Alpha Xi Delta on Bid Day. Photo by Ian KeelTamara Imam - Managing Editor
managing@insideuab.com
On Saturday, Aug. 28, almost 200 women ran across the Campus Green on Bid Day to join their new sorority sisters on the last day of a record-breaking fall recruitment week.
Alinea Esensoy, a former recruitment counselor and the president of the College Panhellenic Council of UAB tasked with facilitating much of the selection process, said a record 192 women accepted bids to join one of the five Panhellenic sororities on campus: Alpha Gamma Delta, Delta Gamma, Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi and Sigma Kappa. The largest number of bids previously given out was 151, according to Assistant Director of fraternity and sorority life Kristen Bowen.
While women can also join sororities in the spring semester during a process known as “continuous open bidding,” fall Bid Day is the main event for sororities on campus when it comes to adding new members.
This year’s Bid Day also welcomed Sigma Kappa, which was established on campus in 2015, but participated in formal recruitment for the first time. The chapter gave out bids to around 36 women, who will join the existing members who founded the Zeta Sigma chapter last fall.
Livia Jojo served as president of the founding class of Sigma Kappa last year.
“It has been an amazing experience to be a part of a new chapter at UAB since UAB has not had a new sorority added in 20 years,” Jojo said. “It is an unexplainable bond to have 36 new sisters and not know much about them, but know that you have 36 new sisters and will get to know them on a personal level because of Sigma Kappa. Stereotypes state that joining a sorority is like ‘buying’ friends.’ However, in reality you get the opportunity to become friends with new women across campus. I wouldn’t have met some of my [best] friends if it wasn’t for Sigma Kappa.”
Panhellenic will continue to grow in the near future, as Kappa Delta sorority will be established at UAB in the fall of 2017.
“UAB’s Greek Life is expanding and that’s good,” said recruitment counselor Kayla Smith.
