According to Interfraternity Council President Jonah Sonnenborn '99, "Greek life is the lifeblood of social life at Dartmouth."
Sonnenborn, a government major from Scarsdale, N.Y., and a brother at Alpha Delta fraternity, said he is concerned about the pending transitions in the College's administration, as the changes could "drastically alter social policy." He called it "bad timing" that the administrators who had been instrumental in shaping Dartmouth were leaving during the institution of a new social policy.
"It makes me wary; they won't have to deal with student response," he explained.
"We can't have the administration shoving something down our throats and then leaving," he said.
"The system isn't perfect. I like it but there are some glitches," he said. "I'm willing to admit our faults, but I also have to extol our virtues."
He agreed changes in the Greek system were necessary, but said the IFC and the administration needed to work together to make them "more compatible with the reality of college life."
"I am worried because I'd like to see a strong social scene at Dartmouth. It's what draws people to the College," he said.
"If the Greek system goes under, there will be no places for students to congregate," he added.
Sonnenborn said the IFC's goals include continuing to foster a good relationship among the different houses.
"There's a good group of presidents and officers that can help shape the future of the system," he said. Despite past animosities within the jurisdiction of the Greek system, "it would be more beneficial if we all worked together," he said.
He said the IFC had been more inactive in enacting formal policies than he would have liked to see it. He wanted the IFC to take an active position in the decisions affecting the Greek system.
He said the IFC was "very successful" over the summer, as it discussed alcohol policies, attracted 200 participants to the summer Olympics in the rain and initiated the "first-year education program."
This program was to serve as an introduction to make the Greek system less intimidating to incoming students. Having freshmen meet the brothers would "foster a beginning relationship between classes," he said.
"People aren't only here to work, but also to enrich their lives," he said. Sonnenborn said he aims to provide an education about what the Greek system is really like.
"The number of beneficial qualities is often subordinated to bad aspects," he said.
Sonnenborn "is a strong leader. He works well with others," IFC Vice President Matt Traupman '99 said. "He likes to integrate others and appreciates them. He's able to build a consensus."
Tom Adair '99, IFC rush chair and treasurer, called Sonnenborn "very driven and inspirational."
"He doesn't want to sit around and watch things happen, he wants to be a part of that change," he added.
In his freshman fall, Sonnenborn became involved with the Student Assembly, and was the only freshman on the executive committee.
"I loved it. They were a fantastic group of people," he said.
After serving as the Assembly vice president of the student life committee, he joined AD in his sophomore fall. He volunteered as the fraternity's IFC representative.
Sonnenborn spent the past term at Keble College, one of the 39 divisions of Oxford University, taking government classes that encompassed political, philosophical and economic aspects and traveling Europe. He described the Oxford tutorials as "an intense intellectual experience," and said the type of people he found there were similar to those at Dartmouth.
Sonnenborn came to Dartmouth because he "wanted something different" after spending most of his life in an urban environment. He said he found a closer sense of community at the College than at other schools and added "there's not this sense of cutthroat competition here."
