Bid Day

I was awoken this morning to screaming, chanting, and singing going on outside. Upon poking my head out my window I saw girls gathered on the lawn by the campus center, Greek letters held high as they jumped up and down.

It must be bid day, I thought to myself.

The chanting and screaming made me think of my own bid day...6 years ago tomorrow. I remembered the feeling of being excited and overwhelmed and just not knowing what I had gotten myself into. Recruitment week itself is such a blur in my memory...I barely remember exactly what happened. I remember going from party to party, especially the first few nights, and not being able to remember anyone's name. I remember feeling so shy, so insecure, and wondering if anyone would actually WANT me as part of their chapter. These girls seemed like they had it all together...and I didn't.

In the weeks leading up to recruitment I had been hesitant to even sign up for the process. My RA at the time, Maggie, convinced me that I should at least give it a try. And try I did.

After the first few nights of parties, it came time to make our first selections to narrow down our choices...but it also became the chance for the sororities who wanted us in return to invite us back. Ultimately my shyness and insecurity about myself resulted in only one chapter giving me a chance and an invite back to the next round of activities.

In the end, this was a good thing.

I remember the last two nights of recruitment I tried harder to talk and actually engage in conversations. The girls seemed so nice...their stories seemed fun and I knew I wanted to be part of everything they did.

Bid day came, and the girls going through recruitment were told to go to brunch and then be back in their rooms with doors closed by noon, where a bid would be slipped under our door if we were receiving one. I remember sitting on my desk chair in front of my computer, anxiously refreshing Facebook looking for any sign that bids had already gone out and I had missed it.

And then, something slipped under the door. I opened it and the screaming began. I had received a bid from Phi Mu to join their sisterhood. I ran out into the hallway still excited to see several other girls in my hallway doing the same. After hugging all of them, we all raced out of the hall to our respective sorority suites where we were met with cheering, hugging, singing...and food.

I don't remember much more of my own bid day. It remains as a loud blur in my mind. I remember subsequent bid days much better as I got to watch girls enter our suite and put on their first set of letters...or my senior year where I physically got to hand bids to the girls in my recruitment group and watch them scream and jump up and down as they realized their dreams were coming true.

And I remember the cheering and screaming as I entered the suite after serving as a recruitment guide where I hadn't been able to wear letters or be affiliated with my own chapter for four months. Girls pouring out of the suite to hug me and pick me up. My littles both screaming "BIGGGGG" at me since they hadn't been able to in months.

The absolute love and excitement that surrounded bid day each year is one of the things I miss most about being an active member. It was such a privilege that for four years I got to be part of such an amazing day, and these are memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.

And as we sung in our song the last night of recruitment...and as the years go by, we'll all look back and sigh...it was good day, and not goodbye.