To the Editor:
The fraternity and sorority members are not protesting so loudly because they are afraid of losing their strangle hold on the Dartmouth party scene. In fact, I claim that offering parties to the Dartmouth community is more of a hassle and an expense rather than a benefit of being in a fraternity. I think that most Greeks will agree that it would be sad to see some of their party traditions end, but what they'll miss most of all isn't the "alcohol abuse," which after all will always be available somewhere else. No, the fuss is about something that hasn't been discussed often enough, the camaraderie and fellowship gained by membership in these organizations, a rare gem not as easily replaced as the alcohol and partying.
My good friend and fraternal brother Ben Chittick '97 never touched a drop of alcohol during his four years here, and he got just as much out of our time together as anyone. They are things such as: the ownership of a space on campus, and working to maintain and alter that space to suit our needs, playing wiffleball on muddy spring afternoons, watching "The Simpsons" together every Sunday, and going through some of your formative years in the company of the finest men in the country. In essence, participation in something more meaningful than just a group of individuals. During Senior Week, my birth family met my de facto family for the past three years, and here is a passage from my father's letter to President Wright, "I must most strongly state that the total Dartmouth experience for my son was enhanced by his participation in the fraternity system. The men that he met and was associated with in his fraternity provided him with a strong support system that helped him through the difficult times of young adulthood and helped him better to cope with the demands of college life. The support that he gave to others and the relationships the he made were truly highlighted and made palpably real to me on the graduation eve ceremonies at the fraternity house when members spoke about the impact that various brothers had had upon each other. I was deeply moved by the statements made about each of the young men." I only wish the administration could see the system in the same light that my family did.
I hear the administration saying that the partying image of Dartmouth's fraternities (and I think that it is just the fraternities that are at issue here) runs counter to the purpose of the institution and therefore, they must be removed. Many have countered that getting rid of the Greek system will not help abate the unsafe use of alcohol, and Freshman Fall should be proof of that. However, I suspect that fraternities have been deemed the evil of the day and arguments of that nature are useless. A fraternity plays many roles. My advice to the administration is, only remove the aspects of the system that you've deemed unacceptable. Wouldn't Dartmouth's partying image be changed if the fraternities couldn't have parties anymore? Spend your tens of millions of dollars providing new social alternatives, and if students are still joining houses that can't have parties, there must be something to what I'm saying.
