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Later that Night (also known as Bid Night)

Once I found Marti we went and changed clothes and met back up with the rest of the PNMs in the theater we’d been in during information night. Panhellenic had arranged to feed us pizza and cokes (soooo needed after a night of cake, punch and petit fours) and put on a movie so we could pass the time until we got our bids (if we maximized our options we were guaranteed a bid). We would be getting our bids in a matter of a couple of hours. I suppose that’s the benefit of attending such a small school

So Marti and I sat and ate, we talked to other girls, we laughed and watched the movie, but we never talked about our rankings. It was just unspoken, each of us knowing how the other had ranked.

After what seemed like an eternity the PXs gathered us back in to the theater. There we learned the affiliations of our PXs. Unsurprisingly my two were a Sheldon and a Raj, and much to her surprise, Marti’s were a Howard and a Raj. It was a fun revelation where the PXs wore three layers of shirts and tricked us a couple of times! “I told you so!” and “I had no idea!” were heard all over the room. Once that was complete the director of Greek Life walked in holding four large manila envelopes – THE BIDS! A loud cheer erupted! Bids began being distributed and girls all over the room were holding them up to the light trying to read through the envelopes and turning them over and over in their hands trying to get some clue as to what it said inside. Marti got her envelope before me and looked anxiously at me. I was going to get one right? What if there had been some mistake and I hadn’t gotten one and I was the only person in the room without a bid? Would I be able to slink out quietly and go unnoticed as I tried to contain my tears? I was jarred from my momentary nightmare by my Raj PX calling my name. Oh joy! I had gotten a bid! She handed it to me, and I stared at it as though I could intimidate it into telling me what it said. I looked at my bid, and I looked at Marti’s. They were two different sizes, and it was apparent that the ivory envelopes in which they were contained, were different. Did this mean she was Howard and I was a Sheldon? It must, Claire said there was a place for me, I was going to be a Sheldon. That was a legit promise right? We waited for the words, and then heard “OPEN YOUR BIDS!!!” I tore into mine and read…

The Sisters of the Rho Beta Chapter of

Howard Sorority

Invite you to become a New Member

Wait, what?
I was floored. Hadn’t Megan and Claire said that they wanted me as their sister? Didn’t they say that there was a place for me? What happened? Why did my bid say Howard? Had they been lying to me? Was I dirty rushed? I was honestly surprised and hurt.
Marti’s bid read Sheldon. We weren’t going to be sorority sisters. I looked at her sadly and she read what I was thinking. “Did you rank them first? (No) Then there must have been a mistake?” I knew there hadn’t been a mistake – they didn’t mess these kinds of things up, and I would have never said anything to anyone about it anyway, I was so embarrassed. So we hugged and promised that this didn’t matter, we were still going to be best friends (and we are). I told her to call me later, and we went to separate sides of the theater with our respective groups.

My new sisters and I convened at the front of the room by the newly revealed Howard PXs and then ran to our chapter room. Well, I didn’t run, but I kind of jogged. We entered the building and the noise was deafening. In the chapter room we were greeted with hugs and much jumping and screaming. Brooke found me and we hugged, and she yelled to me, “I AM SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE! I WAS TERRIFIED THAT YOUR NAME WOULDN’T BE ON THE LIST!” I smiled and started crying, and she asked me what was wrong. I lied and told her I was just so happy.

I walked around the room kind of lost and feeling out of place. I had really liked Howard all week, but I had just known I was going to be a Sheldon. And now my best friend was a Sheldon and I was here, alone. I had been so confident, so sure that I was going to end up a Sheldon that I hadn’t given thought as to what it would be like if I didn’t.

That night I joined the rest of the girls at a sleep over at the home of an alumni. I discovered that the cousin of a very close friend was a Howard. I don’t know how we hadn’t noticed each other since we’d been at a couple of pool parties together that summer. I had fun that night getting to know my new sisters, but I couldn’t help but wonder what Marti and her new sisters were doing and feel sad that I wasn’t there with her.