To the Editor:
I'm writing to you about an article that appeared in the Nov. 14 edition of The Dartmouth titled "Greek Houses Win Awards."
The Awards Banquet served as a formal closing and a means of recognizing the 1996 leadership within the Greek System. The coverage in The Dartmouth was sparse if even noticeable at all, as it was relegated to a corner of page six and below the fold on page nine.
The Awards Banquet offered The Dartmouth an opportunity to cover some of the truly positive achievements that have occurred within the Greek System over the past year, and instead the editorial staff had the poor taste to put "In Focus" the question of the exclusion policy of freshmen. Your lack of tact in timing the publication of the article (it is my understanding that the interviews with various individuals were done over a time period as long as two weeks ago) reflects poorly on The Dartmouth, as it demonstrates the continually biased and negative representation of the Greek System in The Dartmouth and the general reluctance of the paper to focus on the positives that do occur within the Greek system.
If your reporter had wanted to present the Awards Banquet in a positive or at least unbiased manner, he would have noted that this was the first year ever that the Greek Academic Honor Society, Order of Omega, was involved in the decision-making process. This should be of note because it means students are recognizing other students and also working closely with the administration. Your reporter might have also noted that the administration gave extreme praise for the work and changes that the 1996 class has accomplished in the Greek System.
Finally, your reporter might have noted that Lambda Rho Leadership Awards were presented for the first time this year to exceptional individuals, and perhaps The Dartmouth could have mentioned some of the changes and improvements these remarkable leaders have facilitated for positive advancement within the Greek System. For example, Dani Brune, in her role as Panhellenic President has effectively restructured sorority rush and has also made notable advancements toward Panhell and the Women's Resource Center working in a complementary manner for women on campus.
Your reporter did note the most improved award but sorely missed the point that I made when I presented the award. Yes, Sigma Alpha Epsilon has done all the things listed in the article, but the underlying spirit of why they deserved the award was lost. (They certainly didn't get the Order of Omega Most Improved Organization Award because they "installed an invisible fence, which shocks dogs that cross it.")
Instead, as I explained at the Awards Banquet, SAE has made notable improvements on the physical appearance and maintenance of their house. But more importantly what they have done as a group of Greek brothers has demonstrated dedication to their house and to the improvement of the image and reality of the Greek System. Their numerous accomplishments, under the leadership of Adam Medros '96, include increasing annual alumni donations, not drinking during the business portion of their meetings, innovative programming and receiving the Most Improved Chapter Award from their National. These highlights are among many reasons that they have become a house of which not only their brotherhood but also the entire Dartmouth community should be proud.
I would ask that in the future you try to represent the Greek system in a more objective manner.
