The return of two sanctioned fraternities and the subsequent marginalization of one of the most centrally located sororities on campus has unsurprisingly renewed the fervor of the ever-present and usually tedious dialogue about gender relations at Dartmouth.
That this announcement would cause heated debate seems obvious. Yet the administration lacked the foresight to seize upon this valuable opportunity for informed discussion; rather than lead campus dialogue at such a pivotal moment in student life at Dartmouth by defining the terms of the imminent debate with facts and background, the College remained silent.
The hastily planned and poorly publicized question-and-answer session with Dean of the College Thomas Crady and Dean of Residential Life Marty Redman failed to satisfy students' cravings for both the facts and an explanation of the various considerations behind such a momentous decision.
Dean Crady, who only stepped into the role of dean of the College this term, was forced to navigate the hypersensitive issue of women's social position at Dartmouth -- no easy feat for someone who has lived in Hanover for a mere two weeks.
Enter sensationalized accounts of the process; dramatic declarations in defense of the two fraternities; rumors surrounding all parties involved. In short, students were forced to come up with their own information -- some true, some questionable at best -- to fill a factual void. The administration's failure to articulate the finer points of its stance on new Greek organizations and re-recognition policies, for instance, has left students interested in forming their own opinions at the mercy of campus activists.
Meanwhile, we have yet to hear an official statement by President Wright and the Board of Trustees.
Even more puzzling: we never officially heard about the possibility of Beta Theta Pi fraternity reclaiming its house from Alpha Xi Delta sorority before last week, even though members of the administration supposedly began more urgent talks with a handful of AZD officers last March about the possibility of relocating.
We are neither advocating for AZD nor calling for Beta's permanent dismissal; clearly, the issue is complex, delicate and multifaceted. But one thing is obvious to everyone involved: The College's baffling silence about the hot-button issue has only hurt the prospect of responsible and reasonable dialogue.
Either the administration failed to recognize this issue as a contentious one or it decided it was too touchy to be addressed head-on. Notwithstanding, this week is yet another reminder that a transparent Parkhurst serves everyone better.
