Spring recruitment preview
Rush Week starts today for Greek Life at Central Michigan University.
Events for Spring recruitment start today and go until Friday. Opening recruitment events like "Poker Night" held by Sigma Pi and "Beta Breakfast After Dark" held by Beta Theta Pi start at 7 p.m. tonight at each fraternity's house.
Unlike fall recruitment, not all Greek organizations at CMU participate in the Spring Rush. Greek Life chapters that need to meet a member quota set by PanHellenic Council, need to fill in rooms of graduating members in rented houses or just looking for more members to join Greek Life.
“Spring recruitment is just as important to us as the fall recruitment,” said Quinn McKay, Kappa Sigma Public Relations Chairmen.
Phi Mu, is optimistic they will reach the required 81 girl. The requirement is set by the PanHellenic council and evaluated every year. According to Samantha Kolbicz, Phi Mu Membership Director, Phi Mu currently has 69 members.
Some fraternities and sororities rely on spring recruitment to fill in spots in their houses. If fall recruitment doesn't fill all of the rooms rented in a fraternity or sorority's house graduating members, they try to make up for it during spring recruitment.
For Kappa Sigma spring recruitment is aimed on getting as many motivated people as possible involved in the brotherhood said McKay.
“We want to get guys in the doors to meet our brothers. We have seniors who leave in the spring,” McKay said. “We don’t leave anybody out. We are looking for guys who are motivated to do great things at Kappa Sigma."
For other Greek organizations, spring recruitment is crucial to the well-being of the organization.
The call for more members stands out from fall rush for those looking for a more relaxed and easy going recruitment process. In contrast to the fall's formal recruitment, the spring recruitment process is less formal which can be less intimidating to unsure recruits.
“Formal recruitment isn’t for everyone,” Kolbicz said. “Spring is more laid back. We get to know the recruits better.”
Spring recruitment does offer a different style of recruiting known as continuous open bidding. Some recruits may find this style more appealing in comparison to formal recruitment.
Open biding is when chapters hold individual events that include chili cook offs, poker nights, volleyball tournaments and information nights either at their house or a chosen location. These events are designed for closer, more personal communication between recruiter and recruit.
Central Michigan Life will be covering recruitment events throughout the week.
