Students decide to go Greek

On Oct. 1 Iona’s sororities and fraternities, affiliated with the Council for Greek Governance, celebrated Bid Night in the Hynes Gymnasium. The night, in which prospective students announce their intentions to join sororities or fraternities of their choice, marks the end of a long recruitment process run by Iona’s CGG.

Throughout the recruiting process, prospective students are given access to sororities or fraternities that they are contemplating becoming members of. Each night, they are able to see different Greek organizations and meet their members and presidents. By being given access to the daily routines associated with Greek life, students are able to decide if joining a fraternity or sorority is a step they truly want to take.

For each specific sorority and fraternity, Bid Night is extremely important. Going into the night, organizations are unaware of which prospective students have chosen to accept their bids, or invitations to join a specific organization. The night. in essence, ensures the continuation of each Greek organization’s traditions into the next generation of Iona students, making the night special for all those involved.

This special feeling is extended not only for the newly recruited Greek life members, but for those who have already been involved  in Greek life as well. There is something about Bid Night that has an air of nostalgia to it.

“Bid night is special because everyone in fraternity and sorority life can remember what it felt like to be accepting your bid,” said Lauren Zanfardino, a sophomore at the college and a member of Phi Sigma Sigma.  “I can still remember my roommate telling me to ‘not trip!’ Our bid night ceremony is our official way of welcoming and congratulating the new members of our community.”

For those already involved in Greek life, Bid Night is a demonstration of their individual hopes to get more people involved on campus. 

“I hope that people try to learn more about what is going on with fraternity and sorority life at Iona,” Zanfardino said. “Going greek was one of the best decisions i’ve made at Iona. It may not be for everyone, I didn’t even think it was for me. But now after being a part of my organization for a semester I can not picture life without being involved.”

Becoming a member of Iona’s Greek life has many benefits, including building life-long bonds with people you may not have gotten the chance to know. From the Greek perspective, Bid Night marks the beginning of the friendships that will be forged in the coming weeks, months and years of involvement.