Sorority recruitment week is a blur full of pastel dresses, heels, Panhellenic fines, blown-up Instagram feeds and lots of "girl-flirting."
This week may seem trivial to some and others may condemn the process, but no one can refute the fact that it is, in fact, very time-consuming.
Recruitment is all about timed parties, in which each potential new member (PNM) talks to to one or more of the house's active members. And in between parties there is an exorbitant amount of walking, lining up in alphabetical order and aimless waiting. However, there is still not enough time for homework amidst the down-time in between parties.
This time-consuming process can be very stressful on students of all ages, but can be especially exhausting both mentally and physically for students in their first year, with this being the age of which a majority of PNMs are.
Aside from the large amount of time that must be dedicated to rush, there is an emotionally tiring aspect that often leads to trouble focusing in class and on homework. Young, eager girls are anxiously awaiting the call from their recruitment counselors every day to see which houses they did or did not get called back to.
And unfortunately, this is also a week known for breaking hearts. Rejection can really take a toll on a person's self-image. Such rejection may cause sadness and lead to an inability to focus or a momentary loss of motivation.
This being said, I am a firm believer in the cliche, "you end up where you were meant to be," statement that recruitment counselors and active members so often throw around during rush week. Sometimes, rejection is the best thing that ever happened to a PNM.
Having recruitment at any point during the school year is stressful enough, but having it start during the first week of classes is insane. This timing causes unnecessary stress on everyone: PNMs, active members, recruitment counselors, parents, professors, etc.
"You can't do it all," A.K.A.: the realest statement ever. So why does anyone expect that of us?
Universities and administration may deem Greek Life "unimportant" or "optional," but this is just a matter of perspective. To some, it might be exactly what they need to feel like they fit in. It means being a part of something bigger than yourself and it shrinks the school so that you can find your place and more importantly, your people.
Having to spread yourself thin between recruitment and school will lead to a mediocre performance in both; and mediocracy is not something anyone strives for. The timing of recruitment has the power to potentially put young women irredeemably far behind in school; so why is it during school year after year? I believe it's time for a change.
My Thesis: Sorority recruitment should always be before the start of the academic school year for the benefit of the potential new members and active members in every house.
