NIU is home to about 36 different fraternities and sororities. The large Greek letters adorning the houses on Greek Row make it different from a lot of other places around campus.

The letters let people know exactly where they are, but what do all these Greek letters mean?

Fraternities and sororities began as secret societies that allowed students to freely discuss subjects that were frowned upon in the college classrooms.

Greek letters in fraternities and sororities were first used in 1776 as a response to other secret societies' preferred activities of drinking at the local taverns, according to Classics Studies Professor Lucinda Alwa.

John Heath, a student from William and Mary college, and four other students decided their school needed a secret society that focused on knowledge and where they could discuss the events going on at that time. Its motto was "Philosophia Biou Kubernetes," which means "philosophy guide for life."

The initials of the Greek words, "Phi Beta Kappa," were engraved on their secret society's medals. To maintain secrecy, the group referred to itself as this and Phi Beta Kappa eventually became its common name.