Because of the small size of its chapter, Emory's Sigma Delta Tau (SDT) sorority became inactive this semester and will remain so until fall 2013. In turn, the elimination of SDT as a rush option contributed to the nearly 50-percent rise in the number of offered bids, a change that took many by surprise.
The fact that SDT did not participate in rush was one factor that led to an increase in the recommended bid quota for each sorority. According to a Jan. 28 Wheel article, a larger freshman class and the elimination of Alpha Epsilon Phi as a sorority option since its removal in 2011 also caused the surge in offered bids.
Even though sororities were warned beforehand about the increase in numbers, "it was even more than we were anticipating," according to Megan Janasiewicz, the director of the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life.
Implications of Rising Numbers
For many members of sororities, the large turnout for rush impacted the process and has implications for Greek life at Emory. With SDT gone for now, rushees this semester were left with only six options during recruitment.
According to College senior and Delta Delta Delta (TriDelt) President Blair Hunt, the sorority had 62 new pledges this spring, a significant increase from last year's 38.
"We had more girls per round, more rounds, and less space," Hunt said, adding that she was told to expect about 45 new pledges.
Hunt added that the influx of new pledges made the rush process a bit more challenging, and although the sorority was unprepared for bid day, members "made it work."
One College senior, who requested anonymity because she's in a sorority, said "every single sorority is going to be completely overwhelmed with this immediate transition."
"It compromises the transition," she said, noting that it may be difficult to pair "littles" and "bigs" together with so many incoming members. She added that on bid day, some sororities didn't have enough apparel for all the pledges.
Michelle Wang, a Goizueta Business School senior and member of Kappa Alpha Theta, said the major rise makes it more difficult for sisters to get to know each other.
"It makes it that much more awkward when you can't remember your sisters' names," Wang said.
While the influx of new pledges may have made the rush and pledge process more difficult, others have also expressed excitement in the growth of sorority life.
College junior and Gamma Phi Beta President Anna Gordan wrote in an email to the Wheel that while the sorority will now need to adjust event planning to reflect the rise in numbers, "each member will add something positive to our organization."
"We can't wait to see how they help our sorority flourish," Gordan wrote.
And even though Hunt said the larger size of the sorority may take some getting used to, she's excited more students are participating in Greek life.
"I know TriDelt is really excited about our new pledge class," she said.
In addition, another College senior who requested anonymity because she is in a sorority said the influx of pledges is a positive step for Greek life.
"Hopefully each year we can continue to increase the Greek life participation overall," she said.
Janasiewicz said that because the numbers were higher than expected, it's important to ask for help where it's needed.
"A lot of campuses deal with this every year," Janasiewicz said. "It's definitely an adjustment."
SDT Inactive
In a process known as revitalization, SDT's national chapter has placed all Emory SDT members on alumni status. SDT, however, maintains both its national and Emory charters.
Janasiewicz said any former SDT members who will still be on campus by next semester would likely be able to petition to be reinstated into the sorority.
SDT nationals will likely return to Emory in October to recruit new upperclassmen to the sorority, according to Janasiewicz. Then, nationals will return to campus to participate in formal recruitment the following January.
"I've seen [revitalization] work on a lot of other campuses," she noted. "It's a pretty quick turnaround and definitely can be successful, so we're excited to bring them back. Especially after the huge recruitment numbers this year, a lot of women are hoping to bring back another sorority."
SDT received word from nationals that it would not be participating in rush just before winter break, according to Jenna Mittman, College senior, former SDT president and a Wheel cartoonist. The sorority consisted of only about 40 sisters, 22 of whom will be graduating this year.
"It wasn't a surprise when they told us," Mittman said. "At that point, we thought it was time to do something big for SDT... Looking ahead, it wouldn't have been fair to the eight to 10 girls [remaining] in the sorority. The workload would have been too much."
Before hearing from nationals prior to winter break, sorority members met with Janasiewicz to explore their options, which included a possible alternative rush, Mittman said.
The final result, she said, "was a better option than closing the chapter, taking our charter and not allowing SDT to come back to Emory."
"It's comforting for me to know that nationals cares about making sure we remain on campus," she added.
Editor-in-Chief Evan Mah and Managing Editor Roshani Chokshi contributed reporting.
– By Jordan Friedman
jordan.m.friedman@emory.edu
