With the new school year already looking a little bit different with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting life on the Culver-Stockton College campus, it is not a surprise that it is going to affect the way fraternities and sororities recruit on campus this year. Coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life Christian Thompson explains “While keeping everyone as safe and healthy as possible, recruitment this year is redesigned as councils modified requirement functions and signature events to prioritize the safety of all participants and adhere to campus and national guidelines.”

Recruitment for the sororities is going to take an online approach this year. Recruitment will begin on September 10 and conclude with bid day on September 13. This will include three virtual rounds of recruitment, as Zoom will be utilized to allow for conversations between potential new members and active members.  Senior English Education and Speech/Theatre Education major and Sigma Kappa president Krista Barth said, “Recruitment is definitely going to be a little weird this year because it’s going to be online. But, that definitely doesn’t diminish our excitement to welcome new members into our house!”

Recruitment for the chapters within the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which include Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Inc. Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Inc. and Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Inc. have already individually coordinated their recruitment and membership intake activities already, which began Sept. 3.  There is still time to join one of these fraternities and sorority.

Recruitment for the fraternities in the Interfraternity Council will begin recruitment on Sept. 13 and will run to Sept. 18.   Delta Upsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Tau Omega, and Lambda Chi Alpha will all have tents set up on the quad. Each fraternity will have its own assigned day to talk to potential new members and show them virtual tours of their houses. Sept. 17 is when bids will be handed out and followed by call downs the next day.  Junior Psychology major Austyn Shumard said,”Although some traditions can’t be done we can make new traditions; we are history in the making.”

No matter if you rush a fraternity or a sorority, it will look different than it has in the past, but it will still be an eventful recruitment season. Recruitment for sororities has gone online to try and recruit people, and with the tents in place for the fraternities safely to recruit, the hunt for new members in on.