The English language is fascinating, really. There are many words that can be pronounced in multiple ways, yet all pronunciations are accurate. Words like potato, tomato, ketchup, pecan, and apricot can be pronounced using different dialects, but both methods are accurate. Life is full of interpretations and opinions, and nobody’s is more right than someone else’s. When it comes to a matter of recollection, multiple interpretations are encouraged.
My cover photo includes myself and nine other inspiring women. Seven of the other women are the other sisters in my pledge class, and the other two women are older members of the chapter whom were responsible for guiding through our new member process. To gather a sense of diversity, I invited the comments of one woman from each category in order to showcase both perspectives on the memory of the picture, in addition to my own.
The picture is from Bid Day, an event held during the month of February in which girls who were chosen to be a part of Alpha Xi Delta were officially welcomed with open arms and loud cheers. The picture was taken right after all of the hugs, cake, and camaraderie. When interviewing senior Jenny Reilly (pictured rear left) about her recollection, she responded with the following: “I was incredibly happy, getting you all and being able to start teaching you all about Alpha Xi Delta. I was also super nervous about being a good mom. I remember it was super cold that day as well, and I poked myself in the eye with my eyeliner.”
Jenny recalls the feelings of acquiring new girls, excited to share with them the joys of Alpha Xi Delta that she has been exposed to over her four years here. I didn’t know at the time, but she was nervous about being our “mom” -- the sister elected to guide us through our new member education classes and teach us about the bonds of sisterhood. I didn’t know what to expect after Bid Day; I didn’t know what the next step would be, but Jenny knew quite precisely and she was very excited to introduce sisterhood into our lives.
But Sara Mollica, pictured front row left, also in my pledge class, recalls the event quite differently than Jenny. When questioned about her recollection, Sara responded: “Receiving my bid to join AXiD was one of the best decisions I made at Lyco (cheesy, but true)! I was so excited to get to know all of my sisters and pledge class, I truly felt like I found my home and a group of lovely ladies who will always be there for me in both good times and bad.”
Sara reflects on the event similarly to myself. She comments on the inclusive feeling of finding a home, one which I share deeply. I remember walking around the room after that picture was taken, hugging each and every sister in the room as they said “Welcome home” to me. I couldn’t have been any more thrilled with my decision to become part of this beautiful sisterhood, and Sara definitely shared these emotions. However, Sara did not highlight any feelings of nervousness like Jenny did. Perhaps, maybe she felt them and was scared to expose her feelings of trepidation, a totally understandable probability. But I am quite open about my nervousness. Yes, I shared the same excitement with Sara, but I was also incredibly nervous at the event surrounding the picture. All my life, I’ve had to work hard to be accepted, to be liked. It’s not that I’m not myself, but I have to be actively engaged in my surroundings and step outside of my comfort zone every so often. I have to be a good sister. I was concerned that the time commitment would be overwhelming for me during a busy semester. I was concerned that the sorority would do things that made me uncomfortable. All of my concerns quickly faded as I continued through new member process. And now, all of those nervous feelings of uncertainty are permanently gone.
I didn’t have a chance to interview the other beautiful and strong women in the picture, but I know we all think the same way. My pledge class is pretty open with one another, and we were constantly there to support each other as we underwent our new-member process.
So even though this picture, this snapshot in time, depicts one particular moment, it also represents the unique perspectives of individual women. The human ability to develop opinions and have such a perspective is what defines a personality. We can reflect upon these experiences and recall with much detail how they made us feel. It is this emotion, this passionate recollection that drives the concept of perception. Jenny, for example, remembers poking herself with eyeliner that day. Such an exposure of detail, this detail, proves that Jenny is an honest person, even if such honesty can lead to embarrassment.
The smiles on these faces are genuine. Each and every girl was so happy to be a part of something bigger, to endure sisterhood in a way that they could not experience otherwise. I remember the day so vividly. The entire sorority stood outside of Skeath Hall as I walked out to greet them. I remember the embarrassing pictures taken at the moment, my face overjoyed with a huge smile, as I listened to the girls spell out the seven letters of my name. I remember how cold it was that day too, the snow falling slowly around us as we marched from building to building on campus, but I don’t remember ever feeling cold. My heart was full of love, and that was enough warmth for me. I was too focused on meeting the other girls who would be in my pledge class that I seldom thought about how I could barely feel my toes.
I’m not sure everyone would recollect it this way though. When asking Jenny about how she felt during the Bid Day events, she responded with the following: “I couldn’t wait to see your faces when we came and got you guys. The excitement grew and grew.” The active sisters, of course, knew who they were welcoming, but the new sisters had no idea. I remember being so excited to see the next girl walking out. For some reason, I remembered sitting next to them during formal recruitment, talking about what sorority we were leaning towards. All of these factors influence how I felt in the exact moment that our group photo was taken. Each and every new sister that joined our organization that day added a new part to us, and contributed to my emotions. For example, I happen to be kneeling next to Stevie in that picture, a sweet girl who, after months of being sisters together, I now consider a close friend.
Even though our perceptions of Bid Day are debatable, contingent upon our own perspectives, previous experiences, and emotions, one thing is true. Bid Day was a remarkable event, and I am very thankful to be a part of Alpha Xi Delta, a brilliant family of strong women.
