Jennifer Vukas survived weeks of running up and down Third Street and Jordan Avenue in the cold to get to this night.
She shook anxiously as she held her envelope, which contained her future. A 10-second countdown began, and Vukas screamed. At the end, she ripped open the envelope and, like everyone around her, was lost to the chaos of the crowd. She hoped for her first choice, Alpha Phi.
“It was like a scene from a movie,” Vukas said.
This was bid night Tuesday at IU. Hundreds of sorority hopefuls packed into the Tennis Center and awaited invitations from the chapters that would become their homes. The Panhellenic Association planned and organized the event. Some of the thousands of women who rushed received bids to chapters. The lucky ones got the chapter of their dreams. For everyone, the evening was emotional, and for Vukas, it was a defining moment of her college career.
About 7:30 p.m., an hour before the countdown and when Vukas opened her envelope, sorority members had already marked and separated their sections of the tennis courts. Organizers from IU’s Panhellenic Association scrambled to make last-minute changes.
Questions and comments were thrown left and right as women continuously piled into the Tennis Center. As women entered, the distinction between hopefuls and greeks was unclear at times, but it just required a closer look. Greeks entered the building looking ahead to find their sisters at their own paces. Rushees entered in packs, moving at the same speed with hesitation. Vukas said they weren’t confident about where they belonged, so they moved in unison.
Panhellenic got things going moments later by blaring “Closer” by the Chainsmokers, a familiar anthem for IU tailgates and parties.
Panhellenic members jumped, sang and clapped to elevate the seemingly infinite energy of the room.
By 7:45 p.m. women had piled in by the dozens. The yelling increased, the temperature grew hot, and eventually the surfaces of the tennis courts disappeared beneath the crowd.
One potential new member, freshman Nora Pearson, danced around as she awaited the news of her bid.
“Rush has been a long process, but I think it’s worth it in the end,” Pearson said. “It’s exhilarating.”
Pearson had a cluster of friends and peers around her who were equally excited. Krijn Schwartz jumped up and down while her eyes rapidly sought to observe everything around her.
“It has been really exhausting these past two weeks, and it has been the only thing I can think about,” she said over the blaring speakers. “It has been awesome!”
Cameras flashed and selfies were taken as women posed in front of the silver balloons that read “Bid Night.”
Around 8 p.m. senior Paige Dausinas, Panhellenic’s recruitment organizer, spoke from the disc jockey’s booth.
“Hello, ladies,” Dausinas said. “Welcome to bid night! Who’s excited to find what chapter they’re going to?”
Everyone was seated except for some women wearing matching blue hoodies. They were gathered just below the disc jockey’s booth. These are the Rho Gammas. Rho Gammas are disaffiliated women from each chapter who helped hopefuls through the process. Rho Gammas did not reveal what house they belong to until Dausinas called them up to collect their envelopes of bids.
First up was Alpha Chi Omega. The Rho Gammas were huddled together and clapped and sang Alpha Chi’s song as the Rho Gammas scurried up the stairs with their heads hooded to shield their identities. When they reached the top, they had their backs turned, heads still hooded, until their chapter song was finished. Then they turned around to show their faces to an intense response from the hopefuls they oversaw.
In alphabetical order, the Rho Gammas were called up and revealed, followed by screams from the women they oversaw.
Finally Zeta Tau Alpha presented their Rho Gammas and that phase was over.
The introductions and reveals finished, and it was time to open the envelopes. Dausinas offered a warning before any envelopes were opened.
“Do not open your bid, or we will take it,” Dausinas shouted over the deafening crowd.
The young ladies fanned themselves with the envelopes that contained their futures and followed their instructions as they anxiously awaited their fates.
Dausinas was back on the mic to announce that it was time for the countdown. The young ladies jumped up and down.
“OK, ladies, we are going to start the countdown,” Dausinas said. “10, 9, 8,...,” and in a matter of seconds the already ear-deafening building reached entirely new heights.
There was screaming, envelopes being tossed in the air, running, jumping and so much more.
Vukas ripped open her envelope and read the letters — Alpha Phi — she had hoped for.
This is what she had dreamed would happen. Phones were pulled out to make calls, send messages and take more photos.
The only woman around Vukas who had also opened an Alpha Phi bid was her floormate.
They held hands and ran around in excitement until they found the rest of their sisters.
“Are you ready to go home?” Dausinas said into the mic.
Vukas and her new Alpha Phi sisters were ready. When their bus arrived, they exited the Tennis Center, clambered into the bus, and shouted, chanted and clapped into the night.
