There will be plenty for Simpson students to do during the firstweek of classes next fall, but Greek recruitment won’t be part oftheir schedules.

Looking for ways to boost Greek numbers at Simpson, collegeofficials are moving recruitment week back to the end of Septemberafter first-year students said in surveys that they feltoverwhelmed with all that happens at the beginning of the schoolyear.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of choice in the matter,” saidAmanda Hunt, president of the Panhellenic Council.

“They thought that it would also be best for the Greekcommunity,” Hunt said.

The number of women belonging to Simpson’s four sororities hasdropped from 220 in 1999 to 193 in 2003.

There are 151 men in Simpson’s four fraternities, up from 139 in1999.

“I guess we’ll see if the change helps the system,” said DanSaar, president of the Interfraternity Council. “We are hoping fora larger turnout to get more people to take a look at us.”

Critics fear that fewer students will go through alate-September recruitment.

They contend that many new students go through recruitment tomeet new people. With the new system students will have a month tomake new friends.

This, critics say, would elminate the purely social draw ofrecruitment and thus cut further into Simpson’s greek numbers.

“Personally, [meeting new people is] the only reason I wentthrough recruitment,” said Hunt. “I didn’t plan on joining ahouse.”

According to Saar, fraternity members worry that new studentswill be settled into their residence halls with new friends andwon’t want to go through recruitment.

Another worry for Greek leaders is the potential for stereotypesto build among first-year students.

“We are going to have to be careful to watch the decisions thatwe make and consider how they affect our image and the image of thechapters,” said Hunt.

To keep a good image, Simpson Greeks will host activities duringthe first month of the fall term.

Some possible activities include an ice cream social, a Greekbarbeque, and must-see TV nights in residence halls.

“We encourage them to associate with the potential new members,”said Nicole Stumo, assistant director of student activities andcoordinator of Greek life at Simpson.

“Most importantly we want to promote Greek life,” Stumosaid.

Logistical changes are still being discussed, but Greek leadershaven’t decided if actual recruitment activities will change.

“I think that it will be stressful to implement this change forthe first year, but it could bring a lot of benefits to the Greekcommunity,” said Hunt.

Another meeting will be held to confirm the dates and details ofthe recruitment changes.

“I hope we will work together to make this a positive change,”Stumo said.