It has often been said that the only good things that come out of The Mirror are the Overheards. Matthew Ritger '10 has proven that assertion gospel.
Perhaps Ritger was being hyperbolic when he called for the veritable death of one of our classmates ("The Gospel According to Matthew," Oct. 9). Maybe he was joking when he suggested that his fraternity ding could be attributed to his sexual preferences, and not only his reckless and irresponsible use of drugs. My only hope is that no member of the Class of 2012 forewent some man-flirting this past weekend on account of Ritger's embittered advice.
Says Ritger, "Pledge a frat, I hope you die." And later, "tempted as I am to just twiddle my thumbs and wait for one of you to aspirate on your own vomit in a darkened corner of the basement" Reading these perverse words, I got the same dropping sensation in the pit of my stomach that I had when I first realized Bambi's mother had been shot dead. It's a feeling of shame that is not easily exorcised shame for the callousness and insensitivity that can consume us at times.
Would Ritger be so "sincere" about his desires for a hazing death if he were sitting across the table from the parents of Gordie Bailey, the 18-year-old University of Colorado at Boulder student who, in 2004, died four weeks into his college career after his fraternity brothers forced him to over-drink as part of bid night? How about if he were in the courtroom in Utah listening to the testimonials of the 12 Utah State University students charged with felony hazing after the alcohol-related death of an 18-year-old student this past year? The dangers of hazing are real and serious; we should not make light of this issue.
Ritger's take-home message that the Dartmouth fraternity and sorority scene is a breeding ground for date rape and social elitism is equally pernicious and misguided. There are undoubtedly problems with our Greek system: many houses struggle to maintain a diverse brotherhood or sisterhood, our night-life is predominately run by men, the women's rush process is run by a masochistic computer that got its Ph.D. in pairing the wrong girls with the wrong houses, and, well yeah, most frat houses don't mind a little drink every now and again.
But the idea that Greek exclusivity is what renders the system broken is to overlook a very glaring fact of Dartmouth life: every organization on campus is exclusive. From Ski Patrol to DREAM, LSAs to Tucker Fellowships to the very admissions process that got us into this college, it's the unfortunate truth that we can't get everything we apply for on this campus.
So what does this mean for potential rushees? According to Ritger, "Don't do it. Don't rush." But what about all those who came before us, and those currently in the system, who have found solace in their brotherhoods? What of those who have made lifelong friends and memories in the houses that Ritger now condemns? As Ritger points out, "Card-carrying unaffiliates are powerful individuals. They're people you want to know, and people you admire: girls with spirit and bombastic beauty, guys with grace and creativity."
I've encountered countless of these individuals, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you might encounter a few of these standout characters in a fraternity or sorority, too.
Here's where Ritger and I agree, and I wish he would have emphasized this common ground more going Greek isn't for everyone. And I don't mean that in the some-people-don't-have-what-it-takes way. There are so many organizations to get involved with on campus a house in the Greek system doesn't need to be one of them.
But for those of us who may feel the pull towards Greek life, who may not have a team or an organization to fall back on, who want to be part of something bigger, let us not allow Ritger's horrific tale to stain our Greek experience. Ritger is the aberration in the rush process, the outlier, the one that didn't get his way. Let us acknowledge that for the vast majority of Dartmouth students, going Greek is a very rewarding and integral college experience.
In the end, Ritger's experience with rush turned out for the best, didn't it? Had he not been dinged, had he sidestepped the rush process altogether, he wouldn't have been able to embark on his journey of self-discovery. So what I say instead is, "Rush a frat, if you think the Greek scene is right for you. Whether you get dinged or offered a bid, I hope you live a long and healthy life."