To the Editor:
The Inter-Fraternity Council wants the Dartmouth community to know that it stands fervently against the recent behavior of Zeta Psi fraternity, and in no way condones the newsletters for which Zeta Psi has been recenttly accused of producing. The IFC, in conjunction with the Panhellenic Council, finds the mere existence of these letters to be both offensive and contrary to the Dartmouth principle of community and the values for which we stand. The actions of Zeta Psi are not characteristic of any other fraternities at Dartmouth College, and if found guilty, Zeta Psi should be held fully culpable for their transgressions. The entire Greek system, though, should not be chastised for the actions of a single organization, particularly one that has committed egregious crimes against women and against the community.
However, this event does signify the need for great change. Too often sexual harassment and other unacceptable forms of behavior have been indulged and even sanctioned at Dartmouth, in fraternities and elsewhere on campus. As such, the fraternities and the IFC will take this recent incident as an indication that we must look at what we deem acceptable and what we will tolerate, both in public and behind closed doors.
This is not simply another attempt to cover up an attack on the community made by an organization within the Greek system. Instead, this is the beginning of an arduous process by which we as members of fraternities will decide how we can effectively challenge sexually harassing and misogynistic behavior, with the hope to prevent events such as these from ever recurring.
Dartmouth's fraternities are already approaching the right path of action. There were more men in Greek letters at Monday's Take Back the Night sexual awareness vigil than in recent memory. The College's fraternities have begun the process of cultivating the image that their basements should not be places where women fear for to tread. And several fraternities and sororities have planned alcohol-free parties and barbecues for the upcoming 2005 Prospective's Weekend. These examples of the positive influence of the Greek system are not meant to condone the actions of Zeta Psi. Instead, they indicate how far we have come and the direction the fraternities plan to continue to head in the future.
