Meet the Greeks draws crowds of curious freshmen

Excited women in skirts and blouses mingled and laughed, making the Blue Room an ideal haven… Excited women in skirts and blouses mingled and laughed, making the Blue Room an ideal haven for freshman guys. But no men were present – they were all in the ballroom, checking out the fraternities.

The William Pitt Union hosted Meet the Greeks, a pre-rush forum with fraternities and sororities, Tuesday night. Within a half hour of the event’s start, more than 50 men and women lined up in the Union lobby, waiting to register for the upcoming membership drive known as “rush.”

The Ballroom, where the fraternities had set up camp, was filled to the brim with brothers in their Sunday best along with the countless number of men who had come to learn more about Greek life.

Billy Blanco, the pledge master of Delta Phi, said, “Meet the Greeks is necessary to educate potential pledges about the entire Greek system. The event creates an opportunity for guys to get to know the different personalities of the fraternities.”

“We’re trying to meet as many potential members as we can,” said Joe Lichty, the Sigma Phi Epsilon vice president of membership development. The brothers were all smiles and eager to promote not only their respective fraternities, but also the entire Greek community.

At the same time, each fraternity seemed to have their own “claim to fame,” which they used to increase student interest. Delta Tau Delta promoted its upcoming hunger strike, which will begin this evening and will last 24 hours. This activity will benefit the Greater Community Food Bank, a charity which Delta Tau Delta, as well as other fraternities such as Sigma Alpha Epsilon, frequently associate themselves with.

Omega Psi Phi, a historically, though not exclusively, black fraternity, proudly displayed informational fliers featuring prominent Omega men such as Bill Cosby, Ben Carson and Charles Drew. “We strive on the principles of manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift,” Joel Edwards, the Omega Psi Phi chapter president, said.

Many fraternities emphasized the importance of community service and academic achievement over partying.

“The reason why Greek fraternities and sororities are allowed to exist are because we help out the community,” Drew Rushford, the rush chair of Delta Tau Delta, said. “We’re not just out getting drunk.”

The career-building aspects of Greek life were also stressed by many fraternities.

“Corporate companies love to see Greek letters on a resume,” Ken Niernberg, of Lambda Chi Alpha, said. “If you meet someone who was in the same frat as you, it forms an instant connection.”

“Greek life gives you a good sense of the political world,” fellow brother Dave Boyer added.

Though many men described fraternity life in terms of connections and philanthropy, others admitted they were attracted by the social life. Having attended a few fraternity parties, many men said they wanted an instant connection to more.

“When I first got here it seemed like all the girls were locked up on the top floor of Tower A,” Mercer Napper, a member of Delta Tau Delta, explained. “I needed to go get drunk and I needed to meet women.”

After three years in a fraternity, Napper admits that his perspective has evolved.

“There’s more importance on the brotherhood now,” he said. “It’s not just something to do on weekends – it’s an everyday kind of thing.”

Over in the Blue Room, space was limited as prospective sisters swarmed the tables of sororities.

“I don’t really know much about sororities, so I’m here to check them out,” sophomore Sara Wasserman said as she wandered among sorority tables. “I want to get involved because right now I don’t do anything and I’m bored.”

Most of the women in the room, which was decked with paddles, balloons, trophies and bright signs, expressed uncertainty about joining a sorority. Those already active in Greek life worked hard to win over doubters.

“It really breaks down the campus for you,” Lynsey Caranese, of Delta Delta Delta, said about joining a sorority, “which is great since Pitt’s so large and can be a little overwhelming.”

Amy Cook, a Panhellenic representative of Sigma Sigma Sigma, embraced Meet the Greeks as a great opportunity, “to meet as many girls as we can, to get to know them, and to have them get to know us.”

Other sororities, such as Sigma Gamma Rho, saw the program as a good advertising vehicle.

“We want to get exposure – let the girls know we’re here,” said Erica Ambriz, the vice president of Sigma Gamma Rho, a sorority whose motto includes “greater service, greater progress.”

Like the fraternity recruiters, most sororities focused on the more serious benefits of sorority life.

“Being in a sorority is a great opportunity for experience,” senior Rita O’Malley, president of Sigma Delta Tau, said from behind a throng of students. “I’m a business major, and what I’ve learned has helped me with interviews and my resume. It’s a great chance to build leadership.”

Meet the Greeks attendees had a mixed, but overall positive reaction to the forum.

“This is great,” freshman T.L. Kearney said. “You can tell they put a lot of work into this and I am looking forward to rushing.”

Others, including freshman John Klein, saw this as a starting point for interest in Greek life. “It’s unbelievable,” Klein said. “I kind of came here to look around, but this has made me want to explore more.”

The women, who were exposed to more crowded conditions and an almost over stimulation of all their senses, appeared a little more overwhelmed.

“It’s very confusing, but a nice way to meet girls from different sororities,” freshman Sarah Randour said.