“People ask why I’m in a sorority and I try to explain all the things a sorority is that they cannot see. A sorority is more than just letters on a sweatshirt, I say. More than traditional songs, a gold pin, rituals, an obligation, or a way of life. A sorority is learning about people, a sorority is giving without expecting a return. A sorority is earning respect from others, as well as for yourself. A sorority will not solve all your problems. But I have made good friends and found confidence there to help me take life one step at a time.”
-Unknown
I recently wrote a post about how karate changed my life for the better, but my sorority also positively changed my life. Yes, I’m one of those girls you could have seen on campus proudly wearing letters pretty much every day. I’m one of those girls who always traveled in a pack (We were jokingly called “the birds” because we “flocked everywhere together”) of girls, no matter if it was to an event on campus, to class, or to dinner. I was one of those girls who would drive a car packed full of girls or ride in a packed car of girls by laying across my sisters’ laps in the back seat just to make it to the cafeteria on campus and save gas. (Side note: My campus was tiny so this was hardly dangerous and it took two minutes to get from the sorority house to the cafeteria. We also did this to carpool because our cafeteria parking lot was tiny.)
But like the quote says above, a sorority is so much more than its image and its public symbols. And that’s why I want to talk about my bid night for this throwback Thursday. It was one of the happiest days of my life, and I’ve never regretted taking the bid once. It’s easily one of my favorite college memories, and I’m fortunate for having such an amazing college experience because of those women who wanted me to be a part of their sisterhood.
——-
I remember telling my parents, my friends and my family that I was going to go through formal recruitment only a few days before it started my Freshman year in the Spring semester. Naturally, I had many people who supported me as well as some others who were a little reluctant with my decision and even some who criticized me (though those friendships still remain intact so everything worked out wonderfully in the end). But that never faltered my decision.
I would be lying if I wasn’t encouraged to become Greek due to shows like Greek (on ABC family…forever one of my favorite shows. Cappie over Evan, obviously) and even movies like House Bunny and Sydney White. I obviously knew that those movies didn’t always portray realistic situations, but I liked the idea of being a part of something that creates a whole; to create some of my best college memories with a house full of girls who I knew I’d always be able to run to no matter what the case.
I decided to go through with it in January, however, and never attended informal recruitment events in the fall. Most of the sororities know by the Fall which girls they want to become their sisters, and most freshmen and independent women have an idea of which girls they fit in with the best. I didn’t have that opportunity. I definitely went in it blindsided which was definitely nerve wracking.
I was actually incredibly sick during recruitment, too. I barely made it to Pref Night, which if you’re in a sorority I know you understand how important that round of Formal Recruitment is. I had over a 100 degree fever on Thursday and slept all day to try to make myself feel better for Pref. I took so much medicine thanks to the school nurse (Shout out to Momma Carol, who is not only an amazing woman, but who also turned out to be a wonderful adviser for my sorority as well) and by 5 p.m. I was feeling well enough to shower and get myself ready to go to the two houses I decided to visit for the final night. Bless my recently new friend Katie/my recruitment buddy (and the girl that I would find out a day later would become my sorority sister) who offered me all of the tissues in her purse when she saw me and noticed how sick I was. If it wasn’t for her, I would have been snotting all over the place, which is hardly the impression I wanted to make. She was being “sisterly” even before she became my sister.
After a long week of meeting so many girls and seeing so many skits and philanthropies, it was finally Friday. I was relieved. After seeing so many houses, I knew exactly where I wanted to be. Two houses were very, very close in how much I liked them, but I knew the one I felt the most comfortable in. I knew the one that felt like home. I knew the one where those girls weren’t just friends; they were sisters.
So, I was finally sitting in a theater full of eager freshman women who were awaiting their bids, their sisters, their families. When my name was called, I told Katie good luck (we were obviously sitting right next to each other) and I went to the person in charge of Greek life (I won’t mention her name. She was honestly terrible at her job and messed up a lot of people’s bids..although she got mine right) and received my bid from her. I immediately accepted and ran out the side door of the theater into the welcoming arms of my new Alpha Xi Delta sisters. Double blue and gold everywhere. Girls with obnoxious face paint on their face proudly showing off their colors. I received a fake pink rose (I would receive a real one later) which I would later find out was our beautiful flower. (Side note: totally learned that was our flower during Recruitment Week, but everything happened so fast that it was honestly a blur.) I was finally home.
And then the fun happened. Of course, going out to my sisters and getting so welcomed and feeling so loved was a lot of fun, but it was finally the part that I was waiting for. The last few girls came out to their groups of sisters waiting for them (including Katie, and I obviously freaked out when I found out she was my sister), and then it was time. Time to run. It’s tradition at my college to run down the hill by the theater (they recently changed this due to fear of injury) and run to the Greek Hill Stairs to the rest of your sisters awaiting restlessly on the steps. During this time, all of the Greeks on the stairs are chanting, screaming, singing, dancing, and talking, all while wearing their colors for their sorority or dressed ridiculously. (for example, one of my sisters wore a Pooh suit. Yes. Winnie the Pooh.)
So as I ran down the hill, I was somewhere in the middle of the group with Katie, and I kept saying “I SHOULDN’T HAVE WORN JEANS. I SHOULDN’T BE RUNNING. I’M SICK” all between coughs. I later found out that the rest of my pledge class was sick, too, and our pledge class name was something about the plague or being sickly or something along those lines.
After getting into the house, we took a bunch of different pictures. Pictures of groups of girls who were lavaliered, girls by grade, girls by pledge class, etc. We learned songs to sing to the frats which we obviously did later that night when they came with their new pledges to our house. We introduced ourselves to everyone (in case there was anyone missing during the rest of the week) and said why we joined Alpha Xi. We stayed up late just talking about everything while eating super unhealthy. It was everything I wanted in a house.
It was a wonderful experience, and I love reflecting back on that night and to where I am now and how far I’ve come. I’m very lucky to be a part of something so wonderful, and even though I’ve graduated and I’m far away from my Alma Mater, my house, my pledge class, and this memory will forever be in my heart.
(My bid night picture of all of my sisters)
“Remember Alpha Xi Delta, remember when you’re away….”
**Note: The featured image was actually posted by Katie on her Instagram page and it looks at our pledge class picture every year. It goes Freshman year (top left), sophomore year (top right), junior (bottom left), senior (bottom right). Our pledge class slowly got smaller due to a few deactivating and a few graduating, but we loved recreating our freshman picture each year and make fun of ourselves because we never knew how to stand. The sophomore year picture is different only because every year the sophomore class builds a pyramid for their pledge class picture.**
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