To the Editor:
In response to Sarah Johnston's '97 column "Years Later -- Have Greeks Changed?", I would like to share some of my thoughts.
My answer to the above stated question is a resounding yes -- Greeks have changed since the days of Alpha Chi's 1988 Hell Night, and for the better. If Johnston would like to find some evidence of this, I think she should set up an appointment with Deb Reinders, assistant dean of residential life and the College's greek adviser. Any person who has been in close contact with the system for the past eight years can not deny that there has been progress. Fraternities and sororities now take their responsibility to their members and the community seriously, which was not the case a few years ago.
As president of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, I have seen continued progress within my organization. Brothers of this chapter have standards to live up to, and they do their best to live up to them. They have responsibilities to themselves, their brothers and their guests, and they meet them. They search for what's wrong in the Greek community and try to fix it. This kind of atmosphere did not exist in many fraternities a short time ago, but it does today.
Johnston's insinuation that an unfortunate incident in one fraternity house this past summer is representative of conditions in all Dartmouth fraternities is ludicrous. Next time the author attempts to make such sweeping generalizations about Greek organizations, she ought to take the time to research her topic, and take a look at all Dartmouth Greek houses, instead of focusing on a single event.
