Learning the Greek Alphabet questions...

[naraht]

For each GLO that you belong to...

1) Did your chapter expect new members to learn the entire Greek Alphabet capital letters?
2) Did your chapter expect new members to learn the entire Greek Alphabet lowercase letters?
3) Did your chapter expect new members to learn the spelling out of each of the Greek Alphabet letters (A = Alpha Lambda Phi Alpha;E = Epsilon = Epsilon Psi Iota Lambda Omicron Nu)?

For Alpha Phi Omega: yes, no, no.

[Titchou]

In 1963 when I was a pledge: yes, yes,no. Delta Gamma

[ARKTTKA]

Yes, no, no

We were quizzed on the alphabet and had to recite it beginning with Pi Kappa Alpha, Beta, Gamma etc.

[honeychile]

Yes, no, no - Alpha Delta Pi in the 1970-80s.

[PhilTau]

I seem to remember it more as a form of verbal hazing. Like: "Recite the Greek alphabet pledge." But that was a long, long time ago -- in the last century. So yes - we definitely had to know it verbally. We were unaware (or did not care) that there were lower case Greek letters. Nor did we know the proper pronunciation of each Greek letter. However, each pledge did have to pass a written test to become eligible for initiation that included some type of basic knowledge of the Greek alphabet -- but it was focused primarily on knowing the proper pronunciation and recognition of each social Greek organization on campus.

[Kevin]

Yes, no, yes. But that doesn't speak for all of Sigma Nu as we do not have a uniform candidate process.

[tinydancer]

I remember (from long ago) that one sorority would omit the letters of their main rival when reciting the Greek alphabet. I always thought that was petty.

[honeychile]

I have to say, my sixth grade teacher was an LSU grad, and she taught us the Greek Alphabet - both forwards and backwards - in her class. She told us that we would need to know that in college!

Fine indoctrination, Mrs. Bridges!

[aephi alum]

In order: yes, no, no.

[TLLK]

Originally Posted by Titchou

In 1963 when I was a pledge: yes, yes,no. Delta Gamma

It was the same for me when I pledged Delta Gamma in 1981. (Yes, yes, no) I ended up learning the spelling for the Greek letters as I was the Panhellenic rep for our chapter and I found it to be helpful with correspondence between groups.

We were on a Mediterranean cruise last summer with some stops in Athens, Olympia, Santorini and Crete. I was surprised at how quickly that knowledge returned and I actually used it to navigate while on some of our walks out of the tourist zones.

[TXDG]

Originally Posted by TLLK

It was the same for me when I pledged Delta Gamma in 1981. (Yes, yes, no) I ended up learning the spelling for the Greek letters as I was the Panhellenic rep for our chapter and I found it to be helpful with correspondence between groups.

We were on a Mediterranean cruise last summer with some stops in Athens, Olympia, Santorini and Crete. I was surprised at how quickly that knowledge returned and I actually used it to navigate while on some of our walks out of the tourist zones.

And same for me when I pledged Delta Gamma in 1998! Our chapter's song leader taught us the Greek alphabet to a catchy tune....and it stuck permanently in my brain!!

[DGTess]

Yes, no, no when I pledged a teeny tiny Delta Gamma chapter in '73.

But we also didn't learn anything about any of the other chapters on our campus, about any of the other NPC groups that were not on our campus, etc. Our pledge program was almost pure DG. Most everything else I know I learned in 10 years on Greekchat.

[Cheerio]

Yes; No but some of us looked them up at the back of a dictionary (no google back then!); and No but I wish they had as I've always been a curious student.

And additional remembrances to what DGTess states above: we learned about the other groups on campus by talking with women in those other groups during informal get-togethers with popcorn, hot chocolate, candies and sodas. I had also learned about sororities thru the periodical index of newspapers and magazines at my local library during summers before college. More than likely I read 'that' University of Texas Article so fondly and occasionally recalled by those posting on this site.

[NinjaPoodle]

1) Did your chapter expect new members to learn the entire Greek Alphabet capital letters?
2) Did your chapter expect new members to learn the entire Greek Alphabet lowercase letters?
3) Did your chapter expect new members to learn the spelling out of each of the Greek Alphabet letters (A = Alpha Lambda Phi Alpha;E = Epsilon = Epsilon Psi Iota Lambda Omicron Nu)?


Yes
No
No

[1964Alum]

Yes
No
Yes