Kiara Zamot, Special to The Denisonian—

Amidst the excitement and anticipation that permeates the campus air, the annual ritual of the dynamic process of recruitment begins on the Hill to welcome new individuals into the warmth and camaraderie that is of our beloved fraternities and sororities on our campus. Here at Denison resides four Greek councils: The Panhellenic Council (Panhel), the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), and the National Pan-hellenic Council (NPHC or Divine Nine). 

During this season, these organizations recruit new individuals to join. When most people think of this, they think of “Rush”, the recruitment system for Panhel and IFC. Brooke Ulicny ‘26, president of Delta Gamma, a council member of Panhel, speaks on this:

“You get to meet new people and make so many connections within each house. At the end of the process, you may decide Greek life isn’t for you, or you may find the perfect sisterhood.”

She also explains that recruitment isn’t only about social activities, but also a form of advocacy via informational presentations prepared by each organization.

“I’ll admit that recruitment can be a daunting process, but it is such a wonderful experience that I would recommend to absolutely everyone.”

A member of Beta Theta Pi, a council member of IFC tells a little more about the process:

“[Rush] week includes different events that give these potential new members an understanding of the organization’s values, as well as chances to get introduced to the current members of the fraternity.”

At the end of Rush week, interested members are selected by the fraternities and go through a semester-long process of learning about the history of their respective brotherhoods.

“The whole process is lots of fun, and it’s so nice to see how people grow during the years to follow!” he said. 

A  lesser-known recruitment process is that of NPHC and MGC. Many people tend to assume that this includes participating in “Rush”. However, our process is exceedingly different. 

Antonio (Tony) Baldovinos ‘25, the secretary of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, a council member of MGC, gives some insight into our processes:

“Going through the intake process is like a 4-credit class,” Baldovinos said. “You learn about the history and values of the organization…the whole process is very secretive because there’s a heavy emphasis on personal growth and learning who you are as an individual, then the collective.”

Baldovinos also mentions that learning about yourself also encompasses learning about your “Greek self” and your “true self” recognizing your membership and the responsibilities that it entails, but also developing your own sense of self.

On Wednesday, Jan. 24, which is deemed “Letters Day,” Baldovinos and his brothers wore their letter jackets.

 “There’s also the idea of earning your letters. It’s an honor to wear the letters and they represent how hard you worked…how much you put in is how much you get out,” Baldovinos said.

Thomas Coffey ‘25 shares his knowledge of the processes of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, a council member of NPHC: 

“Our process takes initiative from interests. They should attend events and learn about the organization, along with getting to know the current members…we want them to know who we are before they decide to partake in the intake process,” Coffey said. 

He recalls his experience and how he changed through the process: 

“You learn to hold yourself to a higher standard while simultaneously learning how to give yourself grace and space to learn…it really takes you to new heights,” Coffey said.

However, Coffey says that the biggest thing he learned is that “preconceived notions always make things 100 times harder than they actually are…keep an open mind.”

He speaks on how council relations are: 

“It’s like you have your brotherhood family, and then your NPHC family…we’re all really tight,” Coffey said.

As the spring semester recruitment speeds ahead, a piece of advice from these individuals is to actively explore your options and maintain an open-minded approach when considering joining Greek life.