During warm weather it is possible to find Wichita State students playing volleyball at the Phi Delta Theta sand volleyball pit on Thursday nights near dusk.

This year’s first volleyball night was March 12, just before the start of spring break.

About 40 fraternity, sorority and non-Greek WSU students came out that night after finishing up mid-term exams. For some, the night of volleyball signified the beginning of spring break.

“It’s just a good opportunity for kids to come out and enjoy life, forget school and… take a night off,” said junior Josey McNorton, recruitment chair at Phi Delta.

An hour before the volleyball game, sophomores David Brink and Dustin Vaughn were already on site throwing a football around. As Phi Delta pledges, Brink and Vaughn were already familiar with the tradition of Phi Delta Volleyball.

“I didn’t get out to it last year a lot,” Brink said. “It’s a really good way to meet and socialize with people. It’s just a good time. There isn’t really a whole lot of competition. It’s just us screwing around.”

“I think it’s a really important thing, big brotherhood bonding,” Vaughn said. “A lot of guys that don’t live in … it’s a good way to hang out with them.”

Brink said most people usually come out at the start of school and at the end of school because they aren’t as busy.

As recruitment chair, one of McNorton’s jobs is to be in charge of Phi Delta Volleyball and spread the word to WSU students.

“We text people, it’s really just word of mouth,” McNorton said. “We invite people on campus or people we sit by in class. It’s really open. Anybody can come out anytime.”

Besides being an activity that is open to any student on campus, Phi Delta Volleyball helps Phi Delta with recruitment and also attacks the issue of Greek stereotyping on campus, McNorton said.

“It helps [people] understand that we aren’t a bunch of tools like the guys on ‘Animal House,’” he said. “Movies like that are the typical Greek cultures you see. We aren’t like that at all.”

Six-on-six volleyball games take place every Thursday at the Phi Delta sand volleyball court, weather permitting.

“[Everything] usually lasts until 10,” McNorton said. “If it’s a week in the summer it will go until 11 or 12.”