Colgate’s Greek Community welcomed over 250 new members to their ranks as the Greek recruitment process ended this week.

Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Kelly Opipari oversaw the recruitment. She guided each chapter them through the process and trained recruitment counselors, making sure that all rules and regulations were followed correctly.

Opipari was pleased with the outcome of this year’s recruitment process.

“It was great. I was really excited with all the

numbers,” she said.

Opipari had reason to be excited: Beta Theta Pi took on 19 new members, Delta Upsilon 22, Phi Delta Theta 26, Phi Kappa Tau 20 and Theta Chi 23.

Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) accepted 41 members, Gamma Phi Beta 37, Kappa Alpha Theta 41 and Kappa Kappa Gamma 37.

Opipari noted that the numbers were not exact, because a number of fraternities are still accepting new members.

“I’m really proud of the groups,” Opipari said. “I think they did a great job. So, I’m incredibly pleased.”

The recruitment process is a system of selection governed by the Intrafraternity Council (IFC) and the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC).

“Panhell is the sole organizer of recruitment,” Senior president of the Panhellenic Association at Colgate and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Meg Lyons said. “So we organize, facilitate, and provide recruitment counselors as disaffiliated guides throughout the week.”

At times, the recruitment process was stressful for its coordinators because of NPC’s rules, but it was also rewarding.

“The structure of formal recruitment can be stressful, but it is imposed by the National Panhellenic Conference. However, throughout the entire process you are with your sisters, and, although it can be time consuming and tedious, it also serves as a bonding process,” senior Delta Delta Delta Lauren Mondrone said.

Panhellenic’s vice president of recruitment, senior Gamma Phi Beta member Elisa Benson, also emphasized the importance of the process.

“I think that Panhellenic’s goal in the recruitment process is that every girl has the maximum amount of options open to her,” she said. “A lot of girls go into recruitment and they are not necessarily interested in maximizing their options. They might have their heart set on belonging to a certain organization. So rules, like making it mandatory that you attend all the parties that you’re invited to, are there to do some of those things – to hopefully keep people’s minds open and keep them involved in the process for a longer period of time.”

A large number of students looked into joining a Greek-letter organization.

“We had the highest number we’ve probably had in three years as far as sign-ups. I think we capped off at 225-which is a good number,” Lyons said.

Roughly 45 percent of sophomores, juniors and seniors are members of the Greek community.

“Becoming part of a Greek organization was by far my best decision at Colgate, and not only because of the people I met, but because of how I grew as a person and of the opportunities for leadership and the connections it has offered me,” Mondrone said.

Lizzy Dietrich, a new member of Tri Delta reflected on recruitment as both difficult and gratifying.

“It was kind of a difficult process because you knew that you were being judged, but at the same time if you put yourself in their shoes you want to be able to choose who your sisters are. It’s difficult; it’s an emotional process. I know girls who are emotionally distraught over it because they didn’t get in with their friends or they didn’t get invited back. When I look back on it, I feel that it was a positive experience and that I really am in the right place,” she said.

“This year’s new member class is of great quality. I am sure they will add a lot of dynamic to our chapter and are destined to become leaders both within Tri Delta and on the campus. They were chosen because of their great character and ideals closely in line with those of Tri Delta and our existing members,” Mondrone said.