The world of Fraternities and Sororities can be a little confusing, especially for new students and the parents of students. Between all the Alphas, Sigmas, Gammas, and Epsilons, there is a whole new language that Creighton Greek Community members learn. Here are a few terms that will help you understand Greek life and Recruitment a little bit better…
Alumna: An initiated member of a sorority who is no longer in college.
Badge: The sorority pin of an initiated member.
Bid: A formal invitation to join a fraternity or sorority.
Chapter: The local group of an (inter)national fraternity or sorority.
Dues: The fees of a sorority or fraternity membership.
Formal Recruitment: The period set aside for sorority membership selection.
Fraternity: The name applied to Greek organizations, including sororities. Informally, it refers to men’s groups.
IFC: The Interfraterity Council. IFC is the governing board for the men’s fraternity system.
Initiated member: A person who has been initiated into lifelong sorority or fraternity membership and is currently in college.
Initiation: The formal ceremony during which a potential member takes the final vows for full membership into a Greek organization.
(Inter)national: The central organization (headquarters) of an individual Greek organization.
Legacy: A person whose mother or father, grandmother or granfather, or sister or brother was a member of a certain Greek organization.
New Member: A member of a sorority or fraternity who is not yet initiated.
NIC: The North-American Interfraternity Conference. A national organization composed of 72 men's fraternities.
NPC: The National Panhellenic Conference. A national organization composed of the 26 (inter)nationally recognized women’s fraternities.
Panhellenic Council: The local coordinating and governing organization for sororities. The word “Panhellenic” means “All Greek.”
Philanthropy: A charity or service project sponsored by individual chapters.
Pledge Term: A period of learning about sorority and fraternity life prior to initiation.
Potential New Member: An undergraduate collegiate woman who participates in recruitment.
Pref: Preference, as in pref party, pref night (the last night of recruitment parties), “to pref” (the action of selecting one sorority over another).
Quota: A specified number of potential new members whom each sorority may pledge.
Recruitment Mentor: (Rho Mu) A collegiate woman who is available to answer any questions a potential new member may have about recruitment. As a representative of the Panhellenic Council, she has disaffiliated from her chapter during and proceeding the formal recruitment period.
