FRATERNITY & SORORITY LIFE @ DENISON UNIVERSITY2
ΑAlpha (al-fah)
ΒBeta (bay-tah)
ΓGamma (gam-ah)
ΔDelta (del-tah)
ΕEpsilon
(ep-si-lon)
ΖZeta (zay-tah)
ΗEta (ay-tah)
ΘTheta (thay-tah)
ΙIota (eye-o-tah)
ΚKappa (cap-ah)
ΛLambda
(lamb-dah)
ΜMu (mew)
ΝNu (new)
ΞXi (zz-eye)
ΟOmicron
(om-ah-cron)
ΠPi (pie)
ΡRho (row)
ΣSigma (sig-mah)
ΤTau (tawh)
ΥUpsilon
(yoop-si-lon)
ΦPhi (figh)
ΧChi (kigh)
ΨPsi (sigh)
ΩOmega
(o-may-gah)
WELCOME FROM THE COUNCILS
Welcome to Fraternity
and Sorority Life at
Denison University!
Greek-lettered organizations are
among the oldest organizations
at Denison and are filled with rich
history and traditions on campus.
Fraternities and sororities are
values-based organizations that
focus on aligning values to direct
their missions and activities.
Some of these driving values
include scholastic achievement,
commitment to community
service and philanthropy,
leadership, lasting brotherhood
and sisterhood, and networking
opportunities in college
and beyond. Members of fraternity
and sorority life have high GPA
averages, raise thousands of dollars
for their philanthropies, and
together have completed roughly
2,000 service hours each semester.
Each fraternity or sorority belongs
to one of the four governing
councils at Denison who unite and
support each organization. It is
these councils that then unite the
groups as a larger Fraternity and
Sorority Community.
This publication will help you
explore our groups and provide
insight about what Denison
Fraternity and Sorority Life has
to offer. We always encourage
students to explore opportunities
that align with their personal values,
goals and interests, whether social,
academic, athletic or spiritual and
we hope that Fraternity and Sorority
Life will be just the place!
GREEK ALPHABET
AND PRONUNCIATIONS
FRATERNITY & SORORITY LIFE @ DENISON UNIVERSITY 3
IFCInterfraternity Council
CHAPTERS BY COUNCIL
ΒΘΠ ΔΧ
ΛΧΑΚΣ ΣΧ
BETA THETA PI DELTA CHI
LAMBDA CHI ALPHAKAPPA SIGMA SIGMA CHI
Founded August 8, 1839, Miami University (Oxford Ohio)
Nickname Betas
Motto Firmam Consensus Facit (Cooperation Makes Strength)
Colors Pink and Blue
Philanthropy Big Brothers Big Sisters
Website www.betathetapi.org
Founded October 13, 1890 Cornell University
Nickname D-Chis
Motto Leges (Law)
Colors Red and Buff
Philanthropy V Foundation for Cancer Research
Website www.deltachi.org
Founded November 2, 1909 Boston University
Nickname Lambdas or Lambda Chis
Motto Vir Quisque Vir (Every Man a Man)
Colors Purple, Green and Gold
Philanthropy Feeding America
Website www.lambdachi.org
Founded December 10, 1869 University of Virginia
Nickname Kappa Sigs
Motto Bononia Docet (Bologna Teaches)
Colors Scarlet, White, Emerald Green
Philanthropy A greater cause to Military Heroes
Website www.kappasigma.org
Founded June 28, 1855, Miami University (Oxford Ohio)
Nickname Sig Chis
Motto In Hoc Signo Vinces (In This Sign You Shall Conquer)
Colors Blue and Old Gold
Philanthropy Children’s Miracle Network and Huntsman Cancer Institute
Website www.sigmachi.org
GREEK ALPHABET
AND PRONUNCIATIONS
FRATERNITY & SORORITY LIFE @ DENISON UNIVERSITY4
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DID YOU KNOW...
Former Senator Richard Lugar
(ΒΘΠ), Jennifer Garner (ΠΒΦ)
and Woody Hayes (ΣΧ) were all
students at Denison and members
of Fraternity/Sorority Life?
MGC Multicultural Greek Council
CHAPTERS BY COUNCIL
ΧΣΤ CHI SIGMA TAUNATIONAL FRATERNITY, INC.
Founded September 9, 1999 University of Illinois at Chicago
Nickname Chi Sigs or CST
Motto Leaders, Not Followers
Colors Green and Gray
Website www.chisigmatau. webs.com
ΦΙΑ PHI IOTA ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.
