GREEK ALPHABET - Its all Greek to Me!

Α        ALPHA (AL-fuh)
Β        BETA (BAY-tuh)
Γ        GAMMA (GAM-uh)
Δ        DELTA (DEL-tuh)
Ε        EPSILON (EP-sil-on)
Ζ        ZETA (ZAY-tuh)
Η       ETA (AY-tuh)
Θ     THETA (THAY-tuh)
Ι          IOTA (eye-OH-tuh)
Κ       KAPPA (KAP-uh)
Λ        LAMBDA (LAM-duh)
Μ      MU (MYOO)
Ν    NU (NOO)
Ξ        XI (ZA-EYE)
Ο       OMICRON (OM-i-KRON)
Π       PI (PIE)
Ρ        RHO (ROW)
Σ     SIGMA (SIG-muh)
Τ        TAU (TAU)
Υ        UPSILON (UP-si-LON)
Φ       PHI (F-EYE)
Χ     CHI (K-EYE)
Ψ       PSI (SIGH)
Ω    OMEGA (oh-MAY-guh)

 

GREEK TERMS that you may hear...   

Sorority. A group of women bonded together by their ritual that contains the founding principles, ideals and aspirations of the group.

Fraternity. A group of men bonded together by their ritual that contains the founding principles, ideals, and aspirations of the group. Due to their historical beginnings, some women's organizations are officially referred to as fraternities as well.

Active. An initiated collegiate member who is currently paying dues to an undergraduate chapter.

New Member. A woman who has accepted a sorority’s bid for membership but has not been initiated.

Legacy. Someone who's mother, father, sister or brother, are members of a particular Greek-letter organization. Some may consider having a Greek aunt or an uncle a legacy also.

Bid. An invitation to membership extended to a prospective member.

Bid Day. The last day of recruitment that includes a reception at the chapter house.

Big Sister. The new member selects an active member to serve as her Big Sister. This initiated member serves as a resource, role model and problem solver for the new member.

Chapter. The local group of undergraduate students on a particular campus recognized by the university and the (inter)national organization.

Sister. A term used by sorority members to refer to one another.

Recruitment. The organized period for the recruitment of prospective new members. For IFC fraternities, formal rush takes place in the first few weeks of school. For Panhellenic sororities, formal recruitment occurs at the start of each fall semester. For MGC and NPHC organizations, recruitment is called "Intake" and is conducted separately during the semester with permission of their International organizations.

Silence. Time periods before and during formal Recruitment during which there is no contact between sorority members and PNMs. This limitation ensures fair recruiting.

Potential New Member (PNM). A woman who is participating in recruitment.

Quota. The maximum number of new members a sorority may accept through Recruitment.

Recommendation. A written letter sent by an alumna recommending a woman for membership in a sorority.

Recruitment Counselor (Rho Gamma). A sorority member who leads a Recruitment group through the stages of Recruitment. She is unbiased and willing to honestly answer any questions about sororities and Recruitment.

Initiation. A spiritually based ritual which marks the acceptance of a lifetime commitment to the fraternity or sorority.

Interfraternic Council (IFC). The governing body of the ???? "traditional" fraternities at The University of Houston

Panhellenic Council (PC)
The governing body of the six (6) National Panhellenic Conference sororities at UH.

National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)
The governing body of the ???? historically African-American fraternities and sororities at UH.

Multicultural Greek Council (MGC)
The governing body of the culturally-based fraternities/sororities at UH that are not members of IFC, PC, or NHPC.