From Friday, Sept. 12 to Sunday, Sept 14, Sacred Heart University’s Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) hosted their annual sorority recruitment weekend. SHU is home to eight Panhellenic chapters that students looking for sisterhood and community were able to join.
During the weekend, over 500 students received invitations to be a part of a greek life organization on campus.
Source: Caroline Davino, Staff Writer and Photographer
“Recruitment gets bigger every year,” said FSL Director Kathryn Ionta. “It was very successful this year, and I do have to say that it is always a community effort. There is no one thing going well without the other.”
The recruitment process was broken up over three days.
Sept. 12 was the sisterhood round, where potential new members met every chapter. This day consisted of shorter rounds, but was the longest day of recruitment.
Sept. 13 was the philanthropy round, where participants could be invited back to as many as five chapters. On this day, women in sororities discussed their philanthropic efforts and values.
Finally, Sept. 14 was the preference round, where potential new members met with two chapters for deeper conversations about values. That night, women ran home to their new chapters on Chapel Quad.
“People join sorority life because they’re looking for connection and a sense of belonging and acceptance. And I think that’s the largest benefit of joining,” said Ionta.
SHU’s Panhellenic Counsel helped organize recruitment weekend.
“Panhellenic plays a central role in organizing and overseeing the recruitment process by coordinating every detail to ensure the experience is positive and seamless for both potential new members and chapters,” said senior and Panhellenic President Victoria Prifitera.
Prifitera said being a part of the Panhellenic Council has allowed her to grow individually and become a leader.
“This position has not only taught me so much about myself and others but has also given me the leadership opportunity and experiences I had been yearning for,” said Prifitera. “Panhellenic has allowed me to grow as a leader while building meaningful connections across our community.”
Senior Francesca Scalzo, Zeta Tau Alpha Vice President of Recruitment, said that every year, recruitment weekend allows the organizations to deepen their connections with one another.
“This entire process has brought our chapter closer than ever before,” said Scalzo.
Ionta discussed how recruitment is continuously growing, as she’s been watching it grow since 2019. Ionta said that everyone’s support and enthusiasm is why things can run so smoothly in a constantly growing environment. Currently on campus, our chapters are home to 1,700 students.
Members described recruitment and sorority life as a rewarding experience that provides friendships, leadership roles and volunteer opportunities.
“My advice is to be your authentic self, don’t try to be someone you are not,” said Scalzo. “By being yourself and opening up to the person you are talking to, we can get a better idea of you and your values.”
To find more information regarding Sorority Recruitment, visit @shufsl or @shu_panhellenic on Instagram.
