A Look at Dartmouth Greek Life: Homecoming 2014

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 1

LEST OLD TRADITIONS FAIL? October 2014

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

51% of dartmouth students

belong to a greek organization SORORITIES

Fraternities

Local

Local

EPsilon kappa theta kappa delta epsilon sigma delta

Alpha chi alpha alpha delta beta alpha omega Bones gate chi gamma epsilon chi heorot gamma delta chi kappa kappa kappa phi delta alpha

National Alpha kappa alpha alpha phi alpha pi omega Alpha xi delta delta delta delta kappa delta kappa kappa gamma senoritas latinas unidas

COED Local Alpha Theta Phi Tau Tabard

inside this issue RACE HC3 PHILANTHROPY HC4 ALUMNI RECOLLECTIONS HC5 DUES AND OTHER COSTS HC5 LOOKING AT 1999 HC6 BEING UNAFFILIATED HC7 SCHOOLS BEFORE US HC7 BRIEF GREEK HISTORY HC8 LOCAL SORORITIES HC9 STudents Rally HC11 The rush process HC12 MEET RACHEL FUNK HC15 OPinion HC18-23 QUick takes HC24

National Alpha phi alpha lambda upsilon lambda Phi sigma nu psi upsilon sigma alpha epsilon sigma nu sigma phi epsilon theta delta chi zeta psi

FRONT PAGE PHOTOS BY ZONIA MOORE, KATE HERRINGTON, KANG-CHUN CHENG AND TRACY WANG.

212 Robinson Hall, Hanover N.H. 03755 • (603) 646-2600

Lindsay ellis, Editor-in-Chief stephanie mcfeeters, Executive Editor

carla larin, Publisher Michael riordan, Executive Editor

taylor malmsheimer, Managing Editor madison pauly, Managing Editor PRODUCTION EDITORS EMILY ALBRECHT, Opinion Editor LULU CHANG, Opinion Editor JOE CLYNE, Sports Editor BLAZE JOEL, Sports Editor Caela murphy, Arts & Entertainment Editor ashley ulrich, Arts & Entertainment Editor ERIN LANDAU, Mirror Editor aditi kirtikar, Dartbeat Editor EMMA MOLEY, Dartbeat Editor tracy wang, Photography Editor

sasha dudding, Managing Editor BUSINESS DIRECTORS piotr dormus, Finance & Strategy Director Ashneil Jain, Finance & Strategy Director erin o’neil, Design Director SEAN CANN, Layout Director Alexander gerstein, Technology Director Dylan zabell, Advertising Director Alana Dickson, Operations & Marketing Director Oliver Schreiner, Operations & Marketing Director

NATALIE CANTAVE, Assistant Photography Editor Alex Becker, Multimedia Editor Annie MA, Issue Photography Editor SUBMISSIONS: We welcome letters and guest columns. All submissions must include the author’s name and affiliation with Dartmouth College, and should not exceed 250 words for letters or 700 words for columns. The Dartmouth reserves the right to edit all material before publication. All material submitted becomes property of The Dartmouth. Please email submissions to editor@thedartmouth.com.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

PAGE HC 3

HOMECOMING 2014

Racial identity informs Greek experience, students say

By ZAC HARDWICK AND MARINA SHKURATOV The Dartmouth Staff

In summer 2013, Alpha Delta fraternity and Delta Delta Delta sorority hosted a Bloods and Cripsthemed party — spurring campus uproar, national media attention and, eventually, policy changes meant to reprimand cultural insensitivity in the Greek system.

Noah Smith ’15, a member of Phi Delta Alpha fraternity, said the controversy led him to question how he fit into a community that some were calling racist.

As the only black member of Phi Delt, he said he often finds himself discussing race within the house.

Since the Bloods and Crips event, these conversations have cropped up more and more.

“It’s been a 180 change, going from just not thinking about it at all to making it part of what I want my legacy to be at Dartmouth,” he said.

At a school and in a system that is predominantly white, race influences rush, understandings of community and conversations within Greek houses.

Eli Turner ’16, a member of

Bones Gate fraternity, initially planned to join Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. His grandfather, all his great uncles and most of his cousins were Alphas.

Turner began Alpha’s rush process, but then decided to join a different fraternity. He said he saw the benefits of joining Alpha coming at the cost of participating in other social events, such as tails.

Alex Jones ’16 had a similar experience, deciding between joining a historically black Greek organization and rushing a Panhellenic sorority. She said her parents did not want her to rush and that she, too, was unsure.

“I didn’t have as much trust in the rush process, probably because I am black,” she said. “I just never felt like I was going to find my place. I felt like none of these Greek places were specifically for me.”

Going against the advice of her parents and an internal sense of hesitation, Jones decided to rush a Panhellenic Council sorority in the winter. She felt left out after all of her friends joined houses and wanted to create a larger network for herself, she said.

“I still think, 100 percent, that if I would have been in a black sorority,

INTERDISCIpLINARy

FLEXIBLE

I would have been more comfortable,” she said. “But I also think I would be so much more limited.

I wouldn’t know as many people, and I wouldn’t have had so many

“Even though we’re not formally a brotherhood, they’ve been my support group whenever I have issues or questions or I’m questioning myself.”

- NOAH SMITH ’15, ON HIS COMMUNITY OF AFFILIATED BLACK FRIENDS different experiences with different people.”

Lulu Riley ’16 said minority members of different Panhell houses personally reached out to her displaying interest, asking her to rush.

“It was nice because it was coming from the minorities in the house and I knew they didn’t want me simply because I was a minority,”

you of your family and your home ... people you have more shared experiences with.”

Smith said that though some members of the Afro-American Society do not always support the Greek system, he has found a tight-knit group of friends in other black students affiliated with fraternities. They are brought together by the fact that they understand the complexities of belonging to a system that some classify as whitedominated, he said.

“Even though we’re not formally a brotherhood,” he said, “they’ve been my support group whenever I have issues or questions or I’m questioning myself. They’re the people I go to nine times out of 10.”

Alistair Glover ’15, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, said that though race did not factor into his choice to join Sig Ep, being black made him feel more noticed when he visited fraternity basements.

“I felt like oftentimes, because no one knew me, if I walked into the basement by myself, there was immediately a, ‘Who is this guy?’ and I felt like it was more specifically because of my race,” he said.

she said. “They wanted me because they wanted a stronger minority population in general and saw the benefits of having a more diverse house.”

Cecelia Shao ’16 said she thought about being Asian during Panhell rush, subconsciously counting the number of Asians in each house.

Ravynn Nothstine ’17said she decided not to join a sorority because she feels most comfortable in communities she has already established.

“The way I see it, being in a sorority is like being a part of something bigger, like a family,” she said.

“I feel like I’ve already found that family within the [Native Americans at Dartmouth] community, and I feel like I identify more with my Native side than anything, so I’m more comfortable just being part of NAD than being in a sorority.”

When deciding which fraternity to rush, Turner said the concept of “code switching” — interacting differently with black and white people — made joining a fraternity with other black members seem more attractive.

“Having black people around is comfortable,” he said. “It allows you to have interactions that remind

CREATIvE

SEE RACE PAGE HC16

INTELLECTUAL

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE MASTER OF ARTS IN LIBERAL STUDIES EstablishEd in 1970, thE Mals prograM at dartMouth is part of Dartmouth’s Graduate Studies, and offers an intensive and immersive, master’s degree program in liberal arts.

MALS DARTMOUTH

MALS at Dartmouth is a highly selective program and awards four specific Master of Arts degrees in the following concentrations: Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, Globalization Studies, and General Liberal Studies. With access to Dartmouth’s world renowned faculty and all of Dartmouth’s graduate and undergraduate schools, students are able to pursue comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of the liberal arts at the graduate level from one of the top liberal arts colleges in the world.

"The MALS program at Dartmouth is everything graduate school ought to be: intellectually vigorous and challenging, yet without the narrowness of vision that too often folds the act of learning into tiny boxes. Graduate liberal studies has a range as broad as the stu-

Through this interdisciplinary approach, and by working closely with our award-winning faculty, students create an individualized plan-of-study that significantly enhances their academic and professional credentials. This unique MALS at Dartmouth interdisciplinary approach prepares our graduates to advance in their chosen field; pursue doctoral programs across all disciplines; as well as, gain entrance into the professionals schools of law, business, and medicine.

learn more at: dartmouth.edu/~mals

dent's own desire to chase down the truth, wherever it lies."

- tom Zoellner, Mals 2011 author of A Safeway in Arizona Photos: Eli Burakian

603.646.3592 i 6092 Wentworth hall, hanover, nh 03755-3526 i Mals.program@dartmouth.edu

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 4

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

Sorority and fraternity members find various ways to serve

By CHARLIE RAFKIN The Dartmouth Staff

It was Green Key weekend, known for outdoor concerts, day drinking and revelry. But several fraternities had another goal in mind: raising money for the Upper Valley Haven, an organization based in White River Junction that provides shelter, food and clothing to those in need. With an ankle-level round horizontal net and a number of balls, 32 teams competed in the first annual Green Key Spikeball Tournament — ultimately donating more than $1,000 to the local shelter.

Though grateful for the donation, Haven development and communications director Liz Verney said she was initially concerned that the fundraiser might not appropriately represent her organization.

“As long as it’s not some huge party that’s written up in the paper benefiting the Haven,” she said.

About five miles from Webster Avenue, the shelter operates a dry campus, as many residents have grappled with substance abuse problems. Verney said she wanted to guarantee that Greek houses, historically linked with drinking, aligned with the Haven’s organizational goals. In a post about the

event, the Haven’s website later thanked contributors for fundraising in a “healthy way.”

As Dartmouth’s Greek system faces heightened scrutiny from outside media and the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” presidential steering committee, some community members cite local and national philanthropy as one of the Greek system’s most positive campus contributions, with some noting houses might serve for that very purpose — to generate favorable news.

Some Greek organizations raise money for groups designated by their national organizations, ranging from the Girl Scouts to Autism Speaks, while others focus on causes closer to home like the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Greek members also volunteer at organizations in the Upper Valley, much as service groups at the Tucker Foundation do.

In all service that is tracked, Greek houses give a little under 10,000 hours to the community, said Greek Letter Organizations and Societies director Wes Schaub, though he emphasized that tracking service accurately is difficult.

For some Greek organizations, service is mandated in national regulations. Of the Greek Leader-

ship Council’s governing bodies, only the Coed Council currently mandates community service.

Coed Council president Evelyn Weinstein ’16 noted that Interfraternity Council initiatives like its “million minutes” campaign could prove unfair for coed houses, which often comprise fewer members, making total hours an unfair way to compare contributions.

Greek members said community service can build relationships within houses.

Summer IFC executive board member for service Peter Gips ’16 said many fail to acknowledge Greek service but argued that it helps students get outside the “Dartmouth bubble.”

Alpha Xi Delta sorority summer philanthropy chair Sarah Lund ’16 said community service encourages bonding.

Chi Heorot fraternity summer president Adam Charnin-Aker ’16, who started Dartmouth Feeding Neighbors, said that the organization began through the Greek system: of the original handful of members, nearly all were affiliated.

His fraternity, he said, provided a natural way to organize service.

Schaub cited Greek organizations’ founding missions — including personal growth and improving

ERIN O’NEIL/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

oneself — as encouraging community service.

“Part of doing that is learning that you’re part of society and a role in that society is giving back and helping other people out,” Schaub said.

Dawn Stanhope, former executive director of David’s House, a Lebanon-based organization that supports families whose children are receiving care at DHMC, said that

based on her experience working with volunteers, service seems to be part of the fabric of Greek life.

Charnin-Aker cited countering negative perceptions about the Greek system as one driver behind service.

“Personally, I definitely think Greek houses have an obligation to the community,” he said. “Especially SEE SERVICE PAGE HC17

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

PAGE HC 5

HOMECOMING 2014

Alumni recall fond Students consider cost in affiliation times in Greek houses B EMILY ROBERTSON y

By KENT SUTTON

As alumni flock back to the College this Homecoming weekend, the bonfire will not be their only destination — many will return to the Greek houses they spent countless hours in as students. These organizations, they recall, provided tight-knit groups of friends that last to this day.

John Daukas ’84 described his experience as a member of Kappa Sigma, now Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity, as his “best experience at Dartmouth.”

Daukas, who has served on his fraternity’s board of directors since the 1980s and created the ad hoc Committee to Support Greek Letter Organizations while president of the Alumni Council, cited the sense of community he felt at Kappa Sigma as a central reason for his continued involvement with the College.

