Sororities, fraternities gear up for recruitment at Elon University

Lindsey Palazzolo is the recruitment chair for Sigma Sigma Sigma, or Tri Sigma, at Elon University. She said that before COVID, roughly 700 potential new members were registered to rush. Though numbers had been down since the pandemic, Palazzolo said this year there are roughly 560 PNMs. 

“The numbers are rising again since COVID which is great,” Palazzolo said. “So hopefully in a few years they’ll be back to what they were.”

Panhellenic recruitment — otherwise known as rushing — for sororities happens from Saturday, Jan. 27 to Wednesday, Jan. 31, which is Bid Day. According to Palazzolo, so much preparation goes into the recruitment process that she has been planning rush logistics since August 2023. 

“There’s a lot that goes behind the scenes that people don’t realize,” Palazzolo said. 

According to Palazzolo, there is a lot of paperwork and collaboration with Elon University’s Panhellenic Association before Fake Break to ensure the rushing process runs smoothly. 

President of Tri Sigma Nina Dascoli also said that this is the first year rushing is all in person since the start of the pandemic. In previous years, rushing would consist of partial, or fully remote recruitment options. 

“It is different because last year we had never done in-person fully before, so it was really nerve-wrecking and stressful to do that for the first time,” Dascoli said. 

Dascoli said both sororities and fraternities take rushing very seriously. 

“This is the way for us to ensure that the legacy and the values of our organization at Elon will continue on when we are no longer there,” Dascoli said. 

Dascoli also said that joining Greek life is more than making more friends, but it also furthers one’s engagement in the Elon community. She said that it is often a misconception that the rushing process is cut throat.

Elon’s Panhellenic Association declined Elon News Network’s request for comment.

“It is a mutual selection process,” Dascoli said. “I think the power of choice on both sides of the equation just makes the relationship stronger between the PNMs and the organizations.”