www.thecollegebucketlist.tumblr.com

By: Anna Jonas, Sophomore, Dalhousie University

If someone told me a couple of years ago that I would be a member of a sorority, I wouldn’t have believed them. I didn’t even know that there were sororities in Canada before one of my friends mentioned that she was rushing. It sounded fun, so I researched the different organizations on campus, but by the time I decided to rush, formal recruitment had ended. When I contacted my chapter and asked if I could still join, they suggested COR.

Continuous Ongoing Recruitment, or COR, is also known as COB, continuous ongoing biding. It usually consists of attending sorority events, like mixers or philanthropy events, in order to get to know the current sisters throughout the semester instead of just for a specific period at the beginning. Potential new members then know what to expect when rushing the upcoming semester. Chapters can run COR events if they didn’t meet their new member quota for the semester.

COR events can range from a formally organized event with the whole chapter to a casual coffee date with only a couple of sisters. Now as COR coordinator for my chapter, I am in charge of arranging events to meet new girls throughout the year. If you are interested in rushing a sorority in the middle of the semester after rush period is over, or are unable to make it to rush events, COR may be the solution.

There are definite pros to participating in COR. During formal recruitment, initiated members are meeting so many girls in such a short period of time, and it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. With COR, you get to interact individually with some of the initiates, an opportunity not often given to other potential members. Unlike formal rush, COR has no real time constraint. With less pressure, you can join at your own pace. You have plenty of time to meet and make connections with sorority members, learn more about the sorority you’re interested in and see if it is a good fit for you.

COR is usually focused on fewer women at a time. Some of the smaller events are planned to fit into your schedule. This is ideal if you are really busy, like so many of us these days, and are unable to make it to formal rush. Don’t get discouraged from joining a sorority just because rush period is over! Participating in COR was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and it may just help you discover whether a sorority is right for you.