To the Editor:
As a Dartmouth and Alpha Xi Delta alum, I would like to express my deep concern with the College's decision to allow Beta Theta Pi back to campus. I would first like to clarify that throughout my time at Dartmouth, as Elise Waxenberg '08 succinctly stated in her column ("Reparation and Recognition," Jan. 14), I never felt disadvantaged as a woman. As a former Executive Committee member of AZD and the former leader of Women in Leadership, I felt very strongly that women were incredibly empowered on campus. However, the College's recent actions have caused me to seriously re-examine my views on Dartmouth's support of women.
CFS's excuse for re-recognizing Beta -- that the fraternity owns the house and as an organization not recognized by the College is a potentially dangerous social space ("Beta's Return Seen As Sign of Gender Issues," Jan. 14) is completely ridiculous. The College chose to rerecognize a 15th fraternity with the full knowledge that it would leave one of only seven sororities without a home. In addition, it's unclear why this decision came so suddenly, forcing Alpha Xi Delta to vacate its current house by the end of June with no viable alternative location.
The wealth and power of Beta's alumni suggest the major motivations underlying the College's rerecognition of the fraternity. However, in kowtowing to Beta alumni, the College has actually engaged itself in a long-term fundraising gamble. Since women have only been at Dartmouth for 36 years, it makes sense that thus far male alumni have donated more money in sum than female alumni. Yet as Dartmouth now graduates classes each year with an approximately equal gender split, over time the College's donations from male and female alumni should also gradually even out. That is, assuming female alumni will donate to an institution that continues to make decisions impeding the advancement of women on campus.
