The National Panhellenic Council made the decision to move all organization “bid days” to a virtual format Sept. 9. The judgment affects all four Panhellenic sororities on Mercer’s campus—Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Chi Omega and Phi Mu—which are set to celebrate bid day on Friday.
Each of the 26 member organizations voted Tuesday to direct all chapters to transition to a virtual format for all bid days happening in the next 30 days, according to an email from the council.
“Our organizations want to continue partnering with colleges and universities to provide guidance that aligns with local/state public health guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” NPC said in the email.
Mercer’s four Panhellenic sororities were previously set to proceed with both virtual and in-person bid days. In-person bid days, however, were set to take place on off-campus locations in order to allow for adequate social distancing.
Panhellenic campus advisor Meredith Keating White said in a statement to The Cluster that Mercer Panhellenic continues to follow local and national guidelines to keep members safe.
“The chapters and council are excited to create a new and meaningful experience for new members of the Panhellenic community,” White said. “All council organizations and chapter organized events will be following this directive for 2020 Bid Day.”
Interfraternity Council fraternities are planned to proceed with in-person fall recruitment and bid day.
Mary Helene Hall ‘23 is a journalism and women’s and gender studies student who has worked for The Cluster throughout her time at Mercer. She has held internships at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and AL.com, where she covered a variety of topics including politics, crime and culture.
