The Student Center Ballroom filled with deafening cheers as sorority recruitment concluded with bid night yesterday.

Sophomore theater major Grace Steinbrecher was one of 225 women accepted into six different sorority chapters. She is now a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, which was her first choice since she researched them over the summer.

“I was ecstatic,” Steinbrecher said. “I had to call my mom right away. I want to cry. I’m so happy.”

Teniell Trolian, assistant director for Greek affairs, said 225 new members is a record.

“We’re excited,” Trolian said. “This is the highest numbers we have ever seen–ever.”

One hundred ninety four women were accepted into the Greek community in fall 2008, and 192 women entered in fall 2009.

Of the 225 women accepted, only seven students got their second choice.

“Our goal is always to help people find the sorority that’s right for them, so when 218 of them get their first choice, that says that we’re doing something right,” Trolian said.

Brittany Barnes, senior theater major and vice president of recruitment, said she attributes this to using “no frills basis” recruitment. This is the second year this values-based recruitment system has been in place. She said they got rid of costumes and decorations in order to focus more on getting to know potential new members, or PNMs.

“It’s crazy successful,” Barnes said. “Recruitment numbers have been up. The number of women being accepted to their first choice chapter have gone up like crazy. More women are wanting to come in and stay in the greek community.”

In today’s third and final “preference” round of recruitment, girls ranked their top two choices, and chapters ranked who they would want in their sorority, said Margo Curran, senior fashion merchandising major and vice president of public and alumni relations for the Panhellenic council.

The rankings are put in a computer system to pair women with sororities.

“It’s a mutual selection,” Curran said. “It’s never like one sided or anything. It’s always based on who the sorority women want and who the PNMs want.”

After waiting four hours on the third floor of the Student Center, PNMs each received their bid, stating which sorority they were placed in. The girls then moved to the ballroom, where chapters were waiting to hear which PNMs would join them. Kent State’s six sororities cheered and yelled as they awaited announcements.

Freshman nursing major Samantha Golinar was accepted into Alpha Xi Delta. Although it was her second choice, she said she is excited.

“It doesn’t matter,” Golinar said “I like this one just as much.”

Sophomore fashion merchandising major Ashley Whittlesey said she was “super, super excited” about being accepted to her first choice, Delta Gamma.

“My best friend and my new other really good friend that I met today is in it too, and I’m so excited,” Whittlesey said. “I was just trying to be genuinely open to everyone. I came in with an open mind to everything and just tried to be myself and be positive and upbeat.”

Contact Lydia Coutré at [email protected].