Dressed in neon tutus, T-shirts and knee-high socks, Syracuse University sorority sisters could hardly contain their excitement as they waited outside the Schine Student Center. Their chants echoed across campus, catching the attention of passersby. When the doors opened, the girls screamed. The sorority sisters were about to meet their new members.

The formal recruitment for SU’s 11 Panhellenic sororities concluded Sunday afternoon with Bid Day, which marks the beginning of a six-week new member education period.

The theme of this year’s recruitment was “Find your route,” and for the past two weekends, about 900 women interested in joining greek life met with the sisters of various campus sororities to determine the best fit for each person.

At about noon on Sunday, recruitment groups of approximately 50 women each gathered in various classrooms in academic buildings across campus. There, Rho Gammas, members of various sororities who are responsible for helping the women through the recruitment process, handed out white envelopes. These envelopes contained bids inviting recruits to become a member of a specific sorority.

After each recruit received an envelope, all of the women in the classroom opened their envelopes at the same time to reveal which sorority they were invited to pledge.

The anticipation of opening the white envelope was very stressful for freshman Ellie Shotton. Seeing that she received a bid from Gamma Phi Beta, Shotton’s top choice, was a “sigh of relief.”

Shotton, an anthropology major, said she was very excited to become a sister of the sorority.

“I really love all of the sisters,” she said. “They’re crazy, but in a really good way.”

Similarly, Caroline Viret said she felt like she was going to throw up before opening her white envelope. Viret received a bid from Phi Sigma Sigma.

Viret said the sorority’s community service work made Phi Sig her top choice.

“They have the best philanthropy on campus, and the girls are just so awesome,” she said.

The atmosphere of Walnut Place and Comstock Avenue was electric. Alpha Phi sisters sang with new members to Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” while Kappa Alpha Theta sisters danced with brooms to a Taylor Swift medley. Even fraternity members of Zeta Beta Tau and Alpha Tau Omega joined in the celebration.

Alycia Cucka, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she fell in love with the sorority Sigma Delta Tau and was excited to receive a bid.

“I’m so happy right now,” Cucka said while running to SDT’s house. “I’m so excited for the sisterhood and meeting all of the girls.”

Tessa Xie, a freshman mathematics and economics major, said receiving a bid from Alpha Gamma Delta was “like a dream.”

AGD was Xie’s top choice because she felt really comfortable inside the house and talking to all of the sisters.

“During rush I really connected with all of the sisters,” Xie said. “I have something in common with every single girl. I’m so blessed.”

Freshman Audrey Cilento said she was happy with her bid from Kappa Alpha Theta, but was originally nervous she wouldn’t receive a bid.

“Everyone I knew wanted a bid from Theta,” Cilento said.

She added that Theta was her top choice because it has the highest GPA on campus, but also a great social life. To Cilento, this was the “best of both worlds.”

“To me, Theta was the best representation of Syracuse,” she said. “That’s what made me really fall in love with it.”

Lola Amdahl, an undecided freshman in of Arts and Sciences, said Delta Gamma was her top choice because it’s where she felt the most comfortable and the most herself.

Though Amdhal said she thought the process was overwhelming, she was very happy with the end result.

Said Amdhal: “Rush was really crazy and slow, but it was well worth the wait.”

Published on February 4, 2013 at 12:44 am

Contact Meredith: mhnewman@syr.edu | @MerNewman93