It is Greek recruitment season at Colgate. The Colgate Panhellenic Association and the Inter-fraternity Council (which govern sorority and fraternity affairs, respectively) and Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Kelly Opipari have made efforts to make sophomore students aware of the upcoming recruitment process.

Sophomore women received an information booklet in their mailboxes on Wednesday that gave an overview of the four sororities at Colgate and the recruitment process, while the sophomore men will receive an information booklet today. By Sunday all sophomores will have received three emails about Greek recruitment.

An additional source of information for women is the recruitment counselors, Greek women who have disaffiliated themselves from their respective sororities for a period beginning a week before recruitment and ending at the end of recruitment.

These women have been wearing shirts that identify them as recruitment counselors, so that interested students can approach them and ask about sororities and recruitment.

Sophomores seemed comfortable and happy to approach the recruitment counselors with questions and concerns.

“I have been approached by both sophomores and freshmen on campus over the past couple of weeks,” Recruitment Counselor Ryan Patterson said.

“Most of them asked about why I chose to join a sorority and if I was happy with my decision.”

Aside from their presence around campus, the recruitment counselors have been trying to get to know as many sophomore women as they can. They led an information session in Drake Hall on Tuesday night and went to every sophomore residence on Wednesday.

“Although you meet so many people during recruitment, the process is highly structured and can feel somewhat impersonal,” Vice-President of Recruitment Elisa Benson.

“Our staff is trying to counter that by reaching girls on a more personal basis. We’re also trying to debunk the myth that there’s only one type of ‘sorority girl,’ and with reversing any stereotype, that begins by forming personal connections with people.”

Although there seem to be multiple sources of information for sophomores, many still feel somewhat lost.

“At this point, I know – or think I know – not much more than that the recruitment process starts next weekend,” sophomore Becca Gelb said.

“I also know the names of all four sororities, along with some stereotypes associated with each one, which I don’t take too seriously.”

Other sophomores explained they have gotten most of their knowledge about recruitment and Greek life from junior and senior friends. The information distributed by the Panhellenic Association and the Inter-Fraternity Council tends to confuse and overwhelm students.

“Choosing to go Greek means joining an activity that will last well beyond four years,” Benson said. “That’s something unique about Greek life as compared to other clubs.”