With the start of the spring semester, Greek organizations are preparing for spring recruitment. The National Pan-Hellenic Council held its Greek Forum last night, while the Interfraternity Council has an open bidding process and spring recruitment for the Panhellenic Council is uncommon.
Few Greek organizations participate in formal spring recruitment. However, all three Greek councils on campus do have some sort of process for conducting recruitment during the spring.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council is the only Greek council that holds an official spring recruitment. This process, called “intake,” occurs each semester but is held on a chapter-by-chapter basis.
“Spring intake for NPHC groups is probably the most prevalent out of the three councils,” said J. Coulter Ward, assistant dean of students for student involvement.
The Greek Forum, which is a requirement to go through intake, for this spring was held last night at Farley Hall.
Junior business major Lavon Hooks is interested in joining a Greek organization in the spring and attended last night’s forum.
“Being part of something bigger than myself will help me stay humble,” Hooks said.
Sophomore mathematics major Ashton Boone went to the meeting in search of information about specific Greek organizations.
“This was the first time I had heard about it. It was more about learning about all the organizations as a whole and why I should pursue one above the others and reasons I should not pursue those others,” Boone said.
He also stated that he would not have time for recruitment in the fall.
After attending the forum, interested students will attend an information meeting for one of the eight organizations affiliated with NPHC.
Following these informational meetings, qualified candidates will follow the membership intake process with the orientation period, induction ceremony and education program.
One of the two other Greek councils, the Interfraternity Council, has an open bidding process throughout the year. That is, at any time, any student can be offered a bid after meeting requirements.
“With IFC, a student really has to know the chapter well for it to be an option,” Ward said.
Hayden Horan, president of Kappa Alpha, said that his organization will not be involved in spring recruitment.
“We usually do not actively participate in spring rush because of the sizes of our fall pledge class,” Horan said.
“I think spring recruitment is a good thing because it gives the guys that didn’t rush or find the right house for them a second chance of joining a organization without waiting a whole year.”
Panhellenic Council recruitment is possible but rare, as most chapters hit their quotas during fall recruitment.
“Panhellenic spring recruitment is almost non-existent because most of our chapters, if not all, are not eligible to take members in the spring,” Ward said.
Students involved in recruitment for any of the councils must meet university requirements, as well as national and chapter requirements, to be eligible for spring recruitment.
Quentin Winstine | The Daily Mississippian
Representatives from all the National Pan-Hellenic organizations at Ole Miss speak during the NPHC Greek Forum Wednesday night in Farley Auditorium
