Only last term at a highly formal dinner ceremony, the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council presented their response to the steering committee report -- expressing the united and unanimous view of the entire Greek system.
With Delta Delta Delta sorority announcing its secession from the CFSC, the unity of the Greek system now seems less certain.Explaining the sorority's decision to withdraw from the council, Cristina DeVito '01, president of Tri-Delt, said, "some of the activities and attitudes [within the Greek system] make girls in my house uncomfortable."
Although she said there are many activities tolerated and condoned by the CFSC that contradict Tri-Delt's ideology, DeVito failed to elaborate on what exactly these activities are, and revealed little more in an interview last night than her house's largely vague letter did last week.
"There wasn't any one thing in particular," she said. "It was a lot of everything."
Asserting that the CFSC fails to represent Tri-Delt, DeVito said one governing body cannot adequately represent the goals and purposes of the entire, very diverse, Greek system.
"One overarching governing body for the entire Greek system is probably not the most efficient structure right now," DeVito said.
DeVito also said that because there are only six sororities within the CFSC -- compared with 13 residential fraternities -- it is difficult for the Council to adequately represent the viewpoint of Greek women.
She said the disparity will continue to exist so long as the moratorium on the number of sororities continues to exist.
DeVito admitted that her house has more in common with the other five sororities than the fraternities on campus and that the Panhellenic Council -- the body that unites sororities at Dartmouth -- could better cater to Tri-Delt's goals.
"I look forward to working with Panhell in the future," DeVito said.
She said as a house, Tri-Delt is interested in addressing and increasing awareness of campus issues like diversity and gender relations. DeVito said the lack of such activities programmed by the CFSC that are pertinent to Tri-Delt's mission was an additional reason for their secession.
In a previous interview with The Dartmouth, president of the Council, Eric Etu '01, speculating on the future of the CFSC, said, "There is a lot of motivation to move from a governance organization and become more of an information exchange."
Although she has not discussed this with the members of her house, DeVito said Tri-Delt would very seriously consider rejoining the council if the change to an information exchange were indeed to take place.
"I would love to see a structure where the presidents just got together and had a forum of exchange," DeVito said.
