Last weekend and next, the Hofstra Panhellenic Council, part of the National Panhellenic Conference founded in 1902, will be recruiting new members to join the seven sororities operating on campus.
During the weekend-spanning event, new members will become steadily familiarized with the different sororities in a mutually evaluative process.
Panhellenic Council, also known colloquially as Panhell, was established at Hofstra in the ‘80s. Today, the council is involved in multiple volunteer groups on campus, which requires each member to submit volunteer hours and dues to their respective sororities.
The event is organized by OSLE and contrasts with fall recruitment, which is more informal. Spring recruitment features multiple stages with a schedule for events, allowing instated members and potential new members time to establish connections with the seven sororities at Hofstra.
Prospective members will first judge which sororities most closely match their personalities in multiple rounds concluding in a Pref Round with help from recruitment officers – upperclassmen who shed their Greek letters for the week to prevent sorority bias.
Julia Sollin, a senior recruitment officer with majors in English and education, said, “This is Panhellenic recruitment for sororities at Hofstra. We are all recruitment counselors and we each get assigned a group of about 10 to 15 girls, and it’s our responsibility to take the girls to see all seven sororities. That’s what we’ve been doing all day.”
Emily Hasset, a senior journalism major, explained “We take off our letters so the potential members can find their letters. Basically, that’s the best way to explain it.”
Recruitments officers are designated by unique white shirts so potential new members can better identify them.
Catherine Vanech, a senior criminology major, said, “We’re unbiased and they can come to us for help on choosing who they feel they best fit without feeling awkward knowing what organization we’re in. They definitely all have their own personality; you can get a feel for all of the girls.”
Each sorority has its own traditions, including traditional chants passed down generationally.
Eventually, members of the sororities will start evaluating each applicant in turn. Aspects such as commitment, attitude, spirit and dedication will be weighed in the final process. Bid Day finally showcases potential members which sororities have invited them to join. People who go through recruitment are not obligated to join, but will have to wait a year to attempt joining a sorority again.
