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The Dartmouth
July 14, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Open Beta to Men and Women

Wednesday's two-page Beta Theta Pi Board of Trustees advertisement states that the organization has a history of being a "leading Greek organization on campus, respected by male and female students" and that it is looking to come back and "build a model Greek organization, one that respects the dignity of its members and the community at large."

It appears that Beta has a strong desire to build a membership composed of respectful leaders from across campus. I believe that what Beta values -- a love of Dartmouth, a respectful community, life-long friendships and leadership -- is not fundamentally different from what most current Dartmouth students want.

Assuming that Beta did not support the disrespectful actions of its members in the mid-'90s, it should want to set a higher standard for the Greek system as whole.

I would like to propose that Beta return to campus as a coeducational Greek organization. According to Dean of the College Tom Crady and Dean of Residential Life Marty Redman, there are no college policies restricting the house from becoming a male and female space. With the number of male fraternities that already exist, I don't believe that Beta will provide anything unique to the campus by returning as an all-male entity.

Our community is in dire need of more coeducational social spaces in the Greek tradition. Students do want centrally located spaces in which to hang out with their friends, but they do not want there to be more of these spaces that are exclusively male. If Beta returns to campus and recruits men and women who want to create an incredibly strong, respectful community, they will be welcomed by current students. If Beta desires to be a "model" Greek organization, it has a unique opportunity to create a fellowship -- a social space that includes "highly regarded" men and women.

To the Beta alumni who think that success as a social institution at Dartmouth depends on only having an all-male membership, I present the Dartmouth Outing Club as a counterexample.

In many ways, the DOC is similar to a fraternity; members thoroughly enjoy their time together and form lifelong bonds. Before Dartmouth admitted women, the Outing Club was all male by default. Since women arrived on campus, however, they have become a vital part of the Outing Club.

I can by no means speak for the club or its alumni, but as far as I can tell the current connections between male alumni have not been diminished by the inclusion of women in the group. I can imagine that the daughters of Dartmouth Beta members would benefit from membership in a Greek house that chooses a similar path.

We have a tendency to view gender as an issue that divides us, which is an egregious oversimplification. Many students see fraternities and sororities as opposing forces that need to be balanced, when really spaces that exist for people of both genders will be the best places for meaningful interaction.

Dartmouth undergraduates would greatly benefit from Beta coming back to campus as a diverse and inclusive group. I sincerely hope that this proposal will be seriously considered by Beta and the College.

I look forward to seeing dialogue move from incendiary discourse to reasoned and effective solutions that will benefit the entire campus.