To Rush or Not to Rush
To rush or not to rush. That’s the question. That’s the question circling through the dorms and around campus among many girls. Whether or not to go through recruitment and “run home” to a sorority is a decision you may be debating. As a freshman new to Chico State and the “college life”, this is a question I have asked and debated myself. So, I took it upon myself to ask a couple girls who have gone through the recruitment process what their experience was like, and what advice they may give to someone wanting to go through the recruitment process.
At Chico State, sorority recruitment for freshman takes place in the spring. Second-semester freshmen who earned twelve or more units, and earned above a 2.5 cumulative GPA their first semester are eligible to join a Greek organization. The chapters include Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, Sigma Alpha, and Sigma Kappa.
The Chico State website breaks up “Why to Go Greek” into six section: sisterhood, academics, philanthropy, leadership, social, and intramurals. This section states, “Sorority members attend a variety of activities such as chapter retreats, meetings, study programs, formal dinners and service projects, fostering a closer relationship with the women who become sisters for a lifetime. Chapters also offer academic assistance for members, providing study areas and peer tutoring. All of our sororities hold philanthropic events throughout the academic year, donating to both national and local charities. Sorority chapters provide educational programming and participate in each of their own regional or national leadership conferences. Becoming involved in a leadership role supports the development of self-confidence, effective communication skills, and ultimately individual growth. Each sorority hosts a variety of social activities. These may include date parties, formals, parents’ weekends, retreats, Greek Week, mixers, and many other activities to socialize with sisters and meet other Greek members on campus. The Recreation Sports department offers students opportunities to participate in intramural sports. Sororities often will form teams and collaborate with other Greek organizations to participate in sports such as flag football, softball, soccer, basketball and even dodgeball.”
Now that you know each aspect of a sorority and how the sorority recruitment process works here at Chico State, let’s learn about a couple of girl’s experiences with going Greek!
I talked to Addison Sparks, a senior here at Chico State, about sorority recruitment. Sparks is a senior studying Organizational Communication and she is the VP of Recruitment for Alpha Delta Pi. Sparks went through the recruitment process as a freshman and she states, “I only have good things to say about my experience. Formal recruitment was amazing and I loved everything about it.”
When asked if she would encourage new freshmen to rush in the Spring, she responded with, “Yes!! I think going through formal recruitment is so much fun and if you have interest in doing it you totally should!! When I was going through recruitment, I was nervous at first but then the nerves faded into excitement. I met so many amazing people that I’ve been friends with since. I would encourage everyone to go through the process to find your home.” I also asked her for any advice she may have for someone going through the process, “I would say just overall be yourself and don’t change for anyone. Have the best time and cherish every moment because your years here go by so fast.”
Addison wasn’t the only one who had good things to say about going Greek. I also got to ask Megan Lee, a sophomore at Chico State, about her experience and opinions. Lee is a second year student and is studying kinesiology. Lee rushed last spring, 2024. Here’s how Lee explained her experience, “My rush experience was so fun! I loved getting to know some of the girls in each sorority. I remember I was hesitant about rushing my freshman year because I was worried that it would be hard for me to make friends, but on the first day of rush all of the girls in our new member class were so nice and welcoming.”
When asked if she would encourage new freshmen to rush in the Spring, she also responded with, “Yes, I definitely encourage new freshmen to rush in the Spring because it is a good opportunity to meet so many new people and make so many new friends. I remember I was super nervous going into rush but then I realized that most of the girls were also nervous too, so I was able to bond with the other girls because we were all in the same boat!” Lee’s advice, “Just do it! Be your true self and you girls got this!”
These two ladies both had positive things to say about the recruitment process and in all honesty I couldn’t find anyone that had anything negative. Even those who decided to not rush when asked why responded with, it was just personal preference.Â
As a freshman myself hearing what these ladies had to say and seeing all the sororities do, through each of their social media, I think that going through recruitment and being a part of a sorority would be a great experience. I have learned that this decision is completely personal to each individual and what you are looking for. But, I hope if you are wanting to rush and have any doubt this article can put some of your worries to ease. So what is it? To rush or not to rush?