OPhiA Bid Day 2013!

Hi everyone! Today was Bid Day for OPhiA, so I'm going to share my experience as a pledge! 

We arrived at the campus green and waited for everyone else to show up. Once everyone was there, Christine, the pledge mom, took role to see if everyone that could be there was there. Then, we split into carpool cars and headed out to Acworth Beach! 

Once we arrived, we walked to a pavilion where a bunch of the actives were singing and welcoming us. It was so fun and exciting! Once everyone arrived, we got some food and sat down and ate. Once we finished eating, the pledges circled up. We went around the circle and said our name, age, major, and a fun fact, just as a way to get to know everyone. While we did that, the actives went around a taped a picture of another girl in the circle to our backs. Once we finished, Christine explained that it was a new tradition they were starting. Whoever's picture was on your back and yours on theirs, was your 'rosebud.' Your rosebud is just another friend you have in the sorority and is basically a way to make a new best friend. My rosebud happened to be Sarah, who I'd met the first night of recruitment! After this, we played some little games while some of the actives took the pledges by groups to get their bids. Soon, it was my groups turn! 

We walked to a little curtain they had set up by the lake. We took pictures as rosebud groups and then a group picture. When Tiffany, who took the picture, was showing us the group picture to see if we liked it, some of the actives jumped out from behind the curtain yelling 'Surprise!' and handed us our bids! They are SO cute! 

My bid for the Iota pledge class!

Once we got our bids, we went back to wait for everyone else to get their bids. Once everyone had their bids, we went to a little patch of grass by the water and took pictures! After that, we got together and headed back to the school to go home! 

I had an AMAZING time at Bid Day and I am SO thankful to be a part of this amazing group of girls! I can't wait to be involved and have my life be changed for the better by joining and being a part of Omega Phi Alpha!

If anyone else has Bid Day today, or has already had Bid Day, good luck and enjoy this new chapter of your life's journey! 

Good luck and lots of love, 
tyleralesia ♥♥ 

Fall 2013 Sorority Recruitment!

Hey everyone! I'm going to share with you my recruitment experience! 

I've wanted to join a sorority for a while. I knew that the regular Panhellenic recruitment cost money to register and I didn't have the money for that, and that made me a little sad. Then, one day during the first week of college, they had a little event on the green with a bunch of booths set up. There was one for a sorority and I instantly noticed it. My friends and I walked around a little bit first, and while we were waiting in line to spin a prize wheel at a booth, a girl came up to us from the sorority booth and started talking to us about her sorority. The sorority was Omega Phi Alpha, and it is a national service sorority. That means, while doing normal sorority things, one of their main things is doing service to the community and the world. She handed us a card for recruitment and left. I knew this was something I wanted to do. 

Recruitment was 3 nights, and it started on September 3rd. The first night we got a number, filled out a questionnaire, and got a name tag. We went into the room and sat down at tables. The theme for their recruitment was Disney so there was pink, purple, princesses, and crowns. It was so cute. They dismissed us by tables to go get food, which was veggies, fruit, cucumber sandwiches, cake pops and other little snacks, and drinks. We sat down and ate and some of the actives would come around and talk to us. Soon, it was time to go over the general information about the sorority. After that, the actives would rotate tables and talk to us. Soon, it was time to go. 

The second night started off the same way. Girls who weren't there the first night did what they needed, we got name tags, and went inside. Tonight, I had 3 friends with me that couldn't make it the first night. That night, they had an ice cream bar set up for us! It was so yummy and amazing! Then, they went over the information some of the girls missed from the first night, and explained why we had paper, stickers, markers, and crayons on our tables. They first showed us a video about Bert's Big Adventure. Bert's Big Adventure is something Q100 radio station in Atlanta does where they take terminally ill children and their families to Disney World for 5 days. It was so heartwarming to see all these children smile and have fun. They then told us we were going to make buttons for the children and write them letters. It was so much fun and it was nice to make something that was going to make these children smile. After we did that, we played a game where one person started and said their name and something they liked or that they may have in common with someone else. Then, the first person that has that in common and gets to that person first, links arms with them and says their name and something else they may have in common with others and it continues on until everyone has linked arms. It was fun and silly and a great way to learn a bit from everyone. After that, it was time to go. I couldn't wait for the last night.

Last night of recruitment came and I was so excited. My friends and I got there, got name tags, a little piece of paper with a number on it and went inside the room. They had cake and pizza for us and we sat down and ate. After we were done, they talked about what the numbers we got were for. The girls with the odd numbers were going to play games first with some of the actives and the girls with the even numbers stayed in the room. One of my friends and I had odd numbers while our other two friends had even numbers. We went out into the big hallway in the student center and started a game that involved us getting into a circle and passing around a red ball with questions. When you caught the ball, you answered the question your right thumb was over. It was fun to hear all the different questions and people's answers. Once that game was over, we played a big game of Never Have I Ever, but with a twist. One person was in the middle and said their Never Have I Ever. Once they did, if you HAVE done the thing they haven't, you had to find a new spot in the circle. It was like the circle version of musical chairs where one person always didn't have a spot. It was super fun! Then, it was time to switch places with the even numbered girls. We went back into the room and sat down in chairs across from some of the actives and alumnae. We had 5 minutes with one and they asked us questions. Once the 5 minutes was up, you moved to the left to a new girl who had different questions. Since I'm a little shy, that was a little difficult for me; but once I talked to a couple girls, I was a little more confident. We got through maybe 6 girls and then it was time to go. They told us they would email us Friday morning (today) to know if we had a bid. 

Today, I woke up for class and anxiously awaited an email, along with my other friends. After waiting until about 12:30, I didn't think I got a bid. Then, while on my phone and making my lunch, I happened to see the banner notification for my email at the top of my phone. I opened the email and was so happy, I GOT A BID! I am so happy! 

Bid Day is tomorrow (Sept. 7th) and the formal pinning ceremony is this Sunday. Sadly, one of my 3 friends didn't get a bid. But hopefully, she'll rush next year and one of us can be her big! I am so excited for this opportunity and for this new chapter in my life. (Haha, chapter. Sororities have chapters. I made a joke!) 

If anyone is thinking of rushing, I also didn't rush Panhellenic because the ones at my college, the girls are stuck up and rich. I'm sorry, that shouldn't matter in a sorority. They're for meeting new friends that aren't like you, not just a popularity contest. Also, I heard it was really overwhelming cause there are SO many people! But, if that's your thing, I'm not judging. I personally like this sorority because I don't feel like I can't be myself with these girls and they don't care where you live or how much money you have or anything like that. 

Omega Phi Alpha is my new home and I seriously could not be happier! I cannot wait for Bid Day, the pinning ceremony, and I definitely can't wait to get my Big! I know I'm going to be so thankful for her and I cannot wait! 

Well, that's my sorority recruitment experience! I hope you guys read this and are inspired to join a sorority or look up info on this one and maybe join our OPhiA family! I'll add posts about Bid Day and the pinning ceremony probably Sunday afternoon/night! 

Have a lovely day! 
tyleralesia ♥♥