To the Editor:
The in-house publication of Zeta Psi fraternity's newsletters is quite clearly and without any argument a moral and ethical error of colossal proportions. This is despite the fact that the publication is self-admittedly satirical and thus consists largely of inaccurate and untruthful information. It is a tangible product of a misogynistic, debasing culture perpetuated in basements and chapter rooms.
I cannot apologize for the actions of Zeta Psi fraternity, in which I am no longer active. So, all I can do is offer a sincere, personal apology to every member of the Dartmouth community for my personal transgressions.
I apologize to those women who were marginalized, demeaned and slandered in these newsletters. Even though I had no part in their construction, I perpetuated their dispersal, as I did nothing to stop their dissemination and thus implicitly agreed with the practice.
Melissa Heaton '02, writing anonymously in her April 18th letter to The Dartmouth, declared, " no current member of the house felt strongly enough to stand up and say: 'This is wrong, and I refuse to be part of an organization that demeans people in this way.'" When I read this statement in yesterday's issue of The Dartmouth, I felt a sense of immense personal failure. In my myriad conversations with Melissa, a close friend of mine, I had repeatedly asserted my desire to denounce this conduct that I tacitly supported via my saying and doing nothing. But I couldn't do it: I couldn't stand in a crowded room and throw down the proverbial gauntlet in front of a piece of fraternity lore. Who am I, one member, to speak against traditions passed down for who knows how many years?
Regrettably, we'll never know the difference one member could have made.
I know of several Zeta Psi members who were markedly dissatisfied with the concept and content of newsletters and, more globally, the culture that allowed their publication to continue. Some informal discussions took place, but I never possessed the courage to publicly confront this problem or condemn this behavior. To Zeta Psi's credit, efforts were made to improve the character of the newsletter, but they proved inneffective and unsuccessful. I deeply regret that no one was ever able to muster sufficient personal fortitude to break away from maintaining the status quo and denounce what they believed was wrong.
I apologize to the entire Dartmouth community for having to witness this display of ignorance and immaturity in this week's newspapers. A situation like this one reflects poorly on Dartmouth's Greek system, especially right after the incident involving Psi Upsilon fraternity. The College also suffers greatly from Zeta Psi's transgressions -- especially around this time of year, when the campus abounds with prospective students and their parents.
More importantly, the fact that these kind of traditions still exist lends a bleak light to the strides we as a College have achieved in the past 28 years since coeducation. Customs like these newsletters aim to serve as humorous, benign bonding rituals, but whether intended for a public audience (e.g. the "Cohog Song" popular during the early years of coeducation) or a restricted attendance, these traditions, sometimes unintentionally, serve to foster a culture of exclusivity.
I apologize to the brotherhood of Zeta Psi, who witnessed me permanently deactivate my membership yesterday, in one of the saddest moments of my Dartmouth career. I regret that I didn't voice my opinions and objections sooner and louder, so I could have perhaps spared the house a measure of shame, embarassment and sanction. I wish Zeta Psi could have evaluated the tradition of publishing newsletters and rejected it out of hand, not just because of its potential inflammatory nature but also because of its implicit ability to affect readers' opinions about women.
But more than anything, I apologize to the people for whom I care deeply who were hurt by the exposure of these newsletters. I have witnessed the stress through which this process has put several people close to me, and I can only shake my head and offer my most heartfelt personal remorse for allowing these activities to continue with my implied consent.
What comes next? Can any good come of this? Yes. Whatever punishment is levied, I know Zeta Psi's members will have a radically different and improved perception of gender relations and cultures of exclusivity through the remainder of college and in life.
Regardless of what happens, I hope this campus will walk away from this incident with a changed understanding of the negative ramifications of any "exclusive" culture, whether it is exposed publicly or practiced privately. On a larger scale, I sincerely hope that we as Dartmouth students can learn to treat our fellow students with more respect and dignity, both out in the open and behind closed doors.
