In a group discussion on the Greek system sponsored by the Student Assembly last night, students said they want alcohol at Dartmouth social events and that women feel uncomfortable going into fraternity houses.
About 20 students attended the discussion in the Hyphen, called "Men and Women and the CFS: How well does the system serve the students?",
Assembly President Nicole Artzer '94 moderated the discussion, where most student comments supported the College's current Greek system. Although some students advocated some form of reform, most said the system should not change drastically.
Students said social functions provided by the College are not as popular as Greek parties because there is no alcohol, and the events typically end before midnight.
"Sometimes I just want to get away from a College event and be myself," David Robinson '96 said.
Robinson compared going to a College-sponsored event to going out with his parents on a Friday night. "You don't feel like socializing all that much. You can't relax. It's kind of a psychological stigma," he said.
"Activities [sponsored] by the College are usually over by 11 or 11:30" p.m., Natalie Bachir '97 said. "After they are over we usually go to something else. I don't think it's possible to make other activities in place of the Greek system."
Students also said that because most of the parties on campus are at fraternities, women feel like they are intruding on male space.
"It is still somebody else's house, no matter how many women are in the house," Rachel Roisman '96 said. "It's almost a degrading relationship between men and women, where the woman subjugates herself."
"I think something is inherently problematic with a system based on one sex going into another sex's house and being on their turf," Roisman said.
But Mitch Jacobs '94, a member of Alpha Delta fraternity, said he was tired of problems at Dartmouth being blamed on single-sex houses.
"People talk about sexual harassment and they blame it on the Greek houses," Jacobs said. "It isn't our responsibility. It's not our house. It's men and women and how they interact."
Most students at the discussion said the College's Greek system was more open than systems at other schools, and said individuals, not the system, are responsible for most of the problems.
The discussion was the first of a nine part series on the Greek system's future. The Assembly will report its findings to the Committee on Student Life after a town meeting on Jan. 28, Artzer said.
