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The Daily Tar
Heel, September 25, 1981
Bill Studenc
Buried
deep in the recesses of the department of computer science and the department
of city and regional planning, a part of UNC's history lies hidden and all but
forgotten. Here survives the remnants of the Dialectic and Philanthropic
societies, better known collectively as the Di-Phi.
The
Di-Phi Societies have a long and colorful history dating aback to the creation
of the University.
When
the school's doors first opened in 1795, the curriculum consisted only of a
study in the classics. Many students felt a need for something to facilitate
the free exchange of ideas on current topics. The Debating Society, which later
changed its name to the Dialectic, arose out of this need June 6, 1795. Two
weeks later the Concord Society, later called the Philanthropic, was formed as
a rival faction.
The
Di and Phi Societies are the second oldest at any school, public or private.
The oldest is the Whig and Clio Societies of Princeton.
Meetings
were held in Old East, which was then the only building on campus and comprised
The University of North Carolina.
Growth
of the Societies was rapid, and their influence increased fantastically. By the
1820s, membership in one of the two societies was made mandatory and each
society was given total responsibility for the behavior of its members by the
University's administration.
The
tremendous growth of the societies facilitated moving to bigger and better
chambers. By this time, Old West had been completed and the Dis moved to the
counterpart of Old East. The rivalry between the two buildings still exists.
This division of the societies reflects a division of the campus as a whole.
One
of the prerequisites for the founding of the university was that it be
constructed as close to the middle of the state as possible. On the campus
there is a straight line running from Silent Sam to the Davie Poplar and the
Old Well that divides that divides the campus into two distinct halves. If this
line was continued across the width of the state, it would divide the state
almost cleanly in half.
Students
who live in the western part of the state stayed in Old West and were members
of the Di, while those living in the east stayed in Old East and were members
of the Phi.
The
tremendous growth of the societies continued and in 1848, the north towers were
added to Old East and Old West. The construction of the towers was funded
completely by the societies so they could house their chambers and libraries.
The
meeting chambers were on the second floor of the new towers, while the
libraries were on the third. Living quarters and class rooms made up the rest
of the building.
At
this time, the Di-Phis owned most of the books on campus, their collection far
exceeding those of the University.
In
1859, the continued expansion resulted in the construction of New East and New
West. Again, the societies paid for part of the construction and moved their
chambers into the center section.
During
this, the heyday of the organizations, rivalry between the two societies was
intense. In the 1852 national presidential election both the vice presidential
candidates were Carolina alumni. William Alexander Graham, for whom Graham
Dormitory is named, was a Di and William R. King, who ran with eventual
president Franklin Pierce was his rival from the Phi.
James
k. Polk, the only president to have graduated from UNC, was a member of the Di.
Thus the Di can boast of having a president while the Phi has a vice president.
Thomas
Wolfe and Thomas Clingman, for whom Clingman's Dome is named, were members of
the Di. Clingman's rival n the Phi was Elisha Mitchell, who proved to his
counterpart that the mountain that today bears his name is the highest east of
the Mississippi.
Gradually,
the influence of the societies began to dwindle, as fraternities, organized
sports, and other organizations began to spring up. In 1891, the administration
did away with mandatory membership.
As
the societies dropped in importance and in membership, the buildings were
renovated. Finally, in 1959, the Di and Phi merged and formed the Joint Senate
of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.
The
Di-Phi reached its lowest point in 1970, when the membership fell to only one.
Membership is now up to around 25, and the Di-Phis have great plans for the
future, Davis Cooke, ex-historian of the Di-Phi, said.
Today,
the members meet in the Di chambers in New West and have a large study area in
the Phi chambers in New East. Although these buildings have been renovated to
house the department of computer science and the department of city and
regional planning, the chambers have been untouched and remain basically the
same as they were 100 years ago.
Thick,
push carpet covers the floors, while far above the rooms is a skylight. The
walls of each chamber are filled with portraits of the societies' alumni. The
furnishings are exquisite, hand-carved works of art by Thomas Day.
The
walls of the Di Chamber are blue, symbolizing excellence, while the walls of
the Phi chambers are white, symbolizing purity. This is the origin of
"Carolina blue and white."
Cooke
said that sometimes the history of the societies is a bit overwhelming.
"People tend o think of us as only part of Carolina's past. This is true,
but we're also a part of Carolina's present."