Greek life is an integral part of Sonoma State’s legacy, and has helped many students find their community for years. During the first weeks of Sept., sororities and fraternities are beginning their recruitment processes.

Here at Sonoma State we are right in the middle of sorority and fraternity recruitment/rush week. Just this past weekend, sorority recruitment took place, involving an extensive process of interviews and activities for hundreds of women. This recruitment process is designed to help students to get to know the values and members of the sorority that they’re interested in, as the existing members get to know them.

 Fourth year business administration major Piper Collins was recruited for Alpha Omicron Pi (AOP) in Fall 2020 after learning about the process from a friend and deciding to While she was able to experience different types of opportunities and benefits of Greek life, she would put finding community and friends above everything else. When asked about how to counter the anxiety of the recruitment process, she stated that students should “trust the process, because you’ll end up exactly where you need to be.”

Third year student Sophia Swofford was equally outspoken about the different types of benefits of sorority life. She praised the social and academic support she received from her “Big Sister”, a mentor that helped to guide her through the first few months in the sorority. Collins and Swofford both saw immense improvements in their academic achievements, and credited this to having a community of students to study with.

Swofford advises unsure students to “just try it, because you might meet a chapter that you love, and the girls could be your mentors and best friends.” For those who missed this past weekend of sorority and fraternity recruitment, Continuous Open Bidding will be taking place in the Spring semester. It involves choosing a chapter and interviewing with them privately, which Swofford states  is a “much more personal and laid back process.” Be sure to keep up with the SSU Panhellenic Instagram page (@ssupanhellenic) for more information regarding the recruitment processes to follow. 

This semester, recruitment happened entirely through Zoom. The “shell”, a virtual outline, for this process of rotating zoom rooms was created by former SSU Greek life advisor Leo Serroto who is now helping teach this process to other colleges across the country as they transition to online rushing and recruitment. The transition to virtual recruitment has been a challenge for all, but has also benefited students in many ways. These virtual sessions allow rushing students to fully participate in Panhellenic events and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them. 

Fraternities will start their virtual rush events this week after bidding for sororities has closed. Which includes a similar process of interviews and activities designed to integrate new potential members with the fraternity. SSU’s student body also includes a number of Multicultural organizations that begin their recruitment process later in the semester with a virtual “world tour” to get to know these organizations. Students will discover their connection to each other, and how they celebrate culture and academic success at this event. You can find more information on the Seawolf Living website, or visit the tables in the Seawolf Plazaon Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.

Mo Phillips, Director of Student Involvement, helped to give some insight on how recruitment operates and is organized on a virtual platform. “I have a lot of respect for the men and women that are able to both coordinate and take leadership roles,” Phillips says. She also went on to highlight the importance and difficulty of disaffiliation with your organization as a fraternity/sorority recruitment counselor in order to provide unbiased aid to students. While Phillips has never had personal experience with Greek life as a student, she enjoys seeing the extensive processes that students go through to uphold the values of what their chapter stands for.

Sonoma State advisors and students take pride in their Greek Life affiliations and during virtual classes and activities will continue to thrive.