The 5 Emotional Stages Of Bid Day

At college campuses near and far, the excruciating process known as sorority recruitment is in full swing. For some, recruitment week has come and gone, along with all the sleepless nights, caffeine and hunger headaches, and grouchy moods. For others, its just started, or just finished so the nightmares associated are still fresh in mind. As you're sitting here reading this, you may be asking yourself why would anyone do this? Why would hundreds of thousands of girls put themselves through the hellish harsh process of recruitment? Well, the answer is simple: Bid Day.

Bid Day, as it's so aptly named, is the day that the Greek organizations on campus hand out new member bids. It's a day of celebration, of happiness, and of lot and lots of screaming and hugging. Bid Day is almost good enough to make you forget how much you hated recruitment, but that depends on just how much you actually hate recruitment. While Bid Day is fun and dandy, it also provides its own rush of emotions, much like recruitment. For New Members, it's pure excitement and joy. But, for the actives it's just a bit more complicated. So, here's a comprehensive guide to the 5 stages of emotions that an active experiences on Bid Day.

1. Worry

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F08%2F23%2F636075849885185712589905328_giphy.gif&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=849&h=72ceafb61de273be177fc067ade4cb14c97da71e1502a9bfcc1deaa2d5dd06e1&size=980x&c=1429903290 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Ffiles%252F2016%252F08%252F23%252F636075849885185712589905328_giphy.gif%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net%26s%3D849%26h%3D72ceafb61de273be177fc067ade4cb14c97da71e1502a9bfcc1deaa2d5dd06e1%26size%3D980x%26c%3D1429903290%22%7D" expand=1]

Did my rush crush get a bid? Did we get that amazing legacy? Is our pledge class going to rock, or.....? All of these thoughts seem to pop into your head the night before or the morning of Bid Day. You can't help it. You start over-thinking every conversation you had with a PNM (potential new member) the week prior, worrying that you lost that amazing, gorgeous, all-around great girl for your chapter. Or worse, that she was stolen by your rival sorority.

2. Acceptance

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F08%2F23%2F636075854468825025248178569_fineeeeee.gif&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=894&h=8a12e9443db1c1f8b6b698ad966a74aebac11c373385c758a0c6519af00844b4&size=980x&c=1580783159 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Ffiles%252F2016%252F08%252F23%252F636075854468825025248178569_fineeeeee.gif%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net%26s%3D894%26h%3D8a12e9443db1c1f8b6b698ad966a74aebac11c373385c758a0c6519af00844b4%26size%3D980x%26c%3D1580783159%22%7D" expand=1]

"It's fine, you think. It doesn't matter if my rush crush went somewhere else. At least she found her home. I'm sure all of our new girls will be fan-freaking-tastic." These are all things that run through your head while you're busy painting up and decorating the house. And, if you think it enough, you actually start to believe that Bid Day will go off without a hitch.

3. Excitement

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F08%2F23%2F636075856546192833-64789741_giphy.gif&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=759&h=a144dccfc1e72dd90a9149c606565f17c04e9e530768b26f3dabdabace8bf968&size=980x&c=811506522 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Ffiles%252F2016%252F08%252F23%252F636075856546192833-64789741_giphy.gif%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net%26s%3D759%26h%3Da144dccfc1e72dd90a9149c606565f17c04e9e530768b26f3dabdabace8bf968%26size%3D980x%26c%3D811506522%22%7D" expand=1]

You've seen the bid list. It's real, it's happening. It's actually time for new members. You start to imagine how perfect they'll all be, and dreams about your new little or grand little start forming in your mind. By the time you start heading to meet your new girlies, you've come up with the perfect addition to your family.

4. Annoyance

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F08%2F23%2F6360758583711932451779843061_DyR4M.gif&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=252&h=2930c127922139d03304e8573b16f7eddd77119ecf82f41306f7b6940ad1ab9c&size=980x&c=1477826624 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Ffiles%252F2016%252F08%252F23%252F6360758583711932451779843061_DyR4M.gif%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net%26s%3D252%26h%3D2930c127922139d03304e8573b16f7eddd77119ecf82f41306f7b6940ad1ab9c%26size%3D980x%26c%3D1477826624%22%7D" expand=1]

You've been waiting and cheering for close to an hour. It's hot. The paint on your face is slowly seeping into your eyes. The dehydration that you've been fighting all week is starting to catch up with you, and you're just ready to meet your girls so that you can go eat. But no. Student Affairs decides that waiting another half hour is what you're going to do instead.

5. Complete and Utter Joy

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F08%2F23%2F636075861612301109-986473876_giphy.gif&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=476&h=53caa774d703b5a4f0fef5b055ff734b198b924f24eaa1d8ab5dea4ce5b36cdc&size=980x&c=1668447949 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Ffiles%252F2016%252F08%252F23%252F636075861612301109-986473876_giphy.gif%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net%26s%3D476%26h%3D53caa774d703b5a4f0fef5b055ff734b198b924f24eaa1d8ab5dea4ce5b36cdc%26size%3D980x%26c%3D1668447949%22%7D" expand=1]

They're here. You've captured your rush crush in your arms, along with the other wonderful, amazing, fantastic girls that your chapter was lucky enough to get to call theirs. In a moment, all the hard work of recruitment is worth it, and all the bad memories seem to fade away. There's screaming, smiles, tears, and hugs going all around. Bid Day has come, and it's everything you thought it be.

Recruitment is exhausting, terrible, and the hardest week of a sorority girl's life (okay, so maybe I'm a tad bit dramatic). But, come Bid Day everything is worth it. The heels, the thousand degree rooms, the early mornings and extremely late nights all become worth it as soon as you see your new pledge class. And suddenly, you can't wait until next year.