Celebrating Bid Day 2022
By Courtney McEunn
Student Life Editor
At 10 a.m. on Sept.10 on the Bentley Garden lawn, Cameron University Greek Life hosted their annual Bid Day celebration. The Alpha Phi and Omega Zeta Theta sororities welcome home their newest members who participated in the fall 2022 recruitment week.
That morning, new members gathered in the MCC conference room and received their bids. After they received their bids, Daniel McFadden, coordinator of campus life, brought all the girls outside to run home to their sororities. In groups of two, each girl ran downstairs and into the arms of their new sisters.
“During recruitment week, Greek student organizations go out and recruit all the different members, for new members,” McFadden said, “then they come together at the end of the week to celebrate bid day which is where they get officially invited to join their sorority or fraternity.”
McFadden oversees all Greek life events and activities and helps out when he can to ensure everything runs smoothly.
“What I really like about this event,” McFadden said, “is that it really builds Greek community together and it’s exciting to see all the new members get really excited about joining their respected Greek student organization.”
All the current members of Alpha Phi and Omega Zeta Theta were very excited for this day to come. Bid day is held annually during the fall semester after the long primary recruitment week. It gives girls a time to unwind, welcome their new members, and to celebrate.
Carmen Head is a senior and President of Omega Zeta. This was her last bid day as President before she graduates.
“Our chapter is all about philanthropy,” Head said. “We try to foster sisterly relationships and bid day is where we get to talk to all of our girls and let them know that they are welcome here.”
Head enjoys every aspect about being part of CU Greek life, especially when it comes to welcoming new members during bid day.
“My favorite part about bid day is meeting everyone,” Head said. “This event is like the Super Bowl of Greek life.”
Omega Zeta Theta’s theme for bid day was ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ and Alpha Phi’s was ‘Disco Party’.
Vice President, Zoey Dean, of new member education and member experience in Alpha Phi also participated in bid day by welcoming new members of Alpha Phi as they ran downstairs and out to the lawn.
“Our new members ran to us outside,” Dean said. “They went in groups of two and then we each gave them a shirt and a disco ball with their name on it. Then they went and changed and followed us up to the MCC Ballroom where we had little sandwiches and fruit. We just had a fun time with lots of picture booths.”
After the girls ran home that morning, each organization had their own celebration with all the new girls. Alpha Phi had food, photo spots, and gifts for their newest members. The goal is to start building relationships and get each new member prepared for their future in their sorority.
Dean’s role in her position is to educate the new members on Alpha Phi’s rules and history as well as organize group events.
“I hope they learn to enjoy Alpha Phi once they become initiated members,” Dean said, “and that they continue with Alpha Phi throughout their college years.”
For more information about Greek life or if you are interested in joining, contact the office of campus life via email at campuslife@cameron.edu.
