A Letter from our VP Recruitment…
Hi! My name is Cate Cartier and I am Panhellenic’s VP Recruitment this year. I am so glad you are here and interested in joining such an amazing community as Pepperdine Panhellenic! Fraternity/sorority life has so much to offer and personally it has changed my college experience completely. I can’t imagine where I would be if I didn’t participate in recruitment in 2021.
Believe it or not, when I first arrived at Pepperdine, I was not planning on joining a sorority. I was so nervous to suddenly be so far from home, and all I wanted was to make connections with people I could rely on and find a support system since I had moved away from everything I had ever known. Little did I know that exactly what I was looking for was waiting for me within this community.
My freshman year roommate dragged me to the “Meet the Chapters” event, and I promised her I would attend with an open mind. After an hour of wandering around talking to women from every chapter, I realized that fraternity/sorority life was something I wanted to be a part of. I immediately felt true connections with multiple different women from multiple different chapters, and I felt as though it would be a great opportunity to meet more people at Pepperdine. I figured I would give it a shot, because why not? If you are considering fraternity/sorority life at Pepperdine, that’s the question you should ask yourself. Why not participate in recruitment? What is there to lose? There is a place for you here. As long as you are faithful to the process, there is 100% certainty that you will find where you belong. With that being said, I have a few tips.
KEEP AN OPEN MIND.
You will hear talk around campus about Fraternity & Sorority Life. At a small school like Pepperdine, everyone has opinions. I think the most important thing is to form your own opinions and not take what others say as your truth. Everyone views Greek life differently!
DON’T PRETEND.
Be yourself. The last thing you want is to present yourself in a way that doesn’t reflect your true character and have it affect the outcome of your recruitment experience. There are so many amazing women excited to meet your true self. And on that note, your outfit will not determine your outcome. It’s super fun to dress up cute, but your personality is what matters!
HAVE FUN AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
The recruitment process can definitely be intimidating and overwhelming, but the hope is that you have tons of fun talking to everyone and meeting fellow PNMs. Try to enjoy the process as much as possible, and take care of yourself! Even though Pepperdine’s recruitment is shorter than bigger state schools, the days are still long and taxing. Make sure you eat, hydrate, and rest as much as possible!
Fraternity/sorority life has given me my best friends (not only in my chapter but in many others), a great network, leadership opportunities, and some of my best experiences at Pepperdine. If you are considering joining a chapter, but are still unsure, we invite you to one or both of our pre-recruitment events to see what it’s all about! After all, that was the deciding factor for me. I hope this helps and I hope to see you in the fall!
Sincerely,
Cate
REGISTERING FOR RECRUITMENT
In order to participate in Panhellenic Recruitment, every Potential New Member (PNM) must register by filling out an application and paying a $20 registration fee. Set aside 10-15 minutes to complete this application to ensure your responses are detailed, thoughtful, and accurate. This information will be shared with all the chapters so they can get to know you prior to formal recruitment. It may not seem like it, but these details are important to chapters as they get to know you as a potential sister!
The deadline to register for fall formal recruitment is Tuesday, September 3 at 11:59 pm
Optional PNM Intro Video: All PNMs can record up to a 90 second video to introduce themselves and talk about what makes them unique! Submitting a video is NOT a requirement to participate in recruitment but it is open to all PNMs who would like to submit one. Review Panhellenic’s guide to creating and uploading your PNM Intro Video here!
PRE-RECRUITMENT EVENTS
The first couple weeks of school are sprinkled with Pre-Recruitment events put on by the Panhellenic Association which are designed for all PNMs to get a feel for what sorority life at Pepperdine is like. PNMs will have an informal chance to meet the chapters, ask questions to the Panhellenic Council and Recruitment Guides, and to learn about the recruitment process. You can come to all, some, or none of the events! All events are FREE. Bring a friend, stay as long as you'd like, and enjoy what makes our Panhellenic community so special!
Panhellenic "Meet the Chapters" Night
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
5 - 7 PM, Location: Alumni Park
Picnic with Panhellenic Pre-Recruitment Event
Friday, August 30, 2024
5 - 7 PM, Location: Alumni Park
At each event, chapters will be tabling and ready to meet interested women. Stay for as long or as short as you want!
FORMAL RECRUITMENT
PNM ORIENTATION
Thursday, September 5, 2023
6:30-8:30 PM in Elkins Auditorium
Learn everything there is to know about the Formal Recruitment process, what to expect, and how to make the most out of Recruitment. PNMs will meet in their Rho Gamma + Rho Gamma groups.
**Attendance mandatory unless a PNM has class or has another valid commitment. Panhellenic will contact all PNMs not physically present.
OPEN HOUSE
Friday, September 6, 2024
PNM Meeting: 4 PM, Events: 4:45 - 10:30 PM (includes dinner break)
Location: Various locations on Main Campus. Rho Gammas will provide you with your first meeting location.
In this round, PNMs will meet all seven of our Panhellenic sororities and make personal connections with women in each chapter. They will get to know more about each chapter’s values and things that make each chapter special.
SISTERHOOD DAY
Saturday, September 7, 2024
PNM Meeting: 12:45PM, Events: 2 - 10 PM (includes dinner break)
Location: Various classrooms around campus
This round of recruitment gives PNMs the opportunity to learn more about each chapter’s philanthropy, service opportunities, sisterhood events & traditions, finances, and more. Each PNM will be invited back to between one to five chapters based on mutual selection from the night before.
PREFERENCE NIGHT
Sunday, September 8, 2024
PNM Meeting: 1:45 PM, Events: 3 - 7 PM
Location: Various classrooms around campus
PNMs will be invited back to one or two final chapters and participate in a special ceremony to help PNMs make their final preferences for sorority membership. Immediately after their last party, PNMs will make their final selections via electronic bid cards.
BID NIGHT
Monday, September 9, 2024
6:30PM | Location Firestone Fieldhouse
PNMs will hear final remarks from Panhellenic and watch their Rho Gammas reveal their affiliation. After Rho Gamma reveal, PMNs will receive their bids to their new sorority and participate in a Bid Day celebration. This begins day one in your new chapter!
New Member Forum
The New Member Forum is a required seminar that gives every new member in the Panhellenic Community a foundation of what is means to be in a sorority at Pepperdine. New Members will participate in modules which include: alcohol, diversity & inclusion, sexual assault, hazing education, and social responsibility. The University requires 100% of all new members of each chapter to complete these online modules. Not completing these mandatory modules will result in a $10 fine per member for the chapter.