Bid Day, Best Day

Bid Day: It’s the day that every girl has dreamed of ever since her letters of recommendation were sent off in the mail. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel after an exhausting (but fun!) week of recruitment. But above all, it’s the day that marks the beginning of a lifetime of sisterhood and love. At UT, Bid Day is one of the most joyous days of the year as the newest pledge classes run across campus to their new homes and into the arms of their new family.

In the moments before tearing open the envelope holding my bid card, I was filled with a nervous excitement as I impatiently waited to discover which sisterhood I would have the honor to be apart of. When I pulled out my card and it read “Zeta Tau Alpha,” it was a matter of seconds before my eyes filled with happy tears as I pushed my way through the Hogg auditorium doors to greet my new sisters.

The pictures of Bid Day can’t do the event justice, as there’s no way to capture the excited energy and instantaneous love felt by every girl in the chapter. I ran into the arms of my amazing Bid Day Buddy, and soaked in my first few exciting moments of being a Zeta. Decked out in a crown and holding a sunflower, I posed for pictures with my pledge class and even my entire sorority. It was hard to stop smiling when I knew I was surrounded by my new best friends! There to share the experience with me was my mom, who was now also my sister, as she is a Zeta herself. In between eating delicious food and checking out my Bid Day basket, I made sure to stop and hug everyone I saw, because after all, we were family now! Shortly after the festivities at the house ended, the new members of PC ’16 packed our bags and headed out to Camp Balcon Springs on a new member retreat. The retreat was an awesome way to make friends within my class and get to know the amazing women who were now my sisters. We got sorted into our founder’s groups that we would be in for the next four years, played getting-to-know-you games, and had a rockin’ PC ’16 dance party. The following morning, we spent time on the lake before heading back to campus. Although I was exhausted, I felt so blessed to have spent the past 24 hours with such an amazing group of girls.

From Bid Day itself to our new member retreat, everything I participated in was a huge reminder of why Zeta stood out to me as a chapter, and why I knew I had found my home. At the house, the sense of love and immediate belonging was overwhelming from the moment I ran through the tunnel of older girls welcoming me home. The sorority women were happy to have us, and the new pledge class couldn’t have been happier to be there. It sounds cheesy, but when I opened up my bid card, I instantly gained a family who accepts me and loves me for who I am. The new member retreat only deepened those feelings of love and belonging. Right off the bat, I was given the opportunity to spend quality time with my new sisters so that I could truly get to know them before I returned to campus. Taking the time to devote our attention to getting to know each other was such a meaningful experience. I truly felt like I knew my pledge class, and it was a wonderful way to start off my relationships with my new sisters. ZTA really does put sisterhood first, and I felt that for sure during Bid Day. I’m so excited for the next four years and the friendships that I know will last far beyond that.

ZLAM,

McKenna Richards

PC ‘16

Summer of my Life

“You’re going to have the best summer of your life staying in Austin.” Time and time again people explained why spending your summer in the great city of Austin, TX is the greatest thing you’ll ever do. After living in Austin for two semesters, I knew I couldn’t spend two months at home in the thriving town of Spring, TX. After I got a job, signed up for a class, took a position on recruitment team, found an apartment and tried my best to be an adult (key word: tried), my parents agreed to let me stay for the summer.

As much as I was looking forward to hanging out with my friends from home, I knew this summer would bring so many new friendships. When you have eight girls in one apartment and you’re even sharing a bed with your roommate, you’re bound to get pretty close (S/O to 209). Group messages started to form with all the people here for the summer. You truly were never able to be bored and you never had to be alone if you didn’t want to. Whether it was to lay out, go to dinner, go out that night, or sit on the couch with, you always had someone.

My favorite part of the summer was getting to explore Austin on days off from work, class and all those adult responsibilities I mentioned. From swimming in Barton Springs to hiking the Greenbelt to paddle boarding on the lake, this summer has been the greatest adventure. Since there is always something going on during the fall and the spring, it was amazing to have time to finally do “Austin things”.

Being on recruitment team has been an experience of it’s own. It’s been so fun getting everything ready and playing such a big role in the newest addition of our chapter! Plus, we all work so well together, so we get to be friends rather than just people on a team together. Now that the summer is coming to a close, I couldn’t be happier I chose to stay in Austin. People knew what they were talking bout when they told me I would have the most fun summer yet. All the friendships and the memories that have come out of these past two months are irreplaceable and I wouldn’t trade my summer squad for the world.

ZLAM,

Kara Hurley PC ‘15