The Greeks have decided. With the exception of a new sorority, University of Miami sororities and fraternities recently welcomed new members last week on their respective Bid Days.
During recruitment, potential new members attended various events to help them decide which organization would be the best fit for them.
“Recruitment week is extremely important [for fraternities and sororities] because it is their chance to showcase themselves and select their newest members who will become the future of their organization,” Kara Miller, coordinator for Greek Affairs, said.
A bid is the formal invitation to a student to become a part of a fraternity or a sorority, decided after a mutual show of interest between the student and the particular Greek organization. All Greeks, new and old, seem pleased with the outcome.
“We got exactly what we hoped for, especially considering the small percentage of guys in this year’s freshman class,” Peter Maki, Sigma Chi alumni officer, said.
“My fraternity gave out 30 bids. With the exception of two, all of them signed with us,” said Rob Letscher, sophomore and Sigma Phi Epsilon member. “We’ve got kids from California, the Northeast, the Midwest, the South-all over.”
Sorority sisters are also looking forward to this school year.
“We’re very excited to welcome 226 new women to the Greek Community,” Callie Simon, president of the Panhellenic Association, said.
“[Bid Day] was successful,” said Marika Foss, sophomore and Tri-Delta member. “I’m so happy with the girls we’ve personally gotten -they seem very nice.”
Now that the Bid Day process has ended for all established fraternities and sororities, Alpha Delta Pi [ADPi], the new sorority on campus, has begun its recruitment. ADPi’s recruitment events will include a group reception for any interested women and “Tell Me About You” sessions, which will allow both parties to get to know each other. ADPi will be selecting up to 98 new women, average chapter size at UM, and their Bid Day will be Thursday, Sept. 23.
“There is no better way to feel connected and at home at UM than to join a sorority,” Simon said. “The recruitment process is important for new members because it allows them to see each organization on an equal playing field, see which organization they connect with, and even see if Greek Life is the right fit for them.”
Fizaa Dosani and Catherine Howden contributed to this article.
Megha Garg can be contacted at m.garg2@umiami.edu