Founded December 26, 1931
Nickname Phiotas or Phi-A
Motto Semper Parati, Semper Juncti
Colors Gold, Navy Blue, Red, White
Philanthropy UNICEF
Website www.phiota.info
SIGMA LAMBDA GAMMA NATIONAL SORORITY, INC.
Founded April 9, 1990, University of Iowa
Nickname Gammas
Motto Cultura es Orgullo, Orgullo es Exito (Culture is Pride, Pride is Success)
Colors Shocking Pink and Majestic Purple
Philanthropy Breast Cancer Awareness and TRIO Programs
Website www.sigmalambda gamma.com
ΣΛΓ
ALPHA SIGMA RHO SORORITY, INC.
Founded April 2, 1998
Nickname Alpha Sigs or ASR
Motto Strength in Unity
Colors Red, White, Silver
Philanthropy National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
Website denisonasr.wix.com/home
AΣP
FRATERNITY & SORORITY LIFE @ DENISON UNIVERSITY 5
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DID YOU KNOW...
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
was the first NPHC organization
to join Denison’s campus in
November of 1985. It sparked
the growth of NPHC with the
addition of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc. just a month later!
NPHCNational Pan-Hellenic Council
CHAPTERS BY COUNCIL
ΑKΑALPHA KAPPA ALPHASORORITY, INC.
Founded January 15, 1908, Howard University
Nickname AKAs
Motto By Culture and By Merit
Colors Salmon Pink and Apple Green
Programs Launching New Dimensions of Service, International Community Impact Days, ASCEND Enrichment Program
Website www.aka1908.com
ΦΒΣ PHI BETA SIGMAFRATERNITY, INC.
Founded January 9, 1914, Howard University
Nickname Sigmas
Motto Culture for Service, Service for Humanity
Colors Royal Blue and Pure White
Programs Bigger and Better Business, and Aims Educational and Social Action
Website www.phibetasigma1914.org
ΣΓΡSIGMA GAMMA RHOSORORITY, INC.
Founded November 12, 1922, Butler University
Nickname SGRhos
Motto Greater Service, Greater Progress
Colors Royal Blue and Gold
Emphasis Scholarship, Sisterhood and Service
Website www.sgrho1922.org
ΑΦΑ ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.
Founded December 4, 1906, Howard University
Nickname Alphas
Motto First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All
Colors Black and Old Gold
Aims Manly Deeds, Scholarship and Love for All Mankind
Website www.alpha-phi-alpha.com
ΔΣΘDELTA SIGMA THETASORORITY, INC.
Founded January 13, 1913, Howard University
Nickname Deltas, DST
Motto Intelligence is the Torch of Wisdom
Colors Crimson and Cream
Programs Five-Point Thrust-Econo- mic Development, Educational Development, International Awareness and Involvement, Physical and Mental Health, Political Awareness and Involvement
Website www.deltasigmatheta.org
FRATERNITY & SORORITY LIFE @ DENISON UNIVERSITY6
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DID YOU KNOW...
The Kappa Alpha Theta (ΚΑΘ)
house is the first frame house
built in the village of Granville,
in 1808?
ΔΔΔ ΠΒΦ
ΚΚΓ
DELTA DELTA DELTA PI BETA PHI
KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA
Founded November 27, 1888, Boston University
Nickname Tri Delta
Motto Let us steadfastly love one another
Colors Silver, Gold, Cerulean Blue
Philanthropy St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Website www.tridelta.org
ΚΑΘ KAPPA ALPHA THETA
Founded January 27, 1870, DePauw University
Nickname Theta or K-A-Ts
Tag Line Leading Women
Colors Black and Gold
Philanthropy Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Website www.kappaalphatheta.org
ΔΓ DELTA GAMMA
Founded December 25, 1873, Lewis School for Girls, Oxford, Mississippi
Nickname D-G
Motto Do Good
Colors Bronze, Pink and Blue
Philanthropy Delta Gamma Foundation, Service for Sight
Website www.deltagamma.org
Founded April 28, 1867, Monmouth College
Nickname Pi Phi
Tag Line Friends and Leaders for Life
Core Values Integrity, Lifelong Commitment, Honor and Respect, Personal and Intellectual Growth, Philanthropic Service to Others, Sincere Friendship
Colors Wine and Silver Blue
Philanthropy Pi Beta Phi Foundation, Literacy, Arrowmont
Website www.pibetaphi.org
Founded October 13, 1870, Monmouth College
Nickname Kappa or KKG
Tag Line Aspire to Be
Colors Dark Blue and Light Blue
Philanthropy Reading Is Fundamental, The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation
Website www.kappa.org
PHC Panhellenic Council
CHAPTERS BY COUNCIL
ACTIVE The exact meaning of this term varies from group to group, but generally it means an undergraduate who currently pays dues and participates in chapter events.