“I had friends in my frat and friends in the dorms I lived in and the teams I was involved with. It was another community, but it wasn’t all consuming or too clique-ish,” he said.

“I think that’s the great thing about the Greek system at Dartmouth.”

In its work on the Greek system, the ad hoc committee looked at faculty and alumni engagement, physical plants and long-range planning.

Claire Riley ’99, who joined Sigma Delta sorority her junior fall, also echoed the inclusive atmosphere of Dartmouth’s Greek system.

She said that Sigma Delt was a welcoming environment and its local status allowed it to host its own social events.

“It wasn’t just the fraternity houses, which balanced the playing field,” Riley said.

Riley, who now lives in Manhattan, said she still keeps in touch with many sorority members and returns to Hanover about three times a year.

Forty-five years after graduating, John Mathias ’69 said he vividly remembers his days as a brother of Phi Delta Alpha fraternity.

Reflecting on his decision to rush, Mathias said he “was looking to explore more horizons at Dartmouth.”

Mathias, a former president of the Dartmouth Association of Alumni, said that he often wonders how the social scene has changed since he has left the College.

“In the 1960s, we didn’t really have telephones to communicate. Your social life was really dependent on who was standing in front of you,” he said. “The only thing you had was the daily D to find out what was going on around campus.”

His Greek house was a designated place where he could meet up with friends and have fun, he said.

Alumni interviewed said their

Greek affiliation continues to a play a role in their lives today, largely due to the strong alumni networks of fraternities and sororities.

Betsy Booth ’87, a social worker for several public schools and the district enrollment director for the Dartmouth Club of the Piedmont in North Carolina, was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, now Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, as an undergraduate. The president of the sorority during her sophomore summer, Booth said she believes there is a strong EKT alumni network, and that current students and recent graduates often contact alumni for advice.

Current EKT president Emily Reeves ’15 wrote in an email that EKT has excellent alumni connections.

“Local sororities actually do have just as strong of a network as national sororities,” she wrote. “EKT’s is usually even stronger since our house has always been very tight-knit.”

She added that she has reached out to EKT alumni about their companies and industries and has always found them willing to speak with her.

Charles Budd ’91, a member of Chi Gamma Epsilon, said he is contacted “somewhat regularly” by Dartmouth students for advice about career opportunities but does not favor those from his fraternity.

Budd said his Greek affiliation does not play a role in his decisions to give back financially to Dartmouth, but he would be less likely to support the College if it took measures to drastically alter or abolish the Greek system.

Strong alumni networks also aid Greek letter organizations in collecting donations, which go toward functions including dues scholarships and house costs.

Taylor Watson ’16, who was president of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity in the summer, said that Sig Ep alumni consistently look for opportunities to help the fraternity.

Sig Ep’s house, which opened in 2011, was financed largely by alumni donations, Watson said.

While he said the fraternity is grateful to have alumni who give back financially, Watson emphasized that having alumni who give their time and effort is equally important.

He said alumni in fields he is interested in have been helpful resources as he prepares to enter the job market.

While her affiliation with a Greek house was a “positive experience,” Riley said that the sense of belonging she found at the College also plays a part in her continued involvement in the community.

“Dartmouth was a safe place to grow up, and I feel like you grow up a lot during college,” she said.

This fall, average dues for men are $342 and average dues for women are $308, not including additional new member dues, national dues or social dues, according to the Greek Leadership Organizations and Societies website.

To get a sense of how students think about costs in the Greek system, The Dartmouth conducted an informal poll, surveying students in Collis Café and Courtyard Café during mealtimes. Many were reluctant to

discuss finances in Greek life beyond the survey, and some chose not to participate in the survey altogether upon learning its topic. Though students generally did not seem to want to discuss financial issues in Greek life on the record, many appeared to begin discussing the issue among themselves.

While filling out the survey, some students covered their answers or quickly folded the paper once they completed the survey. Others discussed finances among themselves while taking it, sometimes consulting

with each other about specific costs if they were affiliated with the same house.

Of 34 students surveyed, split almost evenly between the classes of 2015, 2016 and 2017, 19 were on College financial aid and 15 were not. Of 30 who were affiliated, 10 reported receiving financial aid from their Greek houses. Reported costs, including dues and gear, ranged from $150 to $750 a term, and three respondents were unsure. One student disaffiliated due to concerns about cost.

DUES IN PANHELLENIC SORORITIES, as of spring 2014 Sorority

New Member Dues

Member Dues (Fall)

Alpha Phi Alpha Xi Delta Delta Delta Delta Epsilon Kappa Theta Kappa Delta Kappa Delta Epsilon Kappa Kappa Gamma Sigma Delta

$676 $652 $550 $430 $505 $440 $727 $355

$391 $402 $290 $330 $315 $390 $320 $315

James & David Orr Memorial Lecture on Culture & Religion Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire

Buddha SCIENTIST REALIST EDUCATOR SOCIAL REFORMER Robert A. F. Thurman Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies Department of Religion, Columbia University

Thursday,

October 23, 2014 4:15pm, Filene Auditorium, Moore Hall Reception to Follow Free & Open to the Public

PAGE HC 6

HOMECOMING 2014 2013 HOMECOMING OPINION

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

PAGE HC 7

HOMECOMING 2014

Unaffiliated students talk community Schools see changes to B CHRIS LEECH Greek organizations y

The Dartmouth Staff

During the third week of January, Lacey Jones ’16 sensed that something was different walking into her club volleyball practice.

She had just dropped winter rush — where she had interacted with many of her teammates — and the space suddenly felt uncomfortable.

“It was tough, coming back to practice in the midst of rush and thinking that these girls might just not like me as much as I thought they did,” Jones said.

She said that the week-long Panhellenic Council rush was more difficult than she expected because she felt like she was being judged on factors that she had not previously considered relevant to her identity.

“It’s harder to be rejected because it’s not on the basis of a skill level, something you’re good at or something you’re bad at,” Jones said. “It’s really hard to build yourself back up after that experience.”

Jones, who had just returned from a foreign study program in Edinburgh, said that she had hoped she could treat rush as just another extracurricular but was “super sucked in.” Nine months later, however, Jones emphasized that she has found many of the positive things that are usually associated with the Greek system without joining a house.

“It might be harder to find these things, but they’re there,” Jones said.

On a campus of about 4,400 people, more than 1,700 graduate from Dartmouth each year without Greek letters.

Though many unaffiliated students interviewed said they felt an initial sting over sophomore fall, when hundreds of students rush Greek organizations, they also noted that affiliation became less important as they grew older.

Shortly after he arrived on campus, Trevelyan Wing ’13 knew that he wasn’t too interested in joining a house.

“I remember being kind of ‘over’ the Greek scene by the end of orientation,” Wing said.

But on a whim, sophomore winter, he decided to rush. He “shook out” at a fraternity where many of his friends were members — indicating that this particular house was his top choice.

Later that night, he didn’t receive a bid. And even though he didn’t expect to join any house, he said he was still bothered.

“It always sucks not to get into something,” he said. “That night, I thought, if I felt bad about it — as someone who doesn’t care very much — how must it feel for someone who was really excited about this.”

Even though Matt Rossi ’16 was not interested in being a part of the Greek system, he was still affected by it. By the third week of his sophomore fall, after his friends had joined Greek houses, he began to realize his friend

group was shifting entirely.

“I spent a lot of time in my room, a lot of time alone, a lot of time reflecting,” Rossi said. “That was the worst 10 weeks of my life.”

And Hui Cheng ’16 said that, when one of her friends joined a sorority, their interactions took on a different tone.

“Her affiliated status made her reluctant to spend time with unaffiliated friends,” Cheng said. “There was sort of an opportunity cost to spending this time.”

Despite this falling out, Cheng added that many of her other affiliated friends include her in Greek events, including tails and other social events.

Wing agreed, but said that in general, students who choose not to be a part of the Greek system may have to work harder to find a social network.

Feyaad Allie ’16 said he appreciates the extra effort. Because he feels he is proactive about making plans, Allie said that his interactions have become more intentional.

“It’s good because I don’t default on a group,” Allie said. “I’m making an effort to hang out with people I want to hang out with.”

Wing also noted that, even when unaffiliated students are included in Greek events, it may not be a positive experience.

Though the system is “relatively open,” he said that it can be hard to attend events at houses where a potential new member was rejected.

“I can see how going back to these houses is like a slap in the face,” he said.

However, many unaffiliated students said that the experience changes significantly over time.

Becca Rothfeld ’14 said that as she moved through her career at the College, more people respected her choice to not join a Greek house.

This came to a head during her senior thesis presentation. When she walked into the lecture hall, her friends — many of whom had gone inactive or remained unaffiliated — filled the room. One friend wrote her a poem, and another brought a sign displaying embarrassing pictures of Rothfeld, a gesture she described as endearing.

“It almost felt like a birthday party,” she said. “Everyone put aside their lives to listen to me. I realized this is a wonderful academic space.”

Rothfeld added that although her network was primarily academic, turning 21 was also an empowering experience — not because she really wanted to drink, but because she had access to alcohol outside of the Greek system.

Fischer Yan ’14 said that for her, a moment of clarity came during an off-term in Boston over her junior summer. On previous off-terms, Yan said that many of the students she met were concerned with their affiliation — members of the same fraternity would still only go out with each other, she said, even outside of campus.

But in Boston, Yan said that a recent alum reached out to her.

“She took me under her wing — every time she went out, she would invite me — she took me out for my birthday,” Yan said. “So many Dartmouth alums can see past their affiliation. I think gaining that perspective is huge.”

Back on campus, the social communities outside of Greek spaces on campus give both affiliated and unaffiliated students a deep sense of community.

Thienan Dang ’16 said that, after deciding to be unaffiliated, she found her community on campus at the Aquinas House.

On an October evening, Dang gathered with other parishioners in the house’s spacious, newly-painted green basement for a community-cooked meal. After a quick prayer, the group dug into homemade bread, grilled vegetables and beef stew.

“It’s a home-cooked meal — what else could you want,” Dang said.

Dang said that the house functions as a house of worship, a study space, and a community center. The house is never locked.

She added the decision not to rush has been a great learning experience for her.

“It was difficult at first — my friends were wearing letters and hanging out with their new friends,” Dang said. “I get to find Dartmouth for myself and make my own things happen.”

By LAUREN BUDD

High-profile scrutiny has hit other academic institutions, from Bowdoin College to Wesleyan University, regarding Greek life.

Trustees at Wesleyan have put forth a new policy forcing all residential Greek organizations to go coed within the next three years if they want to keep their houses. If an organization opts not to go coed, its house will be repossessed by the university. It will still exist as a single-sex organization without a residential space on campus.

Greek life on Wesleyan’s campus has experienced other significant changes within the past year as well.

After a student suffered an accident at a late-night event at residential fraternity Beta Theta Pi, the fraternity lost its house, now off-limits to students, and was suspended by its national organization. University administrators, along with local fire marshals, instated new regulations regarding oncampus residences’ occupancy levels that significantly decrease the number of individuals allowed in a house at a time, thus constraining Greek houses’ abilities to host on-campus events.

Though his house does not have a residential space on campus, senior Michael Creager, president of Wes-

leyan’s chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, said that up until this past year, Greek houses were a significant source of student social activity. However, he said, “Wesleyan social life was never just the Greeks,” citing senior on-campus residences as another important element of nightlife.

“The social scene on campus has kind of diminished in general,” Creager said.

Creager said that the new coed policy was a conscious effort to create inclusive and equal spaces and decrease the rates of sexual assault on campus.

“My hope is that these steps will help with these goals,” Creager said.

“I’m unsure as to whether or not the two remaining residentials are going to go coed or not. It’s up to them — it’s an internal matter.”

He said he was unsure if the policy would prove effective at promoting inclusivity and hoped to see the system become more open and safe, regardless if the remaining two fraternities opt to change.

Wesleyan has one sorority, which is not subject to the policy because it does not have residential housing.

Though Amherst College banned on-campus Greek organizations in SEE OTHER SCHOOLS PAGE HC10

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 8

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

THROUGH THE DECADES by sam forstner With all of the passion, history and testosterone that come with the fraternity debate at Dartmouth, it’s hard to remain impartial and not be swept up in the issue’s politics and intricacies. Although for me, I suppose it’s a little easier not to generate too many opinions when I’m not actually allowed in.

Fraternities have been present on Dartmouth’s campus in some form or another since before the drafting of the Constitution. In 1787, inspired by the formation of secret societies at Harvard and Yale, the literary society “Alpha of New Hampshire” was born.

