This week the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils are hosting formal sorority and fraternity recruitment, but students attempting to join Greek organizations won’t be the only busy ones this week.
Local gift shops, hotels and other businesses are affected as well.
Sorority and fraternity members often buy gifts for new pledges, which keep gift shops on their toes for the duration of recruitment.
“Rush week, here, could be compared to a football game weekend,” said Whitney Smith, an employee of Hinton and Hinton.
Smith said that even though there is an away game, they expect to stay busy throughout the weekend.
Katy Mitchell, an employee at the Lily Pad, said they go through thousands of gifts throughout rush week. They stay busy wrapping gifts the entire week. Not only do Mitchell and her co-workers struggle to find time for sleep, they have to purchase an extra storage unit for all the gifts.
“Sunday alone, we will be giving out anywhere from 600 to 700 presents,” Mitchell said.
Some students’ parents who want to be a part of their child’s experience book rooms in hotels for the weekend or, in some cases, the week.
The Inn at Ole Miss is currently booked full through this weekend.
Lena Snow, the front desk manager, said that during recruitment week the Inn is normally booked for Fridays and Saturdays.
“We’re sold out Thursday through Sunday,” Snow said. “It’s unusual to be full on Thursdays and Sundays. Those are usually our slow days.”
Laura Hood, general manager of Comfort Inn, said they are also booked up for the week.
Considering it is the closest hotel to the university apart from the Inn at Ole Miss, Hood says a lot of their clientele this week are parents who come for recruitment.
Restaurants on the other hand don’t experience as big of a change as stores and hotels.
Jon Strehlow, kitchen manager of Old Venice, said business remains steady but there are no obvious increases in sales.
Ayers Spencer, owner of Oby’s, said they had a large catering order to deliver to Kappa Kappa Gamma last year during rush week, but other than that no big increases.
“A couple of years ago, when rush week was held before school started, we noticed a big difference,” Spencer said. “Since they’ve started in October, there is nothing above average in our sales.”