ALUMNUS/ALUMNA A member who has graduated. Alumnus is the masculine, alumna the feminine.
ALUMNI/ALUMNAE The plurals of alumnus and alumna, respectively. When both men and women are meant, alumni is the term most often used, although alumna is also appropriate (it’s the Latin neuter plural).
BID A formal invitation to join a Greek organization.
BIG BROTHER/BIG SISTER An initiated member of an organization paired with an uninitiated member to help them through the member education period. Often referred to as a ‘Big’.
ASPIRANT/CANDIDATE A term used by some MGC and NPHC organizations to refer to members that have submitted their application packet and been approved to go through the intake process.
CROSSED The date of initiation into an NPHC organization and some MGC organizations.
CHAPTER The smallest self-supporting unit of a Greek organization. Chapters are a campus extension of an inter/national organization.
COLONY A group petitioning to form a new chapter.
CONTINUOUS OPEN BIDDING (COB) A process in which a woman can be offered a bid after the formal recruitment process within PHC.
DRY Alcohol-free and substance-free events. Recruitment and new member periods are dry by inter/national standards.
FORMAL RECRUITMENT A period of time during which chapters select their new members through a formal, structured process.
FRATERNITY A Greek letter organization, which may admit men, women, or both. Although many people use ‘fraternity’ to refer exclusively to men’s groups, many women’s groups officially call themselves fraternities, and the most proper term for them is Women’s Fraternities.
HAZING Mental or physical harm done to a new member of an organization. Hazing is against university policy and Ohio law.
INFORMAL RECRUITMENT A continuous, open recruitment period for organizations with less structure.
INTAKE Name for the process by which interested person become members of most MGC and NPHC organizations.
INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL (IFC) The governing council for men’s fraternities.
LINE The members of an MGC or NPHC new member class.
MULTICULTURAL GREEK COUNCIL (MGC) The governing council for Asian, Latina/Latino, and Multicultural organizations, for both men and women.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL A Greek organization with many chapters, which have a single governing body. Chapters belonging to national organizations generally have chapter letters, as well as national letters – for instance, Denison is home to the Beta Zeta Chapter of Delta Gamma.
NATIONAL PANHELLENIC CONFERENCE (NPC) The governing body of the 26 member organizations and of Panhellenic Associations and Councils on college campuses.
CONTINUED ON BACK >>
REFERENCE
Greek Life Glossary
FRATERNITY & SORORITY LIFE @ DENISON UNIVERSITY 7
For more information about Fraternity and Sorority Life @ Denison:
Fraternity and Sorority Life Denison University
P 740.587.6394 F 740.587.8250
W denison.edu/clic
FB facebook.com/DenisonCLIC
A 310 Slayter Union Granville, Ohio 43023
NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL (NPHC) The governing council for historically African American organizations, for both men and women – name can be used for the national umbrella organization and the local council.
NEOPHYTE The new member of an MGC or NPHC organization that has just been initiated.
NEW MEMBER/ASSOCIATE Someone who has accepted a bid to join a Greek organization, but has not yet been initiated.
NEW MEMBER PERIOD The time between the acceptance of a bid and initiation. Chapters generally take this time to educate their new members in the organization’s history and traditions. Pledging is an older term still in use by some organizations.
NORTH-AMERICAN INTERFRATERNITY CONFERENCE (NIC) The governing body of up to 65 member organizations and of Interfraternity Councils on college campuses. Some member organizations are also members of NPHC and NALFO.
PANHELLENIC COUNCIL (PHC) The governing council for NPC sororities.
PLEDGE A term some organizations use to mean new member.
POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER (PNM) A college woman who participates in PHC recruitment.
PROBATE Official public reveal/display of new initiates in the form of a step/dance, typically held by MGC and NPHC organizations.
RITUAL The sacred ceremonies practiced by every chapter of a Greek lettered organization. Generally secret.
RECRUITMENT A series of events offering members and potential members the opportunity to get to know each other.
RUSH An older term for recruitment that is no longer used. Replaced with Recruitment.
SOROR A fellow member of an NPHC sorority.
SORORITY A Greek letter organization, which admits only women. The term did not come into common use until later in the 20th century.
GET IN TOUCHGREEK LIFE GLOSSARY, CONT’D
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