Pacific Hosts Virtual Panhellenic Formal Recruitment
Starting off the new year, student life hosted a recruiting event from January 21st to January 24th among the various sororities at the University of the Pacific. This is an opportunity for students to learn more about student life on campus and explore the potential opportunities of joining a social sorority that contains life-long friends and memories.
According to the University of the Pacific website, Pacific holds eleven social fraternities and sororities and fifteen professional fraternities. Each organization is affiliated with a governing council. This event is hosted by the sororities under the Panhellenic Council: Alpha Pi, Delta Gamma, and Kappa Alpha Theta.
Livy Simms, English, ‘21, the Outgoing Chief Recruitment Officer for Kappa Alpha Theta, describes the event as a way for all of the Greek social sororities to shine with their own unique yet equally beneficial aspects. According to Simms, the event is set up through the University of the Pacific but the Panhellenic Council, the group that oversees all sorority activities, organizes most of the details. Through the calendar page on the university’s website, students can fill out an online form that allows them to join a zoom meeting to visit every house and talk with the members of the sorority to feel out where they believe they fit in best.
Crystal Ly, Business Administration 21’, the Previous Director of E-Communications and current Vice President of Scholarships on the Panhellenic Council, says that the event has not changed much due to the new online format. Since the second day of the event is normally house tours, it has been replaced with a sisterhood round. Rounds are also able to be longer because virtual streams allow for no walking time between houses. Day one is orientation. Day two is the sisterhood round. Day three is where students can learn about the philanthropy in each house. Day four is preference day and allows for the student and the sorority to get to know more about each other. This day is usually where deeper connections are made.
This long-awaited event is important to all the participating houses because it allows for them to advertise their sororities and meet their potentially new sisters. Ly reveals the event has a special place within her sorority because “…it was when we first fell in love with the women of this chapter.” Likewise, Simms states that it is an important time because as a senior she sees “each potential new member as the ones inheriting Pacific Greek life and will hopefully continue to help it thrive.”
Although adapting to a virtual life has been a struggle as the pandemic stretches on, it is comforting to know that students at the University of the Pacific are determined to continue long-held traditions. Through these tough times, the social sororities at Pacific are determined to continue pursuing sisterhood and connections during this Panhellenic Recruitment event.
