The IU Panhellenic Association celebrated Bid Night on Tuesday at the IU Tennis Center.
The recruitment process ran in four rounds over two weeks. First, the Potential New Members, or PNMs, visited the 22 chapters Jan. 3-4. After the PNMs and sororities ranked each other, the PNMs were invited back to up to 16 chapters again Jan. 4-5.
Then, after PNMs visited up to nine chapters Jan. 11-12 and up to two chapters Jan. 13, they waited until Tuesday to find out if they received a bid. Some did not get one, and some dropped out of the recruitment process entirely.
Those who got one went to the tennis center, where they received an invitation to one of their two preferred chapters. Alexis Karwoski, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life, said 1,157 women would receive bids.
7:30 p.m.
The first group of PNMs wandered into the tennis center. Before entering onto the courts, everyone was instructed to grab a canvas bag off of a table to put their shoes in, as everyone had to be in socks for the night.
One woman talked about her class, K303: Technology and Business Analysis, to pass the time.
“What is even going on?” another asked.
Groups of five to 10 PNMs stood with their Rho Gammas and took selfies.
Each PNM is assigned a Rho Gamma at the beginning of recruitment. These women are members of sororities who temporarily disaffiliate from their chapters so they can offer unbiased guidance to the women in their groups.
Freshman Sophie Michael, who hoped to get a bid from Delta Zeta, said she watched Netflix to distract herself while she wasn’t in class during the day.
“I would have had a mental breakdown otherwise,” she said. “I’m pretty nervous.”
The 21 chapters — barring Chi Omega, who was put on cease and desist Friday and stopped recruitment Saturday — all had banners hanging around the courts.
Michael looked over at Delta Zeta’s banner, which read “No Sleep Till Bid Day” and featured a painting of a red and black boombox.
8:00 p.m.
“Lip Gloss” by Lil Mama blared over the speakers as groups of women continued to trickle into the tennis center.
One Rho Gamma was dressed in a Winnie the Pooh onesie, but most wore light blue sweatshirts to cover up the t-shirts underneath that showed the letters of their respective chapters.
Soon they would be able to reveal their chapter affiliation to everyone in the tennis center.
8:30 p.m.
All PNMs were instructed to move to the perimeter of the courts so the Rho Gammas could sit in the middle.
Songs like “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell played as each chapter was named and Rho Gammas revealed their chapter affiliations.
Rho Gammas then picked up envelopes to hand to their PNMs.
In each envelope was an invitation to one of each PNM's top two choices of chapters that had chosen them for previous rounds.
9:00 p.m.
Freshmen Lindsey McCoy and Katie Miller received their envelopes together.
“I wanna puke,” McCoy said.
“I’m just happy I got a bid,” Miller responded. “This whole time I was like, there’s no way I’m going to get one.”
As soon as each group had their envelopes in hand, everyone counted down together.
“10...9...8…”
Each woman tore open their envelopes and saw an invitation to one of their top two choices. Some hugged each other and started crying.
A cluster of buses waited outside to take the women to their new chapters.
9:30 p.m.
Members of Theta Phi Alpha waited at their house on North Jordan Avenue for the bus with their new pledge class to arrive. A banner hung above the front doors that read “Welcome to the Jungle.”
As the bus approached, a group of women ran and stood outside in the 30-something degree weather in their designated T-shirts.
“Yell as loud as you can, one last time,” junior Nicole Burjek shouted to the women waiting at the side of the road.
As the bus arrived, the women jumped out and piled into the house. Inside, “My House” by Flo Rida blared through the speakers.
Freshman Jenna Schriner said she was excited to become a part of the Theta Phi Alpha chapter.
“It was crazy, and we were so exhausted,” she said. “But it was worth it.”
