The Nevada Sagebrush

University fraternities and sororities see higher numbers with new united front

The [g] Movement logos stamped on black and white signs strewn around campus, chalked across the sidewalks and plastered on the Greek Life members’ black shirts were all part of the organization’s recruitment efforts.

New to the University of Nevada, Reno this year, the [g] Movement was a joint effort between all of the sororities and fraternities on campus.

It was designed to recruit students to the Greek system before rush began and each group started its individual recruiting, Sigma Nu President Tony Gallian said.

Individual sorority recruitment ran through Monday. Students are welcome to attend fraternity recruitment events through Sept. 14, even if they didn’t make it to initial activities.

“We agreed that we should bond together to make the whole Greek system stronger,” said Jeremiah Todd, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.

The idea for the [g] Movement came when 11 members of UNR’s Greek community attended a conference last April.

“I think it was Kansas State where the idea had originally started,” Interfraternity President Cody Wagner said. “They’d been doing it for a few years successfully and exhibited the idea at the conference.”

After the students returned, UNR Greek Life decided to implement the [g] Movement to boost recruitment and put a new spin on the Greek system for new students.

“The original purpose of the [g] Movement was just recruitment, but with the success of it I think it will spread to encompass more of Greek Life in general,” Wagner said.

Greek Life members said they hoped the [g] Movement would attract more students than traditional recruitment had in the past.

Wagner said 146 girls went through the sorority recruitment process last year, as opposed to 251 girls this year. He said it’s hard to determine the numbers for fraternity recruitment because events are still ongoing.

“The tough part in the past was just getting people to show up so we can show them what we have to offer,” Sigma Alpha Epsilon member Phillip Lee said. “It really has helped us out.”

As part of the affair, more than 90 students toured the fraternity houses Aug. 24. The students who attended the house tours were broken into seven groups and rotated to seven different stations.

Tour guides closely managed the time spent at each station, providing an even playing field for all organizations.

“It definitely gives the smaller houses like us some exposure,” Tau Kappa Epsilon member Andrew Henry said.

The house tours were also useful for the students looking to join fraternities.

“I had the idea in my head, but the house tours really sealed the deal,” freshman undecided major Daniel Gugich said.

Pi Kappa Phi and Nu Alpha Kappa are both newer organizations to campus that do not have houses were still included in the tours. Nu Alpha Kappa set up a station in the Manzanita Bowl and PiKapp Phi had a station in the Frandsen Humanities Building.

“At first, when the (Interfraternity Council) set this up and said ‘house tour’ we thought we were going to get left out,” PiKapp Phi President D.J. Miller said.

The house tours served as an orientation event for those interested in joining a fraternity. Other events throughout the next few weeks will offer potential pledges an opportunity to meet members outside of the strict guidelines of the house tours.

Rush Events

For more information on the [g] Movement, visit www.gmovement.org.

Tuesday
Mini Golf, 7 p.m., Pi Kappa Phi
Movie Social, 8 p.m., Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Mud Wrestling, 5:30 p.m., Sigma Nu
Slaughterball, 7 p.m., Phi Delta Theta

Wednesday
Steak and Cigar Night, 7 p.m., Sigma Phi Epsilon
Flag Football, 7 p.m., Sigma Alpha Epsilon
“PUSH” Barbecue, 8 p.m., Pi Kappa Phi

Thursday
Glow Stick Capture the Flag, 7 p.m., Pi Kappa Phi
Steak and Cigar Night, 7 p.m. Tau Kappa Epsilon
Social, 6 p.m., Phi Delta Theta
Charades and Ice cream social, 7 p.m., Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Hero Hunt, 9 p.m., Pi Kappa Phi

Friday
Luau, 7:30 p.m., Sigma Nu
University of Nevada, Reno Volleyball Game, 7 p.m., Sigma Phi Epsilon
Poker Night, 7 p.m., Tau Kappa Epsilon
Day with Fire Fighters, 2:45 p.m., Pi Kappa Phi
Social with Delta Delta Delta, 6 p.m., Phi Delta Theta
Saturday
“Greek Day” Football vs. TT, 6 p.m., All fraternities
Tailgate, 3 p.m., Phi Delta Theta
Football Tailgater, 4 p.m., Tau Kappa Epsilon

Sunday
Tahoe Social, 10 a.m., Sigma Phi Epsilon
Football or softball, 2 p.m., Tau Kappa Epsilon
Mini Golf, 2:30 p.m., Phi Delta Theta
Float the River, 11:30 a.m., Sigma Nu

Sept. 8
Dinner Meeting, 6 p.m., Sigma Phi Epsilon
Meeting & Dinner, 7 p.m., Tau Kappa Epsilon

Sept. 9
Movie Night, 8 p.m., Sigma Phi Epsilon
Taco Night, TBA, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Billiards, 6 p.m., Phi Delta Theta
Water Balloon Fight Social, TBA, Sigma Phi Epsilon
Twister Social, 8:30 p.m., Sigma Nu