UK’s fraternities will hold spring recruitment next week, Jan. 18-23, in a second chance for male students who would like to join a fraternity this year. The week is a scaled-back version of fall recruitment.

For fraternities in the Interfraternity Council, spring recruitment will consist of two fraternity meet and greet nights followed by three nights of open houses at each fraternity’s respective house or designated location. For the meet and greets, each of the 21 IFC-affiliated fraternities occupies a room on the second floor, and can bring up to 15 members to talk to prospective members.

Fraternities will hold recruitment sessions Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in White Hall at 5 p.m., and will hold meet and greets Monday and Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the White Hall Classroom Building.

“White Hall nights are easily accessible to rushees,” said Curtis Bethel, the Beta Theta Pi Vice President of Recruitment and a chemical engineering sophomore. “Rushees can see who they prefer and feel out deeper who they are most similar to.”

Fraternities will hold open houses Jan. 20-22 from 7-10 p.m., followed by bid extensions on Jan. 23. According to IFC Vice President of Recruitment Will Carrico, an integrated strategic communications sophomore, spring rushees are just as likely to get a bid as fall rushees.

Carrico said many freshmen are encouraged by their parents to wait a semester before rushing.

“I’d say that’s probably the main reason honestly, just making sure they can adjust,” Carrico said. “A lot of people come in also not wanting to join a fraternity, but they meet people who are in fraternities or all of their friends rush and they realize it might be an option for them, so they’ll then rush in the spring.”

Bethel said sometimes students who wait until spring are more appealing to fraternities.

“In spring, it’s a different kind of guy,” Bethel said. “It’s guys who make sure their grades are under control first. A lot of time that goes really well with our beliefs at Beta.”

Finance freshman Jack Kelly decided to participate in spring recruitment after meeting people from different fraternities over the course of the past semester. He will visit several that have reached out to him.

“I think it’ll be great to meet a lot of dudes in all these different fraternities because they’re all leaders on campus, and I can’t wait to see what they have to say about their fraternity,” Kelly said.

Sororities have a less guided process in the spring. “Continuous open bidding,” or COB, which allows eligible sororities to add members at any time based on their current membership numbers, will remain open. The Panhellenic Council of 15 sororities will hold an event Wednesday from 5:30-7 p.m. at the King Alumni House to showcase the sororities seeking new members.

“I feel like it’s grown every year just like our formal recruitment has, but the last COB we did, I think we had about 100 girls show up to the Panhellenic event,” said Lauren Winkler, a Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment and a merchandising, apparel and textiles junior. “I’m sure there’s plenty more girls who went to chapters on their own and participated in events on their own.”

The final list of which sororities are eligible and wanting to participate in COB is still being determined for this semester.

Although not all sororities participate in spring recruitment and are not required to be at the Panhellenic event, Winkler said it’s a good opportunity for those who prefer a more relaxed way of finding out about each sorority.

“Formal recruitment has a lot more structure to it and you get to know each chapter a lot better, but COB is great because it’s a lot more relaxed,” Winkler said. “So, maybe girls who are a little apprehensive toward it can come.”

Those interested in registering for spring fraternity recruitment can do so here: https://kentuckyifc.mycampusdirector.com/