Starting Friday night and not ending until the early hours of Saturday morning, Bid Night was just the beginning of pledging for more than 400 students who are pledging social clubs this semester.
Between various locations on and off campus, prospective members of social clubs participated in club activities and traditions throughout the night.
Flame Kristen Wells, sophomore nutrition major from Frisco, is pledging GATA.
“It was fun but really hard at the same time,” Wells said. “Bid night will be one of the hardest parts of pledging because of how tiring it was.”
Kudo Katy Escott, secondary education major from Arlington, is pledging Alpha Kai Omega as a junior.
All of the squigs are tasked with "burying their smiles" in the Gardner lawn during Sigma Theta Chi bid night activities. (Optimist photo by Mandy Lambright)
“It was a good time to bond with each other and I am looking forward to getting to know my Kudo sisters,” Escott said. “There will be a lot of activities that we learn from, but are fun at the same time.”
One of the many rules for Bid Night set by the Office of Student Life is that members had to have their pledges back to their dorms by 5:00 a.m.
“Bid Night was a lot less stressful being on the other side of pledging, especially since we had a schedule and knew what was coming next,” said Sigma Theta Chi member, Caroline Gafford, junior biochemistry major from Dallas.
“Bid night can be a reflection of the next few weeks of pledging because we try to be more serious with the activities that we are doing,” said Gafford. “Everything has a purpose and if we are joking all the time, pledges are not going to think it as important as it really is.”
Pledging begins this week with what Student Life is calling Bid Week. During the next several weeks of pledging, which will continue through homecoming, pledges will participate in the homecoming parade, intramural games and getting to know members among other club activities.
To view more photos from Bid Night, click here.
GSP Siblings participate in a traditional Big Night activity. (Optimist photo by Mandy Lambright)
