Every year around this time the freshman are startled and confused by the sounds of chanting, singing and yelling from the houses around the lake. Many freshman have no idea what many of the letters, traditions, strange terms and chants mean, so here’s the long and short of it.

Rider has 12 social Greek organizations. There are four fraternities, which are Greek organizations for men. They include Alpha Epsilon Pi, Zeta Beta Tau, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Phi Kappa Tau. In addition there are four sororities, which are Greek organizations for women. They are Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Phi Epsilon, Zeta Tau Alpha and Phi Sigma Sigma. There are also four cultural Greek organizations: Delta Sigma Theta, Lambda Theta Alpha, Lambda Theta Phi and Phi Beta Sigma. Each of these organizations is often referred to as a House. There is also a wealth of business, leadership, academic, honors and service co-educational Greek organizations.

Throughout the year Greeks have many different traditional events in which they participate.

One of the important traditions is Bid Day, which took place on Oct. 3. During the week before Bid Day the fraternities hand out bids, which are invitations to join the organization. The sororities have a series of events called “formal rush” where potential members attend events at each sorority and decide which house they want to join. On Bid Day, the entire Greek community gathers on the Bart Luedeke Center patio and chants, yells and sings while waiting to find out who accepted bids and who the new members will be that semester. For many this is the beginning of their Greek experience. Junior Casey Kocsis, a sister of Alpha Xi Delta, said that her first Bid Day is one of her fondest memories.

“It’s hard to sum up an experience like Bid Day,” she said. “It was such an overwhelming rush of happiness when I received a bid to the house I felt most connected with. I can’t put into words the experience of running out onto the balcony and looking down at so many smiling faces of girls that I, for the first time, could call my sisters.”

Another significant event is Sweetheart Weekend. Traditionally, it spans over Thursday and Friday night into Saturday morning. On Thursday night all the fraternities go to each sorority house and nominate several girls to be their sweetheart. On Friday the sororities do the same for the fraternities. Then anyone who received a nomination either accepts or declines and writes a letter to the nominating organization explaining their choice. Out of all the people that accepted a nomination, each house chooses one sweetheart. The sweetheart is an honorary member of the fraternity or sorority. It is someone that the whole house considers special and worthy of wearing the organization’s letters.

Senior Audrey Marmol, a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma, said that her favorite part of Sweetheart Weekend is the anticipation.

“All the Greeks are there and everyone wants to know who’s going to be each house’s next sweet heart,” she said.

The final campus tradition of the year that involves the Greek community is Greek Week, a week of competitions which involves all the houses. The winner of each event receives points and the house with the most at the end of the week is the winner.

Senior Rob Schulte, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said that the highlight of the week is usually the lip synch contest, in which each house has to choreograph a dance to a mix of pop songs.

“There’s nothing funnier than 40 uncoordinated fraternity guys trying to dance like N’Sync,” he said.

Even independants have fun at these events.

“Even though I never joined a sorority, it’s nice that all the Greeks have always made me feel welcome at their events,” said senior Kayla Pacan.

Greek life is not all fun and games. The sorority GPA for the past year was 2.93 and the fraternity GPA was 2.74, making the all Greek GPA of 2.85 at Rider.

Campus involvement seems very important to Greeks, said freshman Viviana Franco.

“The Greeks seem like they are always willing to help out with all the activities,” she added.

For many students Greek life holds the fondest memories of their college career. Rider graduate Paul Caustin summarized his Greek experience.

“Greek life is one aspect of college life, a portion of a person which can lead to self discovery and learning,” he said. “Although not necessary in a college experience, it is a tool which can develop, educate and help a person in their life to come.”