The Department of Greek Life hosted its annual Greek Activities Fair on Jan. 23 in the D’Angelo Center Ballroom, providing prospective fraternity and sorority members with information.
Interfraternity Council fraternities and Pan-Hellenic sororities had their own tables set up in a circular format in the ballroom. Each fraternity and sorority showcased their decorated paddles in addition to awards, plaques, and group pictures they had taken in the past which were pasted onto a board for all students to see.
Students were mingling in groups and other individuals went around to everyone and introduced themselves to prospective members of the organization. In addition, fraternity and sorority members were at their tables, eagerly anticipating for students to come and to show interest in their organization by asking different questions.
The group pictures of each of the fraternities and sororities were also projected onto multiple white screens in the ballroom.
Teresa Abulafia, a prospective member, said she found the set up to be helpful and informative. “I thought it was informational and all the orgs were accessible,” she said.
John Guittard, a member of Pi Kappa Phi, expressed his thoughts on how the
event was organized. “It was okay,” he said. “I just wish it was in a more open and accessible location.”
According to Maggie Bach, the Director of Greek Life, the Greek Activities Fair has been going on for around 12 years.
Bach explained that Facilities set up tables in the ballroom and afterward, each organization picked a table and set up all the stuff they brought with them.
She also commented on the benefits that the event brought to the students. “It’s a really good way for [prospective members] to see all the organizations
we have at one time,” she said. “So this gives people an opportunity to just
walk around, it’s not intimidating. They don’t have to stop at every table if they don’t want to and they can just pick up information or they can talk to people.”
The Department of Greek Life promoted the event through Twitter and direct emails. The Pan-Hellenic Council had recruitment guides who walked around campus and gave out fliers and encouraged students to go the fair in the ballroom.Bach stated the difficulty they’ve always had in having an accessible location for the event. “In the spring it’s difficult for us because we don’t have an outdoor location and we’re so big so it’s hard for us to find the space so this is the first time we’ve used the ballroom,” she explained.
Bach explained why the Greek Activities Fair is held earlier and separate from the Spring Activities Fair, which took place on Jan. 30. “A lot of the fraternities and sororities recruitment start right when school starts and they need that opportunity to meet students before the Org Fair,” she said.
