Lesson 2 Greek Life Objectives To explain the Greek heritage and terminology used on campus and have new members understand the Greek system and Phi Sigma Rho’s place as a social Greek organization

Greek Life What does Greek Life mean to you? Reasons to “Go Greek” –Leadership opportunities Future leaders –Build lifelong sisterhoods –Balancing academic and a social life –Philanthropy Giving back to the community –Scholarship One of the sorority’s values

Heraldry Heraldry of American college fraternities traces back to the centuries of the Crusades –If a knight wore a badge, he wore it proudly, for it distinguished and identified him Deeper concepts of Phi Sigma Rho are represented in our heraldry –Meanings are known only to initiated members –Symbols only become a reality when they are translated into action by those who aspire to be proud wearers of the badge of Phi Sigma Rho

Greek History First Greek organization was a fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa Society –Founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Virginia –Phi Beta Kappa resembled modern fraternities Held rituals Kept secrets Wore badges –Present day, Phi Beta Kappa is strictly an honors fraternity Kappa Alpha is the oldest men’s social fraternity The first social sorority was Adelphean Society –Founded in 1851 at Wesleyan College in Georgia –Later became Alpha Delta Pi and expanded to other campuses in 1913

Greek History National Interfraternity Conference (NIC) –Started in 1909 –Established to oversee all proceedings of fraternities and its members –Currently includes 66 fraternities National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) –Started in 1902 –Hosts all sororities and oversees the actions of its members –Currently includes 26 sororities –Phi Sigma Rho is not recognized by NPC as a national sorority, but can be locally recognized See

Major Based Social Greek Organizations Many social fraternities and sororities began with a major requirement Most fraternities and sororities have removed that requirement –Fraternities that have kept their requirement Triangle (engineering and sciences) AGR (agriculture) FarmHouse (agriculture) –Sororities that have kept their requirements Phi Sigma Rho Alpha Omega Epsilon (engineering and technical sciences) AGR (agriculture) A member of Phi Sigma Rho cannot be a member of another social sorority

Professional Greek Organizations Professional Greek organizations are focused on professional development –Major based requirement –Usually a grade requirement –Required to include male and female members –Professional Greek engineering fraternities Theta Tau (1904) Sigma Phi Delta (1924)

Academic/Honors Greek Organizations Academic/honors fraternities and service fraternities stand for high academic standing and community service –Largest service fraternity is Alpha Phi Omega Principles derived from the Boy Scouts of America –See the hand-out on “Non-Greek Greeks” A member of Phi Sigma Rho can be a member of academic and honors Greek organizations

Greek Terminology Sorority –The designation normally given to women fraternity on college campuses Potential New Member (PNM) –An undergraduate interested in joining a Greek organization Rush –A designated period of time for the recruitment of new members Induction –The ceremony in which a woman, who has accepted a bid, formally becomes an associate member Initiation –The ceremony in which a candidate member becomes an active member

Greek Terminology Ritual –The secret activities involved in induction and other aspects of the sorority Colony –An organization in progress of petitioning a national sorority for affiliation but not yet installed as a chapter Installation –The official chartering of a chapter by a national/international organization Chapter –A Greek organization on campus or a meeting of that organization Legacy –A relative of a fraternity/sorority member

Greek Terminology National Panhellenic Conference –The governing organization for 26 national women's social sororities InterFraternity Council –The governing body of male and co-ed social fraternities Order of Omega –National Greek leadership honors society

Greek Terminology Alpha to Omega –Each class and chapter is assigned a Greek letter and begins with Alpha –Some chapters choose to skip the Omega chapter and immediately begin using two letter designations, Alpha Alpha, Alpha Beta, etc. –Omega stands for the end and finality, and the interpretation is that the chapter will never end – chooses to the Omega class

Next Week Knowledge Assessment –Greek alphabet See page 15 of the member manual –Terminology