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<\/a>COVID has also been difficult for older students like senior Skylar Smiley.<\/p>\r\n
Smiley has been in Phi Theta Chi for three years and holds four positions within the sorority which involves event planning.<\/p>\r\n
One of the events she organizes is Rush Week which is where she tries to recruit new members to the sorority.<\/p>\r\n
This is important for Phi Theta Chi because it\u2019s a smaller sorority that typically has \u201c13 to 15 members but this year, they dropped to 11\u201d Smiley, said.<\/p>\r\n Instead of doing it in person Smiley shifted Rush Week to online by hosting multiple different nights between January 19-29 some of the nights included creating your own birth chart and distanced gaming.<\/p>\r\n Aside from Rush Week, Smiley has had difficulty trying to adjust with other events such as tabling and fundraising.<\/p>\r\n Smiley stated, \u201cwithout tabling, it’s just been really weird to have to do the events without like physically being there.\u201d<\/p>\r\n A fundraising event they can\u2019t do is their annual bake sale, where they sell baked goods on campus.<\/p>\r\n COVID makes bake sells impossible.<\/p>\r\n They have turned to alternative ways to raise money. Phi Theta Chi is not a nationally recognized sorority, so they raise their money locally.<\/p>\r\n One alternative is virtual raffles where Phi Theta Chi used social media to raise money.<\/p>\r\n All-in-all Smiley said last semester they were able to host a couple in person events such as a chalking event to counter-protest the Warriors for Life chalk display on campus.<\/p>\r\n Smiley also said the transition was difficult at first. Now with dedication from all the women they are still about to keep that sisterhood connection Through virtual games such as Among Us, virtual meetings, etc.<\/p>\r\n Since joining Phi Theta Chi, Banicki said the social aspect of the sorority has \u201cmade life happier\u201d.<\/p>\r\n<\/a>