Kappa Alpha Theta's numbers soared as the new kites went through their first formal recruitment since the sorority returned to Auburn's campus last spring.
"We worked on recruitment all summer to prepare," President Catherine Araszkiewicz said.
Without the established traditions, Theta girls still impressed district and national chapters. They pledged 15 above quota.
"We expected our numbers to be lower, and I think we impressed a lot of people with the amount of interest Theta accumulated," Araszkiewicz said. "But we could not have done it without the support from the other sororities. It was a great time for us to be on campus with the move to the Village and all the sororities were in a transition period together."
The move to the Village also provided Theta its first chapter room without which the sorority would not have been able to do recruitment, Araszkiewicz said.
"We have a great chapter room with all new stuff," Araszkiewicz said. "We had alumni come down and things came together perfectly."
"The other sororities were rooting for us and it helped a lot," said Lauren Reaves, the recruitment chair. "They went as far to hold mock run-throughs so we could practice interacting with the new girls."
The girls had to form bonds fast to become a sisterhood as they all started out as strangers last February.
"Theta has been fun, but planning recruitment was a lot of work," Reaves said. "We are new and a lot of people had their eyes on us to get it right. Our girls understood what we had to accomplish, and they stepped it up to go the extra mile. The work did pay off with a successful new pledge class coming in."
Recruitment was a long and stressful process, but in the end it was worth it, claimed one Theta member.
"None of us could have done it without the work of our president and the recruitment board who practically slept in the chapter room every night of recruitment," said Theta member Megan LeCraw.
The Theta chapter plans to expand through continuous open bidding.
"It is an exciting time for Theta, and I can't wait to see what else we can accomplish as a sisterhood," Araszkiewicz said.
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