In the first of a series of faculty talks, Dean of Residential Life Mary Turco led a discussion last night at Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority along with Religion Professor Amy Hollywood about exclusion in the sorority rush process.
About 25 women attended the discussion, which was sponsored by the Panhellenic Council, the governing body of the College's six sororities.
Turco said she has had many women approach her "in devastation," because they felt "social exclusion by a group they so much wanted to be a part of," when they were not extended a bid by the house they had hoped to join.
She said other than victims of assault or students who had suffered family tragedies, some of the most upset students she has dealt with have been women who had just gone through the sorority rush process.
"The ethical dilemma of the sorority system is its tremendous exclusivity because of its size," Turco said. She said there are fewer women left out now than in years past, but there are always a few women who feel excluded.
Dani Brune '96, former Panhell president, said many women "beat themselves up" over the rush process.
"We're not supportive to women because we are putting them through the most degrading process possible," Brune said.
She said deliberations are based on five-minute meetings and they "often get to the point where they are ridiculous."
She added sorority members come away from deliberations feeling frustrated because there is no way to be fair.
Panhell President Jess Russo '97 said there is a space for all women who want to join a house, but many feel excluded when they don't get into the house of their choice.
Former Panhell Vice President Susie Ettinger '96 said women develop bad feelings toward the houses they are rejected from.
The women also discussed the new sorority rush proposal recently voted down by the houses. The proposal called for a lottery to determine, in part, where women would be given bids.
Panhell Vice President Marcie Handler '97, who is a member of Theta, said the rush proposal failed to pass not because women opposed it, but because it lacked overwhelming support.
"People have a fear of the word 'lottery,'" Handler said. "The new proposal would give more power to the rushees earlier in the process."
Brune said she thinks the proposal failed because members of sororities do not want to "lose their perceived control of who joins their house."
"They don't realize how random it really is," she said.
Turco also spoke about the history of sororities at Dartmouth. She said the first sororities were created in the late 1970s by women unhappy with the social inequities at the College.
Turco said these women hoped social space would help bring them equality.
Russo said within Dartmouth's Greek system women "are still not equal."
She said that inequity is one argument for Panhell's decision to support the creation of a seventh sorority.
"There are 17 fraternities and only six sororities," Russo said.
