"Dear Potential New Member, Welcome to what is known as the BEST 4 years of your life! My name is Hensley Blackstone, and I have the privilege of serving as the Vice President of Recruitment for Pi Beta Phi this year. Through attending LSU and joining Greek life, I have made so many memories and met so many amazing people. I am so excited that you will soon get to make those same memories and meet so many friends who will make an impact on your life. I was in your shoes in August of 2021 and I felt all the emotions from feeling nervous to hopeful to ecstatic. I knew a little bit about recruitment because I was born here in Baton Rouge, but I did not know what to expect when I walked through the doors of each house. On the first day, Philanthropy day, I remember walking out of Pi Phi and immediately calling my mom. I vividly remember the big smile on my face and telling my mom how much the women who rushed me had completely shocked me. The woman who rushed me, Lauren, made me feel so loved and comfortable, and she is now one of my closest friends. Lauren fully changed recruitment for me. She was such a light and made me feel at ease about the entirety of the recruitment process. In Pi Phi, I felt genuinely happy and I knew that the women in 4040 West Lakeshore Dr. were women I wanted to later call my sisters. Running home on bid day is a feeling like no other. I was out of breath the whole way…but I was so excited to see who would be standing on the lawn holding up a sign with my name on it. When I approached the steps of Pi Phi, Lauren was there standing with my sign and we exchanged the biggest hug. It was at that moment that I knew I was right where I was supposed to be. Weeks after Bid Day, I began to form friendships with those in my pledge class and older. I was immediately immersed in friendships that built me up and helped me reach my fullest potential in life. I seriously cannot imagine my life without Pi Phi and I am so grateful that the slip of paper I flipped over in the LSU UREC said “Pi Beta Phi.” I am so excited to share this experience with you and I am so excited to see your smiling face as you walk through the doors of Pi Phi. " - Hensley Blackstone, Vice President of Recruitment