Walking onto Welch Field, new sorority recruits heard laughter and cheers from their future sisters. Sorority rush, or recruitment, took place from Sept. 3 to Sept. 8, allowing USF’s newest gals to meet lifelong friends and colleagues. The recruits learned about each sorority’s values and connected with sisters to find their perfect match. This year’s recruitment had more potential new members, or “PNMs,” as the sisters call it, than those who had been a part of Greek life had ever seen. “DZ (Delta Zeta) got one of our biggest pledge classes ever, it’s crazy. It was a lot of first years as expected, but this time we had a lot more juniors than expected and even a couple of seniors,” Tasneem Lukmanjee said, a senior international business and marketing major.
Unprecedented numbers added more passion to the thrilling events, making for increased potential connection. “We had 106 PNMs this year, so much more than last year, and you could tell everyone came in prepared and genuinely excited to find their place,” Uditi Madan said, Vice President of Panhellenic. “This year’s recruitment felt so personal and exciting, especially being on the Theta side after serving as a Pi Chi last year where I worked with all three sororities.”
USF’s Greek life is untraditional, with sorority houses not being provided through the university. Instead, the focus of Greek life at USF is on-campus recruitment and events. Even down to the use of the word “rush,” USF sororities use the word recruitment instead. “The fact that we don’t use the word rush, we use recruitment shows just how much we value a genuine connection while focusing on overall skills,” Madan said. More traditional rush environments, like University of Alabama, are highly competitive and stress inducing atmospheres. The girls focus more on trying to fit into the environment instead of showcases their true selves. New recruit Isabella Kohler said “I really love USF Greek life, as it is more untraditional than at a bigger school like SDSU or something, the people, I think, are in it for more genuine reasons.”
Larger schools with Greek life have historically had predominantly white sororities, with recruits even being turned away because of their race. For USF sororities, diversity is at the forefront of their organizations, amazing those who choose to join them. “What surprised me is how nice it is to be surrounded by such a diverse group of women who all empower each other,” Iqra Ladhani said, senior psychology major. “Whether it’s helping out in classes, sharing opportunities or just being there for one another.”
International students are also welcomed with open arms to the sisterhood, providing an even more inclusive environment. “I’m an international student, and initially thought I’d not be a good fit. In my opinion though, it’s just an organization that you get to actively and constantly innovate,” Lukmanjee said.
For many of the girls who have gone through the recruitment process, they feel more bonded and home at USF. “I chose to go through recruitment at USF in my sophomore year because for my personal growth I strongly needed to branch out from my major and dorm friends,” Madan said.
“What surprised me most about joining Greek life was how quickly just being with my girls felt like home. I didn’t realise how supportive and empowering the community really was and how much I needed that here,” Lukmanjee said.
