Ever since Brian Pingree '04, summer president of Alpha Theta co-ed fraternity, has been a member of his house, a silver cup that Alpha Theta won for outstanding achievement in Dartmouth's annual "Hums" musical contest has been missing.
Many Dartmouth students hear stories about the disappearance of such items from Greek houses at one time or another. Julia Keane, president of Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, estimated that most Greek houses deal with accusations of inter-Greek theft "once or twice a term."
Presidents of houses thus find themselves grappling with the question of whether such thefts are merely practical jokes, or whether the disappearance of items can create real tension between houses.
Zachary Harrison, president of Bones Gate fraternity, saw the majority of such thefts as "nothing other than a joke" and a product of "a desire to just fool around."
Harrison did concede, though, that when items of particular monetary value are stolen, the joke can turn more serious.
He cited the theft of a large and fairly expensive lion statue from Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity as an example of a theft that "may have been funny to some people" but was nonetheless in poor taste.
Keane said that the majority of inter-Greek petty theft seems to take place between houses where many members know each other well, which suggests that such stealing is more of a joke than a matter of serious consequence.
She also said that the fact that most people swipe such items on impulse contributes to this tendency to steal "from places where they're already hanging out, or on their way home."
The consequences of such thefts can be more important, though, as theft can "strain friendship between houses," she said.
"The real problem with it is that no-one ever deals with it in terms of talking," she said. Instead, she found members of Greek houses often build up rivalries and try to steal back from each other, which often only makes situations worse.
But people's perceptions of the seriousness of such thefts often depends on whether they are the ones stealing or the victims of theft, she said.
Jocelyn Miller, president of Phi Tau co-educational fraternity, pointed out that the Greek Leadership Council, in its role as a consortium for all Greek organizations, can mediate such inter-Greek tensions.
"People generally go to GLC when things like this happen. That usually resolves it," she said.
Reflecting on the theft of the cup from Alpha Theta, Pingree wasn't sure whether or not he regarded it as a theft or as a practical joke.
"It's difficult. I haven't had anything stolen while I've been president, but it depends on the circumstances. I know there are thefts that are practical jokes, but I don't know if this was one."
Both Keane and Harrison thought that fraternities tend to be involved with petty theft more often, both as victims and perpetrators.
Keane also said that houses which are centrally located, or have a physical layout more conducive to stealing, tend to be more vulnerable to theft.
Houses on Webster Avenue tend to be more vulnerable to theft than those which aren't, she said.
Rachel Holmes, president of Kappa Kappa Gamma, also said that her sorority's isolated location may explain why Kappa has had few problems with theft. "We're so far away from all the other Greek houses and in a pretty residential neighborhood," she told The Dartmouth.