Panhellenic recruitment to be fully virtual
Image: Mary Helene Hall
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted change in practically every area of student life this fall, and Greek-letter organizations are no exception.
Following guidance from the National Panhellenic Conference released Aug. 17, Mercer’s Panhellenic chapters—Alpha Delta Pi, Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta and Phi Mu—will hold each of their three rounds of recruitment via Zoom.
“We care so much more about the safety of affiliated sorority women and the potential new members than we do about having an in-person recruitment,” said Mercer Panhellenic Vice President of Judicial Affairs Lauren Cheek. “We will be wholeheartedly complying with National Panhellenic Conference’s guidelines.”
Cheek said that Mercer Panhellenic is constantly updating their recruitment politics for the four chapters based on the development of coronavirus.
Emily Hartley, Mercer Panhellenic’s vice president of recruitment, said that adjustments have been made to ensure both members and rushees of chapters feel comfortable this semester.
“We’ve spent all summer gathering intel from other Panhellenic chapters around the country and really seeing what they’re doing,” Hartley said. “We’ve tried to find other (Panhellenic) chapters that are about the same size and in the same circumstances as Mercer to get a feel for what they’re doing.”
One change is that each potential new member will have the opportunity to upload a video introducing themselves to the chapters. Additionally, neither rushees nor members of any Panhellenic chapter will be required to attend in-person events if they are concerned about safety.
“We’re trying to keep the most authentic experience as we can while also maintaining social distancing guidelines, Mercer mandates and state mandates,” Hartley said.
At press time, 93 students were registered to participate. According to reports from Mercer Campus Life, in fall 2018, there were 142 new members of Panhellenic sororities. In fall 2017, there were 131.
Fall Panhellenic recruitment is set to take place Sunday, Sept. 6 through Friday, Sept. 11.
Mary Helene Hall is a sophomore majoring in journalism. She is a Presidential Media Change Maker Scholar who has worked consistently for The Cluster...
The Cluster’s comments section is meant to be a place for respectful conversation and reflection on issues and events affecting students at Mercer University. Comments are moderated by the student staff of The Cluster to ensure that those made visible on the website reflect these standards. Harassment, hate, spam and personal attacks on staff members will not be approved. This does not mean that critical comments will be rejected. We welcome diverse perspectives on our reporting and on students’ experiences at Mercer University. Comments will not be approved unless a valid name and email address are submitted. Please also note that our comment moderation system logs IP addresses associated with every comment submitted.
If you want a picture to show with your comment, go get a gravatar.