Why did you want to come to Dartmouth? Was it the beautiful campus and sense of community? Was it the prestige associated with an Ivy League school? Was it the endless list of opportunities it offered its students? For me, it was comfort. I came up for a visit and within 10 minutes, I had decided that this was the college for me. I felt comfortable here, I felt that I could be me. One year later, these same questions came to mind when I asked myself "Why do you want to rush?" Is it because of the sisterhood and each woman's dedication to give back to her community? Is it the prestige of belonging to one of the nation's oldest college traditions? Is it the never-ending list of leadership opportunities, friendships, and alumni contacts that are available to every sister? Again, for me, it was comfort. It was looking around the chapter room on Pref Night and seeing the faces of different religions, different races, different heritages, different majors ... somehow, in this room full of differences, I felt like I belonged. That is why I joined my sorority.
But what about the other 700 women on campus who have joined a sorority? Why did they join, I wondered. So I asked them and received many thoughtful answers. Jennifer Alden said, "It didn't matter your race, your ethnicity, your religion, your financial status, your singing, dance or athletic ability, or your sexual orientation, the sorority system was an all-inclusive system which took great pains to guarantee that every female who desired so, got into a house." Rebecca Prestel said " ... it means a safe haven from whatever troubles you. It means unconditional love and support. It means fun and adventures. It means a place where my voice counts. It means a place where I don't feel pressured by the opposite sex in any way. It means always having a home to come back to when I've been off or when my friends are off." To me, it means stability when my life is shaky, support when I feel alone, pride when I reach a goal, commitment when I need a friend. It's true that the learning experience should transcend the classroom walls. Many of the lessons I have learned at Dartmouth have taken place in my sorority, with upper-class sisters as my mentors and role models, through study groups formed at the house, or through discussions with administrators and faculty. I received my alcohol awareness education and my sexual abuse awareness training from the Greek system, not in a classroom. Courtney Banghart said, "I consider the classroom, my sorority, and my sport equally as important to creating the complete learning experience." One missing aspect leads to an incomplete experience.
However, I know that the Greek system is not for everyone. But coeducational residential living is not for everyone, either. What we as students need to do now is to come up with a proposal that satisfies everyone. Cooperation will be useless if rumors and misinformation about the Greek system continue to circulate and people are not willing to break down the stereotypes. Guess what ... not every guy who is in a fraternity spends his weekend drunk, playing pong in his basement. Not every sorority sister spends hours agonizing over which J. Crew sweater set to wear with her black pants when she goes out at night. These are obviously ridiculous and unfair stereotypes. Do you want to hear the truth? Did you know that those who join fraternities and sororities in college are more likely to volunteer and be active in civic affairs during adulthood? Did you know that fraternity or sorority membership increased student retention by 28 percent as compared to random "chance?" Did you know colleges receive more gifts, in greater amounts, from fraternity and sorority members? Did you know that more than $20,000,000 was contributed to the national philanthropies of the National Panhellenic Council member sororities between 1990 and 1995? These statistics are real, they are the results from the first stages of a study known as the Research Initiative run by the University of Missouri-Columbia. The point is that there is more to being Greek than just the social options.
So please, before you label me as simply a "Greek," label me as a person. Think of me as a leader, a David's House volunteer, a Green Key member, an Student Assembly rep ... and a sister of Tri-Delta sorority. I am proud to be a member of the Greek system, but I am more than just my letters. And the Greek system is more than just a party scene. Believe me when I say that not all the events that go on in the Greek system are alcohol-related. In fact, the majority of the sorority events are in the realm of non-alcoholic programming, events which we feel strengthen and support women. We do countless hours of programming events, from barbecues and study breaks to academic discussions about body image, current events, women's issues or campus politics. Although these events are held at a sorority, they are open to everyone. Rarely do any unaffiliated people attend. Maybe PR isn't good enough, maybe we didn't make people feel welcome, but that needs to change. Sororities are fortunate to have social spaces in their facilities and they are open to every single student, affiliated or not. Come to a house the next time we are holding an event and see for yourself what sororities are really about. Come to "Ladies Night" at Alpha Xi Delta on March 5 to watch the performances of Dartmouth's all female a cappella and dance troupes. Maybe you will walk away and still say the system is not for me. But maybe you will walk away and realize that while it's not right for you, it works for someone else, and for that reason, sororities should still be part of the social system at Dartmouth.
