Opinion: As the curtains close for the University of Oregon’s 2022 sorority recruitment, the physical and emotional exhaustion is hard to dismiss.
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Hands rapidly open envelopes, revealing 100 sisters-to-be for the upcoming years. Within seconds, hundreds of young women rush to the Southwest Campus Green behind the Knight Library. Eleven sorority chapters, decked out in costumes and makeup, eagerly wait for the girls to “run home.” Screams, chants and smiles fill the air as the chapters greet their new sisters.
That sounds like a picture-perfect moment, but everything leading up is far from that. Sorority recruitment is notorious for documenting everything on social media. “Bama Rush Tok” blew up last year, gaining enough popularity to catch the attention of Rolling Stone. Sorority girls do a fantastic job at putting on a show and glamorizingthe process. But behind the sparkly curtain, there’s only toxicity and self-deterioration.
The University of Oregon held its annual sorority recruitment from Oct. 6–11. This was my third year being involved — one as a potential new member, or PNM, and two as a recruiter for my chapter. I saw the bigger picture, the ins and outs, once I was on the recruitment side of the process.
Recruitment is split into five parts: conversation day, philanthropy day, membership experience day, preference night and bid day. Before conversation day, PNMs are graded on high school academics, extracurriculars and community service. In shorter terms, those who were heavily involved get extra leverage.
After each conversation, recruiters vote on PNMs according to a ranking system. My chapter uses a zero through four system: zero meaning the PNM will not be invited back, and four meaning the PNM would make a perfect fit. Each chapter has their own set of values and characteristics they look for.
The purpose of the ranking system is to weed out which PNMS will fit in a given chapter. However, I don’t think it’s much of a coincidence when sororities end up with 100 women who look and act the same.
The authenticity of recruitment is undermined by the Panhellenic Council’s bylaws. To prevent uncomfortable situations, we are prohibited from discussing political topics or social issues. I believe this restricts self expression, as my activism and morals heavily reflect my identity.
The ranking system and regulated beliefs lead to surface-level conversations. I talked to Ada Conaty, a freshman at UO, about her recent experience as a PNM. In some chapters, Conaty “wasn’t asked many academically focused questions,” rather, “What’s your favorite TV show?” She learned the following day that she wasn’t invited back.
I can talk for hours about celebrity crushes and television dramas. But if I’m trying to learn more about a PNM, I want to know about what she’s passionate about. I now question if all PNMs are given equal opportunity in every chapter. Ranking a girl based on a superficial conversation is unfair and limits the individuality that sororities should be celebrating.
Morgan Larkin, a senior at UO, was her chapter’s Director of Membership Selection this past recruitment season. Larkin enjoyed the opportunity to meet women with all different backgrounds and personalities. However, she notes it can be a stressful process for many, as “having other priorities such as school or work and the higher risk of being sick can cause many women to withdraw from the process as a whole.”
The emotional and physical exhaustion wears down on every woman involved. Girls are crying and throwing up outside of the facilities. A PNM was escorted out of my chapter after having a panic attack mid-conversation. We even have a designated “cry room” throughout recruitment, with pictures of fellow members in distressed states plastered on the door.
Sororities aren’t for everyone. There are even those who make it through recruitment but end up dropping down the line. Greek life may follow an ideology of tradition and consistency, but when it’s apparent that everyone is miserable, why don’t we change? This is supposed to be fun, after all.
