#SweetHomeBetaZeta
Bid Day 2024 drew untold numbers of parents, siblings and friends of some 960, primarily freshmen, women who “ran home” to the one of 13 Panhellenic Conference sororities they mutually chose. The new members donned T-shirts bearing the colors and recruitment themes of their respective sororities and lined up near Theta Pond, before being released in groups to walk, and ultimately run, to their houses.
At Kappa Alpha Theta, 57 new members wore themed “Welcome to the Jungle” white tees bearing leopards with gold skin and black spots; members wore black tees with matching artwork. A safari jeep was pulled atop the Theta front lawn, from which exuberant celebrants snapped multiple party pics.
That Saturday was a sweltering 105 degrees -- the hottest weekend of the summer -- and attendees were slick with sweat. But for the new members and their Theta family who embraced them, the day brought the thrill and excitement of a chilly Christmas morning.
“I went into rush with an open mind, but from the beginning Zoom rounds with Thetas to the in-person parties that followed, I couldn’t stop smiling. Thetas were so welcoming.”
Said an ecstatic Peyten Pregler, a marketing major from Bartlesville.
Konner Bickerstaff of Ada said Pref Night is what made up her mind. Not to mention the bond she quickly formed with sophomore Breann Louters of central California. Both are elementary education majors, and laughed a lot, but also dove into deep issues, Konner said.
“I felt so welcome every time I entered the house.”
Said Kate Moeller, a Bixby native and one of 120 in OSU’s new President’s Leadership Class. Moeller, who was born with the bone growth disorder Achondroplasia, was particularly interested in the philanthropies of the respective sororities, she said. She’s been active since seventh grade in the National Charity League.
Hannah Frazier, a geology/pre-dental major of Frisco, Texas “loved all of it,” she said. “It was stressful, but so rewarding. Think big; love everybody!”
“While in the Theta house, I learned there’s so much inward versus outward diversity … whether you’re the firstborn or middle child, have divorced parents, or are on a limited budget,” Dyer said. “Not everybody is the same. But if you learn their personal stories, you can become great friends.”
Tulsan and alumna Jessica Dyer, daughter of Indian immigrants, member of Beta Zeta Pledge Class ‘93 and mother to one of the 2024 new members, celebrates the diversity among this year’s new class.
Jessica with her family welcoming her daughter, Izzy, home!
