If you have acquired an aversion to the term "alternative social spaces" over the past few (dozen) weeks, keep reading. If you believe in the push for "alternative social spaces" because Dartmouth social lives are too Greek-centered, I implore you, too, to read the following 662 words.
During my bid for Student Assembly president, The Dartmouth Free Press stated: "Cooper appears overly satisfied with the opportunities offered by the current Greek system, focused on making it more inclusive rather than looking seriously at other options." As it turns out, the DFP was right about me -- unintentionally, of course.
Demands for a change in Dartmouth's social spaces has reached a point where debates are often emotionally driven and even polarizing. I want to take a step back to analyze the issue through an economic lens, perhaps peeling away a few of the visceral barriers to progress.
In short, the situation might be a direct consequence of what the DFP mistakenly overlooked: our Greek system's extraordinary "inclusivity."
Realistically, no new social spaces will thrive at Dartmouth as long as Greek houses are open to all students and free of charge. (I assume here that there is a demand for alcohol, and I am not addressing the issue of minority involvement in Greek houses. Rather, I am focusing on the openness that exists from a bird's-eye view.)
Dartmouth's unique Greek landscape is so engrained in the culture of our College that we overlook the more uniform systems that exist at other universities, where cover charges and closed-list parties are commonplace, as are expensive bars. Students must invest several hundred dollars per term into their social lives, whereas a non-affiliated Dartmouth student can cruise down Wheelock Street or Webster Avenue and acquire a cold 'Stone with no strings attached.
Where is the incentive to create an alternative? How can some elusive solution, synthesized by a few student leaders, administrators and outside consultants, survive as a viable option?
In economic terms, new efforts are trying to tap into a market that is more or less monopolized by an efficient producer (read: the Greeks). A new approach would be to shift the supply curve -- that is, make Greek houses less inclusive!
If the Greek Leadership Council, for example, were to institute a pilot program that mandates cover charges for non-members at all Greek houses, students on the margin would presumably no longer attend Greek functions, allowing for the collective "we" to observe what the free market of College life produces.
Spontaneous dance parties in Occum Commons? Sellout crowds for every Collis event? A legitimate bar or club in Hanover? Power-hours with Ed Haldeman '70? Who knows?!
Conversely, we might learn that students are content and willing to pay an entrance fee for Sigma Delt's Heaven and Hell party, Heorot's Blacklight Party or a chill night of pong at Sig Ep (even if they do play line).
Perhaps I am putting too much faith in the ability of College students to maximize their utility on a Friday night. I haven't even finished Econ 1, but something tells me that Dartmouth students can find the alcohol, games and interactions they desire with minimal intervention.
If this scenario is unappealing, there are other ways to avoid creating artificial, fleeting "social spaces."
Perhaps the Inter-Fraternity Council could organize an agreement among fraternities to suspend pong for one weekend. The behaviors and decisions that emerge out of these modified but otherwise normative spaces (read: our existing "social space market") could turn out to be applicable models for the behaviors we should expect when drawing up new plans.
Although students as a bloc are generally impatient, progress will only be permanent if we push the oft-maligned Greek culture to evolve or at least use it as a launching point for initiatives that are more sustainable than reactionary Band-Aids.
Bold decisions are in order if we are to garner the momentum needed for effective solutions.Listen to Bob Marley and think about the creative solutions that the Greek system itself can inspire. They are more likely to have a lasting impact for future Dartmouth generations and for us.
To paraphrase Gandhi: Let our thinking be as alternative as the social spaces we wish to see on our campus.