Immediately, more societies formed, including the Social Friends and the United Fraternity. The recruitment process rapidly escalated in intensity — entrance into these groups became so competitive that in 1814 the College intervened and limited these two groups to recruiting from separate halves of the alphabet.

In 1825, the College further enforced this stipulation by assigning students to fraternities based on last name. This crippling of the literary societies paved way for the emergence of the still-standing Greek system in 1842, with the founding of Psi Upsilon and Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternities.

Even 200 years ago, fraternities often found themselves as sources of controversy. The issues haven’t changed much, either. In addition to concerns about the competitiveness of the rush and recruiting process, the concept of pledging came under fire as early as 1849. It had no true enforcement measures and proved ineffective in that time.

The tenure of then-College President William Jewett Tucker proved to be a heyday for Greek life, with eight new societies formed between 1893 and 1909.

If there’s one thing with which everyone at Dartmouth — past or present — can agree about fraternities, the system is resilient. In 1855, 64 percent of men were members of Greek organizations, and in the early 1970s, fraternities attracted the

membership of 70 percent of male students.

In 1966, fraternities provided fresh bait for critics, as a series of “obscene skits” caused outcry in the Dartmouth community, and drew the ire of then-Tucker Foundation dean Richard Unsworth, who expressed his displeasure at Rollins Chapel on Jan. 17 of that year.

Unsworth did not mince words, calling the actions of the fraternities “a patch of social dry rot exposed to view.” Additionally, he criticized the College’s “laissez-faire” position on the lives of students in not intervening up to this point, and pointed a finger at the exclusivity of fraternities and how these largely homogenous groups encouraged conformity.

“It is the rare fraternity that accepts as a goal the inclusion of all sort and conditions of men,” he said, advocating for the establishment of an “alternative social facility” that would fall outside Greek life.

Aside from this isolated incident, though, relations between the fraternities and the College remained fairly peaceful for the following decade.

That all changed in 1978. English professor James Epperson, fed up with the widespread hazing that was commonplace at the time, launched a campaign to shut down fraternities once and for all.

Forums and debates were held on campus, with both professors and students arguing their side in front of an audience. Eventually the issue was put to the faculty for a vote, with the final tally 67-16 in favor of abolishment. Of course, a vote of professors had no actual meaning other than to confirm what was already assumed about their sentiments.

Abolishing such an integral part of campus life was a change that only could be made by the College’s Board of Trustees. The trustees took this vote, weighed it and decided to do nothing. They opted to attempt to improve the image and smooth out some rough edges of the system as a whole, but they effectively de-

cided that fraternities would remain unscathed.

In 1999, the issue re-emerged in a poll conducted by The Dartmouth on whether to eliminate a system of single-sex Greek houses. This time there was a slightly narrower margin, with 58 percent of faculty in favor of the abolishment of fraternities.

However, an overwhelming 75 percent responded that the system had a negative effect on Dartmouth’s “intellectual environment,” so clearly they still were not pleased.

This time, several professors made their voices heard about their stance on the most recent proposal.

Then-engineering professor Keith Paulsen, while not in any way condoning students’ behavior, called into question the placement of the blame. He believed that students will party, sometimes excessively, and that the frats just happened to be their outlet for doing so at the time.

“The drinking and partying orientations [of students] are not coming from frats, although though they do provide an atmosphere.

Students choose to behave in those ways,” Paulsen said.

Not only had there not been a significant shift in the attitudes of faculty since 21 years earlier, there was a similar lack of difference in the opinion of the board. If you haven’t noticed, fraternities are still here.

Epperson once said, “The reforms that have periodically been attempted, as I’ve tried to explain, have lasted a few years and perhaps served the purpose for that time and then have been forgotten,” a theme that seems to run throughout campus history.

Whether you regard the Greek system as a harmless “atmosphere” or “dry rot” (or somewhere in between, although isn’t that kind of a cop-out?), one thing that’s not up for debate is the system’s integral role in campus life since the 18th century.

And due to its importance, the least students can do is be well-informed in order to find their place either within or without the confines of “going Greek.”

Courtesy of Rauner Special Collections library

Two students, photographed in the 1990s, play beer pong.

Courtesy of Rauner Special Collections library

Members of Sigma Kappa sorority, which was founded in 1977, sing.

2014 Homecoming Tee

s Quantitie ! rs Today Get You e ely at th Exclusiv p o o C h t Dartmou

Limited

Main Street, Hanover • Open Daily • Special Homecoming Weekend Hours: Friday 9:30 to 8:00 • Saturday 9:00 to 8:00 • Sunday 9:00 to 5:00

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

PAGE HC 9

HOMECOMING 2014

Alumnae reflect on influence of first College sororities College’s first sorority EKT members reflect on national split B PARKER RICHARDS brought community y

By Amelia Rosch

The Dartmouth Staff

Leslie Gordon ’79 founded the College’s first sorority — Sigma Kappa sorority, now Sigma Delta sorority — during her sophomore year in 1977, only four years after Dartmouth started admitting women.

At the time, Gordon said she felt that women often did not have their own space on campus.

“When we arrived, it was the third or fourth class of women of coeducation, and it felt a lot like we were guests and sometimes unwanted guests in the social scene at Dartmouth,” she said.

After hearing other women talk about possibly bringing a sorority to the College, Gordon said she decided to go through with the process. Her decision to start a sorority, she said, was not meant as an “angry statement” against the social scene at Dartmouth.

She said she reached out to several sororities and decided on Sigma Kappa because the organization showed the most interest.

Kate Laud ’80, who was in the founding class, said that Sigma Kappa’s members struggled to gain recognition from other national sororities. She said that every other sorority that the founding members reached out to told them no.

“Sigma Kappa was the only one willing to take the risk,” Laud said.

“They had no fixed reputation. Some of the others felt that opening a chapter in New England might not work.”

Catherine McGrath ’80, who was in the sorority’s founding class, said that the first year of rush was “sort of

bizarre” because potential members had to be selected by the national organization. She said that after the first year the rush process became more normalized, especially after Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority joined the College in 1978.

McGrath said she became involved in Sigma Kappa because she wanted more control over her social life.

“We were tired of always being guests, going to parties where we had no influences,” McGrath said. “We wanted to see something just with women. Socially, we’d like to host parties once in a while.”

In its first year, the chapter had around 60 members.

Early members said that while some men on campus were unfriendly, they generally had a good relationship with the College’s fraternities.

Most fraternities would co-host events since Sigma Kappa did not have a physical plant when it was founded, Gordon said.

McGrath said that Beta Theta Pi fraternity even allowed Sigma Kappa to use its house for the first official bid night.

Laud said that most fraternity members treated Sigma Kappa members as friends and that they were allowed to participate in the Interfraternity Council.

Gordon said that the creation of Sigma Kappa ended up being political, although she did not intend it to be, because it underscored some problems the College faced with coeducation.

McGrath said that a turning point

SEE SIGMA KAPPA PAGE HC14

In May 1992, the local sisterhood Epsilon Kappa Theta was born.

EKT split from its national sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, after several years of internal struggle and disagreement.

The national organization celebrated the Epsilon Kappa colony when it was founded in 1982, but relations between the two had soured by 1984, according to EKT’s website.

“The membership at the time felt that we were paying a lot of money to the national organization and didn’t feel that we were getting much in return,” said Karen Febeo ’93, the president first of the Epsilon Kappa colony of KAT and later the first president of EKT. “The national organization didn’t seem to be aligned with the values of coeducation that we experienced at Dartmouth,” she added.

According to EKT’s website, a representative of the national sorority was “dismayed by EK Colony’s abandonment of tradition and ritual.” The representative also found the colony’s “sloppiness with rules and rituals disrespectful to the national.”

Shortly thereafter, the sisters of the Epsilon Kappa colony began to openly discuss disaffiliating themselves from the

national sorority and, on May 4, 1992, in a unanimous vote, they decided to become a local sorority.

“The sisterhood really united in the process,” Febeo said. “It was a really exciting time.”

The decision to separate came mere weeks before Commencement, and, Febeo said, “a handful” of sisters opted to remain members of KAT. The bulk of the sisters, about 100 at the time, joined the new EKT. EKT took its name from its chapter name, adding the “Theta” from KAT’s name so that the sisters could still be known that way on campus.

“I don’t remember dissension — I do remember discussion,” Febeo said of the process.

She said that while the national sorority was not necessarily pleased to lose a chapter, there was no bad blood between the two groups, although she said that she could not recall the specifics of the incident.

A representative from KAT said that none of the group’s current leaders were familiar with the events of 1992, and that records involved were not publicly available.

Febeo said that both the College and other sororities supported EKT’s

decision.

“I don’t recall any negative repercussions at all,” Febeo said.

The College also contributed to EKT’s new house at 15 Webster Ave. shortly after the sorority localized, Febeo said, providing a loan to the sorority so its sisters could oversee the refurnishing and redecorating of the space.

“It provided a place where we could host social events in our own space, which would potentially make some sisters more comfortable,” Febeo said.

The College aided the new sorority in creating its first constitution and set of bylaws, Febeo said.

She said that she thought, in hindsight, that localizing the sorority was a positive step.

EKT is the second youngest of Dartmouth’s three local sororities, and the last to disassociate from a national group. Sigma Delta sorority, formerly a chapter of the national Sigma Kappa sorority, separated from its national organization in 1988, 11 years after its founding. Kappa Delta Epsilon was created in the fall of 1993 after the local sorority Xi Kappa Chi dissolved earlier that year.

SEE THETA PAGE HC14

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 10

Free Fuel Deliveries From the Fuel that Last Forever

Rebates and Tax Incentives Available Now Choose the company with over 15 years of solar experience and over 80 years of roofing experience.

Commercial & Residential Solar Specialists

the Melanson co, inc.

www.SolarSourceNE.com ~ 603-352-4232

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

At Bowdoin, students use social house system FROM OTHER SCHOOLS PAGE HC7

1984, it has also eliminated off-campus “underground fraternities” this year as a result of concerns about alcohol use, hazing and sexual assault.

Amherst’s student government drafted a referendum petitioning to reverse the decision. Over 1,000 students voted on the issue, with 70 percent supporting the motion to overturn the ban, the Boston Globe reported. The 1984 on-campus Greek organization ban was also poorly received by the student body.

Bowdoin College banned Greek life altogether in 2000, as a result of administrative concerns regarding dangerous alcohol use and the houses’ physical conditions.

Mike Amato, who graduated from Bowdoin in 1993 and was a member of Alpha Kappa Sigma fraternity, said that the Greek system was central to Bowdoin’s social scene when he attended. Almost everyone he knew at the small college was affiliated, he said.

He considers his administration’s move to abolish fraternities a poor choice.

“It was particularly hard on the people who were in the fraternity at the time,” Amato said. “My brother

was in Alpha Kappa Sigma at the time it closed down, and it made his social life miserable for about a year and a half, being in limbo.”

Amato said that banning fraternities was a move based on the false assumption that high-risk behaviors are caused solely by fraternities. He said that he personally did not experience any of these problems while he at Bowdoin.

Nicholas Mitch, a Bowdoin freshman, said that Bowdoin’s social scene today revolves around eight social houses. Every Bowdoin freshman comes into Bowdoin affiliated with a house. Freshmen are also assigned sophomore “buddies” in the corresponding house to help them adjust to college life.

Mitch said the social house system is analogous to the classic fraternity and sorority system in some ways, but “milder” and more inclusive.

“There’s no hazing. They’re very open,” he said. “You can go into any college house, and no one from any house is going to say you’re not welcome.”

He also said that because the college owns the houses, they receive significant administrative sanctions in order to foster a safe environment.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 11

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE Page HC 2 12

TIME TO TALK RUSH.

By MICHAEL QIAN AND JASMINE SACHAR The Dartmouth Staff

On a warm September night, a group of male students walked past Gold Coast Lawn, past an outdoor fall concert. One pulled at his jacket as he made his way toward Webster Avenue.

While the evening’s rush parties had just started, for many male students, the process of rushing an Interfraternity Council house began months earlier. Men start to evaluate their surroundings as soon as they step into a fraternity basement, which for some students, is in their first term at the College. Without time constraints, they determine if they like what they see and if they want to be a part of it.

Last winter, 1,165 men and 1,146 women were members of Greek houses, so more than two-thirds of eligible students had rushed. The sheer force of numbers — seen across campus in letters sewn on sweatshirts, imposing architecture of the houses’ physical plants, emails sent to the campus Listserv advertising parties — can convince even the skeptical to participate in the recruitment process.

