By Rylee Seavers | Staff Writer
Baylor students participated in formal recruitment for participation in Greek life in January. Sororities across campus gave bids to potential pledges on Sunday, while Baylor fraternities will hold recruitment events from Jan. 9 to Jan. 24.
During the formal recruitment process, students participate in events from each fraternity or sorority, in hopes of receiving a bid, which is an invitation to join a Greek organization at the end of the pledge process, according to the Baylor glossary of Greek terms.
After receiving a bid, students then become pledges, or members of a fraternity or sorority that have not been initiated, according to the Baylor glossary of Greek terms, and participate in activities until they are members. Pledge activities usually last for five weeks, according to the Greek life website.
“I would pledge again,” Trent Bradley, head recruitment chair for Phi Kappa Chi, said. “Joining [Phi Kappa Chi], I gained a hundred brothers that I can go to with anything.”
Greek organizations give students the opportunity to meet diverse people with similar interests, according to the Greek Life website.
New Orleans freshman Leigh Hickham pledged Delta Delta Delta and said she was encouraged by the kindness of its members.
“They were all so sweet and had a lot of the same morals that I [do],” Hickham said. “They really, genuinely cared about me.”
For Baylor sororities, recruitment is a mutual process. Potential members select the events they would like to attend and sororities extend invitations to the women they choose, according to the Baylor Greek life website. Bids are also given on a mutual basis.
Baylor requires a minimum GPA of 2.67 and at least 12 semester hours to be considered for membership in a Pan-Hellenic organization, although some chapters may have different requirements, according to the Baylor Greek life website.
Baylor Interfraternity Council and campus fraternity recruitment events are currently underway.
“It’s definitely worth the time commitment and financial investment,” Bradley said. “[Pledges] will do things that make them closer as a pledge class and help them grow closer to Christ.”
Respect, integrity, humility, excellence and commitment to Christ are Phi Kappa Chi’s five core values, expected in all potential members, according to Bradley.
Bradley said that Phi Kappa Chi is expecting 80 potential members to participate in formal recruitment, which is an increase from previous years.
“We are looking for strong Christian guys, who live out their faith,” Bradley said.
