Bid Day event for sorority recruitment will be held in person this Sunday, according to Panhellenic Council president and senior Emily Conway.

For the past two years, the Panhellenic Council has held recruitment events virtually to accommodate for the COVID-19 pandemic. Conway said the virtual format has garnered great success both last year and this year. 

Over the course of the recruitment process, panhellenic chapters have attracted so many potential new members that the chapters have had to expand the pledge class sizes. 

“When I was a freshman, I think there were 61 [in my pledge class],” said Conway. “This year, we’re projecting that it’s going to be 70. That essentially means that we can place upwards of 70 more people than we would have four years ago, which is awesome.”

The online platform for the event is also financially better for students going through the process of recruitment. Typically, those in recruitment have had to move back on campus a week early to attend the events, which drives up fee prices. However, the virtual design of this year’s recruitment means that potential new members did not have to move in early, making the process more accessible to more students. 

While it may seem as though a virtual process would hinder the ability of students to make connections with chapters, Conway says that this has not shown to be an issue. 

“From feedback that I’ve heard, [forming connections] is not actually a problem,” Conway said.

The Panhellenic Council consists of eight chapters, which potential new members have been interacting with frequently throughout the last week. The recruitment week consists of five events: Chapter Introduction Day, Philanthropy Day, Sisterhood Day, Preference Day and Bid Day.

Chapter Introduction Day is a time for those going through recruitment to get an introduction to every chapter. It is the shortest event and provides a general overview of what makes every chapter unique.

Philanthropy Day is a day for chapters to share what philanthropy efforts they support. New recruits get introduced to different fundraisers and events the chapters hold for the benefit of the philanthropy organization that they are associated with.

Sisterhood Day is when chapters release their recruitment videos. These are short clips showcasing some of the activities within the different chapters, and they help provide an image of what each of the chapters are about.

Chapter Introduction, Philanthropy and Sisterhood Days have already occurred for the Spring 2022 recruitment period. Preference Day will be held on Jan. 15. This day is a day that is described as “emotional” by Conway.

“Preference round is where [potential new members] realize that this is the place that they should be in,” Conway said. 

Finally, there is Bid Day, which will occur on Jan. 16. This day is when students going through recruitment are officially invited to be a member of a chapter. The chapters will also hold different activities and events on this day to celebrate the placement of the new recruits.

The Panhellenic Council has decided to make this event in-person, rather than virtual. The event will take place outside and all attendees will be required to wear masks. The council believes that this will allow for students to enjoy a more normal bid day, all while still remaining safe.

As for the rest of the week, Conway recommends that those going through recruitment “trust the process.” The online recruitment style has shown to be a great success so far, and Conway believes that this will allow for “more [students] to be placed in chapters.”