Rocco Morra ’16 said he wasn’t sure as a freshman if rushing would be the right choice for him, noting that he didn’t drink or go out very much.

“When I saw that so many kids did it I thought maybe I should think about it more before ruling it out,” he said. “I just thought it would be something outside my comfort zone and something that would be worth checking out.”

This process largely occurs outside of formal, organized events. Ben Vihstadt ’16, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, said he met many SAE members through his sports team as a freshman.

His favorite nights freshman year were Thursdays, when houses didn’t have parties. These low-key nights hanging out with brothers, he said, helped him decide where to rush.

As a freshman, Taylor Watson ’16 said, seniors told him not to worry about rush until the spring, when official events — drinking and hanging out with current members — start.

This isn’t too early, he said, as early events are more laid-back and “kids aren’t being sniped for.”

“A lot of people say your first term is adjusting to college life, your second term is adjusting to academic life and your third term is adjusting to social life,” Watson said.

For other men, pre-rush occurs outside of Greek spaces entirely.

Jeff Foster ’16, a member of Alpha Delta fraternity, said he didn’t go to AD at all his freshman year and sparsely in the weeks prior to rush weekend. He joined the rugby team his freshman spring and grew close with many players in AD. Most of his interactions with AD members were outside the house itself.

“I wasn’t trying to meet as many people as possible — that seems kind of fake to me,” Foster said.

When Beta Alpha Omega fraternity starts planning spring rush events, members submit names of freshmen they know and like for an email list, Beta rush chair Joe Geller ’16 said.

Many houses do the same.

Those on these email lists are encouraged to bring friends who are not on the list to rush events, he said.

“I guess you could potentially miss out on people who could be good fits,” Geller said. “I don’t know necessarily how to find those guys, but we do our best.”

Identity and Reputations

And as the months pass, as they spend time in Greek spaces, men cross off incompatible houses. Watson said he was turned off by some houses’ high dues. David Bassali ’16 said that he was swayed by the reputations of some houses, cues he had picked up from gossip and hearsay.

“From the very get go I knew that certain houses had certain reputa-

tions,” Bassali said. “I found most of them to be not true, but some of them I didn’t stick around enough to realize if they were true or not.”

During freshman year and at rush events, Morra said he paid attention to how his personality meshed with the members in each house — where he clicked and where he didn’t. He notes that this isn’t unique to the Greek system.

“I think that’s true of any social interaction,” he said. “You have people who you get along with really well and people that you don’t.”

From a rural area in Maine, Watson said he noticed that kids from suburbs and cities felt more comfortable in fraternities, wearing bright shorts, snapbacks and button downs, expensive clothing that he said he didn’t relate to much.

“In the spring I took stock of people I did know and where I felt comfortable,” Watson said. “Some of it I guess has to do with little things, how self-conscious I feel about what I’m wearing or whatever. If I go to a house with a bunch of people I don’t know, I might be more inclined to think, ‘Are these people going to judge me?’”

Because most campus-wide parties are held at fraternities, not sororities, freshman women have fewer chances to interact with affiliated women in female-dominated Greek settings.

Many women interviewed by The Dartmouth said they did not know which sororities they preferred prior to Panhellenic Council recruitment.

Consequently, stereotypes of sororities can be influential, even for those who go through the process with an open mind, Panhell vice president of recruitment Sara Heard ’15 said.

Women participating in Panhell recruitment must abide by a “silence period” that prohibits communication between potential new members and current members during and immediately before formal recruitment. Rush then depends on quicker judgments made by women rushing and sorority

members.

Whether on forums like Bored at Baker or in everyday conversation, whether loudly proclaimed or tacitly implied, students at the College often assign informal rankings to Greek houses.

To Panhell president Rachel Funk ’15, this practice must stop.

“I think we need to stop putting sororities into boxes and saying, ‘This sorority is this kind of sorority.’” Funk said. “Each sorority doesn’t have just one identity to it.”

Funk emphasized that Panhell sororities at Dartmouth are enormous — most have more than 100 members.

Students should take recruitment less seriously, she said, especially because women could be happy in several different houses.

Stereotypes surrounding both recruitment and individual sororities can create a mismatch between potential new members’ expectations and the realities of the houses, a discrepancy that may cause tension.

But perhaps the emotional stress is an inherent part of the process.

Heard said many women become very involved with recruitment because underclassmen can view the Greek system as being important to their lives on campus.

Many men interviewed stressed the natural social selection that IFC rush can allow.

“If the Greek system didn’t exist but all the physical buildings still existed and they were leased out by the system used for an off-campus house, there wouldn’t be more than a 25 percent change in residency of these houses,” Watson said. “You would basically have these groups of people who identify with each other, share a lot of common goals, values and personality traits who would want to bequest the house who they thought were cool and who they wanted to be friends with.”

Anthropology professor Nadav Samin, whose research focuses on kinship networks, said that the ques-

tion of how constructive Greek spaces are is determined by how prestige is measured.

“I mean, are there other forms of association that you can comfortably attach yourselves to if you’ve been excluded from a fraternity or a sorority?” Samin said. “And are these also comparable in their prestige?”

To Samin, if these options exist, there is no harm in having exclusive Greek organizations on campus.

“But if there is a strong sense of hierarchy that emerges out of which group you belong to ... and whether you belong to the elite prestigious fraternity or sorority or not,” he said, “that has certainly exclusionary tendencies.”

When It All Shakes Out

By the end of men’s rush parties, interested members “shake out” before leaving their house of choice, often shaking every house member’s hand.

IFC president Wil Chockley ’15 said that the system’s biggest strength is that rush itself, which lasts one weekend, is quick and stress-free.

“At this point I know people at the houses,” Morra said. “I know where I feel comfortable and it’s really just a formality. All the work, all the social communication has already been done at that point.”

Bassali said transparency in interactions is a difference between men’s and women’s rush. Members of a fraternity will be blunt about one’s chance of receiving a bid as rush approaches, he said.

“I understood my shot at getting into the houses I was interested in,” he said. “If I wasn’t confident I would get in, I was confident that I at least knew my status in the house.”

That’s not to say that the process is straightforward for all houses.

Those that receive more than 40 or 50 shakeouts can be more exclusive and selective. Geller said this can be a place where men fall through the cracks.

Some houses compete with other

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

fraternities for the men who might be teetering between houses. Politicking, then, becomes more important.

For example, fraternity members tell some men before rush that they are guaranteed bids at one house in hopes to sway their decision.

“There are definitely kids who multiple houses want, kids that are good kids, they are smart, have lots of friends, very involved on campus,” Geller said. “I wouldn’t say houses fight over them, but they definitely feel pressure from friends in all the houses, so [Beta is] very careful to not pressure people.”

Though the three coed fraternities have different rush processes, Coed Council president Noah Cramer ’16 said that their strength is what they have in common — how relaxed it is.

Tabard, for instance, offers any interested party a bid. Interested students sign their names in a book, and then they are officially part of the house. Phi Tau fraternity, meanwhile, has a “rolling rush” process. Students can rush at any time during the term, at which point they express their interest before the current membership deliberates on a potential bid. Alpha Theta fraternity uses a system akin to a relaxed version of men’s rush, Cramer explained, adding that both Phi Tau and Alpha Theta admit a high percentage of rushees.

“You don’t have to dress fancy or spend your whole week at rush events,” Cramer said. “You don’t have to schmooze or have hours of forced conversation. And you are likely to get in. People who come to rush at coeds tend to have a lot of fun there.

I think taking a lot of the stress out of the process makes rush at the coeds pretty awesome.”

Most women interviewed characterized their experience before Panhell rush as largely muted, noting little rush-related stress freshmen year.

“During freshman year, I didn’t feel like I had to meet sorority girls or act a certain way so I would get a

The Dartmouth

bid,” Mariel Wallace ’16 said, adding that she knew then that she wanted to rush her sophomore fall. “I felt pretty relaxed about the whole process but knew it was important to me.”

A quiet pre-rush period turns into a recruitment week that many women interviewed characterized as hectic.

Round one of Panhell recruitment requires potential new members to spend about an hour at each house.

After each round, women list their top choices and rank their bottom houses, attending additional parties at the sororities that call them back. The whole cycle, which happens early in fall and winter term, lasts about a week.

This fall, out of the 381 women who registered for formal recruitment, 300 women accepted bids at a Panhell sorority. During the same cycle last year, 423 women registered and 298 accepted a bid. PNMs can drop out of rush due to stress, dissatisfaction with callbacks or a realization that they did not want to become affiliated.

Kappa Delta sorority rush chair Lizzy Southwell ’15 said a multi-round format can be one of the most distressing parts of women’s recruitment.

Watching options dwindle round by round, she said, can be disheartening.

Right before rush week, each woman rushing receives a recruitment counselor who temporarily disaffiliates from her sorority to guide women through the process. During the first round, members of individual sororities will dress up in themed clothing to create a more fun and identifiable atmosphere.

This fall, few women said they were unhappy or stressed following round one. However, when women received callbacks two days later — the day of round two — the stress level heightened. On the morning of Sept.

26, a group of women stood on the Green and in King Arthur Flour cafe, rapidly texting other friends about what callbacks they did and did not receive.

Carene Mekertichyan ’16 said she went into the fall recruitment cycle

To rush or not to rush?

NEWS

HOMECOMING 2014

with an open mind because she did not know much about any house.

Despite her largely positive experience, she described the fall rush week as “crazy,” “kind of insane” and “hectic,” owing to the rapid-fire pace of meeting sorority members and going from party to party.

Describing her recruitment experience as very positive, Morgan McCalmon ’16, who rushed in the winter, said she was surprised that she had genuine conversations at sorority houses. She said she felt sisters in each house made real efforts to create a comfortable atmosphere, but also acknowledged that other students may not feel that way.

After each night’s activities ended, Late Night Collis and the Courtyard Cafe flooded with hungry women who had not eaten for hours, as several parties stretched through dinner. Late on Friday night, after shaking out, men trickled in, too.

“Their Experiences Matter”

In a Sept. 19 panel held the weekend before Panhell recruitment, several women described their disillusionment with sorority life, citing superficiality and inertia as major problems.

The panel followed six months of very public debate on Panhell rush.

This past January, last year’s Panhell executives sent a campus-wide email detailing a “call to action.” Five of nine executives abstained from winter recruitment.

“While in theory no member of the sophomore class in good standing is barred from the Recruitment process,” the email read, “in practice, the Recruitment process stratifies the Dartmouth community along race, class, gender and sexual orientation, where those individuals who better approximate a narrow sorority ideal receive preferential treatment.”

In the announcement’s immediate wake, sorority presidents announced changes to winter recruitment, including relaxed dress code expectations,

PAGE HC 13

Page 3

financial aid presentations and anonymous question-and-answer sessions.

“Many women view recruitment as a time to forge connections with other women they usually do not have a chance to interact with. I’m glad that many individuals find this at least to some degree,” then-Panhell president Eliana Piper ’14 said in a recent interview. “However, pointing to several positive aspects of recruitment often diverts us from looking deeply at the disadvantages faced by the many women who are marginalized by the process — whether because of their socioeconomic status, their sexual orientation, their nationality or their skin color. The Greek system, as the predominant social system on campus, has a responsibility to these women.

Their experiences matter just as much as the positive ones.”

This January, Katie Wheeler ’15 criticized Panhell recruitment in a column in The Dartmouth, saying that members of her sorority used “terms like NGB — ‘nice girl but’ — to describe a woman who was perfectly nice but, for an unsaid reason (typically a superficial quality), would not fit into the house.”

She concluded that “it is hurtful, limiting and completely unnecessary to institutionalize and hierarchize large cliques of people through an artificial judgment process.”

This year’s Panhell continued reforming the system. After recruitment, all students rushing received a survey that collected information such as race and ethnicity, financial aid status and other questions.

Panhell public relations vice president Jessica Ke ’15 said Panhell plans to release a report of their survey findings later this year, and that the Office of Pluralism and Leadership approved the questionnaire’s content.

Several Panhell executives described increasing financial accessibility to sorority life as a top priority.

“Cost is a huge elephant in the room,” Funk said.

Last year, dues for new Panhellenic

sorority members ranged from $345 to $647. Dues for subsequent terms averaged around $300. This fall, the council introduced a fully need-based scholarship system so that no Panhell sorority will require its members to work for financial aid for membership dues.

Panhell executives stressed increasing transparency as a major goal for the upcoming year.

