To the Editor:
I read with interest Sarah Johnston's "Make It Invites Only, Please" column printed Thursday, July 27. As a president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity this past year, the issue of closed invite parties has certainly been discussed at length. However, I'd like to remark a mandate of closed invite parties would be antithetical to the open Greek system that Dartmouth enjoys and would, most likely, produce and amplify many of the problems Ms. Johnston mentions in support of her argument.
Unlike other colleges, Dartmouth's Greek system is extremely open. Greeks and non-Greeks alike are welcome at most parties. In contrast, many Greek houses around the country operate on an invite-only basis. While certainly more appealing from a risk management perspective, closed parties tend to fragment the student body within the margins of an invite list. Beyond the invite list, it is rare for members of any Greek house to be guests at another Greek house's party. The result: more cries that the Greek system is exclusionary and harmful to the community as a whole.
Would rowdiness be reduced? Probably not. Instead, having to maintain the closed status of a party would likely be the impetus for a variety of problems ranging from destruction of property to fights.
I do not discourage occasional invite-only parties. I am proud my house chooses to hold events like our regular Champagne Party which is semi-formal and by invite only. It is a chance for our house to do something different and fun. But, to think that the closed status changes many of the risks associated with having a party is to underestimate the responsibilities involved in hosting any event. Were this event to become the norm it would be the basis of a community that supplanted our common bond of Dartmouth.
The Greek system at Dartmouth is extremely successful in many ways. It has proven that it can continue to improve itself (look at the programming revisions that were accomplished this past Spring term by a Coed Fraternity Sorority Council working together) and it has proven that it can be an integral and positive part ofthis community (e.g. Greek week). Destroy the openness of this system and you'll see some real problems with the Greek system.
