InterFraternity Council Fraternities welcomed new members at Bid Day Sept. 23 on the Old Main lawn.
After going through recruitment week and receiving bids from different fraternities, new members accepted their bids to their desired fraternity.
For some new members, this was a much-anticipated event.
“I had planned on being in a fraternity since this past summer, so finally getting to join one was very exciting,” freshman Lyndon Lewis, a new member of Beta Upsilon Chi said.
Once accepting their bid, new members have the opportunity to be involved in the Greek Life at UCA and also participate in different areas of community service.
“I’m excited about getting into [Phi Gamma Delta] because I can be more involved in the campus life,” freshman Peyton Counts said. “But I also have the chance to do volunteer work that our fraternity will put on.”
As each new member announced which bid they accepted, respective fraternities celebrated with waving flags, chants and whistles.
New members got to visit each fraternity in rounds, to see which fraternity best suited them before accepting a bid.
Two events were held by each fraternity to further promote themselves.
Questions and interviews were given to different potential members, and bids were announced Thursday night.
“Our work paid off on bid day, as we had 33 new members in our rush, which ended up being one of the bigger rushes from bid day,” senior Seth Wilson, president of Kappa Sigma said. “Everything a fraternity is depends on its new pledge class, and depends on
members being able to train these new members in areas such as community service.”
Community service and helping those in need was promoted from the very beginning of bid day, as the Food Pantry contest between UCA and Arkansas State was mentioned before the bid acceptances of the new members.
“Bid day was a success for Pi Kappa Alpha, because we were able to get 31 new members for our fraternity,” sophomore Mathew Stelting, president of Pi Kappa Alpha said. “As you get more guys into your fraternity, you are able to get more work done, not only in the internal work like recruiting and rushing, but also in the community service that we get involved in.”
“Many fraternities are service-based at the core,” Corbin Block, senior president of IFC said. “Often times, Greeks are more active in student activity here at UCA. Having days like bid day just promote this overall theme of the fraternities.”
Fraternities will be holding special events throughout the year to help those in need, such as Kappa Sig’s “Game Ball Relay,” which will take place at homecoming and will raise money to help struggling military veterans.
photo by Lauren Swaim
