While touting a successful summer of programming, many Coed Fraternity Sorority Council members say they are unsure of what the immediate future holds for the College's Greek system.
With the Initiative steering committee set to release their first recommendations this Fall term, Greek leaders say this summer has not given them a definite idea on what changes are in store for the College.
CFSC Summer President JoJo Adofo-Mensah '01 said this summer was about "opening up lines of communication" between the CFSC and the school body.
Adofo-Mensah credited new Dean of the College James Larimore as making a "great effort" to improve communication between the CFSC and the administration, but said he is unsure what the future College social system will look like.
"I have no more information than the next person," Adofo-Mensah said. "The committee as well as the trustees are pretty closed up about what's going on, where they are in the process. We're all just waiting to see."
The upcoming fall announcements are "up in the air, very, very high up," CFSC vice-president Alex Wilson '01 said.
"Very little has happen to change my initial opinion coming into summer that it's unclear what's going to happen. There are best and worst case scenarios, we need to prepared for either," he said.
Wilson emphasized the summer Greek leadership as succeeding in their roles as "caretakers" of the system.
Chi Heorot fraternity Summer President Jeff Davidson '01 echoed that statement. He said he feels the summer Greek leadership has "overall made it known that it's more than just basement culture, social idiocy downtime" in the Greek system.
Davidson took a more optimistic tone about this fall's announcements. "I think it's going to be a compromise situation, I don't think it's going to be the end of the show here."
"I'd say that I think they will not change the system to the point where kids who live a life that they love and embrace won't be able to live that life anymore," he said.
Davidson said he thinks even if the annoucements first seem dire, the process could be "a flexible medium for a little bit," with more conversation springing from initial announcements.
Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority Summer President Stephanie Fish '01 said she, too, does not think the changes to the Greek system will be drastic in the beginning.
She said she felt "fortunate" about her interactions with members of the steering committee during their tour last month. "The people who came to our house, treated us with respect and also seemed interested in seeing our house," Fish said. "I know with other groups, it was a much different story but I was happy ours went so well."
Fish said KDE's focus on inter- and intra-house programming was not just a result of the Initiative. "We knew sophomore summer was a time to meet people in our class and within the house we wanted to work on sisterhood and bonding."
"We wanted to encourage healthy relationships, and show it's not just about pong," Fish said.
Although he said this summer has been "great and lowkey," Phi Delta Alpha fraternity summer President Gabe Horwitz '01 characterized himself as "clueless" about what the steering committee plans in the fall. "I have no idea what the fall's going to bring," he said.
Horwitz expressed frustration about the lack of knowledge about activities this summer, and the Fall term announcements. "I wish I knew what they were looking for, I'm definitely not satisfied with the current level of information," he said.
"I wish I had a better idea of what was going on," Horwitz said. "Nobody may know, we'd like to know if nobody knows."
Summer CFSC Programming Liason Lindsay Reich '01 said she thinks the ultimate decision might be left up to the Greek system. "The committee will do something to let us know that they want things to change, but leave it up to us to provide the bartenders and bouncers to regulate the system."
"I don't think there will be a massive wipeout of the Greek system at all in next five years," Reich said. "I think they'll be a gradual adding of more school-sponsored stuff and regulating of the way the Greek system is part of Dartmouth life."
Reich said the Initiative did play a part in raising enthusiasm, or urgency, for CFSC programming success this summer, but that she feels the Class of 2001 is generally good at planning events.
"The trustees are definitely a booster, everyone wants to do well. The '01s have just been in the Greek system for year, and we're psyched on it and don't want to lose it."
"There's a real motivation to do as much as we possibly can to prove the system is not just about drinking and partying," Reich said.
Reich praised the sophomores involved in the Programming Board, Student Assembly and Class Council for organizing events with the CFSC like last Friday's Multathalon. "Our class wants to make Dartmouth the best place it can be and take advantage of all we can."
Andy Hay '01, the CFSC's second programming chair, said the College administration in some ways has come to realize the Greek system's value as a programming resource.
Hay said the Greek system was asked by the First Year Office for advice on how to keep freshmen out of the houses during the Orientation week, and that the CFSC will plan a way for first-year students to come into the houses when alcohol is not involved.
Hay said he feels personally this respect will translate into the fall steering committee report. "I think they'll set forth goals to shoot for and that is of course, the best way to do it. The big question is what goals are these going to be?"