Sociology professor Janice McCabe, whose research specializes in youth social networks and college culture, said that Panhell recruitment might give more women information about different houses, while IFC recruitment may pigeonhole men toward stereotypes that they believe fit them.

“I think the organization of it is related to the possible inequalities of the system,” she said.

Speaking generally, Mekertichyan said “the biggest stress that’s unique to girls’ rush is the feeling that it’s not in your hands. Like you’re not in control.”

Although she acknowledged several avenues of potential improvement — and has changed the system in ways that she said she believes will lessen these imperfections — Funk said that criticizing the sorority system is “too easy.” Women’s recruitment prioritizes inclusivity, she said, emphasizing that any woman who sticks through the process in good faith will be guaranteed a spot in a sorority.

Southwell said that stereotypes applied to women’s recruitment, at least from her experience in KD, are often false. Unlike what many students may think, she said the sorority values traits like respectfulness, excitement and leadership potential over more superficial details.

“I very much trust the recruitment process,” Southwell said, “which seems ridiculous to the PNM, because it seems so brutal, this idea of being judged really hard.”

Geller is a member of The Dartmouth opinion staff.

KXΩ

KATHY RAO/THE KATHY DARTMOUTH RAO/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF STAFF

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 14

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

KING ARTHUR FLOUR

CAFE AT BAKER BERRY Enjoy freshly made salad and sandwich items along with gourmet coffees and artisan pastries.

Open daily 8am-8pm + weekends 10am-8pm

Or visit our bakery/café across the river in Norwich, Vermont Courtesy of Rauner Special Collections Library

Members of Sigma Kappa sorority, Dartmouth’s first sorority, pose by their house.

Early members recall friendship in sorority FROM SIGMA KAPPA PAGE HC9

The Dartmouth Ski Team’s Annual

SKI SALE & SWAP New and Used Alpine & Nordic Ski and Snowboard Equipment SALE

Saturday October 18th 10:00am – 4:00pm Collis Center

CONSIGNMENT

Friday October 17th 4:00pm – 7:00pm Collis Center Room 101 For more Info: Dartmouth Ski Team 603-646-2787

in Sigma Kappa’s relationship with the other Greek houses was when members took part in Hums, an annual Green Key tradition during which fraternities would sing songs they had created, in 1977.

“The first year we joined, some fraternity men were shocked, and some were sort of proud,” she said. “We had some pretty witty songs that were not raunchy but funny. It changed the tone of Hums.”

Later, McGrath served as a Hums judge. She said that members on the judging committee loved Sigma Kappa’s performance and that receiving the approval of community members she respected was a moment she strongly remembers from her time at the College.

Maren Christensen ’83, who joined Sigma Kappa in 1982, said that once Sigma Kappa got a physical house, its members would host parties.

“I hung out with plenty of guys in Beta, and they were always happy to come to our house and party since we were buying beer,” she said.

Laud said that the early members of Sigma Kappa found some of the aspects of being in a national sorority,

specifically the rituals, silly and a little over the top.

“We endured it,” she said.

McGrath said that she found the control that the national organization wanted “ridiculous.” She also said she did not enjoy that many of the rituals they had to do were very Christianoriented.

“I thought that was bizarre given that many women in our sorority were Jewish, including the founder,” she said.

“A lot of national rituals were quite meaningless to us. “ Beyond the national traditions, the women in Sigma Kappa created their own.

McGrath said that one tradition they began was a breakfast-in-bed fundraiser, during which community members ordered breakfast that would be delivered to them.

The early members said that they were glad they joined Sigma Kappa because of the relationships they developed.

Christensen said she has stayed in contact with other women from Sigma Kappa, although she has not stayed closely involved with the current house.

“My best friends were all in Sigma Kappa,” she said. “We try to get together every year.”

Some suggested localizing all sororities FROM EKT PAGE HC9

A report prepared for the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” presidential steering committee noted that the most common suggestion among 250 ideas submitted by more than 500 students was to make all sororities local. Thirtysix submissions recommended the measure, with many focusing on the potential to move parties into femaledominated social spaces.

EKT president Emily Reeves ’15

said she did not know of any plans for other sororities to localize, but added that “if there were, I’d be very supportive.”

Reeves declined to comment further.

“I think I’m really proud of the legacy that we created,” Febeo said. “It was something that was not anticipated or expected, and an opportunity presented itself, and it was a really unique experience to be part of creating local organization that still exists at the College.”

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

MEET RACHEL FUNK

by lauren budd Panhellenic Council president Bystander Initiative, an educational Rachel Funk ’15 has taken her posi- program designed to train particition at a time marked by significant pants how to intervene in potentially changes to Dartmouth’s sorority dangerous situations. Greek leaders system, as well as to the Greek system must complete a longer, more thoras a whole. ough version of the training.

Funk said that last year’s president, Calling it “a really great time to Eliana Piper ’14, convinced her to take be a leader,” Funk said that she was the role because it has the power to optimistic about the plans. make great change on campus. Funk “We can’t expect cultural changes has been involved with combating or a cultural shift to happen oversexual assault since freshman year and night,” she said. “A lot of changes realized that a Panhell leadership po- we make are just the start.” sition would ex pand her ability “We can’t expect Though her new to make change. role as president Her duties cultural changes or requires considas president in- a cultural shift to erable time and clude discussing effort, Funk said happen overnight. issues with sororthat the human ity presidents, A lot of changes we element makes working with make are just the it rewarding. administrators “One and the Greek start.” particular reLeadership warding moCouncil and dement was talk- RACHEL FUNK ’15, vising initiatives ing to sisters to push as an PANHELL PRESIDENT in houses and organization. A people who went recent example is through the rush “Sororiday,” during which sororities process who really liked the changes cancelled social events with fraterni- and thought that they made a big difties to highlight the importance of ference to how the system works, and female-dominated social spaces and that they understand it a lot better.” to celebrate sisterhood.

Piper said that Funk is well-suited Funk, along with the rest of the to be president, a position that “takes Panhell executive board, came up over your full Dartmouth experiwith their main goals for the year, ence,” during a time when Greek life which included increasing inclusivity, is under increasing scrutiny. addressing sexual assault on campus, “She has so much tenacity and making recruitment more transpar- so much grit, and she really follows ent and accessible and expanding through with projects,” Piper said. programming.

“She also has such a good ability to Changes regarding sexual as- see beyond her own experience and sault include requiring new Greek kind of see a bigger picture, and she’s members to go through Dartmouth not afraid to speak up.

PAGE HC 15

HOMECOMING 2014

Into the

Water-Energy Nexus

Why is your water footprint so huge?

Special Topics (EARS 79/179) – Winter ‘15 Time Period: 2A For more information blitz

nathaniel.r.warner@dartmouth.edu

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 16

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

Students reflect on Greek life and race

white. Out of 26 active brothers in the house this summer, he was one Glover said that some black of five who was white. students find it difficult to iden- “We have more people that speak tify strongly with both the black Chinese than don’t on the third community and an Interfraternity floor of Zete,” Victoroff said of his Council organization. Since join- summer living arrangement. “It is ing a fraternity, he said he has at something that comes up often as times been called “white-washed” a joke, in a more playful way.” by unaffiliated black students who Evan Zhang ’15 said his expeconsider being affiliated at Dart- rience at Zete has been relatively mouth a “white male thing to do.” devoid of race-related issues, and Turner said that while it was that being part of one of the more important for him to choose a frater- diverse houses on campus may have nity where he could connect with his contributed to this. cultural base, he was also interested “Maybe I’d think more about in joining an orrace at another ganization that house, but at would expose “I felt like oftentimes, Zete, I’m pretty him to members because no one knew transparent as with a variety me, if I walked into the who I am raof backgrounds cially,” he said. and experienc- basement by myself, “I think that’s es. a p re t t y b i g there was immediately “I have never part of why I really been a a, ‘Who is this guy?’ and haven’t thought person who fits I felt like it was more too much about neatly into any specifically because of this issue that’s specific box,” he obviously very said. “I definite- my race.” serious for a lot ly wanted the of members of type of situation our communiwhere I could - ALISTAIR GLOVER ’15 ty.” feel comfortable Victoto be myself and roff said that speak the way I normally speak at while members of many Greek home and not be judged for how I houses are open to accepting a act and how I talk, but a place where diverse pledge class and having inI could also get a diverse experience depth conversations about issues of and have a diverse group of friends.” identity, the demographics in some Turner said that though he feels houses might impede this goal. comfortable discussing racial issues “I think that most if not all fraopenly with some people, the topic ternities believe that there is value of race is not well-covered in the in diversity, racial and otherwise,” Greek system because people often he said. “But I think that it does do not raise questions for fear of come down to the cyclical effects being labeled racially insensitive. to some degree. When you see a The notion of “color-blindness” fraternity that has 95 percent white also impedes discussions about race brothers, it might not seem like a by acting as an excuse, Turner said. very welcoming place even if those People need to ask questions about brothers are extremely welcoming things from hair texture to Kwanzaa to having those very serious coninstead of shying away from these versations about race.” issues, he said.

Prodhi Manisha ’17, who rushed “If you don’t know whether it’s this fall but did not join a house, offensive, you should probably find said race is a major issue in sorority out,” Turner said. rush.

Jesse Victoroff ’16, a member of “Even if there is no official quota, Zeta Psi fraternity, said that racial there is an underlying idea that considerations did not factor explic- houses have to be diverse — which itly into his choice to join Zete, but I believe they do — but which also that certain houses’ noticeable lack can lead to tokenism,” Manisha of minority representation made said. them less appealing.

Race, Manisha said, is a major “I don’t think it was so much that othering factor on campus. Regarddiversity was what I was looking less of what people say, Manisha for so much as a complete lack of said, many perceptions are still dediversity was off-putting to me,” he fined by race, and it is impossible for said. sororities and fraternities to claim Victoroff said Zete is unique race plays no role in decisions about because a majority of its members, bids when even general perceptions approximately 60 to 70 percent dur- about people are colored by racial ing the regular school year, are not presuppositions.

FROM RACE PAGE HC3

Aquinas House

Catholic Student Center at Dartmouth

1961 - 2014

Homecoming Saturday: Fall Carnival from 6 pm - 9 pm Sunday Masses at Aquinas House: 11AM & 7:30PM

GO BIG GREEN! Aquinas House is at the corner of Webster and Occom Ridge (603) 643-2154 or AQ@dartmouth.edu

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

PAGE HC 17

HOMECOMING 2014

In service, Greek members say, students bond and learn FROM SERVICE PAGE HC4

considering the negative publicity we’ve gotten lately, it’s something that we can do to show that Greek houses are a good place to live, are making positive impacts on the community and not just a place for socializing.”

Verney, from the Haven, said she was not confident that Greek houses use this decision-making framework when thinking about service.

“I’m sure that at times they are pressured to do something for the community after acting poorly, but I’m not sure it’s a cover like that,” she said. “I don’t think it’s that intentional.”

Panhellenic Council philanthropy chair Natalie Shell ’15 recognized that some service might not appear genuine, but she said that in her experience, it has been.

The positive image community service creates is a “nice byproduct,” Kappa Delta sorority philanthropy chair Sarah Yalowitz ’15 said, “but that’s definitely not its own motivation for us.”

“We have a PR person, and that’s more of her job — to think about our image on campus,” she added.

National Pan-hellenic Council and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity president Jordan Are ’15 said community service marks a core feature of his fraternity’s values. But he noted that it also helps generate a

positive image.

Greek service shares many features with service conducted through organizations like Tucker, Dartmouth and Upper Valley community members said, but Greek houses are associated with specific reputations, often bring large groups and sometimes rely on fundraising — each of which affects the texture of service.

Tucker Foundation local community service program officer Tracy Dustin-Eichler said a student’s Greek letters do not affect the nature of their community engagement.

“It’s hard to talk about the Greek community as a monolith,” Dustin-Eichler said. “So, do I think that there are Greek students that are maybe less engaged with the community? Sure. But there are Greek students who are extremely engaged.”

Stanhope said she has not observed a difference in the service conducted by affiliated and unaffiliated students at David’s House.

Mary Nyhan is family services coordinator at The Family Place, a Norwich organization that provides services to parents and children.

She noted how rare it is for Greek organizations to volunteer at The Family Place — the organization has worked with one Greek house during Nyhan’s three-year tenure. She attributes this to its small size. If a Greek house wanted to volunteer on

a weekend, The Family Place might not have the capacity to manage the effort.

“We don’t have 15 to 20 rakes,” she said. “If a group wanted to come on a weekend and do a fall project for us, we might have one rake.”

