Warm UP to FSL: Winter Recruitment

PHOTOGRAPHER
ABIGAIL SHAUB

EDITOR
LILLIE ROUTOWICZ

With the winter semester in full swing, fraternities and sororities have begun their informal recruitment process. Greek life at Alma refers to the five fraternities and five sororities on campus.

The sororities at Alma consist of Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Xi Delta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Iota, and Phi Sigma Sigma. The fraternities consist of Delta Gamma Tau, Sigma Chi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Zeta Sigma. These ten organizations, while harboring different core values, all partner with national or local organizations and promote the social culture on campus.

“My favorite part of winter recruitment is how short and simple it is, no unnecessary flare, and no long tedious process to get through. The fun thing about winter is that every fraternity does their own thing. Some have movie nights, some provide pizza, and all of them just want you to talk to a few brothers. The coolest part is seeing all of the potential brothers you could end up getting,” said Jushawn Ferrell Jr. (‘27), a member of the Delta Gamma Tau fraternity.

Whereas formal recruitment in the fall involves the rushing process, informal recruitment revolves around casual get-to-know-you events and open bidding.

“Winter recruitment has a very different vibe than fall recruitment. I like that winter recruitment focuses on recruiting new members who likely have a relationship with the chapter recruiting them that has been developed over time. This is often a time when juniors or seniors join,” said Dave Blandford, Director of Student Engagement and Civil Rights/Title IX Coordinator.

Although winter recruitment is more casual, there is still a lot of work going on behind the scenes. “From an advisor perspective, I help chapters evaluate needs and strategies for their recruitment in addition to checking eligibility. Because winter recruitment is done through open bidding and not through a formal process like the fall, chapters need to be a little more strategic in how they recruit potential new members,” said Blandford.

Winter recruitment is an especially exciting time for the members of fraternities and sororities, who get to grow their brotherhoods and sisterhoods.

“Some good things about joining a sorority in the winter is that the process is much less stressful than fall recruitment. Winter recruitment typically results in a smaller pledge class, which allows new members to form closer connections more quickly. I felt a stronger sense of belonging early on because of the smaller pledge class,” said Sarah Wortley (‘27), a member of the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority.

Whether you’re looking to get involved with Greek life or simply interested in what the ten organizations do, winter recruitment is a great time to get to know the members of each fraternity and sorority and hear about their philanthropy and values.

“My favorite part of winter recruitment was that it was far less time-consuming than fall recruitment. Because of the smaller scale, I felt like I was able to get to know the members of my chapter much faster and build more meaningful relationships early on. I love watching the new members grow and become confident in our chapter,” said Wortley.

It is never too late to get involved on campus, and winter recruitment is the perfect time to step outside your comfort zone and to find your home on campus.