To the Editor:
The college's policy concerning the Greek system is contradictory and hypocritical in a number of ways. First, they target the Greeks system for its exclusivity. No Ivy League college that rejects a large majority of its applicants should ever complain about other institutions being exclusive. I understand that not being accepted into a fraternity can be a difficult experience, but how does that differ from not getting into a college? Exclusivity is a necessary social function, because it maintains responsibility. If anyone and every one who applied was accepted to Dartmouth, if Dartmouth had no choice in admission, then the college would crumble. Precious housing would be wasted on students who obviously could not make the grade, yet were intent on coming to Dartmouth anyway. As far the charge of exclusivity, there is absolutely no difference between Dartmouth College itself and the Greek system.
Furthermore, the college places additional burdens on the Greek houses. The college holds Greek houses responsible for absolutely all activities that occur in the houses. Dartmouth has deemed a Greek house responsible for the intoxication of a freshman who snuck in through a window, as well as for every action (on the premises) of every member. In other words, if an individual member gives alcohol to a minor, then the house can be held responsible. Like I said earlier, exclusivity is not only concomitant with responsibility; exclusivity is a necessary in order to assign responsibility. If Greek houses are required to accept anyone at all, it's absurd to also require Greek houses to be responsible for all their members' actions because there will be no possible way to enforce responsibility.
So much for my displeasure with the initiative. As for the Greek system itself, I feel it is an invaluable positive experience for many people, myself included. If it's a negative experience for some, then so be it. People should have the responsibility to choose. Again, college is not only an academic experience. If I wanted only an academic experience, I would have gone to Harvard. I also wanted to learn to be socially responsible. Try as they might, the college cannot possibly offer a replacement for the Greek system, because the college does not trust the students. The beauty of the Greek system is that the houses are open to members to use however they'd like. The Greek houses trust their members to behave responsibly; they trust their members to not destroy the facility; they trust their members to not steal personal or house property, so items can be left around on sofas, and pool sticks can be used without signing them out, and televisions don't have to be bolted to the countertop. The Greek system invests its members with trust and responsibility. The college likes to hold everyone responsible for everything, but trust is a concept that the Dartmouth administration has long forgotten. Certainly, a number of college students are not trustworthy in a lot of situations. Part of a proper education, and an important part of living in a Greek House, is learning how much and when to trust other people. What I mean to say here is that there are important lessons to be learned from living in a Greek House that cannot be learned from the college itself.
Take these comments as you will. And take this recommendation: Listen to the students. Trust them, for once.
