Bids, Smiles, Sisterhood

Police officers and pedestrians remained motionless as the stampede crossed Franklin Street, where it split and filtered to the 10 sorority houses awaiting their arrival.

"I'm so psyched to be here," one of the girls shouted as she ran to join her friends.

It was Bid Day, the moment Panhellenic sorority rushees were waiting for to find out which house they got into. Bidding is an emotional time for rushees and sorority members, said Jay Anhorn, director of Greek affairs. "It's a culmination of a very long 10 days, and everyone's excited about seeing who the new people are," he said.

The girls gathered outside of South Building at about 6 p.m., trading in their original location of Gerrard Hall for fresh air and curious onlookers.

The rushees whispered through announcements and awards, waiting for the envelopes that would tell them which sorority they were in. "I'm very enthusiastic at the moment," said freshman Bronwyn Duffield. "I've waited 10 days for this."

Once the girls ripped open the envelopes, they took to the streets, screaming all the way down to Franklin Street, where their new sisters waited with house shirts, confetti and silly string.

Amid the excitement, dozens of onlookers gathered to watch the festivities, some by chance and many in eager anticipation. "It's like an annual tradition for Carolina fellas to come out here and line up the street to watch the pride of Carolina run through," said junior Bradley Bennett.

Others, however, were not so receptive to the rushing. "It seems very childish to me -- it's over-excessive," said freshman Michael Causey. "It's not the most diverse crowd to hang out with."

Recruitment for the houses began with the start of classes last week. Potential rushees were greeted at the Recruitment Kickoff, where representatives from each of the sororities recited the cheers of each Panhellenic house on campus.

The girls later visited each of the houses to meet the sisters and find out about their respective sororities, Anhorn said. "The reason it's so structured is so that they can see all the groups," Anhorn said. "Slowly but surely, the women and the houses narrow down their choices."

The night before Bid Day, the rushees make a list of their top three houses, which are later matched up with lists of preferred rushees supplied by each of the sororities. Each girl who turns in a list with three choices is ensured membership to one of the sororities, Anhorn said.

"At Carolina we have guaranteed placement," Anhorn said. "If they make it to Bid Night and they list all three, they're guaranteed a spot."

When rush began, 512 girls expressed interest in joining a house. After 10 days of events and meetings, 380 remained.

But Anhorn said the drop was due mainly to withdrawals made by students not able to pay the fees rather than being cut from the rush.

For the girls who follow rush the whole way through, however, the decision can be life-changing. "There's so much pressure," one rushee said, "and finally to get a good group of sisters ... it's the best experience of my life."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.