Author: Noel Hemphill
Informal Recruitment, the period in which Occidental’s Greek organizations recruit new members for the fall semester, will proceed with participation from only three organizations this year. This is a decrease from the six that usually participate in the process. Only Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta), Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), and Zeta Tau Zeta (Zeta) will be recruiting new members.
Alpha Lambda Phi Alpha (Alpha) has chosen to voluntarily remove itself from the process, while Delta Omicron Tau (Delta), and Phi Kappa Psi (Phi Psi) are prohibited from participation because they have been put on probation by the college.
“This year is going to be really great because the three organizations that are rushing are really different,” Zeta president Caroline Bringenberg (junior) said. The key difference, however, will be the lack of three organizations from the process. According to a press release issued by the Office of Student Life (OSL), Delta is prohibited from participating in informal recruitment (along with other restrictions) as a consequence of providing alcohol to underage students, which in two circumstances resulted in students needing medical attention. Phi Psi is also restricted from participating for hazing allegations that include giving underage members alcohol. With two Greek organizations already not participating, Alpha thought it would be a good time to take a break from recruitment as well.
“We decided to take extra time for events and stuff we haven’t had a lot of time for,” Alpha president Emma Chapman (senior) said. These time constraints are largely due to the fact that Alpha has the most of members of any Greek organization on campus as a result of their open bid policy. This policy, which is shared by Delta, offers anyone who attends the organization’s final recruitment dinner a spot in their sorority. Because Alpha and Delta are the only two greek organizations to use this recruitment system, the presidents of both sororities worked closely together to change their recruitment strategies following Delta’s probation.
Meanwhile, Delta and Phi Psi are forced to abstain from recruitment but both have other goals for the fall semester. Delta is trying to embrace their probation period by bonding with their 74 sisters a primary objective, along with an added emphasis on philanthropic efforts. Phi Psi will have work to do with the OSL, as the fraternity must create a new member education program that must be approved by OSL before they participate in spring’s Formal Recruitment.
Regardless of their probation, President of Phi Psi Ian Husted (Junior) sees the reduced participation in fall recruitment as a negative for transfer students.
“Greek life provides a very nice way for them to get involved in campus life,” Husted said, reiterating the sentiments of many students who are concerned with the restricted choice in organizations this fall.
The Greeks that are still recruiting are excited to meet the students interested in Informal Recruitment. Theta and Zeta agree that the casual nature of Informal Rush will allow normally hesitant students to feel more comfortable to join in Greek Life.
“We are looking to recruit some guys who we think fit in well with our values and will get along well with the group we already have,” SAE President David Cotton (senior) said. To begin this process, there will be a school-sanctioned barbecue to meet the Greeks at the SAE house, located behind Rangeview Hall, on Sept 21.
Fall’s Informal Rush begins Oct 1 with an introduction to participating organizations.
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