Over 100 students gathered in Collis Common Ground to discuss, criticize and defend Greek life at Dartmouth last night. The event, a student panel and discussion titled “Exclusivity in the Greek System,” was hosted by Sigma Delta, Chi Delta and Epsilon Kappa Theta sororities and co-sponsored by the Panhellenic Council, Greek Leadership Council and the Office of Pluralism and Leadership.
Victoria Nelsen ’17, one of the organizers, said that the event’s title is intentionally provocative.
“So often, we hear people talk about how other schools’ Greek systems are so much more exclusive than Dartmouth’s, but that doesn’t mean that ours is inclusive,” she said. “So we really wanted to turn that idea on its head.”
In an opening speech, organizer and Sigma Delt president Alanna Kane ‘17 echoed Nelsen’s statement, and asked that attendees “thoughtfully and critically” examine the Greek system and their positionality within it.
“This system is entrenched in a legacy of racism, sexism, classism and homophobia,” she said. “So why are we so quick to defend it?”
Panelists Dondei Dean ’17, Kevin Bui ’17, Danica Rodriguez ’18, Invo Chami ’16 and Jalen Benson ’17 each shared stories about their experiences with Greek life at the College.
Dean, the only non Greek-affiliated member on the panel, spoke about the sense of “otherness” she feels as a black woman when she enters a Dartmouth fraternity.
“My attitudes about the Greek system are largely informed by fear, and by the understanding that, explicitly and implicitly, I don’t belong,” she said.
Dean also spoke about the inherent exclusivity of a gender-divided social system and advocated for the possibility of co-education in the Greek system, which she believes would provide a “richness and diversity of experience.”
Several panelists — including Bui, who identifies as gender non-conforming — expressed a similar sentiment.
“[The Greek system] is rooted in the gender binary, which doesn’t really have a space for me,” Bui said. “The party scene doesn’t have a space for me.”
Bui became a member of EKT after learning from a friend that the sorority welcomes anyone who does not identify as male to take part in its rush process.
Every panelist discussed issues of racism within the Greek system.
Benson, a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, was one of several panelists who discussed feeling tokenized within their houses. He noted that, as one of few black men in his fraternity, he is often asked to speak on behalf of the entire black community and is sometimes mistaken for other black members of his house.
Chami, a member of Chi Delt, cited racist incidents she has overheard on campus, including a fraternity brother telling another member to “turn off the colored people music.” However, she emphasized that racism within the Greek system exists on an institutional level.
“This is not about individual people’s actions, there are systems in place,” she said.
Panelists also commented on financial barriers to entering Greek life. Benson and Rodriguez discussed the challenges faced by low-income and first-generation students, many of whom they said cannot even consider Greek life as an option because the cost of dues is prohibitive.
Following the panel, attendees were divided into small, student-moderated group discussions.
Victoria Rowe ’17, who attended the event because she dislikes the complacency that can sometimes characterize Greek life at Dartmouth, said that she enjoyed the collaborative nature of the discussion portion and the opportunity to reflect.
Cori Lopez ’17, one of the student moderators, said that her discussion group focused primarily on class-related issues.
“It was nice to have people be so open about their experiences, and to see some people be critical of a system that they’re a part of,” she said.
Within their discussion groups, students brainstormed action items — concrete suggestions for increasing Greek inclusivity. These items ranged from mandatory cultural sensitivity training for new members to reallocation of Panhell and GLC funding towards financial aid.
Asha Wills ’17, one of the event’s organizers and the president of Chi Delt, said the event was successful overall and contextualized it as part of a larger conversation about reforming the Greek system. She noted that there is more work to be done, particularly among students who do not typically engage with inclusivity initiatives.
“We generated the kind of conversations that we wanted to,” she said. “But the people who most needed to be here tonight were not here.”
A list of action items generated at the event will be presented to student leaders and administrators who work with the Greek system. Karen Afre '12, a coordinator in the Office of Greek Life, said that student perspectives and suggestions will be welcomed, and the event as a whole will benefit the entire community.
