With the implementation of the first changes following the Initiative, students will not see more social and residential options. Rather, they will find wheels affixed to their basement bars.
The College's decision to replace permanent bars with their portable counterparts begins the process of change with demolition, and not the construction we had hoped to see.
It was anticipated that changes would be aimed, initially, at giving students a chance to explore a new, expanded array of social options.
However, a minor renovation to the basements of most fraternities, sororities and coed houses on this campus does not mark an expansion of social options, but instead the partial destruction of some options already available at Dartmouth.
The destruction of current bars and tap systems may be costly and difficult, but will result in little change from the current social norm, besides allowing members of a Greek organization to push their bars against a wall when necessary.
Dartmouth has made bars in CFS basements, not diversity, new social spaces or a greater degree of coeducation, its top priority.
It was the hope of many that the Initiative would provide an opportunity for all members of the Dartmouth community, both affiliated and unaffiliated, to come together and work toward improving the College for the future.
It should be the goal of all members of the community in the coming weeks, months and years to work toward improving all areas of student life, not to squabble over superficial change.
We challenge the College to move beyond the distinction of 'permanent' versus 'portable' bars and begin the process of improving the lives of students at the College by adding and redefining social and residential choices, not by spending time making insignificant changes to what we already have.
