Access to some Village dorms and courtyards will be restricted on Bid Day, said Director of Greek Life Jill Moore Martin. The area will be barricaded and only guests with wristbands will be allowed to enter the event.
New sorority members will receive wristbands for two guests. Current undergraduate members and 10 advisers, or "helpers," per chapter will also receive wristbands.
The University's Office of Public Safety recommended the changes, Martin said.
Last year, there were approximately 170 undergraduate members per sorority and approximately 80 new members per sorority. The chapter rooms, located on the bottom floors of Magnolia, Oak and Willow Halls, are designed to hold 250-270 people.
It's become common to bring extended family members, significant others and friends to Bid Day. But at a point, Martin said, the large number of guests becomes a safety hazard. When Panhellenic leaders from 2015 and 2016 discussed the issue and consulted with other SEC schools, they decided limiting guests was their only option.
"Think about the most crowded subway you've been on at rush hour," Martin said. "The rooms were packed that tightly."
With the new system, each chapter room should be at capacity and there will still be approximately 3,000 people in the courtyards.
Alumni will have plenty of time to interact with new members, Martin said.
"There are a ton of opportunities for people to come back and get to know the new members," Martin said. "There will most certainly be formal pinnings, initiations and more for them. But for all 17 sororities to have that many people in one place at one time, it's just not safe."
Wristbands will be distributed to undergraduate members on preference day, Friday, August 12. New members will receive their wristbands the next morning.
Bids will be distributed at 3 p.m. in the Auburn Arena on Saturday, August 13. Bids were distributed at 10 a.m. at last year's event. The change allows more time for the Office of Greek Life to print the bids, Martin said.
Map contributed by Jill Moore | Office of Greek Life
Blue lines represent perimeter barricades. These will go into effect at 8 am. With a wristband, sorority members and two guests of new members are allowed entry. Each sorority also has 10 additional passes for advisers. Pink lines represent distribution barricades. These will go into effect at 1 p.m. Only recruitment staff and women receiving bids are allowed here.
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