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Fraternities and Sororities: the secret history of Greek societies
While the secretive worlds of fraternities and sororities are not too familiar outside of North America, within the US they play a large part in university life. If you are considering studying in the US either as an international student, or as part of a study abroad program for your university degree, you will no doubt come into contact with fraternities and sororities, and it may help to know a little about these organizations before you get there.
The names fraternity and sorority come from the Latin words frater and soror meaning brother and sister. In the United States and Canada, fraternities and sororities are most commonly known as social organizations for undergraduate students. Fraternities are usually formed of all-male ‘frats’ while sororities are usually all female, though some co-ed organizations do exist. Fraternities and sororities do exist outside of North America, most notably in the Philippines and in some European countries, but for the most part they are a decidedly American institution.
The general purpose of fraternities and sororities is to provide social support for their members, including both national and international students. Other types of fraternities emphasize service to the community, professional advancement, or scholastic achievement.
Many fraternities and sororities are national or international organizations with chapters at individual schools. Most top universities in the US have chapters on campus and some even house the organizations' headquarters or ‘nationals’ on their campus. The societies’ headquarters helps to decide and standardize policies regarding membership, housing and behavior of members.
Traditionally North American fraternities and sororities use two or three Greek letters to form their name and/or motto. This explains why fraternities and sororities are often referred to as ‘Greek societies’. Phi Beta Kappa, founded on December 5, 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia is generally held to be the first organization to use Greek letters in its name. Sigma Phi, founded on 4 March 1827 in Union College, New York is reported to be the first fraternity to go national when it opened a second chapter at Hamilton College in 1831. Pi Beta Phi, founded in 1867 at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois was the first sisterhood, based on the model of male fraternity.
Today there are over 1500 fraternities and sororities in existence that use Greek letters in their name. Many Greek organizations are informally known more by their nicknames than their Greek letters. For example, Alpha Epsilon Pi is more commonly referred to as ‘A-E-Pi’ and Kappa Alpha Order is known as ‘KA’. Sometimes an invented word based on the letters, such as ‘Pike’ from Pi Kappa Alpha, or ‘Sammy’ from Sigma Alpha Mu is used. At other times the letters of the organization are shortened or removed completely, for example Psi Upsilon as ‘Psi U’ and Pi Kappa Phi as ‘Pi Kapp.’ Some organizations choose to go by just the dominant letter in their name, these include ‘Betas’ for Beta Theta Pi, ‘Kappas’ for Kappa Kappa Gamma, ‘Delts’ for Delta Tau Delta, and ‘Thetas’ for Kappa Alpha Theta.
The process of joining a fraternity or sorority by undergraduates or international students usually begins with ‘Rush Week.’ During rush week a series of events and activities are organized by existing members so potential members can learn about each other and the organization. At the end of rush week, the various organizations offer ‘bids’ or invitations of membership.
There is often a period of ‘pledgeship’ before a full invitation to the society is extended. The pledgeship period serves as a probationary period in the fraternity or sorority membership process where both the organization and the pledge decide they are compatible and will have a fulfilling experience. During this time ‘pledges’ must fulfill a number of requirements that may be imposed either by the school or the organization itself, often including a minimum grade point average, wearing a pledge pin, learning about the history and structure of the fraternity or sorority, and performing a public service.
Student Survival Guide