Inspiration Rally unites new pledges

Newly bonded sorority pledges walked in from the cold and enthusiastically embraced friends they had recently met before participating in the first annual Inspiration Rally.

Women trickled into the Indiana Memorial Union Alumni Hall entrance in packs of matching sweatshirts while others scrambled to find a seat after purchasing a last-minute Starbucks coffee.

“We wanted to make it more of a pep rally and get everyone excited instead of just having someone talking at them,” said Annie Raeder, outgoing president of IU Panhellenic Association. “We also wanted it to be student run so other organizations could get involved.”

Greeks Go Green, an organization that has at least one member from each greek house, did a skit in which an eccentric fan of sustainability, Mr. Green, harassed a hot dog vendor for not promoting sustainability. The organization promotes recycling in greek houses and works to outreach to the greek and campus communities.

Ladies First, IU’s all-female a cappella group performed their renditions of “Yesterday”, “Wonderwall”, “Alone” and “Lady Marmalade”.

The girls were also shown a video that was made for last year’s Greek Awards followed by a speech by Provost Karen Hanson.

IU’s greek history dates back to 1845, Hanson said. Eighteen U.S. presidents since 1877 and 76 percent of U.S. senators that have served in the U.S. Senate were members of the greek community.

“Great leaders can lead their vision with passion,” Hanson said. “Nothing great was ever achieved without hard work. ... No leader has all the answers all the time.”

Hanson encouraged students to get involved in other organizations on campus while they are here, allowing their sorority life to be the building blocks to their next four years.

“Each of you has the potential to lead. Take advantage of these opportunities; serve on your chapters councils,” she said. “While you’re at Indiana University, take time to explore. Your new sorority affiliation has already led you to make new connections.”

The girls have spent the majority of their time together since Bid Day. Tuesday was designated sisterhood night where chapters did rituals or get-to-know-each-other activities. Wednesday was the rally followed by a possible dinner with a fraternity, Raeder said.

“It was fun to just cheer for our new sister representatives in Panhellenic,” said freshman Samantha Clodfelter, a new sister of Pi Beta Phi. She said her sisters enjoyed a Hawaiian dinner Tuesday night and an around-the-world activity with their sophomore pledge class to get to know their new sisters.

“The main goal is getting them excited about the greek community, but also showing their chapter pride,” Raeder said.