The seven College Panhellenic Council sororities at The University of Southern Mississippi will open their homes to potential new members for formal recruitment beginning Sept. 1.

This year’s recruitment will feature recent changes to the CPC process which will include new events Sorority 101, a sorority tailgate and a values-focused recruitment.

Every woman participating in formal recruitment will select a value during a CPC workshop. The value she chooses will be listed on her name tag.

Emily DeVoe, a senior broadcast journalism major and vice president of recruitment and retention for CPC, said the process aims to get new members to connect on a deeper level.

“We really want to put the values on their nametags to inspire more in-depth conversation that has more substance to it,” DeVoe said.

Melissa Sharp, assistant director of USM’s Greek Life office, said this year’s focus is on educating new members as well as helping the women form friendships during recruitment.

“We have a lot of new programming this year with a lot more education,” Sharp said. “It’s going to be really valuable with the retention of our women throughout recruitment.”

Sorority 101 is one of the new programs established for this year’s recruitment. The program will provide information about the recruitment process to women who have signed up, as well as to those who are considering signing up. The program is scheduled for Aug. 26 at 6:00 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center Ballrooms.

Sharp also said the Greek Life office is trying to get the women going through recruitment to be invested in Southern Miss.

“We’re trying to get them invested in Southern Miss, because if we can’t get them invested in Southern Miss, we can’t ask them to get invested in a sorority. They go hand in hand.”

“The main thing we want these women to know is the only mold they need to fit into is the mold to reach their potential and be the best they can be,” DeVoe advised. “Be a leader, be a servant, be a sister. And other than that, there isn’t any mold – except who they are.”

The registration deadline for formal CPC recruitment ends Sept. 1 at 4:00 p.m. To register for CPC sorority recruitment, visit the Greek Life website at usm.edu/greek-life.