The Best Decision: Go Greek!

Photo from Penn State Panhellenic

As first round of recruitment comes and goes, being an active member is feeling the FOMO (fear of missing out) right now for some, meanwhile others are excited that they are on the other side of recruitment. However, this article is specifically for all of the amazing two-thousand plus potential new members (PNMS) going through the process right now!

Photo from Penn State Panhellenic
Photo from pennstatephc.org

Going Greek might seem scary, but it is one of the best decisions that you can make! Whether it is finding your home in one of the four Greek Councils: Panhellenic Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council or Inter-Fraternity Council or joining a professional fraternity, going greek is such a wonderful idea!

What’s Your Why?

VALLEY asked current Panhellenic president, Logan Hage, why someone should go through recruitment. Hage, who is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio was the only person from her high school to attend Penn State and currently still is. During freshman year, she wanted to expand her friend group, and after learning about her mom’s experience from being in a sorority, Hage decided to sign up for recruitment herself!

With Penn State having over one-thousand organizations and over forty-thousand students, it can be hard at times to find people you deeply connect with. Joining a sorority helps you find a forever sisterhood, stating that her mom even stays in contact to this day with women from her sorority.

Joining a sorority also comes with the professional and networking side. With being able to get positions on your chapters executive team or even through the Panhellenic Council, you get to grow as both a professional and individual. As a new member, most chapters will have open positions for you to apply to start your leadership journey early. Hage stated that since her term has began in December, she has been able to network and grow her leadership skills exponentially.

Hage has already been able to meet with the student trustee, student body president, the mayor of State College and so many different Penn State and community stakeholders. With the Greek community at Penn State being 16% of the student body, it is a close-knit community that allows you to interact with so many different individuals and make lifelong connections.

Still Nervous? Here’s Some Advice

While the recruitment process should be fun, it can be stressful at times. Hage found her recruitment process to be fun and exciting because she went into it with an open-mind. She had no previous information about the chapters and recruitment, and went into it blind, which made her process less stressful.

She went into every recruitment party looking for a sisterhood that she connected with, and felt comfortable. It is recommended to take notes after every round just to remember your thoughts about each chapter you visit, said Hage.

“Really try to keep the stereotypes and prior knowledge out of your head while you are going through the process”

Photo from Logan Hage
Photo from @Logan.hage on Instagram

Some resources that you can visit or use on recruitment advice are: CAPs (Counseling and Psychological Services), HPW (Health and Promotional Wellness) and Student Care and Advocacy. Be sure to also use your Pi Chi’s throughout the process as they are there to help you every step of the way!

The Pi Chi’s are members of different chapters that have temporary disaffiliated to support PNM’s throughout the process. They help guide you to make the best decision for you. You may also use the overall recruitment team, as they do the behind the scenes of recruitment to ensure it is a smooth process.

An Inside Look at Panhellenic

Hage says that she has been able to make such amazing friends throughout her entire experience within the Panhellenic Council. She enjoys the tight-knit Greek community and always sees a friendly face that she has met throughout her Greek journey, making the huge campus feel so much smaller. She loves the programming opportunities like wellness, sisterhood, professional development, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).

Hage wants to leave everyone off with one last piece of advice:

“I think that someone should go through recruitment if they’re looking for that kind of holistic extracurricular experience, if they’re looking for a group of women that they think will empower them, that they can relate to, that they can depend on as a support system, or if they’re looking for leadership opportunities and a way to further get involved in THON outside of committees or special-interest organizations. Greek Life really does offer such a broad range of opportunities and engagement focuses that really cater to any interest.”

Tweet @VALLEYmag on X to say how your recruitment is going so far!

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