It’s early September, and Salem’s campus is buzzing with the sounds of new friendship built over coffee and dessert dates. For our First Years and Juniors, this can only mean one thing: it’s Big/Little season! Big/Little, one of Salem’s oldest and most beloved traditions, provides one of many opportunities for new students to bond with the upperclasswomen and receive advice, support, and love.
During Big/Little, each First Year gets to know a Junior, who receives permission from the First Year to become her Big Sister. Big Sisters serve as guides and friends, often forming unique bonds that last over time and distance.
Though this tradition is one of the most dear at Salem, keeping the process running smoothly takes an effort. Just ask the Class of 2016’s Big/Little Co-chairs, Mary Lauren McMillon and Raechel Nelson, who have been working tirelessly to make the connections between Bigs and Littles as easy as possible. Between weekly mixers, including a Social Media event, Speed Dating, a Big/Little Social, and an online survey created to match First Years to Juniors based on compatibility, there have been opportunities to meet and bond between the classes. These events have all had one purpose: to help you find your suitable match.
Compatible matches are a big component of this year’s selection, as according to Co-chair Raechel Nelson, “for every big there is a little, and for every little there is a big.” Big/Little Selection will happen on September 14th, and the Reveal is on September 19th. The week after that is Fall Fest day, a special day for new Bigs and Littles! Traditionally, after each class’s evening skit, they present their Big/Little sister class with gifts corresponding to each year.
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