What is bid day?

Some say it's the best day of the year! But, technically it is the last day of formal recruitment where PNMs run to their new home. Each new member is welcomed into their new chapter with open arms, and the whole day is full of celebrations.

New member experience

All first-year Zetas go through the New Member Experience, GreekLife Education, Initiation and two post-Initiation lessons during the same semester as Primary Recruitment.

In Zeta Tau Alpha, we want our new members to have a positive and memorable experience throughout the New Member period. At Theta Tau, we provide our newest members with countless fun, exciting activities that will enable the future members of our sorority to learn about Zeta Tau Alpha's history, the sisters of our chapter, and the ideals of our founders. Even despite unavoidable factors like a global pandemic, our chapter has always done our best to ensure that our new members feel welcomed, and that they have a memorable and exciting experience as new members of Theta Tau. It is and has always been our goal to make our new members feel involved and comfortable immediately, and nothing can keep us from welcoming our new members into our ZTA family with open arms! Our Vice President II works closely with the New Member class and becomes a trusted mentor for them while teaching them all they need to know about Zeta Tau Alpha!

It’s important to note that our chapter has a strict no hazing policy. We strive to create a positive new member program, where we don't belittle or break down sisters we care about in order to "build them back up.” Instead our chapter embraces everyone just the way they are, and we show our new members how, they as individuals, will make ZTA even better! We are a family from the start that always loves one another and that is why our sisterhood is so special!

Big little

For new members, the big little experience can completely transform what sisterhood means to them. After accepting her bid, a new member chooses an older sister to guide and immerse her in the Zeta Tau Alpha membership experience. Big sisters not only teach what it means to be a Zeta, but what it means to be a loyal friend. This experience allows new members to explore a deeper connection to their sisters by having a mentor and friend who will always support them in being their best selves and reaching their fullest potential.

new member retreat

Theta Tau wants our newest sisters to know that Zeta Tau Alpha will always be their home away from home. In the weeks following bid day, our Vice President II plans a New Member Retreat full of fun bonding activities and sisterhood opportunities. In 2019, our new members split into randomized teams and took part in a field day, which ended with a “color run” obstacle course! The new members also got to meet new Zetas by working as a team. However, in 2020, things were (of course) a little different. In order to keep all of our sisters safe, new members were offered one hour time slots to participate in a socially-distanced, outdoor “retreat” that fully adhered to CDC and Orange County COVID-19 guidelines. There was also a time slot allotted to occur over Zoom to ensure that our members who were away from Chapel Hill for the semester could enjoy the retreat and bond with their new sisters. At the end of the day, the Zeta sisterhood is our first priority in Theta Tau, and offering a safe and fun new member retreat is an important part of that every year!