Bids distribution

[ROWDYsister]

Originally posted by PhiMuNursie
We do the run to your new house thing. I really like it, though I don't know it being done any other way so I guess I'm partial. Anyway, the Rho Chi's call the girls that didn't get bids earlier in the day. Then around 5 everyone gathers (Rho Chi's, Rushees, and uninvited fraternity men) at a field right next to the sorority area. The Rho Chi's reveal and then everyone gets to open their bid cards. It's so great because when we're standing on our lawn waiting for the new members to run to the lawn we can hear everyone screaming and then they all start running over. It's so great because you get to see all the new members running to all the other lawns on the row and it's just such an exciting time! I agree though, some girls do not get excited if they didn't get their first choice, so the running isn't as great for them. The Rho Chi's stay behind at the field to console them. Anyway, just talking about it is so exciting...I can't wait!

Tara

I have a Phi Mu castle...

Last year we all had to go the auditorium for the Rho Chi revealing and then we went to the open field to receive our bid cards.

That was the best run of my life! One of my most exhilarating moments.

As we were waiting for our bid cards we all stood in circles with our rush groups and nervously chatted. I saw "Pi Phis this way" a huge sign with an arrow pointing towards the Pi Phis hung from the garage that all the fraternity men were watching from. I couldn't bear to look at the sign for fear I wouldn't get Pi Phi.

The girl next to me, Lauren, asked me where I wanted to go and I said Pi Phi and she said she wanted it, too. When we opened our cards we hugged each other so hard we almost knocked each other down and then ran so fast to the group. We were lost in a crowd of smiling faces, huge hugs, wine and blue balloons, picture-taking and our new members gifts. It was outta control. Last year there were some guys streaking all over the field.

Then we got on the bus to go to the house and it was eerily quiet b/c I think we were all just stunned. Back at the house we got normal and excited again.

ps: you know where to go b/c while you're waiting you can look around the field and all the sororities are there. You make a mental note of the ones you preffed at and where they are. They all have balloons and are cheering.

[AOX81]

I forgot that a couple of years ago we tried something new. All of the sororities went out to dinner together and before we had dinner all of the girls were called up one by one and one of the Rho Chi's announced what sorority each girl was joining. The only thing that we were told was a number so we would have the correct number of gifts to bring to the dinner. I especially felt bad for the sorority who hardly got any girls. None of the sororities liked this at all. After we tried this it went back to the old way.

We don't like waiting until 5 or 6 in the evening when we could have found out at 8am (when most of the girls show up to pick up their bids)

[PinkRose1098]

Let me give you a little back ground ifnormation before I tell you how Panhellenic distributes bids. All 15 sororities live in one area of campus - The Hills. It has a 12 dorm buildings and one to two sororites live in a dorm. In the center of the Hil is a building called Terrill Hall and it's our main dinning facilluty on this end of campus.

On Bid Day, the pnm, Panhellenic officers, sororites (and everybodies mom!) gather around the front steps of Terrell when bids are supposed to be handed out. The pnm line up in their groups in front of their rho chi. Rho chi's have already called or gotten in touch with girls who didn't recieve a bid. The sororities are doing cheers and have letters, banners, ballons, and gift bags for the newest members. At the appointed time, the rho chi's hand out the bids to each girl and everybody run to their new sorority. Then there are pictures, picnics, and meeting/ getting to know new members and parents.

It is organized chaos! There are almost 900 pnm and just as many parents and sisters. But its a fun day.

[carnation]

Oh PinkRose, that sounds so much better than the old way of bid distribution at Auburn! They used to give them out in the Social Center down by the Quad Dining Hall. Nobody was down there except the PNMs and Rho Chis.

You got your bid, then ran to your sorority's dorm. Yes, you had a major run if your sorority was on the Hill but that's where all the guys were...if you were in a Quad sorority, they didn't consider you worth watching run to your house, it seemed. See, the Big Six plus 2 others were housed up there and the other 6 were in the Quad.

Sororities have become much more equal since they moved everyone to the Hill!

[PinkRose1098]

Panhellenic is also adding a new facet to bid distribution this year. This is what I've heard is going to happen:
All the pnm are going to gather in the act with the Panhellenic E-board and rho chi's where they will have a ceremony welcoming the new girls into Panhellenic life and give them some sort of Panhellenic pins. I wish I could be there to see it!

Carnation - I knew that some of the sororities used to live in the Quad. I've seen our scrapbook from when we were founded at AU - they are hilarious!! I couldn't imaging having to go b/w the Quad and the Hill in the hot hot August sun. Talk about glistening! I love having everyone in one place - it makes going to Panhellenic council much easier - it's a two second walk max and you can visit friends w/o being too scared of bad things happening.

[AOIIBrandi]

Fuzzie Alum - Georgia Southern was a lot like what you described.

The women who did not get bids were notified in the morning before they were to go to the Union to receive their bids (Must be at home between such and such hours...). Panhellinic was inside at a table with the bid cards in alphabetical order. All of the sororities were outside rimming the rotunda. When you received your bid you ran to your new chapter. I guess if you were disappointed you could just leave by another exit, and no one would know except the chapter when you didn't show up (we had a list).... After all the new members were with the chapters the Rho Chis would get on the stage in the middle of the rotunda, reveal themselves, and rejoin their chapter. Then we would all go and have pictures, if you didn't have a house you'd pick a spot around the union otherwise it was at the house.

