Four alumnae, who collectively experienced 30 years of Dartmouth coeducation, recounted anecdotes about their experiences as undergraduates at a discussion titled "Lest the Old Traditions Fail: 30 Years of Dartmouth Women," hosted by the 1972 Society Monday evening. The panelists concluded that Dartmouth has become more hospitable to female students, although certain gender disparities apparent at the onset of coeducation have not faded.
The discussion, which took place at Occom Commons in the McLaughlin Cluster, allowed for conversation between the panelists and the audience, a group of about 25 women in a room set for 60.
According to panelist Martha Hennessey '76, the women of Dartmouth were often exceptional during her time, filling leadership roles in traditionally male-dominated areas.
"This was a tough group of women," Hennessey said. "They were courageous and strong."
Some 30 years later, female Dartmouth students continue to exhibit this strength, according to panelist Meredith Lunn '06.
"You're not going to find average women at Dartmouth," Lunn said. "Average women don't flock to Dartmouth. You've got some amazing women here."
Lunn's assertion that "average women" are not drawn to Dartmouth drew upon the developing conversation touching on what she referred to as the College's reputation as a "guys' school."
"When I applied to Dartmouth, my college counselor was really negative," panelist Lelia Mellen '86 said. "She just had this whole notion that Dartmouth was this tough, tough place for women. They were treated terribly."
Lunn described a similar reaction from her high school guidance counselor, and an informal survey showed that four women in the audience had a similar experience.
Hennessey, who graduated with the first Dartmouth class to admit females as four-year students, said that women at Dartmouth were often socially marginalized during this time, but were forced to accept it since they were expected to be "one of the guys."
"You didn't have a lot of options but to laugh, on the outside," Hennessey said about women's reactions to the negative comments made toward Dartmouth women. "It was self-preservation. There was only so much fighting you could be doing, and you had to sit back and blend in."
Hennessey said that at graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, she became friends with male Dartmouth alumni that she believed she had nothing in common with because of their "macho" attitudes and treatment of women while at Dartmouth.
"There was a lot of this role-playing nonsense that was going on [at Dartmouth] that, behind the scenes, was different," Hennessey said. "In public, we had to laugh, but behind the scenes we had a lot in common."
Hennessey said that the men reverted back to their old attitudes at Dartmouth reunions.
"It wasn't that they weren't in favor of coeducation; it was that it wasn't popular to be in favor of coeducation," Hennessey said.
One of the panelists, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the subject, recalled being beat up in a fraternity basement by a friend of her ex-boyfriend while his friends cheered him on.
"It was 'bros supporting bros' in the basement on the row," she said.
When she came back to her room, a neighbor told her of having been raped several times on campus, and in a class reunion, other female classmates said they too had been assaulted, although none spoke about it at the time.
The panelist said that she was too afraid to report the incident, but somebody else did.
"I was terrified for what [reporting] would mean for me at Dartmouth," she said. "Asked to press legal charges, I said, 'No way, I have to survive. I will be ostracized. I will forever be treated horribly.'"
Three of the panelists admitted to feeling a certain level of trepidation upon entering fraternities.
"I didn't go into fraternities. No way," Mellen said. "I would never, because I never felt safe there."
Some aspects of the Greek culture are unsafe for women, Lunn said.
"I would love to say that all fraternities are safe and happy environments, but there are some fraternities that I will not go into," Lunn said, although she maintained she felt safe on the campus and had mostly positive experiences at the College.
Natasha Grotz '95 said that while she was at Dartmouth, the social scene was based around the Greek system, although there was limited discussion or knowledge surrounding fraternities deemed unsafe.
Audience members contributing to the discussion shared opinions reflecting a belief that females were no longer sidelined in the classroom, as compared to the experiences of both Hennessey and Mellen, but shared similar social experiences of oppression.
