Spring rush ended this week, and 95 students can now call themselves new members of GW’s 20 fraternities and sororities.
The figure is nearly identical to the results of last spring, when 96 students joined the groups. Leaders of the Interfraternity Council, which oversees GW’s fraternities, called rush week a success.
“This was a very successful spring rush thanks to the hard work and cooperation from each fraternity,” said sophomore Chris Dibitetto, the IFC’s vice president for recruitment. “I am very pleased with the gentlemen who rushed and have made the decision to join our Greek community this semester.”
Ten more men and 11 fewer women were offered bids to join Greek-letter groups this spring compared to spring 2005. Last semester, GW’s fraternities welcomed 167 new members, and 219 women were offered bids to join sororities on campus. Spring recruitment is traditionally smaller and less formal than fall rush.
Dean Harwood, assistant director of the Student Activities Center and director of Greek life said he was happy with the numbers this year.
The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity accepted the most new members of all groups, with 14 new members. Pi Kappa Alpha learned this semester it will be offered a residence on Townhouse Row next year. Pi Kappa Phi offered bids to 11 men to join, while Sigma Phi Epsilon offered 10 bids, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Alpha Epsilon Pi each offered nine bids, and Phi Sigma Kappa offered eight bids. The other fraternities offered fewer than six bids to new members.
GW’s Greek-letter sororities, under the jurisdiction of the Panhellenic Association, conduct recruitment differently in the spring than in the fall and extended bids to just seven women on campus.
Greek-letter sororities are not required to hold recruitment unless their group is below the membership quota of 85 active members, said Panhellenic Association president April Black, a junior.
This year, Phi Sigma Sigma offered four women bids and Sigma Delta Tau offered bids to three women. Last spring, Phi Sigma Sigma had a pledge class of 12 women and Sigma Delta Tau had a pledge class of five women.
In addition to the 12 fraternities and eight sororities already on campus, national leaders from the Sigma Chi fraternity are in the process of recruiting members to be the founding class of their new GW chapter. Sigma Chi leaders are allowed to begin the official process of recruiting now that spring rush has completed.
