Austin Cook
Equinox Staff
It is Greek enrollment week at Keene State College. Keene State College (KSC) designated January 27 to February 9 as the Greek Life Organization enrollment weeks.
Phi Lambda Chi member and Vice President of recruitment of the Inter-Fraternity Council, Travis Thuotte explained that Greek organizations can post fliers and have three recruitment signs posted on campus as well.
John Budenas of Alpha Sigma Phi explained, “Recruitment is important and vital to every single organization because it is how we grow. Without it, we would die out as an organization within a year or two. A big thing about Alpha Sigma Phi is about leaving your legacy. The only way in making that happen is having the organization grow and grow for decades and decades. Recruitment is how we get brothers, it is how we grow and strengthen our organization and that is why it is so important and pushed every single year with every organization.”
Thuotte emphasised, “We don’t force anyone to come. Keene State Greek life is a lot different than your normal university Greek life where you have 200 plus brothers & sister in a organization. Keene state Greek life is very small… it’s a close community here at Keene… everyone gets along as friends.”
“Recruiting is done in a number of ways, but the biggest way Alpha Sig recruits is simply by making friends and connections with people we meet on campus,” Budenas said.
Budenas also said that for first year students, having an inviting group of people to hang out and talk with can be helpful during the transition to college. Greek organizations also use fliers to advertise their recruiting events.
However, if people come out to recruitment events and figure out that Greek Life isn’t for them, Budenas said that is totally okay.
As for the requirements of recruitment, students must have 12 credits obtained at KSC. Any activity involving drinking and/or drug use is also not tolerated.
“All recruitment is dry, that means no alcohol or drugs are involved. Drinking is prohibited during recruitment and events,” Thuotte said.
Budenas said that keeping recruitment events casual also helps students get to know the fraternity’s character better. “As far as what is not allowed, there are a lot of smaller and finer details that we have to abide by, whether it is set by the school or our fraternities headquarters. Basically just be smart and don’t do anything illegal with interested students in joining,”Budenas said.
Director of Campus Life Jennifer Ferrell explained that once a student decides to pledge a Greek Organization, the campus life group makes sure students understand what to expect and what to watch out for, include hazing and how to report that.
“If a student feels like that’s happening, we have a lot of good things and standards in place for our sorority and fraternity community in addition to our campus policy. The Inter-Fraternity Council is the governing body for fraternities. The Panhellenic Council is the governing body for sororities. If a group does something that doesn’t match up to their rules then that organization could be brought to a judicial board. They could receive fines,” Ferrell said.Greek organizations are social groups with a focus on serving the community. A common misconception is joining a fraternity or sorority is a way to buy friends.
“What I will say is that in some aspect, yes you do buy into a group of friends. But it is so much more than that, you are buying an opportunity of a lifetime and insane resume builders and connections that will stick with you for your entire life. You’re paying for things that you cannot get anywhere else, you gain a new family of 20-plus amazing people that will have your back for life. It is something that no one will understand until they jump into actually joining and the pay off is so, so worth it,” Budenas said.
Austin Cook can be contacted at acook@kscequinox.com
