By Alyssa Lukpat, copy editor

Saiesha Hardasani, a first-year communication studies major, was the only person in the basement of Dodge Hall on Sunday afternoon. She paced the floor in her pink sweater as she waited to start “Kernels and Cozy Sweaters,” Sigma Kappa’s second and final recruitment event.

“Yesterday we ate hot chocolate and doughnuts and talked to people one-on-one,” she said as she walked through the basement. “I had a 10- to 15-minute conversation with a bunch of girls. I’m not really nervous for today’s event because yesterday I was scared everyone was not going to be friendly but now I know that’s not the case.”

A sister opened a classroom door at precisely noon and offered Hardasani some popcorn before her conversations with the sisters of Sigma Kappa.

Rushing in the spring is an option for students who choose not to or are unable to rush in the fall. Sigma Kappa is the only sorority on campus holding spring recruitment, but most of Northeastern’s professional fraternities, Multicultural Greek Council organizations and fraternities in the Interfraternity Council are holding spring recruitment.

Hardasani, who is from Hong Kong, waited to rush in spring instead of fall because she wanted time to settle in.

“Home is super far, so rushing a sorority gives me a platform to make a family, and I like the idea of sisterhood,” she said. “To me, sisterhood is a bond between girls, and you don’t always have to be related to people to build that bond.”

After attending two recruitment events, Hardasani sees herself as a sister of Sigma Kappa.

“I want to join this sorority because their values are the same as mine and their mindsets match mine as well,” she said.

Students interested in fraternities had many rush events to choose from. Sigma Phi Epsilon played football with interested members Saturday on a snowy field in Mission Hill. Beta Theta Pi hosted Hill Crawl on Saturday, in which interested members went to a few of the brothers’ Mission Hill apartments.

“Apartment tours show a nice cohesion in our chapter and that our brothers actually do like to live together outside of freshman year housing. We just hung out and played board games,” said William Cisneros, president of Beta and a fourth-year bioengineering major.

Adam Kramer, a third-year business administration major, is a brother of Kappa Sigma. He says fall recruitment is more popular than spring recruitment, but they still expect a pledge class of about 25 brothers this semester.

First-year computer science major Shaun Khundker is rushing Pi Delta Psi, Beta Theta Pi and Beta Chi Theta, even though his parents are disappointed he is going through recruitment.

“My parents didn’t let me rush first semester, but I told them I wouldn’t do anything bad and it wouldn’t affect my school,” Khundker said. “They let me rush but they’re not too happy with me.”

Leo Jonas, a first-year history major rushing Kappa Sigma, also waited until his second semester on campus to rush.

“I didn’t rush in the fall because I wanted to better understand the school first,” he said. “It would have been too much first semester.”

Spring recruitment was an attractive option for Sam Goldberg, a second-year economics and business administration major, who transferred from Bates College this year. He is rushing Delta Tau Delta, Alpha Epsilon Pi and Pi Kappa Alpha, an off-campus fraternity.

“There was no Greek life at Bates, which is part of the reason I transferred,” he said. “I am rushing because I have friends in Greek life who had fun.”

Second-year computer science and business administration combined major Andy Lok is rushing Pi Delta Psi, an Asian-interest fraternity.

“I’m a second-year, so I’m meeting a lot of freshmen I wouldn’t meet otherwise,” he said. “I rushed Pi last semester but didn’t get a bid. I’m rushing again because I’m on co-op and I have more time.”

Matthew Honig, a first-year economics major, decided to rush Kappa Sigma after learning about the fraternity from his friends.

“I asked around and people recommended Kappa Sigma because they’re very involved with Greek Week and philanthropy,” he said. “I’m excited because frats are a good way to meet people, especially for my first semester on campus.”

Honig is going through spring recruitment to ease his transition into college.

“I did N.U.in, so I’m rushing to get to know guys and do community service,” he said. “Kappa Sigma reminds me of my all-guys high school, so I’m joining a frat to keep a piece of high school with me.”