Transcript Staff Writer

In its first year back on the University of Oklahoma campus after the alcohol-related death of pledge Blake Hammontree, Sigma Chi will recruit about 50 new members.

Hammontree's alcohol-poisoning death in September 2004 at a Sigma Chi function led to the chapter's suspension. Since then, the fraternity has completed all requirements set forth by OU President David Boren, including keeping its house dry and creating an alumni advisory board, said Michael McMichael, Sigma Chi rush chairman.

"We've worked really hard for this moment," he said of the chapter's return to campus.

The International Sigma Chi organization also has instituted an alcohol education program since Hammontree's death so nothing like that happens again, said McMichael, one of the 14 current members who were in Hammontree's pledge class.

"We're definitely not the reputation that precedes us," he said.

The chapter was fully reinstated for the start of summer recruitment, and the response has been primarily positive, he said.

About 40 men signed preliminary commitments to OU's Beta Kappa chapter of Sigma Chi, and the chapter plans to accept about 50 total new members when bids become official at tonight's official Bid Day, he said.

Most returning fraternities have about 20-25 new pledges in their first year returning to campus, McMichael said.

The chapter has put a lot of effort into recruiting a quality pledge class because most of the 27 members from before the suspension are seniors now, he said.

"It's these guys who are going to be taking over," he said. "... These guys are absolutely vital."

In addition to Sigma Chi, Triangle fraternity was added to the Interfraternity Council roster this year, bringing the number of IFC fraternities up to 19.

Triangle left IFC in 2005 because they refused to abide by the new alcohol-free fraternity policy instituted at that time.

The fraternity decided to submit to the dry house policy and re-joined IFC three days before fall recruitment began, said John Sokatch, IFC vice president of recruitment.

Fraternity Bid Day at 7 p.m. today will wrap up OU's fraternity recruitment week with nearly 150 more men participating than last year.

About 760 men participated in Interfraternity Council recruitment week which started Sunday night.

The number of men participating probably increased because the freshman class was larger this year, but also because of the increased focus on recruitment by IFC, Sokatch said.

Nationally, fraternity recruitment numbers have decreased, but OU has broken that trend, he said.

"Hopefully we can continue that trend and get guys involved," he said.

There were several changes to fraternity recruitment this year.

One major change was the implementation of the "one-way house cut," Sokatch said.

In the past, possible recruits would wait around until bid day hoping to get into a big house and then they'd get cut. This option now allows houses to tell men starting Tuesday that they will not get chosen.

"So far we've seen good results from it," Sokatch said. It gives the smaller houses a chance to recruit men who weren't originally considering them.

Women's recruitment has had the option for a long time, as well as allowing the potential recruits to cut houses, Sokatch said.

Women's sorority recruitment numbers were pretty consistent with previous years, said Beth Stathos, associate director of Student Life and Panhellenic Association advisor.

About 43 percent of incoming freshmen women went through recruitment, she said. About 767 women joined a sorority during formal bid day.

The Panhellenic Association also had a new chapter this year.

Alpha Phi had an "extraordinary" first fall recruitment since returning to campus last spring, Stathos said. They had left in 1998 because of dwindling membership.

Alpha Phi surpassed quota and added 75 women during recruitment. Stathos said she didn't know of any other chapter that had filled quota in its first recruitment.

This is Stathos' last week as Panhellenic advisor. She is leaving to be general counsel in Memphis, Tenn., with her sorority, Chi Omega.

Jill Duty will replace her. Duty is an academic advisor in the master's of business administration program, but has much experience in sorority life both at OU and nationwide, Stathos said.

"She's a perfect fit," Stathos said.

Duty followed Stathos around during sorority recruitment the week before school started to learn the particulars of OU's rush.

"I think OU is one of the most well-organized and best executed systems that I have seen," Duty said.

Julianna Parker

366-3550

jparker@normantranscript.com