Starting today, interested men on campus can sign up for formal fraternity recruitment.

Fraternity members from different chapters will be at a table in the Student Center to answer questions. The sign up tables are in the Student Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. today and tomorrow only.

For the first time since the early ’80s, fraternities will have a formal recruitment process, said Beth Gittons, assistant director of Greek life. The recruitment events will take place for three days in the Student Center.

Previously, men would come to the Center for Student Involvement seeking information about fraternities, Gittons said. She said she would take his contact information and hope that a chapter would contact him.

Kent State does not have a fraternity row, and half the fraternity houses do not have the chapters’ letters posted on them, she said. In the past, men would join a fraternity based on who they already knew in the various fraternities, Gittons said.

She said formal recruitment would be helpful for the men looking to join a fraternity without an idea where to start.

“I think the process is a good idea because it helps new recruits get exposed to as many chapters as possible as well as expose the chapters to those recruits,” said Korey Papa, Interfraternity Council vice president of recruitment.

Gittons said the first recruitment event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 15, at the Student Center in Room 306. Almost all of the 16 chapters will have an information table set up. Men are welcomed to talk to members from each fraternity.

On Sept. 16, the fraternities will be in different rooms in the Student Center, she said. The men will be in small groups and visit fewer fraternities but will talk to them longer.

The men will narrow their choices even more by Sept. 17. Fraternities will invite the new recruits to activities such as paintball, football or video games, Gittons said.

“People want to be involved. We want to help them to achieve their goals and give back to them,” she said.

The new process is a huge step to help get information about the individual chapters, Gittons said.

Formal recruitment is new, thus it brings new problems. Gittons said she has tried to anticipate every problem and plan for the unexpected.

“My worst fear is that a man will get frustrated, walk away and not try recruitment again,” Gittons said. “It’s new; new is scary.”

Contact Greek life reporter Jessica Parmelee at [email protected].