Greek letter organizations Fraternities and sororities are male and female social organizations in North American college (usually for students) . The word "fraternity"comes from the Latin word "frater", which means brother, while the word "sorority"comes from the Latin word "soro", which means sister. Greek letters are usually used as the name of a fraternity of sorority house, so fraternities and sororities are also known as Greek letter organizations. There are many kinds of Greek letter organizations. Most are social organizations, as they exist to help students meet each other in a social setting. Others , however, are professional and exist to bring together students of a particular major. There are also service socities that organize campus or community service projects. Greek letter organizations have their own emblems, such as colors, flags, flowers, etc. Members of Greek letter organizations often live together in a large house or a special part of the college dormitory. The process of joining a Greek letter organization usually begins with a time known as rush week. This is a week of events designed for potential members to learn about the organization. After rush week comes pledge week, when you have to learn about the organization and take part in certain tasks.Sometimes , these tasks are known as hazing and can be dangerous in nature. Since 2005, over 60 students have died in the US due to hazing , most commonly as a result of drinking too much alcohol. Due to this , many organizations are now banning pledge week.