Members of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and freshman pledges gather to celebrate outside of the Chi Omega sorority house Sunday morning as part of the panhellenic council’s Bid Day. (REBECCA HANNA/The Daily Campus – ©2010)

The slight drizzle in the air didn’t dampen the celebration around Sorority Row Sunday afternoon.

Members of both fraternities and sororities gathered to celebrate Bid Day and their new pledge classes.

“As a Greek person… I’m really excited,” Student Body President Jake Torres said. Torres is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

“I see a lot of quality kids coming. It’s a great day to be Greek at SMU. I think we’re going to have an amazing semester, and I’m very proud of the new additions to the IFC and Panhellenic councils.”

New sorority members received their bids in the Hughes-Trigg ballroom around 12 p.m. Upon learning of their new houses, the new members then participated in the traditional Bid Day Run, known to some as the “Pig Run” (although use of this nickname is considered derogatory by SMU and Greek officials).

Some new members ran, while others walked, from Hughes-Trigg down Airline Road to their new houses.

“Oh gosh, I was so out of breath,” freshman and new Kappa Kappa Gamma pledge Courtney Michalek said. “I’m not a big runner, so the run from the Hughes-Trigg to the Kappa house was a bit difficult for me, but I stuck through it and I ran the entire thing.”

Fraternity members gathered on the sidelines to cheer on the new sorority members. A few chastised the walking members with, “It’s a Bid Day run, not walk!”

Recruitment Week features several social activities designed to help potential new members find the right house for them and for chapters to find new members.

“Rush Week was absolutely insane,” Michalek said. “It wasn’t as intimidating as people usually think it’s going to be. It was really exciting; it was really fun. In the end, it’s clearly worth everything.”

Michalek decided to pledge Kappa Kappa Gamma because, she says, she loves the girls and felt at home.

“I’m just so happy with my decision, and I would do it all over again in a second,” she said.

Freshman Jacob Odom agreed that Recruitment was a lot of fun. Odom said he decided to join a fraternity because he thought it would “be a lot of fun” and provided good connections and friends. Odom chose to pledge Beta Theta Pi.

Official numbers for new members won’t be released until next week, according to Kristal Statler, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life.