Recruitment szn has arrived. Herds of girls walking up and down frat row with heels in the snow. As a freshman, this experience can seem overwhelming and long, but it is all so worth it in the end. After all of the rounds, your final ranking, and waiting to finally open up that envelope, you will have one of the best days: bid day 2016!
The celebration will start with the group you traveled with throughout recruitment, and then you will go find and join all of your new sisters. They're both as nervous and excited as you are, but you ended up with the same sorority written on your bids for a reason, so say hi! Girls may be coming into the pledge class with a group of friends, or may be trying something new and different than they are used to. You'll get a shirt and make your way to the houses to meet everyone in the chapter.
While bid day may seem like a day of comparing what house had the best shirt or theme, it is actually one of the times that the whole entire Panhellenic Greek community comes together with the common goal of embracing new sisters, and showing them that they have found a home away from home along with a place they can be completely themselves.
It may be overwhelming to walk up to a house with 100 girls cheering and dancing, but all of your new sisters are so excited to meet you! They've worked hard through recruitment and are so happy to welcome you into your new home. You'll hear so many names, hometowns, and majors, and most likely won't remember any of them. But don't worry, after a few weeks you'll know everyone so well.
While bid day may seem like a day for the new freshmen or sophomores, it truly is one of everyone's favorite days of the year. It's a day that shows each house's true creativity, enthusiasm, and most of all sisterhood. Isn't sisterhood why everyone goes through recruitment in the first place? Even if you don't know anyone going into bid day, it is so reassuring to see how close and happy the older girls in the sorority are. And that will be you in a short year, showing new members how special your sorority is to you. While recruitment may be over, a lot is about to start. Strangers will shortly become your best friends that you will have for a lifetime and if you are as lucky as me, you will find a place you feel valued, accepted, and loved each and every day.