Greek service at the College is

“Do I think that there are Greek students that are maybe less engaged with the community?

Sure. But there are Greek students who are extremely engaged.”

- TRACY DUSTIN-EICHLER, TUCKER FOUNDATION LOCAL COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM OFFICER most visible when rallying around two fundraising efforts: the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hero event, held annually in the fall, and the Prouty, organized in the summer. Greek houses raised about $50,000 in 2013’s CHaD event, while campus, boosted by Greek organizations, raised $100,000 in

the summer’s Prouty.

Of the 300 Dartmouth students who participated in this year’s Prouty, nearly all were affiliated with a Greek organization.

“It was definitely a tradition every year to have 100 percent participation,” Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority member Catherine Yao ’16 said as she waited in line for grillables.

But Greek service is not limited to fundraising, said Tucker student director Tanya Budler ’15. Fundraising requires outreach, so it structurally builds in publicity.

“You may not know that your best friend in your house does Sibs, and mentors a kid every week, and you may not know that someone cooks at the Haven every week,” Budler said.

Budler, like Gips, noted that Greek service remains underappreciated at the College, crediting Dartmouth’s culture of modesty — such as rejecting ‘self calls’ — with preventing students from understanding the depth of service that peers conduct.

Fundraising brings certain advantages, Lund, AZD’s summer philanthropy chair, said. She noted, for example, that service chairs could not send 150 members to a community organization, while fundraising allows houses to mobilize their entire memberships around a philanthropic goal. But she noted that she finds service more reward-

ing when she can see the results of her work.

Schaub echoed Lund’s sentiment.

“I tend to find that those are much more fulfilling experiences than the raising money, because you get to help out the folks who need the most and you learn a little bit more about the organization,” he said.

But the Haven coordinator of children’s services Kim Grantham noted that one-time service can bring challenges.

“There’s always that kind of warming up period when you have somebody who’s here for two hours, versus our ongoing students,” Grantham said.

Still, the Haven volunteer services coordinator Amber Johnston, who only recently joined the organization, said certain activities did not require regular service.

Verney said fundraising bracketed from community members could lift a burden off organizations. The Haven receives 4,800 gifts annually, and fundraisers help, she said.

But organizers must go deeper for their work to qualify as community engagement, she said.

“A lot of people can write a check, but not a lot of people can give blood, sweat and tears for an organization that they care about,” Verney said, emphasizing that not all people have equal levels of comfort or ability to help.

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 18

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

GUEST Columnist LEIF HARDER’15

Inclusivity: A Greek Perspective

Pressure from administrators has ruined the best aspects of the Greek system.

I entered my first Greek house at Dartmouth as a junior in high school. I was up at Dartmouth visiting my older brother, a member of the Class of 2013, who was currently relishing in sophomore summer. That night, I ventured out into the great unknown. Greek life was perhaps one of the main factors on my mind in considering whether Dartmouth would be right for me.

I held a range of both fears and questions about the system, ranging from the trivial (do they actually throw toga parties?) to the more serious. My most serious fear was about exclusivity of the Greek life.

Would my social life at Dartmouth be dictated by the whims of these fraternities and their brothers, whoever they were?

This fear was allayed after entering the basement of one of these fraternities. My brother casually entered, despite not being affiliated with any fraternity on campus. He led me to the basement, where students played some type of primitive ping-pong game (what I have since learned to be “pong”), accompanied by the sounds of country music and general chatter.

Although I was rather startled by the sanitation standards (or lack thereof), I was also taken aback by the general attitudes held in this basement: no one confronted us asking who we were, why we were there and whether we were brothers. On the contrary, we received friendly hellos from those in the basement. I later met one of the brothers and proceeded to talk about who we were both were and where we were from, why he chose Dartmouth and why I should come.

None of the conversation entailed “frat-talk” — we did not discuss togas, beer, pong, or how I should leave the house because neither my brother nor I were affiliated.

After multiple visits to see my brother, I maintained almost identical experiences with the Greek system at Dartmouth. What stood out to me most was that I was and could be, pending my acceptance to Dartmouth, accepted for who I was and who I wanted to be at the College. The nature of the Dartmouth Greek system was one of openness, inclusivity and acceptance. The Greek system would not need to define my social path or status on campus.

Most colleges lack this aspect of relative social inclusiveness and openness. My friends at other schools, Ivy League and other, have expressed to me how during their freshmen year, they felt ostracized

from campus because of the established exclusive social scene.

They could not go to bars, and social or Greek houses had exclusionary guest lists. As insignificant underclassmen, they never made this list. Even when they did want to explore campus social life, they were severely limited by their status as new students.

While my friends were experiencing freshmen inferiority and exclusivity at their respective colleges, I felt welcomed by my class and a majority of the student body, regardless of the presence of Greek letters. When these same friends would visit me over a weekend, they would always leave telling me about how impressed they were with the openness and interaction that Dartmouth students could have under a “traditional Greek school.”

To many, the Greek system is seen to embody the traditional aspects of Dartmouth that we have been unable to destroy. Excessive alcohol consumption has become an unfortunate defining hallmark of Dartmouth social life. Sexual assault cases and male-dominated social space issues have become the center of campus (and nationwide) investigation and discussion.

Unfortunately, such negative aspects have, due to their historically close affiliations with Greek life, become entirely but inappropriately attributed to Dartmouth’s Greek system.

I say this not because these issues are not the fault of Greek social spaces at Dartmouth. Issues such as excessive alcohol consumption and sexual assault have been undoubtedly created or exacerbated by a lack of awareness and control that some Greek houses have exercised both in the past and today. And this lack of awareness needs to be addressed. I deem this attribution of fault by the administration inappropriate because of how the College has decided to respond to these issues.

Our administration has been faced with unprecedented pressure from a combination of poor public relations, a sharp decline in Dartmouth applications and troubled alumni who remember the Greek system for what it was when they attended. With this pressure has come a necessity for administrators to turn the spotlight onto the system of social life that is historically and presently tied to some degree the real issues that exist at Dartmouth.

We all recognize that something must be done, and some change

must occur within the Greek system that has over the years turned a blind eye to these fundamental issues. However, from the perspective of an executive member of one of the fraternities that makes up this system, I believe that the ideas and potential solutions that have been suggested or are implicated in the administration’s actions will end up being more destructive than effective in instilling positive change.

In the past few weeks Safety and Security, Hanover Police and the administration seem to have banded together to adopt a zerotolerance policy toward any misstep in Greek organizations. Some fraternities have already been placed on multi-term suspension and probation. Other fraternities (that is to say, nearly all) have in the past few weeks been written up for minor infractions. Many within the Greek system speculate that these relatively insignificant infractions (e.g., fire alarms being accidentally set off or leaving an extra empty beer case lying around in a basement gathering of fewer than 30 people) are being accumulated so that administrators can strike down any Greek house that they do not deem acceptable in the future.

They have, in effect, succeeded in illustrating their capability to exert power over the entire Greek system.

While such an approach may seem reasonable to the College, and perhaps many others, I see the consequences of such iron-fist ruling as imminently destructive to the often-neglected positive and relatively inclusive Dartmouth social infrastructure.

My fraternity, in light of this new administrative attitude, is doing all it can to not just comply with the College, but to survive as an institution. In the past two weeks, we have closed our house on multiple nights to the Dartmouth student body to mitigate risk. We have also been forced to self-enact exclusionary door policies — we turn away Dartmouth students who are not brought in specifically by a brother of the house.

Instead of being an inviting social space for all of campus, my fraternity has been forced to trade inclusivity for risk management. We will continue to enact this policy in order to stay afloat. In the next week alone, our house will be closed on the Saturday of Homecoming and the Monday after Homecoming, the first night that members of the Class of 2018 are allowed to enter Greek houses that serve alcohol.

Some of the Greek system’s frustration emerges from the absorption of responsibility with which we are being held accountable for. Despite the first-year six-week ban from fraternities that has been implemented in the past two years, Good Sam calls remain frequent for first years during this time span. Excessive drinking, by Good Sam standards at least, occurs just as frequently in a two-room triple of Russell Sage as it supposedly does in a fraternity basement.

Additionally, students that are Good Sammed in fraternities are often those students that have come from such pre-games. They have either not actually had a drink or have had no more than half a cup of beer in a fraternity basement. For some reason, however, the College overlooks such details. The student that drank too much in a dorm and walks into a Greek house becomes the sole responsibility of the fraternity or sorority that they have entered. Even if such students have been administered more significant levels of alcohol in a Greek house (which I will attest, after three years of affiliation, is almost never the case), houses have no real path to turn toward ensuring safety of such a student without jeopardizing their existence.

Neither iron-fist rule nor prohibition-esque measures (which have been discussed as a potential solution by the administration) will yield a safer campus drinking culture.

Greek houses such as the one I am affiliated with want to ensure the safety of fellow Dartmouth students.

Unfortunately, the relationship between Greek houses and administrators and Safety and Security has turned from friendly, interactive and cooperative to secretive and mistrusting. Instead of being able to openly and cooperatively address a sexual assault or a student in danger due to alcohol intoxication or physical injury with the College, we are forced to not even open our doors for fear of being further accused of such incidents which are often not of our doing.

If one of these issues does arise, we often fear for the safety of our house’s future to almost the same degree as the safety of a fellow student. Such disproportionate valuing has come to surface not as a result of lack of awareness by the Greek community — it has come because we no longer feel safe ourselves in working with our past allies for fear of institutional obliteration.

I am particularly frustrated and affected because I chose to come to

Dartmouth because I embraced and was eager to join its relatively open and inclusive community. But such an environment has disintegrated under public pressures that have endorsed uncooperative measures in order to create superficial but destructive change. As a result of these administrative changes in approach toward the Greek system, Greek houses are being labeled as the source of the very issues that the Greek system, that is to say 70 percent of the student body, is eager and willing to address and change.

With cooperation and openness, the social system that Dartmouth should be able to pride itself on, not be ashamed of, can effectively address change. Without it, however, we will see the downfall of an inclusive Dartmouth community and little to no change in the significant issues that we as a student body wish to fix.

As a relatively satisfied senior male member of the Greek system, I actively recognize that I am not the only voice that should be heard. I can only share my opinion and personal perspective and understand that not everyone feels the same about the Greek system’s inclusivity. To reiterate, I also recognize that a past of neglect and lack of awareness by the Greek system has allowed the pendulum of negative consequence to swing too far. I even recognize the necessity on the administration’s part to ensure change.

But as I see it, the pendulum of negative consequence is beginning to swing in the opposite direction, with full force being exerted by an administration fearful of public scrutiny and declining application numbers. If we swing too far in the other direction, we will see a chaotic disruption between administration and student body.

The Greek community is now being forced to serve at the administration’s will to enact ineffective and meaningless measures. This approach will lead Dartmouth nowhere. My advice? Let us truly open up channels of cooperation between administrators and the Greek system to ensure the demise of the old “traditions” of alcohol abuse and sexual assault. But let the other traditions of Dartmouth, those of a strong Greek system and a body of passionate and caring students, help guide the change and not be the source of blame. Let us be open and communicative in order to be both safe and inclusive. I came to Dartmouth for these reasons, and I would like to leave knowing that these traditions remain.

HOMECOMING 2014

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

PAGE HC 19

THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF stephen kirkpatrick ’13

Greek Orthodoxy

Hold onto worthwhile aspects of Greek life and reject harmful traditions.

Say what you will about us, we have a flair for the irreverent.

It’s my junior year, during one of my fraternity’s now-discontinued pledge terms. The halls are dark, pledges are shuffling from one quasi-voluntary activity to the next, with brothers shuffling along behind. Both groups have been drinking. One brother decides the moment calls for a song and belts out: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound / That saved a wretch like me.”

The other wretches in the room join in. If Jesus is watching, He’s probably a little disappointed, but He must be grinning at least a little at the whole scene’s absurdity.

Yes, we do irreverence pretty well.

But in my two-and-a-half years of Greek life, I detected a sort of reverent irreverence: for better and for worse, the Dartmouth Greek system is essentially a religion unto itself.

I don’t want to take the analogy too far. But as a sometime student and current practitioner of actual religion, the two aren’t hard to compare. Fraternities hold weekly rituals. They instill pride in long-held traditions with murky histories. They have origin myths. They

evangelize and convert.

I was one such convert. I came to Dartmouth a sardonic but awkward stillcloseted gay Quiz Bowl nerd — who’d never had a drink outside of Eucharistic contexts — and rushed on a whim my sophomore winter. Even now, I have to explain to bemused cousins, coworkers and dates that yes, I was actually in a frat; yes, I liked it; no, it wasn’t that weird.

