With more than 230 bids given to new members, sorority recruitment was a success for new and returning sorority members.

While the total number of new members is down from last year’s 290, the number was still satisfactory to meet the recruitment requirements, even with last year’s addition of Kappa Delta.

Re’Nita Avery-Meriwether, director of the Curris Center and Student Life, said sorority recruitment went well for all the girls placed.

This year, the primary recruitment events were held in the CFSB Center instead of the Curris Center, where it has been held since 2011.

She said the change of venue was a smooth transition for the girls, including the PNM’s, or potential new members.

Even though switching to the CFSB Center was a change of scenery for the organizations, Avery-Meriwether said each of the six groups did well in recruiting PNM’s throughout the week.

While the sororities are looking to continue to add more Greek organizations for the next year, Avery-Meriwether said there has yet to be a final decision regarding a new group, particularly Delta Zeta.

“I will know for sure probably within the next few months or so,” she said. “There is some discussion that will be had about Delta Zeta.”

The College Panhellenic Council, the governing body over the six social sororities, decided in 2012 to bring three new organizations to campus.

One of those organizations was Kappa Delta. The next organization invited to come to campus is Delta Zeta and the final is Phi Mu in 2017.

The council has the option to revisit those invitations and decide what’s best for Murray State’s campus.

Before the start of fall recruitment, the sororities begin to recruit as far in advance as January.

Laken Kanipe, assistant recruitment chairman for the Panhellenic Council, said the organizations wanted to exercise every opportunity to spread the word about recruitment to new students.

“We attended every Summer Orientation session where we had a booth that was ran by Greek members who were disaffiliated,” Kanipe said. “We used this to spread the word and encouraged upcoming freshman to go Greek and answer any questions they might have.

“Also at Summer O sessions, we had a presentation prepared to talk in further details to the men and women interested in Greek Life.”

Kanipe also said the transition to the CFSB Center was smooth and made the process easier.

She said there was more space available for the organizations in the CFSB Center, especially for the new women in recruitment.

The growth of Greek Life on campus has been fueled by Panhellenic’s online presence, particularly on Twitter, where groups promoted fall recruitment, talked about Greek Life and educated women on Panhellenic’s new philanthropy.

Kanipe said that using social media helps spread the word of joining Greek Life to a generation of Internet users.

She said the higher numbers of those joining sororities in the past may be due to online efforts, but also the reputation of philanthropy and community service the sororities have developed.

Despite the stereotypes some have associated with Greek Life, Kanipe said women have been encouraged to join due to the great work the sororities have done for the campus and community.

Said Kanipe: “Our goal is to continue to grow and encourage more of the Murray State community to go Greek.”

Story by Mary Bradley, Assistant News Editor