Discover Your NAU Greek Life Fit: Why Continuous Open Bidding Might Be Perfect for You
Beyond the Bid: a Guide to COB at NAU
By: Tarryn Weigand
If you hear “Bama Rush,” your mind might immediately go to the TikToks you might have seen showing the intensity of the formal recruitment process at Alabama universities.
It’s true — the formal process to join Greek life is a whole thing.
The process encompasses a series of days back-to-back days where new members meet every house on campus, and ultimately leads to a bid day celebration where the members “run home” to their sorority or fraternity.
The days may be long and weary and the process may seem overbearing and overwhelming.
However — if you’re curious about Greek Life but discouraged by the formal “rush” process — rest assured, there is a less stressful way to be involved in Greek life.
Enter Continuous Open Bidding
There’s also an informal recruitment process —Continuous Open Bidding, or COB for short. COB is lesser known and much more casual.
During the COB process, potential new members get to have more relaxed conversations with the chapters of their choosing.
There is typically a series of dates set in advance, and the events or activities are set up as an open house style, where PNMs (potential new members) can come and go as they please.
During these open houses, there are multiple girls from each sorority, or men in a fraternity, who are there to build conversations and get to know the PNMs.
Not only are these events much more laid-back, but there is also pressure relieved from both the PNM and the active members.
Events are held to specifically with the goal to get to know each PNM, and in return, let her or him get to know the chapter and its values.
Similar to the formal recruitment process, there is a Bid Day at the end of the informal recruitment process, where the new members are celebrated and “run home” to their new chapter.
In my chapter, Gamma Phi Beta, we have formal recruitment in the fall semester, and use the spring semester to COB.
Typically, spring recruitment is specifically for COB, because NAU’s formal recruitment process only takes place during the fall semester.
However, a chapter may decide not to COB in the spring due to high membership, and the limits on how many members can be active in the chapter at once.
Finding Your Fit
Many of my sisters, however, have found that COB is a perfect way to get to know each chapter individually, without the fluff that comes with formal recruitment.
Without all the “pressure” from fall recruitment, you can have easier discussions and a better understanding of the Greek Life scene overall.
One of my closest friends decided to COB last spring, and that’s how she fell in love with our chapter.
My big “adopted her” into our big-little family, and she has grown within Gamma Phi ever since. She now holds a position as a Chairwoman and has been able to be a light for other girls interested in COB.
Once initiated, there is NO difference between members who go through formal or informal recruitment — it’s simply a personal preference of which would be a better fit for the individual.
So, even if you’ve tried the formal recruitment and decided it wasn’t for you — you can always give COB a try!
If you’d like to learn more about Continuous Open Bidding, I strongly encourage you to do your research!
- Each Sorority and Fraternity at NAU has an Instagram account and are listed on NAU’s Panhellenic website.
- There you can identify the chapter values, mission, and philanthropy, all of which are vital parts of Greek Life.
Good luck Jacks! Have a great semester!
P.S. A plug for my chapter @gammaphibetanau ;)