Converts are often the biggest zealots, and that’s been true for me at times.

In a lot of ways, my Greek experience highlighted the system’s best qualities.

It took me a while to get acclimated, but my house gave me a space and community to call my own to a degree I’d rarely experienced. I made what I know will be lifelong friendships. For the first time in my life, I was “one of the guys.”

Like religion, Greek life is at its best when it creates communities, unites people from different backgrounds and provides a welcoming social environment to those who may not have had one before. In my own experience and that of many others, Greek life had a positive, centering impact on our lives, making us more confident, outgoing

and able to live with others.

However, as with religion, Greek life is at its worst when it divides instead of unites, fosters insularity and tribalism, becomes defensive and petty, buttresses social pyramids, when it assumes its own ubiquity and vitality and lets stasis and tradition take priority over openness and community. And too often, this is the side we see.

I was never an ultra-orthodox Greek, but even my periods of convert’s zeal have been tempered by these realities. I have seen people excluded from houses for petty, personal grievances. I have seen tears during rush. I have seen promising academic lives take a permanent backseat to pong. I have seen relatively pointless hazing rituals defended as God-given rights. I have seen the system’s mildest critics shouted down, or smirkingly dismissed as “soft.” I have heard wide swaths of unique, vibrant individuals reduced to crude stereotypes and rungs on house rankings.

That’s not even mentioning the ugly, violent byproducts of the liquor-soaked social scene we provide and which most of us have been content to accept without serious question.

And when someone brings all of this up, the Greek system presents its central mystery of faith. Nobody’s serious about this, we say. We’re just a bunch of guys who like to drink beer.

But by God, don’t try to change us even a little bit — Dartmouth just couldn’t exist without us.

As with criticisms of my real-life faith, I reject the anti-Greek arguments that rely on stereotype and caricature. We are not all the brain-dead reactionaries, the debauched louts or the privileged white heterosexuals we’re sometimes generalized as being.

What I’ve realized, though, is that it’s not enough to say “we’re not all like that.” For one thing, we’re more like that than we care to admit; for another, we are not excused from responsibility just because we aren’t like that. The Greek system has caused real harm. To deny this does no credit to its positive stories.

As an alumnus, I find myself thinking and caring less about the future of the Greek system. While I cannot and will not separate Greek identity from my Dartmouth identity, I’m not terribly invested in it anymore. But I would ask those who still keep the faith, who still

very much care about keeping Greek life alive: what about it do you sincerely want to preserve?

Is it really about the system, or is it about the communities you’ve found there? Is it the rituals by themselves, or how they connect you to other people? Is it the pledge activities, doming or pong marathons you value, or is it really just about having a place to gather with people you’ve come to know as friends and call your siblings? If the system is to exist in any form, we disciples must remember and reassess our priorities.

Don’t let your house define your personality. Keep your old friends. Make new friends, Greek and non-Greek.

Don’t dismiss people because they say something you don’t like. Don’t turn a blind eye to people who are hurting.

Listen. Enjoy the full richness of this beautiful campus, which can include a fraternity basement, but is absolutely not limited to it.

Because when you leave this place, the frat rankings, the drinking contests, the mere system and all its institutional politics won’t really matter. It’s really about human beings — without that focus, it’s not really a faith worth keeping.

GUEST Columnist taylor cathcart ’15

Setting the Record Straight The negative spin forced onto the Greek system is unearned.

The current outlook on Dartmouth’s Greek system has led to a vicious cycle of negative media coverage, and Greek organizations are increasingly portrayed as corrupting influences, bastions of classism and hotbeds of sexual assault.

Fueled by horror stories and a lack of understanding, critics are putting fraternities and sororities on the whipping post for a host of higher education’s ills.

These are dangerously uninformed assessments.

Discussions of Dartmouth’s Greek system have become heavily intertwined with issues of inclusivity and socioeconomic class, when such links are tenuous at best. Contrary to popular belief, membership in a fraternity is not exorbitantly expensive. House dues typically cost members a few hundred dollars per term; however, according to Interfraternity Council estimates, Dartmouth fraternities provide over $30,000 of termly financial aid for these costs. In addition to the availability of financial aid for dues, most fraternity houses also charge rent at the minimum rate allowed by the College — 15 percent less than what the school itself charges.

Those student savings can amount to more than $420 per resident per term.

Notwithstanding all this, it’s easy to forget why houses charge dues in the first place. They must do so because Dartmouth fraternities maintain some of the most inclusive social spaces in American higher education, and the College provides few other options.

The Greek system has been willing to shoulder this burden, as well as the risk involved in dealing with Safety and Security and the Hanover Police, in order to engender a sense of community among all students.

Other metrics tell a similar story.

Affiliated students at Dartmouth have higher GPAs and are held to more stringent standards of conduct than their unaffiliated peers. Members of Dartmouth’s Greek organizations raised over $300,000 for charity last year alone. More broadly, a national Gallup survey in May 2014 concluded that members of Greek organizations are “more likely to report being emotionally supported and having experiential and deep learning activities while in college,” and are “more likely than all other college graduates to be thriving in each of the five elements of well-being (purpose, physical, social, financial and community)” after graduation.

Of course, even as the College fails to create social spaces for students and forces the Greek system to continue to pick up the slack, fraternity and sorority members have been faced with a strong current of prejudice and assumption.

With only a little personal experience and plenty of dubious journalism to guide their intuition, some adults see our basements as training grounds for future alcoholics and imagine our brother and sisterhoods as tragic echoes of “Lord of the Flies.” At a recent meeting between Greek officers and senior administrators, an administrator agreed that the Greek system had been one of the most powerful factors in College President Phil Hanlon’s college experience.

“But back then I don’t think it was too common for students to be drinking 20 or 25 beers in a single night,” she was quick to add. The takeaway here – that faculty and staff believe fraternity basements allow students to bypass physiological limits of liquid consumption – is disappointing. The official’s perception of alcohol consumption was that no fraternity brother acts in moderation.

The result of all this misinformation has been the gradual isolation of the Greek community from broader

campus. Tour guides have been given specific instructions not to visit Webster Avenue and to deemphasize the Greek system on their tours. Safety and Security staff conduct walkthroughs with increasing animosity, often screaming at house officers and berating guests.

Many students no longer feel comfortable admitting their Greek affiliation in class, for fear of prejudice on the part of their professors.

All this, for what? Without a doubt, Dartmouth has problems. Binge drinking is dangerous and addictive, and sexual assault is a despicable offense.

Both are unacceptable. We are all committed to stamping out these behaviors, and to equate them with the Greek system is inherently misguided. The first weekend of term this fall, when not a single freshman was allowed into a Greek house, 12 ’18s were sent to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for alcohol poisoning. Such a number would have been unthinkable during my own first weekend here in 2011.

Meanwhile, Dartmouth’s Greek system has continued to perform tens of thousands of hours of community service and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity each year.

Organizations regularly host alumni events, facilitate career networking and set up resumé workshops to help position their members for success. Houses organize open mics, poetry slams, a cappella performances and improv comedy shows, all open to the student body. Fraternities and sororities host and participate in sexual assault symposiums and discussion groups; members march in Take Back the Night and support the White Ribbon Campaign. We are part of the Dartmouth community first and foremost, and we find it our duty to contribute — even if no one ever seems to notice.

The Gallup report on Greek alumni concludes in its final paragraph: “Individual Greek members and chapters have unfortunately been associated with issues involving hazing, binge drinking, and sexual assaults, and Greek organizations should certainly continue their efforts to prevent these negative events from happening. But it appears that on the whole, the Greek experience has notable long-term benefits.”

Here’s to hoping that future Dartmouth students of all backgrounds will have the choice to experience those benefits, too.

HOMECOMING 2014

PAGE HC 20

GUEST Columnists hannah saris ’16 and rebecca nowiszewski ’16

Taking Charge of the Inevitable It’s time to think innovatively when we consider Greek reform.

Change is happening at Dartmouth. We all know it. On a campus of 4,000 driven and proactive undergrads, it’s hard not to recognize the transformations that occur each day. Many of these changes revolve around the Greek system and its role on campus.

As two active, affiliated women, we are familiar with the pros and cons of Greek houses. Being involved in Greek life has had an enormously positive impact on us.

But we also recognize that many students, affiliated and unaffiliated, are unhappy with the current system. And they are certainly voicing their opinions.

Since 12F, our first term at Dartmouth, we have witnessed immense changes. Two that stand out are the six-week Greek ban on freshmen and the elimination of pledge term. In response, the number of voiced opinions has skyrocketed.

Some wish to see the Greek system undergo major changes or even be completely eliminated. Yet there are those who wish Greek life could

go back to the way it was in 12F. With all the controversy regarding the changes, it is easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal. While the definition of “better” differs for everyone, overall as a student body, our goal is, or at least should be, to leave Dartmouth better than we found it.

There are many ways to reach this goal, but not every student will agree with the problem-solving path that we choose. Dartmouth is filled with bright, opinionated, creative students. We are a group of 4,000 students with 4,000 different ways of problem solving. That’s one of the many things that makes Dartmouth such an amazing place.

But since our student body is comprised of such a variety of individuals with strong opinions, we often butt heads when discussing the changes we want to see. Some of us are vocal with respect to the Greek system — writing articles, giving speeches, staging sit-ins.

These dialogues are great — they show that people care about this

little place in Hanover. Yet many of us are just watching these changes occur and then complaining about them.

Let’s take a step back and look at this from a broader perspective.

Whether we like it or not, changes are occurring. Maybe the changes aren’t exactly what we hoped for, or maybe the changes are exactly what we envisioned. Either way, the changes are happening.

Instead of resisting the changes, we should feel honored to have the opportunity to tackle the challenge of making Dartmouth a better place. Let’s stop sitting around and complaining. Rather, let’s recognize the opportunity we have in front of us and get pumped about the potential impact we can make.

Change is inevitable, so let’s change Dartmouth for the better. We are all lucky to be part of this incredible school. So why not ensure that it remains incredible — or better yet, becomes even more incredible.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

GUEST Columnist TAYLOR WATSON ’16

Match Made in Heaven?

A “Sibling House” program could solve Greek woes.

I remember that day during spring 2013 when classes were cancelled and we had speakers talk to us about the problems at Dartmouth. One of them said that there are a few bad eggs out there screwing it up for everyone else with bias incidents, sexual misconduct, and hate. This puts the blame on a handful of people, reassuringly, but is ultimately untrue. The blame for these behaviors falls on everyone who fails to step in when the roots of these behaviors are displayed.

People blame fraternities for a lot of Dartmouth’s issues. Then other people defend certain members of “guilty” houses because they don’t believe their friends are the problem (while still condemning the house as a whole). To some extent this is true. Most houses are predominantly populated by positive, fundamentally good people. The issue with this view is that the intolerable behavior is the result of the relationships and behavior-determining feedback loops generated by those individuals and their organization.

If someone in a fraternity commits questionable acts, all the members are partially to blame for enabling and supporting an environment that could lead to such behavior.

Think about the Tea Party. Marginal actors drag the group toward the extreme, normalize it, then push the limits beyond what the majority of members individually would like, but which they are collectively unable to control. That’s where fraternities at Dartmouth have ended up — collectively something that the majority of members would not condone or believe in, but something that enables destructive behavior nonetheless.

But how do you break these feedback loops? Given that Dartmouth’s social scene — for better or worse — has evolved into self-selecting gendered, relatively homogenous populations, how do you introduce into these groups disjunctions in behavior modeling and acceptance without violating their right to exist as an independent group? The answer is probably simple: introducing empowered women into these spaces.

The “Sibling House” program would introduce strong female presences more frequently into fraternity spaces, especially during events and scenes where these negative behaviors are being pushed and tested, without sacrificing aspects of the fraternity system that are positive and valued by its members. In the macro sense, a sorority and a fraternity would become “Sibling

Houses,” not coed, but in that direction. Members would have bonds closer than those of just friends, approaching the sibling style of caring for one another, without completely merging into one institution. On the micro level this means a lot of key changes: door code access for all members to both houses, social events open to both houses, shared door duties at both houses, shared control of alcohol flows, a shared blitz list, a shared term formerly known as pledge term, a semi-shared rush process, shared pong lineholding abilities, joint meetings and cooperation between the two houses’ execs. Building out of these basics could accomplish so much more. It has inherent flaws but at the end of the day accomplishes the crucial goal of bringing females into spaces and disrupting the feedback loops that hurt our campus.

