What do Greek organizations provide that residential clusters cannot? In a word: family. Intuitively, it doesn't make much sense why the Greek system continues to exist and thrive. The list of reasons why it should fail is long and superficially compelling. Joining a house often means having to vacuum hallways, mop floors and clean toilets -- tasks which custodians perform in dorms. Membership entails subsidizing the social lives of those who elect not to join but who still enjoy the free events. It can require community service when people might prefer to spend their time on more selfish pursuits. The administration clearly wishes to change, if not eliminate, the system. Yet hundreds of men and women will participate in rush this year, just as they have in years past.
The appeal of a Greek organization lies not within the social events it sponsors but rather in the sense of family that exists among its members. It is this sense of family that explains the continued success of the system despite the responsibilities of membership. Dartmouth is a transient College; the D plan creates a student body that is constantly in flux. In this system, which juggles students and their off-terms in order to alleviate the housing crunch, there are always people departing from and returning to Hanover. As a result, a sense of family is especially important: it serves as a constant amidst the ever-changing campus population.
Membership in a Greek organization is not the only way in which Dartmouth students can obtain a sense of family and togetherness, but it is one of the easier ways to do so. Athletic teams, with year-round practices and hours of training together, often serve a similar social purpose. So too can off-campus houses, especially during senior year when continuity of residents is assured. In short, students want a cohesive group in which they can socialize when they return from off-terms, and the these options all satisfy that requirement in a way that the typical cluster can't.
All clusters are not created equal. Upperclass-only housing makes for a great studying environment but there is a paucity of interaction among its residents. This is obvious to anyone who walks through Topliff, where almost all of the doors are closed. It is not that the UGAs in Topliff are any less capable, but rather that the residents choose to find their sense of family in a place other than the dorm. To its credit, the College has created some freshmen-only clusters. Proximity to campus notwithstanding, the River and Choates clusters have an energy and social aspect to them that is unheard of in most other clusters. I would not suggest that the first-year clusters serve as an equal to the Greek system in terms of providing family, however, because their residents are evicted after only one year in residence. But those clusters nonetheless provide a spirit of togetherness that is invaluable to freshmen and for that the College can be commended.
How individual Greek houses provide this sense of family may be a mystery to those who only occasionally visit them. Because most guests frequent only the basement portion of houses, and only on weekend nights, there exists a disconnect between what is perceived as commonplace and how time is actually spent. Dance parties are seen by the wider community whereas community service and trips to Fenway Park are not. Because guests see only a small fraction of Greek life, their window into it presents a distorted picture. If clusters are to assume the current role of Greek houses, it will be imperative to mimic these activities in which social bonds are formed.
So why would anyone voluntarily undertake the burdens of membership when dorm life entails few of those responsibilities? It is precisely because Greek life entails responsibility that it creates a sense of family, which makes it desirable. It has been said that never in history has anyone washed a rental car. So it goes with many dorm clusters. Because there is no sense of ownership in the physical plant or in the community, there is a diminished incentive to work to better the condition of the dorm or to strengthen social bonds. While I would not support giving students an equity stake in the clusters, I nonetheless hold that some sense of ownership is necessary before a sense of family can be formed.
How could this sense of community be formed in our dorm clusters, where it does not currently exist? There are no easy answers to this question, but steps toward greater continuity in residential life have been helpful. Other reforms are possible. Greek members use their houses during Christmas break as a place to stay for skiing trips and other events. Why not allow the same policy in clusters? Family means always having a place to stay and the clusters could be strengthened by allowing temporary residence over winter break. The better the College can replicate this sense of ownership and group cohesion, the stronger the clusters will become as students choose them over alternative sources of family.
Despite the recent changes promoting continuity in membership of residential clusters, there still exists a wide gulf between what clusters can provide and the sense of family that exists amongst members of athletic teams, off-campus houses and, most notably, Greek organizations. Until that disparity is eliminated, expect the Greek system to thrive. To the men and women of the Class of 2005 participating in rush this week, I wish you the best of luck in finding the sense of family that you desire.
