It’s never too late to "rush" home

BY BROOKLYN MCKINNEY

Multimedia Journalist

Formal sorority “rush” or recruitment was in full swing last semester with the start of classes in August, but growth for Tarleton sororities was just getting started.

For women who couldn’t go through the recruitment process last semester or didn’t receive a bid from a sorority marking their membership, Continuous Open Bidding (COB) might be a great option.

“It’s so much more of a relaxed type of thing, so I’ve been really loving COB just because you can get to know some of these girls on a more personal level,” Stephanie Nelms, vice president of recruitment for Delta Zeta, said. “And I think the PNMs (Potential New Members) have been loving COB a lot as well because we do fun activities.”

For example, Delta Zeta reserved a room at the Coldsmoke coffee shop for their meet-and-greet, painted tote bags together and made charm bracelets.

“You just saw everyone’s creativity within what they made, and then it sparked conversations because maybe they chose a charm that represented something from their childhood or something,” Nelms said.

Transfer student Alayna Stiles is currently embarking on her COB sorority recruitment journey.

“I just transferred into this school, so I didn’t want to wait to be honest. I am also trying to make friends, and I feel like this was the best option,” Stiles said.

She enjoyed Alpha Omicron Pi’s “Galentines” movie night.

“It was a Valentine’s thing, and I watched the movie. It was “10 Things I Hate About You,” and I thought that was really fun,” Stiles said. 

She also loved hanging out with the girls in the Phi Mu women’s fraternity on campus.

“We just got to know each other, got to talk to all the other girls, and it was just a super sweet time. We talked about random stuff and then what Phi Mu stands for and all of their philanthropy,” Stiles said.

While formal recruitment can be a beautiful experience for many women, some may not have the opportunity to or find the entire process intimidating.

For many, getting dressed up with thousands of other women to have five-minute conversations with people they may have never met, and having their value ranked solely based on those conversations could be anxiety-inducing.

It can be very common to withdraw from the process entirely or not receive a bid from a sorority.

“I actually withdrew from the process my freshman year because it was a little overwhelming, and then I went back my sophomore year. I signed up like the day before the deadline or the day of and randomly decided to do it,” Nelms said.

For women wanting to find their community on campus through Greek Life in a calm and relaxed environment, COB might be a great alternative to the fast-paced atmosphere of formal recruitment.

Many sororities open these events to all students throughout the spring semester, so be on the lookout for updates.