The annual sorority rush was held the week of Sept. 20.

About 300 ladies were expected to participate, but because of the Sept. 11 attacks, many went home to be with their family and friends. Despite the loss, the sororities had a turnout of about 200 participants.

Freshman business major Tanya Kevo felt that each sorority had something special to offer.

“At first, I was skeptical because I wanted time for myself, but after I met the girls, I really liked their personality,” Kevo said. “You get to become friends with people that you’re going to be spending a lot of time with.”

Informal rush was held at the Holmes Student Center. Girls from each sorority were put in charge of greeting and passing out flyers to the incoming participants.

The formal rush was a three-day process.

The first day, girls visited eight houses for 23 minutes each. The rush leaders informed them about what each house had to offer. The girls were asked to rank their top five out of the eight sorority houses.

On the second day, the girls went back to the houses they had chosen. Each house participated in doing charity work for children and families. At the end of the day, the girls were asked to choose two out of the five houses that they would consider joining.

Finally, they were asked to attend a traditional sorority ceremony. That night they were required to pick one out of the two houses they wanted to join.

At the end of the night, the girls were asked to come back to the houses for a rally. The rush leader gave each girl an envelope. They only were allowed to choose one sorority, even if they had been picked by their top two choices. Inside the envelopes were T-shirts, each with the emblem of their sorority. The girls were then asked to wear their shirts with their jackets completely buttoned to surprise the members of the house.

Freshman undecided major Jenny Jones was excited when she got into the sorority of her choice.

“When they gave me an envelope, I was so geeked!” Jones said. “I had doubts about whether or not I was going to get in.”

Members of all sororities are expected to remain focused on their academic studies. The GPA requirement ranges from 2.25 to 3.0. Some sororities even require their members to spend at least six hours at the library each week. They must be signed into the library by one of their leaders.

Freshman communication major Melissa Austin thinks this is a good incentive to ensure the success of all members.

“You should maintain a decent GPA because in order to be in extracurricular activities, you need good grades first,” Austin said.

Sororities are not allowed to refer to the new members as pledges. They felt the title was insulting, and they want their members to feel like they are part of a family.

“They’re as close as blood sisters,” Kevo said.