Heather McClellan

Review staff writer

Skits, car bashing and barbecues were just a few of the activities during last week’s Greek Recruitment.

Greek Recruitment, commonly known as Rush, is a week in which each of the fraternities and sororities hold events to recruit new members. This year, however, turnout was lower than expected.

“Numbers were low for everyone, including the women,” senior Christopher Hawley, president of the Inter-Fraternal Council, said. “The council is going to look and see why numbers were low and hopefully improve rush turnout.”

A new software system was used this year to sign the female rushees up online. It was the first year sign-ups were done in this manner; Other than a few technical errors things went smoothly, senior president of Alpha Phi Bebe Hoffman said.

“[For the women], Rush is an entire week devoted to four parties in each [sorority] room, so members can get to know each girl rushing,” senior Lacey Beth Peck, president of Phi Sigma Sigma, said.

The recruitment format for fraternities is much different than the sororities.

Senior Nathan Solly, president of Pi Kappa Alpha, said each of the fraternities have events throughout the week and formal bids are handed out on Friday morning.”

Opening with a barbecue on Monday Sept. 22, each fraternity held different events, some of which include a poker tournament, flag football, a bonfire, a Wii Sports tournament bowling night and a homemade sushi and game night.

“People should join fraternities for three reasons: opportunities to meet people, travel around the country and jobs; experiences that are hard to find any other place on campus; and the bonds you make with people,” senior Lucas Bensen, former president of Kappa Sigma, said.

The men recruited pledge classes varying in size from eight to 18 people.

“Being in a fraternity gives people opportunities to be involved even though there is a smaller community on campus,” Solly said.

For the sororities, Rush started out with 123 girls but decreased as the week went on.

“Rush was smaller this year than it has been in years past,” senior Peck said. “A lot of girls dropped out in the first couple of nights.”

Even though numbers were lower than normal for the sororities, they have the opportunity to take more members with continuous open bidding and recruitment in the spring.

Bensen said many people are skeptical of the Greek system because of what they see on TV and in movies, but he believes there is different environment at Linfield.

“We are one Greek community but we have different characteristics,” Hawley said. “It is important to find a place where you will be happy.”