When Jessica Russo '97 was elected president of the Panhellenic Council this winter, she was in the middle of her off-term here in Hanover after participating in a Fall term exchange program .
"I can't possibly imagine being away from Dartmouth for two terms," she said, laughing.
Last term, Russo, a Biology major and a Chemistry minor, was juggling an internship at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, teaching figure skating and assuming the role of running the Panhellenic council, the governing body of the College's six sororities.
Having attended small East Catholic High School in Hartford, Connecticut, Russo said she was "a little afraid" about going off to college.
The jazz band, choir, track, figure skating and student assembly all played a part in Russo's high school experience.
Dartmouth seemed the perfect place for her, she said.
Upon visiting the College, her father told her "I see you in every single person around here," Russo said, mimicking his comment.
"The location was perfect and I'm more on the conservative side," she said.
"Boston was too scary for me," Russo added jokingly.
She has furthered her commitment to music since she has been at Dartmouth, singing for both the Glee club and the Rockapellas since her freshman year.
"My time's basically split between Panhell and singing," she explained.
Russo thought the Rockapellas were a distinctive choral group when she was initially auditioning.
"I liked their freedom songs," she said. "I liked the idea of singing for a reason."
Going in and taking charge
Arriving back from a Fall term exchange with he Mystic Maritime Program, Russo was eager to take back the demanding office she had held during her sophomore summer.
"I like to be a part of the system and to know what's going on so that I'm not falling blindly," she said. "I also like being a part of a group that's so enthusiastic and having a say in it."
Russo's closest friend, Julie Gottlieb '97, said she felt Russo was perfect for the job.
"She likes to go in and take charge of things," Gottlieb said.
"She does a million things and she doesn't make a big deal about it," she said. "She gets everything done."
Panhell Vice President Marcie Handler '97 has enjoyed working with Russo.
"She's a really good leader," Handler said.
As a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Russo offers a positive perspective on what the Greek system has to offer women but has also formed her own insights concerning the improvement of sororities at the College.
For Russo, one of the best things about the sorority system "is that it's given me the opportunity to hold a position like this," she said.
Russo also said she enjoys being a part of a smaller assembly on campus because it increases confidence.
"Being a part of this 4,000 member group is overwhelming," she said, laughing.
Clarifying the role of Panhell
As Panhell addresses both innovation and controversy, Russo said she wishes to clarify its role on campus.
"We're a policy forming group," she said.
This role is currently changing, increasing its strength, Russo explained casually but enthusiastically."Panhell is changing because the presidents of the houses have gotten really close," she said. "There's also more of a tight sorority system now."
Russo's foremost goals for Panhell, according to Handler, were to make sure that the sororities were represented as a unified group and to increase Panhell's voice on campus.
Russo said she was very optimistic that the council would be able to successfully implement a variety of reforms.
Among these are increased unity within the separate sorority houses, alterations in the rush process and increased responsibility taken on by the fraternity system.
As it stands, Russo said the existing sororities are too large.
"It's difficult to get to know people. The houses end up being divided by classes and there's not a lot of intermingling between them," Russo said.
Panhell has drafted a plan in order to solve this problem, according to Russo.
"One of our goals is to get a new sorority," she said.
A new sorority
This new organization will be bestowed upon the women of the Class of 1999, for whom Panhell has already offered an information session, she said.
These women will be deciding whether they want the new sorority to be local or national and will have the complete support of Panhell, Russo said.
She said the founding of a new sorority will happen but students should expect this new organization to gradually establish itself.
"It would be too much to tackle right away," she said.
The sorority would at first be located on the floor of a dorm, Russo said. It would work towards acquiring a house after it had settled in.
Russo acknowledged that the rush process for women at the College, though it was a positive experience for her, could be changed.
"I was really nervous going into rush," she said. "I felt like I was thrown into the whole process."Panhell wants to add another round to rush next year when women can go and get to know the houses and will be asked back to all of them, Russo said.
She hopes that this might alleviate the "common feeling that it's a superficial process," she said.
The Greek system
Squinting and forcing a smile, Russo went on to voice her concerns about fraternity issues.
"They have to take more responsibility for the actions of their members," she said with a slight hesitation. "Certain incidents have [reflected poorly] on the entire Greek system."
Russo hopes to change the negative imagery that has plighted the structure of the Greek system by providing more balance within its organization.
While Panhell has "always been really strong," Russo said, the Inter- Fraternity Council has not been.
At the same time, Russo did not wish to discredit the deserving houses, nor the fraternity system as a whole, despite her reservations.
"The IFC just really hasn't had a strong voice on this campus," she said. "There definitely are fraternities that have great programming and a vested interest in important campus issues."
Students should be able to look forward to a Greek system that is less gender divisive in the near future, according to Russo.
Lack of specific Panhell programming is the only Panhell weakness russo noted.
"The separate programming of houses stifles efforts at Panhell events," she said.
