Panhellenic History and GDIs!

[LPIDelta]

Well you might start with the thought that we are not trying to be "Greek" in the sense that we adopt Greek culture or Greek lanuguages--has anyone noticed that many of our mottos are written in Latin?

I believe our founders chose Greek letters for our names in deference to the ancient Greeks and their learning through discussion and debate. The ancient Greeks believed that "Debate, questioning and discussion were often used as a way to discover true knowledge and 'truth.'" Many of the early GLOs started as societies for members to come together to study and debate the issues of the times, and in the case of women's fraternities, to prepare for classes and just survive in a co-educational environment through mutual support.

Why does this person care?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Heather17

I believe our founders chose Greek letters for our names in deference to the ancient Greeks and their learning through discussion and debate. The ancient Greeks believed that "Debate, questioning and discussion were often used as a way to discover true knowledge and 'truth.'"

To take it a step further, when the first fraternities were forming, the study of Greek and Latin and of classical culture was considered a centerpiece of higher education. In the era following the Enlightenment, the philosophies and learning of these classical cultures -- particularly Greek culture, with its veneration of principles like knowledge, beauty, truth and moderation -- were held up as an ideal to which "modern" culture should aspire. So the use of Greek was natural for college students of the day. Your "someone" obviously fails to grasp that fraternities and sororities are looking to classical Greek culture and philosophy (there's a Greek word for you), not modern Greece.

Perhaps you should ask your "someone" why so many government buildings, from the US Capitol and the Supreme Court on down rely heavily on Greek, Roman and other classical influences.