Sorority rush went entirely online after an announcement Aug. 17 that the last rounds of recruitment and Bid Day itself would be held in an online format due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision came after the National Pan-Hellenic Conference, the national organization of all sororities in the United States, gave a “formal recommendation” telling all members of the council to go online for the remainder of the rush process. Even before this recommendation, though, Pan-Hellenic leadership at USC was considering the move.
“All of the national organizations of each chapter that we have here were all behind it and thought that this would be the best decision,” Mary Best, vice president of recruitment, said. “It’s not just affecting us; it’s essentially every campus that has sororities on it in the whole country, especially in high risk areas, which they’re still considering South Carolina a high risk area. So, that was the final motivating force behind it.”
Second-year hospitality management student Annie Culbertson, a member of Tri Delta, said she was “genuinely heartbroken” when she heard the news.
“I was really upset but also kind of expected it. It wasn’t that much of a shock, but it was one of those things I was holding onto a little bit of hope to be able to be in person, but I understand we have to do what we have to do, but I was not super excited,” Culbertson said.
Up until the announcement, the rush process was done online, as potential new members (PNM) would partake in conversations or watch videos together over Zoom. For Culbertson, having to connect with others over Zoom was difficult as a “people person.”
“I’m sitting in this chair all day staring at a computer; that's not the most ideal situation in the world," Culbertson said. "I was really excited to meet these girls I had been rushing this whole process and finally get to talk to them, and being in person is just, you get to know a person a lot better in person than over a computer.”
With Bid Day online, instead of the Carolina Coliseum being packed with women waiting for their bids, nearly 1,500 PNMs had to wait for a phone call to learn which group they made it into.
“Bid Day was just a great day … you're in the Coliseum, there's thousands of people there cheering, screaming. You run home, and you meet at least 400 girls in a day, or you don’t remember any of them, but you're all part of the family, and it’s so exciting,” Culbertson said. "I’m really sad that the PNMs won’t experience that."
First-year hospitality management student and PNM Merritt Woodham said she was "worried" that once Bid Day went online, she wouldn’t be able to see the house even when she received her bid.
“If you're not in the house physically, then that might give you a different vibe, or, like, you won't feel the initial feelings within the house, and so I was worried that if I wasn't there physically, then maybe I would end up second guessing my choices,” Woodham said.
Though the Coliseum wouldn’t be used for Bid Day, sororities could still hold in-person celebration activities after bid distribution, as long as they were socially distanced and masked.
Woodham received her bid over a FaceTime call and Phi Mu. Later, among five waves, she walked to the Phi Mu house to join others in celebrating, she said.
“I thought it was really awesome. I was kind of nervous at first because I did not know anyone else in my particular house. I had no idea what to expect since this year it was so different, but immediately everyone was so welcoming — even the people who weren’t even in my house. They were just super excited for everyone,” Woodham said.
Freshman nursing student Beth Tanner Myers said she also received her bid over FaceTime and joined Alpha Delta Pi. Myers also went, amid waves, to the house in Greek Village. She was required to have her mask on the whole time.
With the coronavirus, in-person celebrations had to be socially distanced and celebrators masked. Woodham said Pi Chis and older members throughout Greek Village helped direct the new members safely.
“The Phi Mu house, even though we had to come to the house wearing a mask, they also provided extra masks, as well,” Woodham said.
The Pan-Hellenic president, Rachel May, in addition to other members of the executive board and recruitment staff, were also out in Greek Village ensuring people were spaced out and had masks on.
“Every chapter was extremely aware that Bid Day is a university event, which means it has to follow the university policy of having no more than 50 people at the event," May said. "At times, there was Mary and our Pan-Hellenic adviser out there counting people to make sure that they were following those rules.”