If you still haven't gotten a chance, you should read the first of Matt Ritger's series of Greek-life columns published in The Mirror ("The Gospel According to Matthew," Oct. 9). His two thesis statements conveyed his hope that someone will either pledge a fraternity and die in the process, bringing the godforsaken Greek system down with it, or at the very least that everyone should consider the unaffiliated life. For now, at least, the decision to pledge or not is irrelevant as hundreds of students have just committed to Greek life. The pertinent question for Dartmouth is where the Greeks will go from here, within the College and beyond it.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that I am a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Contrary to Ritger's assertions, Greek members are among the most talented, empathetic and dynamic artists, athletes and change-makers I know of on this campus. My brothers are my closest and most loyal friends here at Dartmouth.
Yet there is a dark side to the Greek system, as Ritger describes, one tinged in alcohol abuse and tension between the sexes. Unfortunately for Dartmouth and the Greek system, our public relations nightmares seem to revolve around this dark side. A recent news analysis in The Dartmough highlighted both the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils' efforts to combat negative Greek stereotypes ("Greek leaders work to improve public image," Oct. 27), and at the beginning of Fall term, College President Jim Yong Kim said he would "let the rest of the world know what an important experience the Greek system provides to more than half of our students," as part of his role as "chief advocacy officer" ("Kim to focus on Greek system's public image," Sept. 23). When only 1 percent of accepted Dartmouth students cites the Greek system as a positive factor in their enrollment, and nearly 50 percent of eligible upperclassmen choose to affiliate, there's an obvious disconnect between perceived ills and the real strengths of fraternities and sororities.
Greeks bear a lot of responsibility for this disconnect. No one should be more invested in Greek image than the system's members themselves. I'm sure that fraternities can come across as clubs of crude, white, entitled, petulant fratboys whose passion for keg liberation makes it seem like some righteous struggle for social justice. And while I believe Greeks have it right a lot of times, they often don't look like they do. It is time for the system to learn how to sell itself to students, administrators and the outside world.
In the early 1990s, the Sigma Phi Epsilon's national initiated its Balanced Man Program to compensate for dismal growth, flagging alumni support and a crisis of fraternal identity. It dissolved the pledge process and its associated issues of hazing and disunity, instituted a continuum of servant leadership and sought to make its chapters more than the stereotypical drinking clubs of old. The program was first piloted here at Dartmouth, and since then both brothers and alumni have found much to be proud of. The model has won national awards and accompanied success in the areas of giving, academics and recruiting. Borrowed by other Greek organizations Sigma Alpha Epsilon piloted its "True Gentleman Initiative" the program has spread to Greek organizations nationwide. I believe that Dartmouth's Greek scene could use a similar makeover in both substance and image.
Dartmouth's Greeks will continue to fight for their open social scene, one often taken for granted by a campus that does not pay for the drinks it consumes or the risk it brings to fraternity and sorority social events. We must exercise caution, however. If only alcohol and social events publicly unite the Greeks to dynamic action, that will speak volumes about our priorities to the world. If the Greek system seems to be nothing more than a collection of gendered drinking clubs, it will attract neither the cooperation from the administration nor the support of its alumni that it needs to flourish.
So let's show the world what we're about. Let's enhance our commitment to community service. Let us be proactive with regard to issues of gender and sexuality in the Greek system, as Alpha Delta fraternity has done with its discussion events. We can take the lead in encouraging health and wellness among our members, physically, spiritually and academically. We can continue to host an inclusive and welcoming social scene. We'll do it not because we're "supposed" to, but because it aligns with our character and ideals. The Greek system has to prove itself and this time of new membership is the perfect time to get to work.
