Penn State is a huge campus, but joining clubs and student groups can be the easiest way to get to know people instead of getting lost in the numbers.

About 12 percent of Penn State students chose to join the greek community, according to a report conducted by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

For women who want to join a social sorority, there is a formal process in the Fall Semester each year, which begins with open house rounds.

Men who want to join fraternities attend as many parties as possible and get to know as many members as they can.

"Freshmen are treated like kings," said Josh Sroka (senior-economics) of Phi Kappa Psi, 403 Locust Lane, about the three weeks of fall rush.

"Completely opposite of sorority life," he added.

Men who do not receive bids can try again any semester.

"Guys find out through word of mouth which fraternity fits their personality and style, and every fraternity has open houses and social events to get to know the brothers, and everyone is welcome," said Tom Carrigan (junior-psychology and labor and industry relations) of Delta Upsilon, 229 Locust Lane.

For women, during open house rounds groups of about 20 women and their two recruitment counselors visit each of the sororities open for recruitment during the fall semester, Lauren Cauffiel (senior-psychology) of Alpha Chi Omega said. Women and their counselors spend 20 minutes at each sorority's suite.

Counselors are sorority members who have witnessed at least one recruitment, excluding their own, and have temporarily disaffiliated from their respective sororities so as to remove any conflict of interest.

A lot of women are nervous and do not know what to expect, Rachel Abrams (junior-marketing) of Alpha Phi said. Recruitment is not the most natural process, she added.

After visiting every sorority, women rank them from the one they would most like to join to the one they would least like to join, Cauffiel said. Sororities fill out similar sheets ranking women that try out. A computer sorts the sheets and first rounds begin.

In first rounds, women return to a maximum of 14 sororities, Cauffiel said. Women socialize with members in each suite for 30 minutes instead of only 20. Also, a short video is shown with clips and photographs from sorority events, showing activities with which the sororities pride themselves.

The scantron process is repeated, and a computer reevaluates the participants and their selections for second rounds.

Women then visit a maximum of seven sororities and spend 40 minutes with each. The sororities perform skits to show the women the sorority in a different light, she said.

A computer determines which three or fewer sororities each woman will hang out with for an hour each on preference night. The suites are transformed into classy rooms to entertain, and moving speeches about sisterhood are presented with candle lighting ceremonies or flowers, Cauffiel said. Members bring women up to their rooms to show them scrapbooks and talk one on one, Cauffiel added.

Recruitment counselors deliver bid cards, an invitation to join a sisterhood, to women at a final assembly. Women accept bids by finding their sorority on the HUB lawn and celebrating with hugs, laughter, relief and picture-taking. Women who deny bids because they do not want to join the sorority that invited them cannot rush again until the following fall.

Pledging and initiation can take any number of months now that each woman knows where she will be proving her loyalty and which women will become her best friends with countless common experiences.

The greek system is such a big part of Penn State life, Abrams said. She waited to rush because she said she was not the typical, fake, snobby stereotype. Abrams has word of warning for upcoming freshmen though.

"Give it a try even if you don't think it's for you because it might be," she said.

As a freshman, joining the greek system is a great way to meet a lot of people and seek advice from people who had been where freshmen are, Sroka said. Older members can tell new students which professors to avoid and loop holes in the system, he added.

"[Interfraternity Counsel/Panhellenic Dance Marathon] is the best thing I've gotten out of the Greek community," Sroka said. "No matter what Spanier says, the whole school owes it to the greek system for starting it."

Abrams agreed that it is easier to get involved at Penn State with support from a sorority or fraternity. Greek organizations also present a lot of opportunities for leadership positions, she added.

However, Sroka warned freshmen against listening to stereotypes about greeks. Because of rumors, new students' friends and family back home might not be pleased with his or her decision to rush and pledge, he said. But if freshman are rushing for the right reasons and join a group where they fit in, they can ease those worries.

"When you wear your letters you're wearing [the stereotypes] too," he said.

Although, Cauffiel said some stereotypes are true. "All that corny stuff -- [sisters] become your best friends," she said. Greeks still have non-greek friends, she said. Joining a sorority or fraternity expands your social life though. "It expands your whole Penn State experience," she said.

Some male freshmen should settle in fall semester and get to know different fraternities, because three weeks is not enough time to rush, Sroka said.