During the day, Kristen Richardson attends Weber State University, but last Tuesday night, she drove to the U to rush the LDS sorority Lambda Delta Sigma.
Rush week for the LDS fraternities and sororities, Sigma Gamma Chi and Lambda Delta Sigma, ran from Tuesday to Sunday of last week.
Although most of the members of the LDS sorority and fraternity groups at the U are also U students, the organizations attract men and women from BYU, Weber State University, Westminster College, LDS Business College and Salt Lake Community College.
The LDS fraternity and sorority system is unique to the University of Utah and is not offered at any other LDS Institute.
Anyone under 30 years old who enrolls in an Institute class and lives LDS standards can join.
“It’s the opposite of exclusive-anyone can join,” said Cassi Anderson, president of Lambda Delta Sigma.
Richardson decided to join the U’s Lambda Delta Sigma group after the Weber State University Institute hosted games that involved running in circles and then passing an orange from neck to neck.
“(The) U Institute has cuter, taller boys, and they don’t play lame games,” Richardson said.
Spencer Thompson, president of Sigma Gamma Chi, estimates that 10 to 15 percent of fraternity members don’t attend the U.
Some women who aren’t attending school join a sorority so they can meet people their age.
Ashly Bybee just moved to Salt Lake City from St. George and said she hopes that joining an LDS sorority will help her meet new people.
About 80 women and 120 men rushed last week.