ONE MINUTE!!!!

Sound familiar? Anyone who has ever been through recruitment at The University of Alabama knows that this is the signal to shut your mouth, wipe the sweat off your brow, fix your hair, straighten your dress, and make sure your name tag is facing the right direction. The one-minute warning can be a pretty scary moment during the first days of recruitment because it means that this is the time when things get serious. As soon as that one-minute is up, the doors of all participating sorority houses will burst open at the exact same time and a clump of sorority girls will yell their signature “door song” at the hopeful Potential New Members (PNMs). 

The whole recruitment process has been broken down to a science, with barely any room for an unscheduled bathroom break (you all remember sprinting into Bryant Denney Stadium praying that 1. There would be toilet paper and 2. You would make it back in time for your next party). Everything has been perfectly planned and coordinated so that recruitment as a whole will run as smoothly as possible. Those responsible for this incredible job are the members of the Panhellenic Association’s Executive Council. 

The Panhellenic Council at the University of Alabama is the coordinating body of the 17 National Panhellenic Conference sororities and one associate member sorority on campus. The council is composed of 10 executive board members, a delegate and two junior delegates from each sorority. Panhellenic executive council members are current sorority members who have disaffiliated from their chapters during recruitment in order to provide unbiased planning and support for all involved in the process.      

“The Alabama Panhellenic Association desires to build a community that reflects diversity and inclusion within our sorority chapters," Frances Blount said, Panhellenic Director of Public Relations. "We strive to make our campus stronger through our commitment to promoting diversity and creating positive change within the Greek community. Women of all backgrounds make up the Alabama Panhellenic Association and each individual is celebrated for her perspectives, ideas and contributions to her organization and to our entire community.”                

When you look at all that goes into preparing for recruitment week, it may seem like a big production. The Panhellenic Council begins to prepare for the upcoming year as soon as bid day is over. Sigma Rho Chi Recruitment Counselors and Judicial Board Members are selected in January and their training lasts all semester. The spring is also filled with Recruitment meetings to ensure that recruitment chairs, advisors and chapter members stay informed about existing recruitment policies and rules as well as any new changes.    

Members of the Executive Council work all year and it all comes down to bid day, when each PNM will choose their new home for the next four years.    

“Bid Day is hectic, happy and hot," Blount said. "It’s so exciting to watch all the new members find their houses and meet their new pledge class. There are so many people that it feels like one big celebration! Because so much time and effort is put into Recruitment, Bid Day is a really rewarding day for everybody who worked hard all year long to put on a successful recruitment!”  

This year an estimated number of 2100-2200 women are expected to participate in recruitment at The University of Alabama.

For more information on Recruitment at The University of Alabama or the Panhellenic Association, you can go to the official Panhellenic Website: http://www.uapanhellenic.com/main.html

Or view the Greek Chic for Recruitment Do's and Don'ts http://issuu.com/alabamapanhellenic/docs/2014_gree...