfraternity Council counterpart, tried to advertise Greek Life more this year, in the hopes of recruiting more potential new members.

Sorority members wore brightly colored shirts in the week leading up to the event, a tactic that attracted the attention of Scarci and Winiecki.

“We do a significant amount of advertising for Meet the Greeks through flyers, the Activities Fair, ads on the TV screens in the Union, word of mouth, etc. Although we do like meeting potential new members at the Activities Fair and similar events, it is our hope that we reach a larger audience,” Erbe said in an email.

Scarci and Winiecki weaved through the dense crowd, quickly flipping through sisterly scrapbooks and flyers before diving back in. Meeting with reps took time — anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds could pass before a rep would be free and initiate conversation with the potential new members.

Echoes of the same responses, praising the bonds of sisterhood and numerous friends, while maintaining the ability to balance social life and academics were heard throughout the night.

Active sisters focused on new friendships, philanthropies, and unwavering support, working to counteract the stereotypes Greek Life frequently possesses.

“Often, people attach a ‘beer-drinking frat dude’ image to fraternity men, as well as other labels to Greek men and women. It is common for much of the attention paid to Greek organizations to be paid to social events, while overlooking many of the great things fraternities and sororities do. Additionally, Pitt is not known as a heavily Greek school, so many people come to college with going Greek already ruled out,” Erbe said.

It was a long night for both sides. While only 10 percent of Pitt’s undergraduates are Greek, according to Erbe, the sheer number of potentials was overwhelming.

After 30 minutes at the event, Winiecki admitted, “It’s a little claustrophobic.”

An hour and a half later, the two sophomores stumbled out of the ballroom. Despite the tiredness threatening to overtake them, they were more excited to begin interacting with each house on a more personal level.

“I wasn’t sure if they would give us a spiel, or if we just ask questions. It would’ve been nice just to hear what they’d have to say, and gauge what’s important to them,” Scarci said. “I didn’t always know what to ask. What I might have wanted to ask — about pledging, bid night — I felt that would be hush-hush.”

“Tomorrow is recruitment orientation, at 9 p.m. right here,” said Tomasetti.

Scarci and Winiecki began heading home, mentally preparing for the energetic, week-long process that would begin in less than 24 hours.