I’ll admit, this idea started simply because I am a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and I have a passion for Sigma Delta sorority that burns with the fire of a thousand suns. I saw the two as being able to move campus in a really positive direction through such a plan.

Since the initial idea this summer, I’ve spoken to hundreds of people about it, including College President Phil Hanlon and the presidential steering committee. Besides those who simply refuse to yield their desire of gendered spaces, nobody has had anything but good things to say about this “Sibling House” plan.

I’m eager to hear what you think.

Obviously the plan will only work with consent of both parties.

There would have to be long debates, arguments for and against, focus groups, alumni consultation, national consultation, meet-andgreets. You cannot just decide that 200 people will start being great friends overnight. If this system were given a year or two, and with a slow phasing in, I believe we would end up with a Greek system that is more inclusive and safe, one that promotes much more personal growth and community than the current system, without sacrificing the majority of what makes it attractive to so many people today. Instead of replacing or crippling the Greek system, this plan adds another layer of community on top of the system that, through distribution of authorities and encouraging intergroup interactions, can prevent many of Dartmouth’s problems today.

Around campus (or around the world), you might be surprised at how many questions have the same answer: empowered women.

HOMECOMING 2014

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

PAGE HC 21

NEWS SPORTS ARTS OPINION MIRROR BLOG DESIGN PHOTO VIDEO

GUEST Columnist DEBY GUZMAN-BUCHNESS ’15

Dear Greek System

I am sick of the system that took away my agency.

I am sick of your abuse. You make me need you, you hurt my friends and I keep coming back.

I was vulnerable when we first met, and you took advantage of that. I wanted friends and to meet cool upperclassmen. I craved a social space of my own and to be a part of something more. I wanted to expand my experiences, blow past the academics and explore. People vouched for you, saying that I should give you a try. You were the lover of all lovers. You could give me friends, fun and a place, but at a price.

Our highs were incredible. Our raging dance parties, topless pong games and most importantly, the people I met through you were more than what I wanted. You were so sexy, but also so sneaky. You slipped me all these privileges, so that I couldn’t break up with you. I wanted you and you wanted me, and you knew how to keep me for yourself — you took away my agency.

It was because you liked these friends, these brothers, these sisters that I was willing to open up to them. I gave them chances I don’t normally give. You screened and

judged them based on their gender, class, race, weight, and social skills.

They wanted to impress you and we were willing to do anything so long as you accepted them. Instead, you crushed them. One of my friends tried three times to fall into your good graces and you still rejected him. He left Dartmouth for an entire year because he thought he must have been “messed up.” Another one of my friends you rejected is now suffering from clinical depression because she doesn’t think she is “worthy to be here.” Two weeks ago, she threatened to take her life away.

You were deciding who I met and I noticed you kept matching me with white people, with people who are just like me or with people almost just like me. You love segregation. You love it so much, you’ve encouraged that I adopt it. The people down by the gym are A-side, while the people up frat row are B-side. I’m spreading your ideologies now. You’ve got me making flash judgments when I see someone wearing your initials, your letters. You’ve given them a tag, a brand endowed with social capital,

and now I associate worth with those brands. I’m grossed out by your sick exclusivity and power to divide. You make me feel like I’m in high school again.

But I keep coming back because it feels like there is nothing else on this campus. You feel like my only option to have a social life, which has scared me from breaking up with you. Ever since I realized I was the privileged type you liked, I’ve wanted to de-pledge my commitment to you. I am a white-passing, intellectual, good-humored, attractive person, who had little control over the life that made me this way.

I am your perfect lover, victim and accomplice. Every house here and sweatshirt carries your symbol, and it feels easier to be with you then to leave you. I am captive to you. I’ve grown to accept your abuse. But my stomach hurts too much now when I think of who I’ve become and how much I have compromised myself to be with you. I can’t take it anymore.

You’ve taught me so much, which is why I have to leave. We are through, Greek System. I’m escaping your grasp, and you won’t hold me back.

JOIN

The Dartmouth Staff OPEN HOUSE TODAY

OFF CAMPUS WINTER TERM?

Want to apply for an Academic Off Campus Program?

November 1, 2014

Early applications are due from students not on campus winter term wishing to apply for programs that require interviews. These programs are: AMELL LSA+ – Beijing AMELL LSA+ - Tokyo AMELL LSA+ Arabic, Tangier AMES FSP – Fez Anthro/Ling FSP Art History FSP Biology FSP Classics FSP, Rome

ENVS FSP English FSP Film Studies FSP Geography FSP Government FSP, London History FSP Music FSP Native American Studies DSP Theater FSP (All other program deadlines are the same as below)

IF YOU ARE ***ON*** CAMPUS WINTER TERM, IMPORTANT DATES ARE: January 5, 2015--- ‘15 Summer Term Program Applications are due February 1, 2015 --- ‘15 Fall, ‘16 Winter and ‘16 Spring Terms and all Exchange Program Applications are due ** **Exceptions: Government DSP, D.C. and UCSD Exchange – please see the Guarini Institute/OCP website for deadlines

Don’t Delay; Apply Today!

Apply on-line at: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ocp

PAGE HC 22

HOMECOMING 2014

JUST ANOTHER GAME

Courtesy of Rauner Special Collections Library

Members of Delta Delta Delta sorority play pong in 1997.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

PAGE HC 23

HOMECOMING 2014

THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF EMILY FLETCHER ’13

Truth in Experience

A former editor reflects on fact-checking Andrew Lohse’s hazing column.

When I was asked to recount my experience editing and publishing “Telling the Truth” (Jan. 25, 2012), the opinion column that sparked much of the current discussion about hazing and the value of Dartmouth’s Greek system, I was lukewarm about the idea. The column, by Andrew Lohse ’12, was one of the most important pieces published during my tenure as the 2012 editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth, but I had largely put my role in editing the piece behind me, and I prefer to focus on the conversations that have taken place since.

I am proud of how my team handled the column a few short weeks into our leadership of the paper, but the experience was disillusioning. I was notorious on our editorial board for labeling student behavior and administrative action as “misguided,” because it reflected my belief that most of the stakeholders who disagree about what is best for the College are genuinely advocating for what they believe is in the community’s best interest. In this case, however, the process of editing the column and its aftermath brought me head-to-head with people whose manipulative behavior I found incredibly frustrating.

Lohse was a regular columnist with whom I had little previous interaction when I took over as editor, and he submitted the first draft of his Jan. 25 column to our opinion editors, as was the usual process.

Our standard protocol was to have one of the opinion editors work with a columnist to edit a piece before sending it to the executive editor. I was the last to see opinion columns and rarely worked directly with columnists to make content changes.

When the opinion editors received Lohse’s column, they immediately knew it would require a higher level of editorial oversight.

The column made bold claims about the extent and severity of hazing in his fraternity — the kind that would make waves if true but open the paper up to lawsuits if false.

The executive editor overseeing the opinion editors recused himself from editing the column because he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the fraternity against which Lohse leveled hazing accusations.

I immediately went into business mode, realizing that the column required extensive fact-checking and editing before we could publish it, and I worked directly with Lohse to confirm his story.

My goal was to confirm with as much certainty as possible that his column was true to his experience. It was not a news piece, and I would never be able to confirm with 100-percent certainty that he truly felt the distress he claimed. I did, however, call both student and alumni members of SAE to ask if they had ever experienced or witnessed the alleged abuses outlined in Lohse’s column, such as being forced to chug vinegar and eat an omelet made of vomit. Lohse also provided email correspondence between himself and several administrators to prove the veracity of some of his other allegations.

The members I spoke with confirmed that Lohse’s allegations were either true to their experience or highly plausible based on their experience with and knowledge of fraternity rituals. Lohse and I went back and forth for hours about the specific wording of his most explicit sentences, and he admitted that some of the things he said he had experienced were things he had not actually witnessed but heard about from other members. Many of my edits focused on precision around this language, and I held my ground that only those events

I could get confirmation occurred could be included.

The editing process was lengthy, and we decided to report on the allegations in the news section the same day we published the column.

After countless conversations with Lohse, other fraternity members, administrators (because Lohse had made serious allegations about administrative inaction), professional journalists, lawyers, former editors and other members of my team, we were ready to publish the column on Jan. 25.

Whistleblowers are rarely uncomplicated individuals. They often have ulterior motives, unsavory histories and inherent biases that can make them unreliable. In this case, Lohse “leaked” his own column to another publication — a publication that then attacked the due diligence we had taken to fact-check and edit the column. We still published the column the next day, and we followed up with continued coverage of hazing at the College. Lohse lied consistently and repeatedly about sending the unedited version of his column to another publication, and soon, he stopped writing for the paper.

In the aftermath, I continued to encounter manipulative people who

either disagreed with how my team handled the initial column or wanted to influence future coverage. The Rolling Stone reporter with whom Lohse worked on a later article tried to bully me into providing the names of sources I had used to fact check the column. A writer posted a picture of me on his blog and accused me of both underage drinking and editorial bias. Though I woke up most mornings wondering what absurd thing would happen next, I remained positive about the value of the work my team was doing.

Two-and-a-half years later, I appreciate the scrutiny Lohse’s column brought to the Greek system, and I am proud that content published under my direction spurred conversations that continue to take place today. As an editor, I believe my team and I handled the column with professionalism and objectivity.

I still believe that most people who enter the discourse about student life issues and Dartmouth’s future do so because they care deeply about the institution. Conversations must remain rooted in mutual respect and a sense of a common purpose, and I hope current and future students continue to feel comfortable telling the hard truths.

PAGE HC 24

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

HOMECOMING MIRROR 2013

What do YOU think about the Greek system?

Early this week, The Dartmouth asked campus an open-ended question: “What do you want the world to know about Dartmouth Greek life?” Some of their written responses follow:

“Coed fraternities were not considered by me to be a part of the Greek life system until I decided to join one. I now realize that having a gender-inclusive safe space is one of the most valuable parts of my Dartmouth experience.”

— Jimmy Ragan ’16

“...I know that those spaces are places where people can bond and form new friendships, but I don’t want to have to pretend to like someone (and call them sister/brother!) if there’s nothing to base it on. I respect those who are affiliated (and do not doubt that they have genuine and loving friendships within their Greek houses), but I have found plenty of other communities that are less restricting, less money and less pressure to be sociable/ friendly/extroverted. I definitely encourage people to rush if Greek life is the social space that works best for them, but I also really don’t think it’s a big deal if people don’t.”

— Charli Fool Bear-Vetter ’15

“One of the factors that informed my decision to apply early decision to Dartmouth two years ago was the fact that Dartmouth had a prominent Greek system ... I value fraternity and brotherhood because I have always been a part of a close community that has supported and inspired me to be the best person I can be. The continuing changes and dismantling of the Greek system by the school makes me question the administration’s commitment to the students that love this school for what it is and came here to be a part of this extraordinary community.” — Eli Brewster ’17

“‘Greek life’ is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more of a pastime — like baseball. Calling it ‘Greek life’ minimizes the lives that each brother and sister has outside of his or her respective house, while overstating the importance it carries in one’s collegiate experience. It’s an invaluable tool for some, and just a ball game for others, so don’t let FOMO culture be the Sorting Hat to happiness here at Dartmouth.” — Josh Perez ’17

“There’s a lot of talk about improving Greek life, but often little action. It’s extremely important to highlight the actions that take place in improving Greek life, because they often get lost in a sea of meaningless words and sentiment. In particular, I’m talking about things like local sororities offering full need-based financial aid and EKT leaving the rush process.” — Laura Bergsten ’15

“Greek life has given me some of the most meaningful relationships and experiences that I have ever had in my life. Meaningful relationships and experiences do happen independently of Greek life, as do hazing, binge drinking, and sexual assault. Greek life is not a determining, causal factor of those unfortunate occurrences any more than it determines whether or not someone will develop enduring friendships. Reducing Greek houses to dens of hedonism fails to confront the complexity of these issues, and so is a disservice to all students.” — Will Baird ’15

For more, see www.thedartmouth.com

“There is no place for Greek life in the 21st century. It is by nature an exclusive, single-sex organization that perpetuates some of the most dangerous behaviors on this campus including sexual violence and high-risk drinking. It is antithetical to Dartmouth’s academic mission as an institution of higher education.

It is time to embrace and expand upon what makes our institution great. We can create an environment of radical hospitality centered on the values of a determined quest for knowledge, an insatiable desire to change the world and an unbreakable commitment to community. We can only do this if we’re all on board, because when we work as a team, amazing things happen.”

— John Damianos ’16