The status quo is not acceptable. This we know. This is indisputable. Something's going to change. The Greek system is either going to go, or it's going to change in some pretty significant ways. So what's going on around campus? What are we doing to prove that we can change? Honestly, I can't see much, and that's why I'm frustrated.
Yes, I love my house. Yes, you all have heard the numerous accounts describing people's passion for their houses, explaining why they think the Greek system is great. But there have also been the voices, increasingly vocal this term, that warn about the ills of the system: issues with alcohol abuse, gender relations, and race relations, to name a few. More importantly, they've made the argument that the way to cure those ills is to get rid of the system. These voices have spoken, and they are being heard.
The reality is that change will happen. Is eliminating the Greek system the best way to do so? No. But that can't be proven until the campus -- individuals and Greek houses alike -- makes an effort to change.
For starters, no matter how much institutions change, the culture needs to change or everything is going to be the same. That means we each need to do our own part to reshape the culture. Fine, then. I'm going to do something differently, something that I think will help change the culture of alcohol abuse. From now on, each time I'm playing pong, I'm going to walk away when someone boots and tries to continue playing. I didn't come into school thinking boot and rally was acceptable. It reviled me. But that's the culture here, and because such behavior was commonplace, I accepted it. As each of us changes our behavior, we can change the culture and then institutions will change.
What we apply to ourselves as individuals, we also need to apply to the entire Greek system. As Greek houses, there's nothing about having letters on our door that means that we have to abuse alcohol within our houses. For that matter, there's nothing about having letters on our door that means that we have to suffer from any of the other ills of the Greek system. Given the need for change, the most effective means of doing so is through the Greek system. Our houses are full of history and tradition, and inspire tremendous loyalty. The legitimacy houses possess means that they have the ability to influence their members and campus culture much more than new institutions can. Upperclass members have a powerful opportunity to be role models to new members. We can not only keep the benefits of the system, but use them to make change.
With that in mind, members of Greek houses should think hard about what is important to us and what types of messages our institutions send. As long as there are so few classes on Thursday mornings, people will drink on Wednesday nights. But do houses send the message that that's what's important, as opposed to the brother/sisterhood coming together? And, in the face of the Initiative, in the face of a challenge for change, our pledge rituals remain. I see the point of the pledge period as learning about what it means to be a sister or brother, to learn about what the house stands for. So then does the house stand for getting shit-faced until you puke? It's time that houses de-emphasized the importance of alcohol, both in meetings and during pledge period.
Inevitably, a few of you have gotten this far and have been thinking, well what about our fun? That's exactly what makes this so complicated. What's fun isn't always what's right. But we can still have fun and minimize what we do wrong. We had better do so, or else the Greek system is gone. There's a challenge out there to change ourselves. To get there, both individuals and houses need to change.
The window of opportunity is shrinking. Either we change, or change gets dictated to us from above. Let's not wait for some report, and then react. Are we so lazy and unimaginative that we can't think of ways to fix our problems, that we're just going to let others decide for us? If the Trustees look at us, and see that we can't straighten ourselves out, or even think of solutions, why should they care to?
I'm going to walk away from boot and rally. That's one of my changes. We upperclassmen are role models. This Homecoming, and beyond, you'll be making impressions on '03s on what's acceptable at Dartmouth and what's not. Now is the opportunity for a new Dartmouth culture to emerge. No, it's not too late. As Dartmouth students, we should always be seeking ways to make our community better. But especially now, we need to raise our standards, and prove to the Trustees and to ourselves that we can change the system from within. Let's face it, our time is running out.