With the start of the spring semester, many non-Panhellenic groups have hosted recruitment events in hopes of attracting new members. These multicultural Greek organizations and student interest groups are typically smaller than the fraternities and sororities of the National Panhellenic Council and Inter-Fraternity Council, however they hope to find new ways to expand.
Among these non-Panhellenic groups, Alpha Phi Omega (APO), a national co-ed community service fraternity, began rushing in early February. Events included a game night and Valentine’s Day cookie decorating, concluding with a Hawaiian-themed barbeque last Friday.
Students interested in joining APO were required to complete 15 hours of service, attend four fellowship events, weekly Sunday pledge meetings and two Thursday “Brother Meetings.”
The freshmen were selected last weekend, and there will be a pledge ceremony this Sunday.
“We have a lot of people come to us because they are looking for a community service group, but we also recruit a good amount. Students find out about APO in a variety of ways. Flyers in mailboxes and on the breezeway, hearing about it from friends already in APO, our breezeway banner and just seeing our events going on,” senior Nick Flower, President of APO, wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
APO received about 30 Spring pledges. According to Flower, this is a typical amount for the fraternity, which currently has slightly over 100 active members.
“We have rush every semester, and we always have more pledges in the Spring than in the Fall,” sophomore Harry Ngai, Historian for APO, said.
Spring numbers are typically higher, because freshmen don’t decide that they want to rush until after their first semester.
“Freshmen might not be as willing to commit to an organization in the first two weeks that they come to college, and so after a semester when they’re more settled in and know more about APO, then they’re more willing to pledge. We definitely have more pledges this semester, so I think rush was pretty successful,” Ngai said.
Multicultural sorority Delta Xi Phi (DXP) also participated in springtime rush, sponsoring activities such as a Sunday brunch, which many sisters cited as their favorite event. DXP rush concludes with an invite only event on Friday.
Though junior Ruthie Burrows, President of DXP, found rush successful in recruiting new members, she has adjustments in mind for next year.
“We are a much smaller sorority than those in the Pan-Hellenic Council. We do not have a head of recruitment, but I am looking to make it a position next year. Each sister chairs an event so the work is spread evenly,” Burrows wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
Asian American interest sororities alpha Kappa Delta Phi (aKDPhi) and Sigma Omicron Pi (SOPi) were amongst the other multicultural Greek organizations recruiting this spring.
Some recruitment processes are ongoing.
“We’re kind of slower when it comes to recruitment, and we recruit for the entire semester,” junior Saad Anjum, President of the South Asian interest fraternity Iota Nu Delta (IND), said.
Many of these multicultural organizations have fewer members than the fraternities and sororities of the National Panhellenic Council and the Interfraternity Council, however their members have plans to expand.
“We’re hoping to start with the Spring Activities Fair. After that we have some mixers planned with either DXP or aKDPhi. We think that’s a great way to introduce our fraternity to those who are most interested in the social aspect of Greek life. We’re also planning two trips to other local IND chapters. We like to stress that, since right now there are only four active members at Hopkins.”
