Bid day, bid day, bid day.  It seems like that’s all that was posted on the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds of sorority and fraternity members during the event. Naturally, most of the said postings were nothing but positive.

And why shouldn’t they be? Isn’t it everyone’s dream when they get to college to pay hundreds of dollars a month to make friends, feed the homeless and proudly wear a few letters because somebody told somebody that they meant something special?

All cynicism aside, being a part of Greek life gives young adults an opportunity to feel a part of something higher than themselves. It is in the highest interests of the individual in the sorority or fraternity to look out for their fellow siblings to ensure they succeed (or in some cases, to ensure they don’t bring down the whole group with them).

From various bid day photos, the newest brothers and sisters looked extremely happy with the rest of their organization. In fact, I do not know a single soul in Greek life who regrets being a part of it. However, I still cannot help but to have my own personal doubts.

I noticed on Facebook that my female friends who are in sororities were posting to their newest little sisters things like “Welcome home!” or “I’m so glad you’re a part of our family!” over and over again without any personal recognition. “Home” and “family” are extremely intimate terms that should not be cheapened.

How can you call somewhere your home when you’ve barely begun to experience anything with your non-blood-related family? It all seems very forced: everything down to the matching T-shirts, as if they were little kids lost in Disney World trying to find their missing counterparts. Cute as it may be, it’s still slightly disturbing.

I don’t believe it is always as happy-go-lucky as the kids in the bid day pictures. College kids, including myself, often hear horror stories of Greek life. Initiations into some fraternities or sororities can be supposedly embarrassing and just downright ugly.

I will most likely never know, and that is just fine with me. I have plenty of friends, I can drop a dollar into the man with the cardboard sign’s cup, and sure, I’ll learn the Greek alphabet. My personal experiences are priceless after all.