The campus-wide calendar shuffle sparked by the transition to semesters has created dozens of potential conflicts, including a clash between 10Fest and many sororities’ Bid Day.
With sororities spending the day with their new sisters as the culmination of the fall recruitment process, many will miss out on the highly popular fest, which moved from its typical spring date to the beginning of the school year.
Number fest founder Dominic Petrozzi said he attempted to work things out with Ohio University’s Women's PanHellenic Association, but the dates weren’t flexible on either side.
“I didn’t find out about the rush issue until after we signed contracts with the acts and the date was set,” Petrozzi said. “The (association) said their hands were tied as well because of the switch from quarters to semesters and the changes that will bring.”
Petrozzi said 10Fest was originally planned to be held during the second weekend of the school year.
“With the date it was one of those things that were dictated by the academic calendar,” Petrozzi said. “We were going to do September 1st, but because move-in week was a week before it didn’t work out. Also, college football is huge in Ohio on fall Saturdays and on the 29th both OU and (Ohio State University) have road games, so it was a natural fit.”
For Kate McFadden, a junior at OU as well as a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, missing the fest isn’t a very big deal.
“I missed 9Fest last year, it’s not a huge problem for me,” McFadden said. “If I miss one it’s not the end of the world. I think people would be more upset if it was a better lineup.”
Petrozzi believes the lineup, which is headlined by award winning hip-hop artist Juicy J, is going to be a great draw.
“We have a good relationship with Juicy’s agents; we wanted to lock up one of the most popular hip-hop artists as well as one of the best up-and-coming DJs,” Petrozzi said. “These ladies can think for themselves, it’s all up to them.”
McFadden is worried that sororities might miss out on freshmen recruits who wouldn’t want to miss out on their first number fest, but sees positives as well.
“The girls who show up will definitely prove that they are far more committed to sorority life as opposed to drinking at a fest, and that’s a good thing,” McFadden said.
McFadden said that from a sorority standpoint, every chapter takes the recruitment week very seriously, and that the recruitment week will also prohibit sororities from attending the previous week’s street fest as well since the recruitment period begins the prior week.
However, McFadden isn’t worried about how many fests she will miss for her sorority.
“Recruiting good girls is far more important to us,” McFadden said. “It’s one of the most vital times of the year. Bid Day is just as much fun as a fest even though there is no drinking. Getting new girls is extremely exciting.”
Petrozzi is offering a special deal for those who are tied up with the recruitment process on the day of number fest.
“Rush ends at 2 or 3 p.m.,” Petrozzi said. “We will offer anyone who is rushing a discounted ticket and a free shuttle bus to the event. We have hopes they will come, we will provide everyone the opportunity to attend. I can’t emphasize it enough, but we want all OU students to be able to attend number fest.”
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