After a frantic dinner at Home Plate one night last week my friends and I ran down the steps of Thayer to the women's rest room at the bottom level. We had only a few minutes to spare before our Sorority Rush '96 parties were to begin that evening. A bit nervous, we needed a quick washing of the hands, a little lipstick application, and a reassuring comment from a best friend.
But while we were in the women's lounge, I noticed two of our fellow female classmates standing to our rear observing us with cynical stares. They appeared not to be dressed for rush, and they made sure to keep their voices to a whisper, all the while listening to our conversation and glaring at us through the corners of their eyes.
I am sure that we were not the first group of rushees they had seen that night, but we were the ones they decided to focus their close-minded comments on. One of the woman covered her mouth as she whispered something to her friend, who immediately rolled her eyes and whispered her own snide response. They then threw us one last glare and finally left the room.
I didn't need to hear the remarks these women made about us to understand that they disapproved of us simply because we were rushing. I was disturbed that my very own classmates had the audacity to try and mock and belittle me, but ultimately, they only made me extremely self-conscious, not about myself, but about my participation in the rush process.
I realized later, however, that they were in no position to pass judgment on me. By going through rush I was giving each house a fair chance before making any final decisions about the Greek system, which is more than I can say for them.
My friends and I had not even decided at that point last week if we were going to join a sorority. It is unfair for people to assume that every female rushee will automatically become affiliated with a house. Regardless of each woman's final decision, many rushees are going through the process simply to give the system the chance it deserves. Most of us were simply keeping an open mind.
The philosophy of open-mindedness, however, does not seem to penetrate discussion of the Greek system, one of the most controversial topics among students, faculty, and administrators campus-wide. Misconceptions about Greek life often foster stereotyping of fraternities and sororities throughout the College.
Fortunately, these fraternities and sororities have the opportunity to negate and disprove stereotypes by planning new activities, supporting diverse interests, changing their overall purpose as campus organizations, and finally, by holding rush each year and inviting new, diverse students to join.
But it is unfair that these stereotypes are automatically applied to students participating in the rush process.
Participating in sorority or fraternity rush is a personal decision that every woman and man at Dartmouth makes on their own. It is often the case that many students can't wait to join the Greek system, but in an equal number of cases the students abhor the idea. Ultimately, however, the decision to join or not to join is irrelevant to anyone but the rushee because it is personal and private.
I have an equal amount of respect for affiliated and unaffiliated students at Dartmouth. But because of the disheartening experience I had last week -- which ironically occurred in Thayer and not in any Greek house -- I don't feel that many students have been keeping an open mind.
Like many other members of the Class of '99 that are new to the Greek system, I was, and still am, a bit hesitant about it. I had heard the sorority rush horror stories from my friends at other schools, but I knew that Dartmouth was different and I gave our system a chance.
I don't believe, however, that my two cynical female classmates cared to do the same. They were very quick to comment and snicker about my friends and me, people who were simply testing the water before diving in for a swim. I respect their decision to not partake in the rush process, but by judging us they were doing the same thing they criticize the Greek system for. I believe they had closed their minds, even before they opened and entered through the women's rest room door.
