Greeks look to boost numbers

A Sigma Sigma Sigma rush event on the sixth floor of Amos Hall sat close to empty Monday… A Sigma Sigma Sigma rush event on the sixth floor of Amos Hall sat close to empty Monday night.

Despite the fact that an event earlier in the week had much better attendance, the sorority’s president Stephanie Caruso admitted there is a certain lenience to spring rush events.

In the sometimes-difficult task of attracting new recruits, Sigma Sigma Sigma isn’t alone in its setbacks.

Statistically speaking, Pitt trails many other major universities in Pennsylvania in the size and scale of its Greek system.

Only 8 percent of men and 7 percent of women are in fraternities or sororities at Pitt, according to Pitt’s 2004-2005 Common Data Set.

Compare that to 12 percent of men and 10 percent of women at Penn State University, or 14 percent of men and 11 percent of women at Carnegie Mellon University.

The small percentage of students in sororities and fraternities at Pitt compared to other Pennsylvania schools is partially linked to poor promoting of Greek life, according to Chris Meaner, Pitt’s fraternity and sorority life adviser.

“I don’t think our organizations are doing a good enough job in preaching what we do for those freshman students,” he said.

Kevin Kerr, director of Greek life at Penn State, said that the Greek system at Penn State has been a valued tradition from the beginning of the University’s existence, which is one reason it’s so successful.

He said that Penn State’s Greek Pride initiative is a plan promoted throughout the recruiting process and enforced among all of its Greek organizations.

“It’s a huge initiative to help our fraternities and sororities become stronger and to do the right thing,” said Kerr.

The Greek Pride initiative diligently addresses all issues of their organizations, including health and safety, grade point averages and community service requirements.

K. Chase Patterson, president of the National Pan Hellenic Council, said that unlike at Pitt, the Greek system at schools like Penn State is the center of social activity.

“Our Greek system has not had the stability that’s needed to be the core at the University of Pittsburgh,” he added.

Kerr also said the type of student entering the school is significant among the various factors as to why some schools’ Greek systems are more successful than others.

“This is what I’ve been preaching from the very beginning,” Meaner said. “You have to look at the student coming into the University of Pittsburgh.”

Duquesne University’s Greek life percentages double those of Pitt. Sixteen percent of men and 14 percent of women are involved in fraternities or sororities at Duquesne, according to the school’s 2004-2005 Common Data Sets.

Despite Pitt’s relatively low numbers, former Pan-Hellenic Council president and current Greek Week Overall Lauren Cavallaro has high hopes for the future of the University’s Greek system

“These schools do an excellent job at marketing themselves,” Cavallaro said of Duquesne, CMU and Penn State. “However, as their numbers grow, I am positive that ours will do the same, because [Pitt] students are beginning to realize the positive benefits of joining a Greek organization.”

Kathy Lloyd, fraternity and sorority student adviser, said that financial differences between students at the different universities could also add to the varying statistics.

Through research, Lloyd discovered that the costliness of sororities was an essential reason that many women removed themselves from the rush process in past years.

“If you are paying for student loans yourself, then [joining a sorority] wouldn’t necessarily be affordable to you,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd said that the lack of students at Pitt involved in Greek life is also because many students think that sororities and fraternities are purely social organizations.

Cavallaro agreed, saying that it was a problem of promotion.

“Simply, we need to educate students on the benefits of joining a Greek organization and market ourselves accordingly,” Cavallaro said.

“I definitely think students are hesitant to join a Greek organization because they believe in the stereotypes of what a typical sorority or fraternity is like from the media or from other individuals who are simply unaware of the amazing contributions and success of the Greek system,” she added.

Cavallaro pointed to examples of Greek members excelling in academics, leadership, scholarship, community service, philanthropy and education, but said it is a struggle for Pitt students to shake the Greek life stereotypes of the past.

In addition to the type of student and promoting techniques, Interfraternity Council President Dan Morrison said that despite its benefits, the urban setting of the University may also contribute to the lack of Greek life participation.

“Because [Pitt’s] in an urban setting, there’s a lot more things to do,” Morrison said.

Meaner added that CMU’s greener, more closed-in campus gives it a more personal feel.

“Pitt doesn’t have that feeling,” he said. “That does hurt a lot of organizations.”

Meaner added that the geographic location may also influence the smaller percentage of Greeks.

“[Pitt’s] not the only school in the North that’s been struggling to get membership,” he said. “[Greek life] is a mindset in the South. If you go to any southern school, it’s a different ballgame.”

But Greek organizations at Pitt have bigger plans for upcoming rush periods, Meaner said, and much more promoting is in store.

“We’re going to start in the summer,” he said.

Meaner and other Greek leaders will send home information to parents and students the summer before their freshman year to let them know that the organizations are available and helpful.

Meaner said the chapters, recruiting chairs and presidents will host a one-day recruitment boot camp led by CAMPUSPEAK, a national organization that works with universities and colleges to improve their student organizations.

Greeks will continue promoting their organizations through fliers and their Web site, according to Meaner. He also said that Greek life will be a bigger part of freshman orientation next fall than it has been in the past.

“We are always thinking of new ways to reach the students,” Morrison said, adding that NPHC, IFC and NPC are uniting to encourage more students to go Greek.

In addition to better advertising methods, the Greek community at Pitt is also taking health and safety measures to reassure students that their organizations are protected, Meaner said.

“We’re taking as many precautions as we possibly can,” he said. “We are setting up systems so that all of the events that we have on campus are run smoothly with the best possible risk management in mind.”

Meaner also pointed out that the number of drinking violations of students involved in Greek organizations has been reduced.

“What we do as leaders of the organization is we demonstrate by example,” Patterson said of drinking and hazing issues. “We are guarded and we are protected, but we are more importantly trying to protect the history of our organizations.”