Bucknell University has seven National Panhellenic Conference chapters, including Kappa Kappa Gamma, Chi Omega, Alpha Xi Delta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Alpha Chi Omega, Delta Gamma and Alpha Delta Pi. There are also seven Interfraternity Council chapters on campus, including Chi Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Gamma Delta, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi and Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Sorority Recruitment began for potential new members on Sunday, Sept. 8 and ended on Sunday, Sept. 15 with Bid Day. There are three rounds: Sisterhood, Philanthropy and Preference, during which active members and potential members have conversations to get to know each other. Fraternity recruitment began Sept. 7 and followed a similar orientation. John Murphy ’26, one of Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s recruitment chairs said, “Being on the other side of recruitment is definitely a lot of work but is very worth it! It is great being able to meet new guys and see if they would fit into our chapter. I’m grateful my brothers gave me this opportunity. I believe that we picked brothers who fit our values because that is what matters to us.”
Potential new members were invited to each fraternity’s chapter house over consecutive rounds, with each round getting more selective. Jack Strickland ’26, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha’s recruitment team said, “I almost feel like a low stakes interview round could be valuable, as a lot of the onus is on the PNMs to talk with the active members, and something like this could help more shy kids stand out if they had a good interview or do better in that type of setting.”
When students returned from Summer break on Aug. 24, there was an air of nerves that was almost palpable around campus. Greek life dominates the social scene at Bucknell with just under 50 percent of eligible students participating. For some people, joining Greek life has been a defining factor of their time at Bucknell, and for those vying to join, a bid determines who you will be spending the majority of your time in college with. Most new members cited “seeking community and genuine friendships” as their primary reason for joining a sorority or fraternity. Despite the stress, Madeleine Vogel ’27 mentioned she had “great conversations with all of the chapters.” In the end, though, “I am very happy with where I ended up, and it is true that you will end up where you need to be, regardless of the upsets you may face during recruitment.”
Recruitment practice began for various sororities on Aug. 28. Active members would practice conversational tactics and organizational technicalities for a few hours each day. It is no secret that recruitment is an incredibly high-stress time for both active members and potential new members. Carol Anne Bredeson ’26, a member of Delta Gamma’s recruitment team, said, “At times, recruitment was honestly more stressful than finals season.” Though she was partially joking, the stress of recruitment is certainly evident. Professors even noted students being distracted and not engaging as much in classes over the recruitment period.
For me, the period of recruitment proved to be a time of sleep deprivation and emotional turmoil. Being a member of my sorority’s recruitment team was rewarding, certainly, but also emotionally challenging. The goal of recruitment is to begin building strong relationships, so it was difficult to have wonderful conversations and then see the potential new member end up elsewhere. Recruitment can result in you questioning your own self-worth and ability to forge connections. For something that is meant to be as exciting as this process is, it was emotionally draining for many, including myself.
Some pertinent changes to the recruitment system could make the process easier on the entire campus, especially for potential new members and active members of Greek life. Strickland proposes, “I would definitely make rush a semester earlier. There are a lot of freshman guys who have nothing to do for their first year here, and I feel it would be prudent to push rush forward.” For sorority recruitment, perhaps having a system in place where all new members are guaranteed a bid, even with the Single Intentional Preference caveat that some women choose to utilize.
Despite these issues in the recruitment system, Greek life remains a dominant force on Bucknell’s campus and a positive way to meet people. There were 357 women who intended to join a sorority this September—almost 50 more than last year. The Greek life community only seems to be expanding from here as the number of people interested in Greek life continues to grow.
