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A spirit that is not afraid

2016 Bid Day: 1,303 women receive bids to join Auburn sororities

Know someone who went through recruitment? Check out the full bid list here.


Barricades and wrist bands for crowd control didn't stop the excitement today as more than a thousand young women stormed the Auburn Arena to receive bids from their future sororities at this year's annual Bid Day celebration.

It wasn't a record-breaking year like last year, but 1,303 women still received bids, and 1,474 women participated in Panhellenic Recruitment Week. Placement was down this year with about 88 percent of the hopefuls receiving a bid.

The total number of participants was also down from last year. Initially, 1,481 women registered for recruitment week but 1,474 participated. Sorority recruitment week in 2015 broke records with 1,615 women participating in recruitment week activities, and 1,489 women receiving bids — almost 93 percent.

"I'm very, very excited," said freshman Adelaide Weed, who received a bid from Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. "It was really nerve racking and, at times, really difficult just because it's long hours and a lot of socializing. But I'm really glad I did it, and today has been a good day. I'm very excited for next year."

Director of Greek Life Jill Moore said more women tend to withdraw from recruitment when a new sorority is in the process of colonization. A new sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma, is on its way to Auburn's campus, and many women find that opportunity attractive, according to Moore.

"When a new sorority is preparing to colonize, more women tend to withdraw from recruitment," she said. "These are generally women who did not receive the invitations they wanted. In other years, they may have continued on in the process and joined a chapter lower on their preference list. But, we have this new opportunity with Sigma Sigma Sigma, and it is attractive. So more women withdrew from recruitment in anticipation of trying to become part of this new chapter."



Access to the Arena, some Village residence halls and the nearby courtyards was restricted today based on recommendations from the University's Office of Public Safety. The area was barricaded and only participants and guests with wristbands were allowed to attend.

With the new system in place this year, about 3,000 people crowded the courtyards and each chapter room was at maximum capacity, but not as packed as last year.

Moore said the week went very smoothly.

"There are always little hiccups, such as weather problems, chapters working to meet deadlines, and things like that, but they all pulled together and worked hard to make the week a success," she said. "We have great chapter leaders and advisors who have open lines of communication with us, which helps us work in sync."

Moore said a strong Recruitment Executive Board and a great group of 109 Pi Chis, or recruitment group leaders, helped the week become a success.

"They did a great job shepherding their participants through the week while they also did practical things like clean up trash and stand in the rain to make a walkway of umbrellas for the potential members to wait under," Moore said. "Our success is due to these leaders who were faithful in doing what was important for the week."


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