Greek Life of Colorado Mesa University have been conducting their rush weeks, during the week of Aug. 19 through the first week in Sept.
The fraternities, Kappa Sigma, Theta Xi and Delta Sigma Phi, all put on activities that anyone looking to join can participate in, such as capture the flag, laser tag and broom ball.
The sororities, Alpha Sigma Alpha and Gamma Phi, don’t refer to it as rush week, but rather recruitment week. Their events are more formal, with dress codes and structured activity lists.
“We use rush week as a tool to gain more members,” Kappa Sigma member Bowen Smith said. “We use them so we can see if all the students like our guys. People join people, they join groups.”
After the rush week for the fraternities comes the pledging ceremony. At the ceremony, a recruit agrees to learn the history behind their fraternity, and pledge to uphold commitment to both the university and their new membership. “[Initiation] is a secret,” Smith said.
New members of Kappa Sigma go through a game after induction, in an attempt for the rest of the fraternity to get to know them. “We see only a certain side of those guys on rush week, but we really try to get to know them more on a personal level,” Smith said. “We call it Skittles. We pour a bag of skittles into a cup, and each color is a different personal question. You need to go through all the questions.”
Recruitment week for the sororities is a different process than the fraternities. There are four big days of recruitment week, with Sisterhood Day being the first.
“It’s a super safe process for everyone, no hazing or anything,” Gamma Phi member Peyton Barkat said. “You meet the new girls, called ‘PNMs’ (potential new members), and see if you want them and if they want to be a part of you.” The dress code is casual.
The second day is called Philanthropy Day, where the sororities discuss volunteer and fundraising work. The dress code are skirts or dress pants.
The third day is called Preference Night, where members discuss why they joined, and why the new recruits should join. “It’s a more emotional night,” Barkat said. The dress code is cocktail dresses.
The last day is called Bid Day, where new members open their “bids,” which are basically letters that state acceptance. The dress code is casual as well.
“Sororities are a fun way to get to know people, and earn connections for careers. It’s a safe place for girls to come into college and meet new girls, do community service, and branch out with careers,” Barkat said.
The sororities are each expecting 40 new members this semester, while the fraternities are hoping for around 50 each.
