When Eric Feigl transferred to Eastern as a junior, he didn’t consider going Greek.

Not until Feigl, now a graduate student in sports administration, met some men living on his floor in Stevenson Hall who were involved with Greek Life.

“I clicked,” he said.

After meeting more of their friends, they suggested that Feigl join their chapter, Lambda Chi Alpha. The next fall he was a member.

“They come to you,” he said.

In previous years, fraternities had one week of an open house set-up.

This year, each fraternity is doing their own recruitment on their own time.

Men go out and look for other potential members, meeting them through friends, classes and work, Feigl said.

Feigl looks for men with the same qualities and values as him – men he thinks would make a good fit.

Many fraternities started recruiting members even before school started.

“This gives each fraternity a chance to get to know men in different situations and see if he fits in with the group’s dynamic,” he said. “You can tell right away if he’s a good fit.”

Being in a fraternity is more than getting dressed up and accepting a bid.

“It’s about friendship, which eventually turns into brotherhood,” Feigl said.

Fraternities are much more relaxed now and host recruiting events for each individual chapter, rather than as the Interfraternity Council.

Chapters host events like pizza parties, barbecues and bags tournaments to introduce men to the chapter.

“It’s very unstructured,” said Matt Mcdonagh, a senior industrial technology major.

Mcdonagh is the chapter president of Phi Kappa Theta.

He said recruitment can happen at any time, any day of the year.

Sororities on campus host most of their recruitment through one week in the fall, focusing on formal recruitment.

The sororities have more of a matching process, Feigl said. Before taking in new recruits, many fraternities encourage men to visit each fraternity and consider all their options before choosing one.

Joining a fraternity is something that will become a big part of each person, and in turn, each person becomes a big part of the fraternity, he said.

Feigl said it’s important to not just settle for something right away.

“Guys literally get to test-drive a fraternity,” Feigl said. “All in all, everybody should fit. No matter what, you’re part of a Greek system.”

For more information about Greek Life, visit www.eiu.edu/~grklife/