As Amos Hall reopens, Panhel sororities await the rush

Whitney Dolson walked out of Summer Rothrock’s office Tuesday with a big grin on her… Whitney Dolson walked out of Summer Rothrock’s office Tuesday with a big grin on her face.

Rothrock, the coordinator of fraternity and sorority life, had answered her questions about what to expect during the recruitment process for joining Greek life.

“My brother and dad are both Greek,” Dolson said. “I want to get involved and make friends.”

She’ll begin the recruitment process tonight with an event called Meet the Sororities. Potential new members — or PNMs, as the Greek community likes to call them — can come to the William Pitt Union at 8 p.m. today to meet representatives from 11 sororities in the National Panhellenic Conference.

The event will occur next door to the sororities’ re-opened home, Amos Hall. The sororities formally returned to their suites in the Schenley Quadrangle residence hall last night during a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony. The residence hall was closed last year as it underwent renovations.

All but two sororities call Amos Hall home.

Female students who want to join the sororities can meet sisters and ask for information about their respective groups, such as how much it costs to join, what their colors are and how the recruitment process works.

Rothrock said the process, which has been in place for years, can be complex, noting that the groups, known as chapters, follow a structure recommended by the National Panhellenic Conference, which governs sororities.

“All the events are similar in nature from year to year,” she said. “After each recruitment, we look at what worked based on feedback to make sure the chapters, the University and the women all benefit from the process.”

Women seeking to join sororities will have a recruitment orientation on Tuesday, during which they’ll meet with recruitment counselors who will act as liaisons between the sisters and potential new members.

Rounds begin Wednesday. Over the course of two nights, potential new members will visit all 11 participating sororities. Over the next two days, Sept. 11-12, they’ll visit nine groups. They’ll then narrow it down to six groups and then to three, before participating in Bid Day on Sept. 15.

“The numbers are narrowed down based on the women’s [PMNs’] preference and the chapter’s preference,” said Molly Humphreys, president of the National Panhellenic Conferece.

“By Bid Night, the chapter would have already extended bids to potential women, and when they accept, you get to be a part of a new family.”

The process worries Dolson a little.

“I heard rush is kind of overwhelming,” she said, “But a friend of mine told me to stick with it, because it is well worth it.”

Among those who stuck it out is Nicole Cioffi, vice president of the National Panhellenic Conference. She thinks Dolson and the other potential new members will probably be fine.

“I remember seeing the looks of excitement on the potential [new members’] faces on Bid Day,” Cioffi said. “Knowing they had new homes. It made all the hard work so rewarding.”

Rothrock said interest in the Greek community grew greatly last year, something she attributes to the Greek student leaders’ efforts to participate in Arrival Survival.

Thus far, unity among the chapters in coordinating this recruitment process has been the highlight for the executive board.

Both Rothrock and Humphreys said their favorite part of the process was seeing the sea of bright pink shirts on current chapter members, as the girls walked around campus showing solidarity and sharing their experience with Greek life.

“I love to see their pride,” Rothrock said. “The best for everyone is that all their success can be attributed to them.”

The National Pan-Hellenic Council, which governs multicultural sororities, and the Intrafraternal Council, which oversees fraternities, will hold separate recruitment events.