Nearly 400 students participated in the annual Bid Day activities over the weekend beginning the two-week-long sorority and fraternity joining process.
“Bid Day is a New Member Orientation event that stretches from the afternoon to evening on a Saturday in which social clubs lead their new members through opening activities involved in joining their respective groups,” said Abby Wise, president of Delta Theta.
Cheers and excitement could be heard through the streets and buildings as all 13 organizations commenced their diverse traditions across the school campus. The day was filled with joy and a sense of belonging as new members eagerly joined their chosen clubs.
Robin McPherson, senior coordinator of sororities and fraternities, said that 144 men and 247 women participated in the event: Pledge numbers for the men joining men’s clubs include:
- Galaxy with 37
- Gamma Sigma Phi with 53
- Sub T-16 with 18
- Frater Sodalis with 16
- Nu Kappa Psi 11
- Trojans with 9
Numbers for the women that are participating in the joining process include:
- Delta Theta with 33
- GATA with 14
- Ko Jo Kai with 65
- Omicron Xi Chi with 5
- Sigma Theta Chi with 64
- Tri Kappa Gamma with 53
- Zeta Phi Alpha with 13
From the oldest social clubs to the newest, members and presidents have shared their delight in the success of the event.
“I think Bid Day went great,” said Wise, senior communication sciences and disorders major from Lizz, Pennsylvania. “Delta Theta was able to lead the Biddies through a lot of our favorite traditions and all of the girls seemed to have fun.”
Bid Day is a unique experience for each club as each participates in different activities and traditions. From vibrant parades with decorated cars to walking the campus to learn about the rich culture of each club there was something different happening on every corner of the campus.
“Getting new pledges is one of my favorite times of the year. It all went pretty smoothly, in past years it has been very cold, but this year the weather was nice so it was a good time,” said Parker Dauterive, president of Sub T-16.
The event is a pivotal moment for New Member Orientation and is significant to each club in its own way.
“Bid Day is extremely important to SUB T-16,” Dauterive, junior public relations and advertising major from Houston said. “It is a time for new members to learn the history of our club. It’s important to make sure we keep Bid Day traditions alive for many years in the future.”
Ella Wilks, president of Zeta Phi Alpha, said this Bid Day was important to her club because it was its first as Zeta Phi Alpha is the newest edition to the sororities.
“It was a big deal because it’s when we get to celebrate the new girls getting into our club,” said Wilks, junior marketing major from New Braunfels. “It’s also when we get to establish big/little, introduce our traditions and purpose and ultimately begin establishing these ‘zisterhood’ bonds that will only continue to grow throughout new member orientation.”
Bid Day marked the commencement of New Member Orientation for the next two weeks signaling the beginning of a journey that extends far beyond this memorable day.