It was really a lot of fun. I like the running out part the best.

Carnation - Do you know if they still do it this way?

[Colleenie]

I didn't really like the way our panhel did formal bid distribution but here goes:
All the pnms meet in one area with their rho chi and group and stand in a giant circle (yes, 600+ women in a giant circle, scary!) The girls who didn't get a bid are called in the morning but it's obvious to the group when she isn't there that Patsy Pledge didn't get a bid Each PNM has an envelope with her name on it that she stands on. Then Panhel exec does a silly skit and then a countdown.... Then it's mad chaos as each girl rips open the envelope and sees the house she has now signed her name to. There are screams of excitement and happiness mixed in with tears and anger.
The sororities are waiting across the bridge on the lawn outside the sorority housing with a dj, photographers, fraternity guys, etc. Each sorority has banners, giant letters, and gifts for their new members. Everyone is cheering and chanting and singing. Then the new members make a mad rush over the bridge - in this mad rush girls get pushed, trampled, etc. The new members run to their new sorority to put on the matching t-shirt and accept their gifts and hugs.
Then some sororities look around to check out how many new members every other house got while we wait to get our group pictures taken. Some sororites intimidate girls who they wanted but the PNM chose a different house. Others comment about the looks of another house's new members. It's awful.
Then the rho chis are revealed and each sorority goes their separate ways to have their own bid day celebration.

[PhiSigGabs]

After our Debutante Ball for the PNM's we slip the bid cards in their mailboxes (every student in the school has a private mailbox). They are told they can't check it until 1:00 pm but we usually have a sister sitting around and she see the girls running up at 10 in the morning to check. Its so cool cuz when they show up the Pref they are all so excited!

~Rebecca

[jharb]

The way our Panhel did bid distribution was we were called in the morning if we were cut and we shouldn't show up for bid day activities. When we met with our Rho Chis in our rush group rooms we were handed an envelope with our name on it and at a certain time we were told to all open them at once. Then we all ran out of our rooms over to the Reily Room in our student union where our Rho Chis revealed which house they were a part of. From there we ran out of the Reily Room and to our new homes where our new sisters were waiting to greet us with balloons, gift bags, and hugs. It's a really crazy time but it's a lot of fun.

Jess

[carnation]

Originally posted by Colleenie
Some sororites intimidate girls who they wanted but the PNM chose a different house. Others comment about the looks of another house's new members. It's awful.
Then the rho chis are revealed and each sorority goes their separate ways to have their own bid day celebration. [/B]

They WHAT the girls they wanted? How?

[Colleenie]

Yep - if ABC sorority liked Suzy Q but Suzy Q chose XYZ sorority - the ABCs would throw her dirty looks or walk by her (mind you it's chaos out on the lawn) say things like, "you should have chose us" or "now your going to be a loser" or other worse things I wouldn't want to share here. I witnessed it many times over the years, not from my own sorority, but there were a couple houses in particular who treated rush like a war. These were big houses too who didn't need to act that way.
I always wished we could have done bid distribution differently to prevent stuff like that from happening on a day that is supposed to be happy and special.

I never been through rush but I am curious what do the Rho Chis possibly say to a girl who did not recieve a bid and who is unconsolable? what do you say to a girl who has her heart torn out? i am just curious????????

[shadokat]

This sounds like a bad lifetime sorority movie!! No wonder some people think sorority life is like a movie. That's sorta sad!

Originally posted by Colleenie
Yep - if ABC sorority liked Suzy Q but Suzy Q chose XYZ sorority - the ABCs would throw her dirty looks or walk by her (mind you it's chaos out on the lawn) say things like, "you should have chose us" or "now your going to be a loser" or other worse things I wouldn't want to share here. I witnessed it many times over the years, not from my own sorority, but there were a couple houses in particular who treated rush like a war. These were big houses too who didn't need to act that way.
I always wished we could have done bid distribution differently to prevent stuff like that from happening on a day that is supposed to be happy and special.

[Colleenie]

Yes it was sad. There was lots of dirty rushing and extream competition for girls going on and it was unnecessary - defintily like a sorority movie nightmare! I think a lot of it turned off quality women to greek life.
There was always a high attrition rate from rush especially before and after pref night. I think it was a big weakness in our greek community. I don't know if things have changed at my school since I graduated but I do know they are getting a new greek life advisor - so hopefully things will get better.
On a more positive note - I love some of the other ways of bid distribution I have read about here! And if any PNMs are reading don't be scared b/c my story - it's one school out of many and it was two+ years ago

[Dianne]

At CofC, the rho chi's call each PNM in their group in the morning to tell them whether or not they received a bid. At noon, all the PNM's who got bids meet at the auditorium. The rho chi's give their groups their bid cards and t-shirts. Then we all run together towards Sorority Row, where all the sisters are standing in the middle of the street, cheering and singing. I loved it! Of course, I was ecstatic about where I received my bid to, so it was one of the best runs of my life!