Although sorority recruitment numbers barely fluctuated from fall 2008 to fall 2009, the number of women who participated in recruitment and did not join a sorority increased by about 5 percent. Angela Guillory, Greek Life director, said 869 students were involved in sorority recruitment this year, but 179 — 21 percent — of those students involved either dropped out or were not invited to join a sorority. Guillory said 140 of the 885 women — 16 percent — involved in recruitment in fall 2008 did not join a sorority. Madeleine Kauders, Kappa Alpha Theta president, said the difference in the number of potential new members invited to join a sorority could have been caused by student illness. “The numbers were really skewed because this year there were a lot of girls that fell ill [before recruitment ended],” Kauders said. Twenty students involved with sorority recruitment were diagnosed with “Type A Influenza, suffering from mild to moderate symptoms of the virus,” Herb Vincent, University spokesman, said in an e-mail Saturday, Aug. 15 .”Routine tests for H1N1 virus are no longer being conducted by state and federal agencies,” Vincent said. “However, it is presumed that any Influenza A circulating at this time of the year is the H1N1 virus.”Panhellenic Council President Kelli Huff would not comment on whether members contracted the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, although she said in an Aug. 15 interview about 20 students visited the Student Health Center with flu-like symptoms. Brittany Skulski, Kappa Alpha Theta freshman, said many students dropped out of recruitment after becoming sick. She said one potential new member withdrew from the process after contracting influenza in the third round of recruitment. “I would definitely say it’s more than 20,” Skulski said. The Office of Greek Life would not comment on the influenza outbreak.Guillory said in an Aug. 19 interview with The Daily Reveille that initial recruitment numbers could have been affected by the economy. “Numbers are down at all SEC schools and probably across the country probably as a result of lower enrollment as well as economic conditions,” Guillory said. Fees average around $2,500 to $2,700 for first-year students and around $1,300 to $1,500 for upper-classmen, according to the Greek Life Web site. Participating in recruitment costs $250 for on campus students and $125 for off campus students. Guillory said recruitment numbers have remained between 865 and 899 for the last five years.Huff said sororities try to accept as many students as possible. She said each chapter adjusts its new-member class size based on the total number of students participating in recruitment. Guillory said sororities determined the size of their classes based on the number of potential members who signed Preference Agreements on Aug. 16.J. Ryan Hudson, Intrafraternity Council vice president of recruitment, said IFC has seen no confirmed cases of influenza in men participating in recruitment. He said potential fraternity members were in close quarters during recruitment but spent less time together than potential sorority members. Hudson said the fraternity recruitment period was shorter than the week-long sorority recruitment period. Fraternity recruitment began Aug. 20 and ended Aug. 24, he said.  Ashley Landry, Pi Beta Phi freshman, said potential new members who contracted the flu were at a disadvantage in the recruitment process. “It hurt the girls that were rushing because they couldn’t go to the houses anymore,” Landry said. She said one potential new member received two invitations and eventually a bid even though she missed three days of recruitment after contracting the flu. Some potential new members were not as fortunate. Lindsey Smith, Zeta Tau Alpha junior, said several women became sick during recruitment and many of them tested positive for influenza. She said none of the sick students returned to recruitment.  Smith said her chapter did not change recruitment activities but took precautions by passing around hand sanitizer. The influenza outbreak and tough economic times merely add to the stresses potential new members experience during recruitment. Maggie Joyner, biology freshman, said most of the girls worry about the simple aspects of recruitment. As they stand in line nervously waiting to enter the house, they check each other’s hair and pop breath mints, she said. Kauders said she considers herself laid-back and was not very nervous when she went through recruitment three years ago. She said waiting to receive invitations back can be stressful for some girls, but “where ever you go, it’s for the right reason.” Kauders said rush week has not changed much since she was a freshman. She said her advisers agree they had similar experiences more than a decade ago.—-Contact Emily Holden at [email protected]