Sororities should rethink having a recruitment fee

This Friday marks the beginning of the Panhellenic formal recruitment process as women of UNC visit each sorority in hopes of finding a match.

Yet, one cannot rush without first paying the $50 non-refundable recruitment fee, which increases to $60 for late registration after Aug. 21.

This unnecessary fee should be absorbed into semester sorority dues.

As per the official Panhellenic website, the fee covers the cost of a T-shirt, supplies, computer software and recruitment brochures among other items.

However, the charge makes the process less accessible.

The purpose of recruitment is for sororities to open their doors and initiate new women with similar goals and mindsets into their chapter.

As the entire process is for the betterment of each individual sorority, it is not fair for women who rush but decide not to join to still incur such a high fee.

Women who do not come to UNC with the intention of rushing are discouraged from trying out the process since the fee acts as a barrier.

While rush itself is much less formal for them, the fraternities of the Interfraternity Council are met with expenses during their rush process as well.

But these expenses are built into the semester budgets and are paid for by each member through his semester dues.

By having such a process, those who decide to rush but forgo pledging would not be forced to pay fees that do not benefit them in the future.

For sororities, the fee is unnecessary to the rush experience.

If fraternities can broadcast their names and add members to their organizations each semester, it is likely that sororities could do the same without the fee.