On Sept. 29, around 700 students gathered for bid day in the Curry Ballroom, each clutching an envelope with their future sorority inscribed inside. Meanwhile, active members from each sorority lined the perimeter of Krentzman Quad, buzzing with excitement awaiting their new sisters.

Recruitment, a cornerstone of sorority culture, is busy, loud, stylish — and a tradition as infamous for noise as impressive in organization.

Every fall semester, bid day marks the end of sorority recruitment season for Northeastern’s Panhellenic Council, or NU Panhellenic Council, ending the weeks-long process with cheers heard across campus. This fall, over the course of two weekends leading up to bid day, 1,094 students participated in a rigorous recruitment schedule.

“I never really thought about rushing. Most people, even me, fall guilty to thinking of rush as ‘Alabama Rush’ which was this whole big thing, and I didn’t think I would fall into that category,” said Sophie Kabeli, a first-year public relations major, referring to the viral TikTok trend where people documented their rushing experience at the University of Alabama. Kabeli impulsively rushed and joined Sigma Sigma Sigma.

Potential new members, or PNMs, are grouped and led by sorority recruitment counselors, or Rho Gammas, from across Northeastern’s sororities. Rho Gammas are responsible for explaining the rushing process and offering support to PNMs as they meet each sorority, submit sorority rankings and manage the hustle and bustle of recruitment.

“Being on the other side of it really helped me to reignite that love back to where it was when I first joined,” said Marin Whitaker, vice president of internal affairs for Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Eta Omicron chapter, who served as a Rho Gamma this recruitment season. Whitaker, a fourth-year English and communication studies combined major, went through recruitment as a PNM two years ago and helped recruit students as an initiated member last fall.

The sorority recruitment process follows the National Panhellenic Conference’s primary recruitment system and data-driven release-figure methodology, which aims to maximize fairness and social fit. The process also does not begin with predetermined numbers of available spots, with chapter quotas set at the end of recruitment.

“Fraternity and Sorority Life at Northeastern is growing really rapidly,” said Jennifer Mitchell, assistant director of Fraternity and Sorority Life. “Something we’re thinking about is making sure that we’re keeping an eye on sustainability and making sure that the process remains accessible for everyone who wants to participate, recognizing that there has been a lot of growth over the last couple of years.”

She added that of the roughly 400 students who joined a sorority this year, 99% either withdrew from recruitment themselves or did not fully pursue available options.

“We believe that fraternities and sororities are an incredible belonging experience on a college campus,” Mitchell said.

The first weekend, beginning Sept. 20, included the open house and philanthropy rounds, where recruits are introduced to each sorority. The second weekend is the sisterhood and preference rounds, where PNMs further establish connections with the sorority as a whole.

“I wanted to be able to leave more of an impact on the [Panhellenic] community as a whole … because I do think that it’s really beautiful the way [Panhellenic Council] can connect so many different people,” Whitaker said.

Students lean against glass guardrails in Curry Student Center Sept. 28. Sorority recruitment occurred over the course of two weekends leading up to Bid Day. (Margot Murphy)

The Rho Gammas also helped PNMs submit preferences for sororities. These were pivotal moments for PNMs, as they narrowed down their choices without any input from the sororities themselves.

“If [the PNMs] were between [sororities], I would tell them to picture themselves four years from now, as a senior, and where they would be, because obviously you would change throughout the four years. I definitely have,” Whitaker said. “I think that [Kappa Kappa Gamma] has supported my growth and also pushed me to be a better person.”

With the goal of connecting with one of the 11 National Panhellenic Council sororities or a single associate chapter in NU Panhellenic Council, each PNM must be invited back by sororities for every round after day one.

“The week leading up to the next weekend, to me, was a little scary,” Kabelis said. “I had talked to my Rho Gamma, and all the people in my group asked questions.”

After the last recruitment day, if no sororities invite a PNM back, the NU Panhellenic Council calls and informs them before bid day.

“The two weekends were a lot, both physically and emotionally,” said Kia Matt, a second-year communication studies and media and screen studies combined major who joined Chi Omega this recruitment season. Matt said the first weekend took more of a physical toll, while the second weekend was more emotionally and socially difficult as she got to know the sororities better with the looming possibility of not receiving an invitation back.

“My last day, I had two [sororities] that brought me back, and I could definitely see myself in both, and I really valued the girls in each of them,” Matt said. “It’s a very socially taxing process, just because you’re trying to envision yourself in their spot, and you see yourself being friends with these girls, but you know at the end of the day, it’s only going to be one.”

Individual recruitment experiences varied greatly as students developed relationships with different sororities. Although respective Rho Gamma groups visited different sororities together, the specific exchanges between PNMs and initiated members ultimately informed preferences and sorority deliberations.

“I instantly felt something with [Sigma Sigma Sigma] that I didn’t always feel at all the others, and that was totally okay,” Kabeli said. “[Bid day] was a lot of joy. I remember being really, really happy. I don’t think I stopped smiling for three hours. I was so excited.”

Rho Gammas keep their individual sororities hidden from PNMs until bid day, when they are dramatically revealed.

“It was super fun to be like ‘Oh my god, she’s in [Chi Omega], that’s crazy, like, I’m in [Chi Omega] now,” Matt said, referring to her Rho Gamma. “Overall, it was a great experience. I never thought I’d be someone to do this. I never thought I would be interested in a sorority.”

Mitchell emphasized that Greek Life can offer a connection to campus, something vital for Northeastern students who often take time away from Boston during co-op or study abroad.

“We know that it is something that ties folks to campus as they’re coming and going throughout their time at Northeastern,” Mitchell said. “Something we hear a lot from students is that this was an opportunity to get really connected and involved quickly on the Boston campus and has served as something that hopefully keeps them connected throughout their college experience.”

Matt and Kabeli both unexpectedly participated in recruitment and previously associated sorority life with the “Bama Rush” virality, which originated in August 2021 with the #BamaRush trend and was eventually documented in an HBO Max documentary released in 2023. Kabeli decided to rush after talking to friends who were participating and spoke with some sororities at Fall Fest. Matt was convinced to rush with her roommate, who was interested because of the opportunities for friendship, connection and leadership.

“I was like I already have friends, like I don’t need to do this. And then I did it,” Matt said. “It’s so much more than friends or anything like that, it’s really a good connection with people, and it gives you a lot of resources, including friends at Northeastern and in your life as a whole.”

About the Contributors

Hir Panchal is a third-year honors computer science major and member of The News’ staff. She is interested in art, justice and politics, and is excited about contributing to The News. You can follow her on Instagram at @hirishere.

Constantly with her camera, Margot Murphy is a third-year journalism major with a minor in psychology and photo editor of The News. From Peruvian sports stories to performative profiles, Margot dives headfirst into the photojournalism scene. She can’t wait to hone her craft and experiment with photography styles while listening to “Last Son” by David Fleming for the nth time. You can find her on Instagram at @margs.murphy and @murph.photo.