Bid night a ‘happy ending’

The thunderous cheers and screams that could be heard down Locust Walk last night could only mean one thing: sorority bid night.

Crowds of members from each sorority gathered in front of Houston Hall to welcome new sisters into their communities. Some brandished bullhorns, others had signs or cutouts of their Greek letters in bright colors and glitter. Singing kept the spirit high, from rhythmic chants to Ke$ha’s “We R Who We R.”

No one could accuse these women of lack of enthusiasm. “It was fabulous,” College junior and Kappa Alpha Theta President Jais Tollette said. “We had so many girls carrying black and gold signs.”

College freshman Genevieve Lamarr LeMee, who received a bid from Sigma Kappa, called the evening a “happy ending” to the stressful events of rush week, a feeling reciprocated by many of her fellow pledges.

Rushes were told to wait by their phones Thursday evening in anticipation of a call announcing their bid. The sorority offering a bid was still kept a secret, however, until the would-be pledges arrived at Houston Hall to receive their bid cards. The waiting sorority sisters were quick to envelop their incoming members in shouts and hugs when the newly minted pledges entered Wynn Commons.

“This year a lot of girls are happy with our choices and excited to be here,” College sophomore and Sigma Delta Tau sister Jenna Heidenberg said. SDT extended 51 bids to potential pledges this year, consistent with bid numbers of the last few years.

“There were definitely a lot more girls,” Tollette said. “This is the largest pledge class we’ve ever taken.” Theta also extended 51 bids this year.

Despite closing registration a day earlier than last year, the same number of students signed up for sorority rush as in the 2010 Rush season. The Office of Student Affairs/Fraternity Sorority Life has not yet released this year’s bid numbers.

“Greek life is growing on campus,” Tollette noted. Numbers would suggest interest in sororities and fraternities has increased in the last decade after a slight decline in the late 1990s, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian archives.

New sorority Zeta Alpha Tau will begin officially marketing itself on Jan. 31, ZTA extension director Marlene Conrad told the DP on Jan. 11.

Note: This article was edited from its print version to reflect the fact that College sophomore Jenna Heidenberg, not College senior Jessica Heidenberg, commented on the night.

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