Cheers echoed across Risman Plaza as Kent State’s sororities gathered to welcome nearly 200 new members into the Greek family last night.

Each of the six sororities added about 30 sisters to their chapters.

“This is the next four years of our chapter,” said Brittany Meinert, vice president of formal recruitment for Alpha Phi. “It’s a huge deal to get our new members, and everyone is really excited.”

The days before what sororities call “bid night” are spent getting to know the girls and helping them choose which house they want to join.

“It’s a mutual selection process,” said Megan Liddle, membership recruitment director for Sigma Sigma Sigma. “Basically the girls just go where they feel the best and where they feel like it’s their home away from home.”

Last night, chapters officially invited the girls to join their chapters. Each sorority came together outside of the Student Center wearing matching shirts, shouting chants and blowing air horns in anticipation of the bid announcements.

“We’ve been doing this for many years,” Meinert said. “It’s a huge tradition at Kent State.”

Chapter members then flooded into the building to claim spots near the ballroom’s stage. Future members lined up outside the doors, waiting to announce the sorority they would be joining.

“They gave us a card in an envelope that told us what sorority we got,” said freshman Breanne Yonkof, one of Delta Zeta’s new members. “[The chapter] doesn’t know which girls they’re getting, so they get really excited when our house is announced.”

After announcing their house, the members ran to their new sorority sisters and received a shirt with their “blocks,” or Greek letters, on it, making their membership official.

Erin Anderson, a new sister for Sigma Sigma Sigma, is a transfer student who joined Greek life to help meet new people.

“I didn’t get my first house choice,” she said. “I’m still happy with my decision though.”

This year, sororities had about half as much time to plan the events of the weekend, which left many sorority leaders rushing to plan everything.

“We’ve worked so hard this year for it,” Liddle said. “We’ve done so much preparation.”

Liddle also says their hard work paid off this year, which is evident from the high response they received from students.

“We have so many new girls,” she said. “It’s such an improvement from past years for formal recruitment.”

After each of the bids were read, the girls all returned to their chapters to celebrate with their new sisters.

“I’m so excited to meet everyone,” Yonkof said. “It’s going to be a fun year.”

Contact Greek life and ROTC reporter Kate Sheafer at [email protected].