Myth: Secret societies are actually secret.
By the time you're a senior, they really aren't. Lists get leaked. People are spotted doing weird things. Mostly, people talk. A lot.
"Do you know which one so and so is in? Look at this picture they all do this weird thing with their hands. Do you think it means something?"
Yes, I think it means something. Only you're not supposed to be in on the joke.
If you haven't learned by now, it's hard to keep a secret on this campus, especially when it's a not-so-subtle one. Getting a tattoo on your forearm and then wearing a pinnie is hardly subtle. Now, I'm not saying don't get the tattoo, but at least acknowledge you're not foolin' nobody.
I mean let's be honest the administration doesn't even keep secret societies secret. (Fun fact: They actually call them "senior societies," not secret societies.) A couple of weeks ago ORL even ran a freaking advertisement about them. Really, ORL? It's not like the societies take applications, you know. Well, except Palaeopitus.
That said, 25 percent of your graduating class will be in one.
Which isn't a majority of your class by any means, but it still is a significant portion. Especially when you consider the new craze surrounding unofficial secret societies not recognized by the College. They're cropping up everywhere (still don't really understand what that's all about).
But the point of this article isn't to lambast secret societies, nor to try and do an inside job exposing all their deepest secrets. Rather, it's to put the role of secret societies on this campus into perspective.
Dartmouth is not Yale. We do not have a direct line of U.S. presidents descending from Skull and Bones. Sphinx and Dragon, feel free to correct me if I've misspoken, but as far as I am aware, Dartmouth's greatest connections are those in the corporate world, and these connections are as much Greek as they are secret.
So as much as a part of me wishes that secret societies didn't exist at Dartmouth or that they didn't have to be so self-important and exclusive at times, I have come to the conclusion that if viewed in the right light, one can look at societies as a gift.
Being tapped for a society means someone thought you were special and they wanted to get to know you better and to give you the opportunity to bond with people you might not have interacted with on such a regular basis. So, please, do not delude yourself into thinking you did something to deserve to be in a society, or that you are in some way better than the 75 percent of your class who is not in a society.
Because that is blatantly false. And it is that kind of attitude of exclusivity that demeans the otherwise wonderful experience societies can offer that of deep personal connections.
So whether you were a single tap, a multi-tap, or an "I don't give a crap," know that secret societies are just one aspect of Dartmouth life. They won't make or break your Dartmouth career. And like so many things at this school, nobody really gives a shit once you've graduated.
