Greek Speak

Active: a person who has been initiated into a lifelong membership of a fraternity or sorority and is in good standing with this organization.
Alumnus/Alumna: a fraternity or sorority member who is no longer a student
Alumni/Alumnae: more than one fraternity or sorority member who are no longer students

BGLI: Buckeye Greek Leadership Institute; an institute sponsored by the Ohio Union to enhance the leadership development of Greek students
Badge: the symbol worn by initiated members of a Greek-letter organization
Bid: a formal invitation to join a Greek-letter organization
Big: short for "Big Sister" or “Big Brother”; an active member to serve as a mentor for new members
Brother: an initiated member of a fraternity

Chapter: the campus group of a national Greek-letter organization
Chapter Consultant: an alumna or alumnus who establishes and maintains a close advisory relationship with a chapter and serves as a teacher, counselor, and friend
Colony: a student organization in the final stage before to being installed as a chartered chapter of a Greek-letter organization
Colors: the official pair or triad of colors that represent a specific Greek organization
Continuous Open Bidding (COB): a process that allows chapters who have membership opportunities available to continuously recruit and bid new members outside of the official recruitment period

Deactivate: the formal process by which an initiated member disaffiliates him/herself from the chapter
Deferred Joining: no student can join a Greek organization until he/she has accumulated 12 credit hours at OSU and
earned a GPA of at least 2.25
Dry: term used to describe events where alcohol is forbidden. All recruitment events are dry events.

Exchange: an activity where the members of one Greek-letter group visits the chapter of another Greek-letter group for a social event
Extension: the process of establishing new chapters

Formal Recruitment: the official recruitment period of the school year; held in January
Founders' Day: the date celebrating the original founding of a Greek-letter organization
Fraternity: an individual men’s Greek-letter organization

Good Standing: a status reached upon the fulfillment of all financial, scholastic, and behavioral obligations to a chapter
Greeks: students affiliated with Greek-letter organizations
Greek Week: an annual five-day period in spring quarter that celebrates the positive aspects of belonging to a Greek letter organization

Hazing: any willful act or practice by a member directed against a member or associate member, which is likely to: cause bodily harm or danger, offensive punishment, or disturbing pain; compromise his/her dignity; cause embarrassment or public shame; cause him/her to be the object of malicious amusement or ridicule; cause psychological harm or substantial emotional strain; impair academic efforts. Hazing is forbidden with in the Greek Community at The Ohio State University and is against Ohio law.
House: a chapter's physical facility
House Director - a man/woman residing in a chapter house that is a friend, advisor, host, and chaperone

Inactive: a member attending the same institution in which his/her undergraduate chapter is located who has no material participation in undergraduate chapter activities
Informal Recruitment: a continuous, open rush period with no specific activities of recruiting and pledging
Initiate: a member who is undergoing or has undergone the initiation ceremony
Initiation/Initiation Ceremony: a formal ceremony by which new members become active members
Installation: the establishment of a new chapter
Intake: specific recruitment process utilized by the PHC chapters
Interfraternity Council (IFC): the governing body of the fraternities at Ohio State

Lavaliere: a piece of jewelry with the letters of one's chapter
Lavaliering: the practice of a fraternity member giving his lavaliere to a woman, signifying their committed relationship
Legacy: a member whose mother, sister, or grandmother was a member of the same sorority, or a member whose father, brother, or grandfather was a member of the same fraternity
Letters: a specific group of Greek letters chosen to represent the specified Greek organization
Line: a PHC new member class
Little: short for "Little Sister" or “Little Brother”

New Member: a person who has accepted a bid to join a Greek-letter organization, but has not yet been initiated
New Member Period: the time between the acceptance of a bid and initiation

Panhellenic Association (PHA): the governing body of sororities at Ohio State
Pan Hellenic Council (PHC): the governing body of African-American fraternities and sororities at Ohio State
Philanthropy: an event in which a Greek-letter organization will raise money for a designated non-profit organization
Pin: the symbol worn by initiated members of a Greek-letter organization; also another name for a badge
Pinning: the practice of a fraternity member giving his badge to a woman
Probate: introduction of new line members of a PHC chapter to the Greek Community

Quota: the established maximum number of people allowed to join a chapter of a Greek letter organization during formal recruitment

Recruitment Counselor: an initiated member of a sorority who guides potential sorority members through formal recruitment
Ritual: the sacred ceremonies practiced by every chapter of a Greek letter organization

Yard: term used to describe the campus or area, which the PHC chapters are affiliated with