To The Editor:
Two years ago, President Wright and the Trustees released the Student Life Initiative, a long-term vision that proposed to "end the Greek system as we know it." At the time, students and alumni feared the Trustees would uproot the storied Greek system and abolish a Dartmouth institution. Two years later, we need not worry that the College will destroy the Greeks. The Greeks are carrying out that mission themselves.
This latest incident, the discovery of Zeta Psi fraternity's "sex papers," marks the death knell of the Greek system. Although this claim may seem a bit forward, can the Greeks truly survive in its current state? Term after term, racist and misguided incidents stream out of Webster Avenue. The Ghetto Party. The Saigon Party. Setting fire to living rooms. T-Shirts dehumanizing Native Americans. Racist slurs shouted across Psi Upsilon fraternity's lawn. And now this " Zeta Psi's "sexploitation" newsletter currently stands as the worst example of Greek behavior on the Dartmouth campus yet. The newsletters, "The Sigma Report" and "The Zetemouth," are disrespectful and degrading. Worse yet is the oath of silence taken by the brothers of Zeta Psi to keep this publication alive for so many years.
I will not bother abusing Zeta Psi any further because they are history " short of a miracle, the fraternity will be derecognized by the College. However, the more interesting question to ponder is what will happen to the rest of the Greek system. How can they possibly recover from this blow? From the reactions of the Coed Fraternity and Sorority Council, all the houses want to disassociate themselves from Zeta Psi. After all, this is their mistake, not ours, right? In my opinion, this is a reactionary and futile step. Zeta Psi's error casts a black eye upon the Greek system as a whole; none of the houses can escape this fact. Additionally, many fraternities and sororities are holding discussions in order to remedy the situation. While this is a noble and necessary gesture, I cannot help but feel we have seen this all before: a Greek house makes an error, there is an uproar, and there are discussions. The cycle continues every year. But what about those "other" discussions, the ones take place in Greek houses every Wednesday night? I am certain Zeta Psi is not the only house that degrades and objectifies women during meetings.
The problem that is presented before us is not an isolated incident at one fraternity; it speaks about a host of problems in the Greek system as an institution. It involves the same problems we hear every year: gender relations, alcohol abuse, date rape, the list goes on.
The Greek system is crumbling. Every time a house makes a mistake, the others run away and scream "I didn't do it!" Instead of making a dedicated effort to reform the system, each house is looking to protect itself. This is a path headed for disaster. Phi Delta Alpha was recently derecognized, Psi Upsilon is on social probation, and now Zeta Psi stands at the brink. Welcome to "Survivor" at Dartmouth " what house will still exist in five years?
This is the beginning of the end. The Trustees have been lenient to the Greeks over the past two years because of strong Alumni support. But who can support this type of behavior? Who can support a system that consistently brings bad press to Dartmouth College? The Greek system, "as we know it," cannot exist in its current state. There must be change and it must come soon.
