A Student Assembly-sponsored forum last night that was designed to focus on intergender relations at the College turned into a discussion about limited social options for first-year students.
The discussion was the third part of a series on "Men and Women and the CFS," the College's Greek system. Student Assembly President Nicole Artzer '94 moderated the debate between a handful of students in the basement of Topliff Hall.
The students agreed that freshmen need more social options, especially during their first term when they are not allowed in Greek houses.
Andrea Darling '94, an Undergraduate Advisor in Topliff and intern at the Freshman Office, said the College does not offer first-year students enough social alternatives.
"The rules and regulations that prohibit first-year students from entering fraternities should either be enforced or forgotten," Darling said. "Things should be made easy for freshmen. That's where the problems start if there are no outlets for their social life."
The group agreed that a double standard in the Greek system that makes it easier for freshmen women to get into fraternities could lead to gender tensions.
"It's easy for first year females to get into any fraternity and for males it is very hard," Artzer said. "To what extent does the administration's regulation allow gender tensions to begin right away? They are saying that females have one role in the CFS system and males have another."
"The administration is saying to first-year students 'You have the whole College in front of you but you cannot go to the fraternities.' What difference does one term make?" Artzer continued.
Darling said during the past three years freshmen have been drawn to the fraternities more than in previous years because the ban on kegs in residence halls has cut down on the number of dorm parties.
Amy Candido '94 said separating first-year students from the rest of the undergraduates, rather than the availability of alcohol, is what is pushing freshmen toward the fraternities.
"Freshmen don't want to be separated from the rest of the campus. People want to be where everyone else is," she said. "It couldn't possibly be alcohol that is the polarizing agent. You could drink until you die in the dorms if you wanted."
Ruth Morgan '96 said the opening of the Collis Center may decrease the consumption of alcohol by the freshman class by presenting a dry social alternative.
"But with the '97s that may be a problem because they're already in that rut," she said.
