Incoming freshman Sarah Ball knows she wants to join a sorority, and the Panhellenic Council's recent decision to move up formal sorority recruitment by a week has not changed her mind.
Many sorority leaders, however, expressed a mix of both concern and optimism about the change, which could deter girls less determined than Ball from participating in annual membership selection.
Panhel officers were forced to change the recruitment schedule, which normally begins at the end of the first week of classes in the spring semester, because of space limitations. Now two rounds of recruitment will occur before classes start Jan. 12, with the remaining two rounds concluding during the first week back from break.
"I know there are sisters of mine and other really neat girls in other sororities who went into recruitment unsure if they were going to join," said Sarah Penn, vice president of membership for Delta Delta Delta sorority. "I guess [an earlier recruitment] would discourage people who didn't know."
Although Ball will be among freshmen girls returning to Duke early from winter break, she imagined returning early could be a deciding factor for other girls.
"If you're on the fence [about going through recruitment], you'd look for anything to push you one way or another, and cutting short your winter break would definitely be in the negative column," she said.
Not all of the concern over the schedule change revolves around potential new members, however. Many sororities schedule days of practice and rehearsals, and with the first round of recruitment scheduled for Jan. 9, members could be facing a return to Durham as early as the first week of the month.
"A lot of the reaction we have gotten so far has been negative," said Aidan Myers, recruitment chair for Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. "People are not very happy about giving up part of their break, I suppose."
Some of the reaction to the schedule change has been positive, as well.
"It really allows sororities to focus on recruitment and really makes it a laid-back experience," said Shiyi Zhao, recruitment vice president of Alpha Phi sorority. "I think it will be better in the long run."
Ultimately, only time will tell if the schedule change will affect the number of girls who decide to go through recruitment, and some say the move will not affect girls who are already interested.
"I think people who really care about [being in a sorority] and are interested would jump back into it, no matter when it was," said Annie Fleishman, an incoming freshman.
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