Hundreds turn out for Meet the Greeks

Meet the Greeks brought hundreds of women to the William Pitt Union Thursday night to kick off… Meet the Greeks brought hundreds of women to the William Pitt Union Thursday night to kick off fall semester’s sorority recruitment.

Kim Raguza, the Collegiate Panhellenic Association vice president and head of recruitment, said that more than 350 girls registered for the 9 p.m. event, and she expects even more girls to rush.

“I’m ecstatic. This is the best turnout ever,” she said about the first event of rush. Students paid $5 to register for the event.

Lauren Jentleson, the president of Pitt’s Collegiate Panhellenic Association, said Meet the Greeks is a way for potential new members to meet representatives from each of the 13 sororities before recruitment starts.

Each sorority had a table set up with balloons, posters, trophies and house memorabilia lining the sides of the lower lounge in the WPU.

Representatives from the different groups stood at the displays to talk to potential new members.  

“Girls can get a taste of the feel that each of the houses have,” Jentleson said.

Katie Hart, a senior in Sigma Delta Tau, said that members of her sorority attended to meet the new freshman class.

“We’re just hoping to get some great new girls for our chapter,” she said.

Many freshmen came to the first sorority event of the year to figure out the ins and outs of Pitt’s Greek life.  

Hanna White went to the event after seeing a table set up in Litchfield Towers lobby.

“I’m interested in rushing and I really want to see what it’s all about,” White said.

Other girls, such as freshmen Hanna Rosenfeld and Samantha Tempesta, attended Thursday night as a way to get more involved at Pitt.

“It’s a good way to meet other people and get involved on campus my first year,” Tempesta said.

Rosenfeld agreed that rushing was a good way to “dive into campus.”

But it wasn’t only freshmen in the Union — many upperclassmen also attended, some in search of camaraderie.

“I’m just here to check it out,” sophomore Kelsey Hughes said.

Hughes, who lives in an apartment in South Oakland, said she went to the event since she missed the atmosphere of living in a dorm.

“I was never interested [in sororities] at all, but now I just want to join a group since I’m not living on a floor anymore,” she said.

Junior Michelle Minarcin said she attended the event not only to get more involved on campus, but also to be involved on a national level.

“I’ve never thought about it before, but I’ve heard from friends that it’s fun,” Minarcin said.

And still others went on Thursday night to support their friends who were interested in rushing.

Freshman Erika Weisbach dragged her friend along to show here what the sisterhood was really all about. “I’m really excited about it,” Weisbach said.