Fall at Dartmouth is the perfect time to change your hair color (hi H Croo!), dorm decorations, major. But this term could be something much more: this could be the term when we decide to change campus culture.
Over the summer, The Dartmouth published an article in a special issue sent to the incoming Class of 2014 similar to one published every year, one that you probably remember from your own Freshman Issue. The article summarized each fraternity, sorority and co-ed in just a couple of sentences by the stereotypes already pervading this campus.
Men were judged by the events they host and women were judged by more superficial measures. Although a '14 reading the article wouldn't be able to rank the houses first to worst, there were clear winners and losers. What role does this article published by a major Dartmouth institution and sent to the individual homes of incoming freshmen serve on campus? And why do these stereotypes exist in the first place?
Several women, all members of different sororities, to whom I showed the article came up with the same old justifications for ignoring it: "it's not as bad as last year's article," "take it with a grain of salt" and "if you complain so much, they'll eventually stop listening." These women, immersed in our social system, stand to lose a lot by even viewing the issues from the bottom of the social ladder. If you see members of your own sex being attacked or denigrated, is it worth defending them if it means sacrificing your own status? Many of these women answered, "No."
Being a member of the Dartmouth community means participating in a fierce competition over everything from academics to drinking. Most of us are competitive people that's how we got here in the first place but competition la Dartmouth is on a whole new level. Our Dartmouth-isms capture the campus' hyper-competitive environment and show that you've always got to be on top of your game: we refer to the Food Court's walkway as a "runway" and go to the gym for some "facetime." When competition and social ranking are such a huge part of Dartmouth culture, it's no wonder that many women (and men) won't protect their peers. Someone has to come out last, so you might as well make sure (or at least stand idly by when) that someone isn't you.
Since its publication, I've thought a lot about the article and the social structure on this campus more generally. Is it irresponsible that we, as members of this community, allow offensive stereotypes to be published and repeated year after year, inducting yet another new class into a system of elitism before they even get to campus?
The article was meant to provide the Class of 2014 with an introduction to the Greek system. In the end, the article doesn't benefit the first years at all; it benefits a small group of people who can take one step closer to the top of the ladder.
Because of our campus culture, men and women in the Dartmouth Bubble accept the expectations placed on them by men expectations ultimately legitimized by the complacency of other women. All Dartmouth students pay lip service to being part of a warm community, but where are the compassionate students that care for each other's emotional well-being when part of campus is repeatedly labeled as inferior to another? And why do we judge our peers by the spin of their serve or the brand of their rain boots instead of their empathy for their fellow classmates?
Maybe this fall it's time to stop worrying about arbitrary measures of worth and start getting to know each other for real. Time to stop talking about community and start building one that matters. Time to stop waiting for change and finally start making it happen.
