Ohler improves fraternal recruitment

By Melissa McCrady
Gavel Reporter

Rho Alphas ... information sessions ... formal ...

University fraternity members added a few words to their Greek vocabulary this fall as a result of changes made to the Interfraternal recruitment process. Jordan Ohler, IFC recruitment chair, is the man behind all the amendments.

“We discussed formal recruitment last semester because that is how most colleges do it. We are just following a trend as a way to be successful,” Ohler said.

Ohler and other Greek members began planning last semester. He often met with fellow IFC members and the Greek advisor in order to have the recruitment process run smoothly. Laura Cripple, Lambda Chi Alpha house director, said “Jordan is a charismatic leader and has put forth so much effort to try to improve the recruitment for each chapter on this campus.”

“He’s a very hard worker, in fact he’s the best chair I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Richard Hayn, IFC president, said.

Ohler wanted to do what the recruitment process should do—recruit. “In the past we would sit back and wait for potential new members to find us. Now, we go find them and show them what we’re about,” Ohler said.

This year’s formal IFC recruitment was similar to the Panhellenic process. Potential new members toured all 15 fraternity houses and socialized with the fraternity affiliates over a period of three days. Rho Alphas, recruitment assistants whose chapter affiliations remained secret, guided the potential new members to each house.

“Recruitment numbers weren’t as we hoped, but this is the right place to start and it’ll only get better,” Ohler said.

Despite low numbers, several chapter members were pleased with the new recruitment. Larry Hosty, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon said, “I liked the new process because it gave us a chance to see all potential new members compared to only a few.”

Fellow IFC officers and Ohler have scheduled a meeting in October to discuss the pros and cons of this fall’s recruitment. Ohler wants to begin planning and making improvements for next fall in order to advance the recruitment process further.

“I really enjoy recruiting because it’s a challenge. I also enjoy watching new freshmen come into the Greek system to find out the world of opportunities that await them,” Ohler said.

Ohler, who is a 20-year-old history major and political science minor, has also been very busy with recruitment for the University Activities Organization. He is currently vice president of UAO, and works diligently on the recruitment committee as well as other UAO sponsored projects. Jessie Hachen, member of UAO’s board of directors said “We all work as a team, we’re always there for each other, but Jordan ... he’s very much there for us.”

Ohler joined Kappa Alpha Order his freshman year in the fall of 1999. He was actually anti-Greek when he first came to the University. At the last minute he and a friend who lived in his residence hall decided to check out Greek life. Now he is glad he did. “As I walked into the Kappa Alpha house I felt at home. I felt like I was one of them from the start,” Ohler said.

From that moment Ohler became very involved. He’s held the chapter recruitment chair and social chair positions, he danced for Kappa Alpha at Dance Marathon in the spring of 2000 and attended Emerging Leaders that same semester.

“He is what a fraternity man should be. He’s friendly, intelligent, extremely flexible, and always looks for the good in a person,” Kay Robinson, Kappa Alpha house director said.