Bid Day

The “Running of the Whores” is a State College tradition that takes place each spring on Sorority Bid Day. The “babies” assemble in the stately chapel on campus, where they learn who their new sisters will be. When the ceremony comes to a close, they run from the chapel to their new houses, while all the Fraternities gather around to watch.

Spring recruitment is formal for sororities, meaning that every girl that is interested in joining Greek Life signs up before the semester, and they then visit each sorority on campus. There are different stages, where the girls that are rushing rank the houses they like and the sororities rank the girls they like. Each girl that goes through the process is guaranteed a bid to a sorority, and at the end of the process, they all gather in the chapel and receive their bid day shirts from their new sisters.

The sororities are all located down one road, so several members of the Fraternity gathered along it and watched the “Running of the Whores.” Nearby was a member of another chapter on campus, a house whose members stereotypically conform to the guido lifestyle. Guidos often have over-inflated egos and bring an intensity and competitiveness to normal, every day conversation and events. Needless to say, while they have carved out their own niche on campus, they are not well-liked beyond it.

As the “babies” came running down the hill toward Sorority row, the guide removed his shirt, presumed by attending members of the Fraternity as a way to show off for the new girls. Instead, as they got closer, he reached into the back pocket of his jeans and produced a Hebrew National. He reached back, wound up and fired the frank into a girl’s face while he serenaded her with “You’ll be seeing a lot more of those, sweetie!” making a simpleton reference to his reproductive organ.

When this story was told at meeting a few hours later, we all burst into laughter, whether it be at the guido for acting his stereotypical part, or merely at the absurdity of the action. The attending Fraternity members were a little too astonished and amused to take note of the girl’s reaction, but I’m sure she kept moving to avoid further embarrassment. I feel bad for the girl, but I can’t help but appreciate the humor in this tale.

I’ll close with a Donovan McNabb joke, since bashing him is so in vogue. My parents heard this during a homily this weekend.

Enter Donovan and Momma McNabb; Momma McNabb serves son some of his Chunky Soup.

“Mom, why is it that I always have to eat my soup out of a can?” Donovan asks his mother as she plops down his lunch.

“Because son, anytime you get around a Bowl, you choke.”