While the school year has just started, the Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, Black Greek Council and United Greek Council began working on their recruitment processes long before Quad Day.

For the first time, the recruitment process included an online video that was sent via e-mail to all incoming freshmen about campus Greek life.

“It’s something more interactive for them,” Jess Sopko, vice president of recruitment for the Panhellenic Council and senior in LAS, said. “Now they can see Greek life even when they’re far away.”

This year is different in that the four Greek councils are making more of an effort to connect with each other this year.

“We’re trying to build council relations,” Ebonee Davis, president of the Black Greek Council and senior in LAS, said. “We should have more joint programs this year.”

In addition, all four Greek councils now share a common logo, which includes an image of the Alma Mater. “Illinois Fraternities & Sororities” is written above the image, while “Pride. Opportunity. Community” is written below it.

“Those were the three things we felt were defining aspects of the Greek councils,” Elizabeth Rahn, vice president of public relations for the Panhellenic council and junior in Business, said.

Both Black Greek Council and United Greek Council will also have a University Web site this year.

“We’re trying to make the Web site more uniform with the other councils, so that we can be more like a community in that (regard) as well,” Osvaldo Torres, president of the United Greek Council and junior in LAS, said.

One thing that varies from council to council is recruitment strategy. Formal recruitment for 18 of the 24 Panhellenic chapters will begin Friday, Aug. 31.

“We keep it so women are able to find the chapter they are most comfortable with,” said Yael Dvorin, president of the Panhellenic Council and senior in Education.

The Panhellenic Council has a standardized style of formal recruitment compared to other councils. The Interfraternity Council, United Greek Council and The Black Greek Council each allow their chapters to conduct individual recruitment.

“Every chapter does their own informational,” Torres said. “We have all different cultures in the United Greek Council, and not everyone can be put under the same umbrella.”

The Black Greek Council does not actively control the recruitment process.

“Each house takes in their own line at their own time,” Davis said.

Peter Logli, vice president of recruitment for the Interfraternity Council and junior in LAS, said that their recruitment process is different than Panhellenic’s because it is entirely informal.

Though there is no official schedule for Interfraternity Council’s 47 chapters to follow, informal recruitment hits its peak during the first three weeks of school.

Both Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils are comparable in size, with about 3,000 members each after recruitment. The United Greek Council’s 17 chapters have 150 members, and the Black Greek Council’s nine chapters have 48 members.

While the Greek councils are different in their sizes and practices, they still stay connected and friendly to one another.

“We all want each other to succeed,” Rahn said. “We support each other in our differences.”