Spruce and Walnut streets were alive with cheering and dancing on Thursday night as sorority recruitment came to a close with Bid Night.
Wynn Commons was filled with groups of sorority sisters ready to welcome the new recruits, who awaited them in the Hall of Flags in Houston Hall.
"It was really high energy, everyone was really excited to welcome the new class," said College junior and president of Delta Delta Delta Rebecca Feldman. "Each girl had a sister waiting with a poster with her name on it."
Each group of girls represented one of the eight sorority houses. Some houses stomped and chanted, while others displayed huge posters decorated with logos like "Welcome Home, Baby Sigmas!"
The girls in the Hall of Flags - who had been told earlier that day that they would receive a bid, but not which house the bid was from - waited to open envelopes informing them of the sororities' decision.
College freshman Michelle Williamson said not knowing which house had extended each recruit a bid only added to the anxiety and anticipation in the room.
As a way to ease some of the tension, the nine girls on the Panhellenic executive board danced in matching pink and black sweat suits to the beat of "We are Family" for the room full of recruits.
At the end of the performance, each recruitment counselor jumped up and ripped off her sweatshirt, revealing the name of her house - which had, until that night, been a secret - on a T-shirt underneath.
"It was pretty funny to watch," said Williamson, "It lightened the mood and made things a little more fun."
After opening the envelopes containing their final bids and conferring with their friends and counselors, the pressure was released. The girls charged upstairs and outside the doors of Houston Hall, where they were greeted with renewed screams and cheers from the sisters.
"It was really good and really exciting after rush to be in a place I really liked and saw myself in," said College freshman Aurora Wardlaw.
"All the sorority girls in the houses were out there cheering you on," added Lippincott.
Once each girl had found her new group of sisters, the sororities processed back to their houses.
College junior, member of Sigma Delta Tau and Panhellenic Council president Drew Tye said "I think it was wonderfully successful. The spirit of the sororities really came through. There was a lot of energy and a feeling of community and sisterhood."
