The Greek system indisputably has a lot of problems. One that consistently crops up is the concept that Greek houses create spaces where sexual violence is more likely to occur and is perhaps even tolerated. If Greek houses truly exacerbate this issue, however, it is not a product of the Greek system in general — it is a product of the current, male-dominated system. Incorporating sororities into “mainstream” social life by increasing their visibility and social participation on campus would help combat sexual violence and empower women across campus.
As it is now, the Greek system consists of a large number of fraternities, a smaller number of sororities and a still smaller number of gender-inclusive houses. Despite the fact that females make up approximately 50 percent of the Dartmouth student population, the male-exclusive fraternities garner most of the spotlight in the mainstream social scene. This glaring difference is clearly reflected in Dartmouth lingo — students have designated “frackets” and go “fratting,” not “sororiting.”
For national sororities, which comprise the majority of sororities on campus, national rules often keep them closed to non-sisters. Because local sororities, in contrast, are not subjected to national rules, their members can have their house as open as they want — and often do so to the same degree that fraternities do. Yet, few non-sisters take advantage of this, possibly because of the misconception that sororities aren’t really open to non-sisters. Of course, not all sorority members want to fully open their houses to the public, and possibly be forced to deal with intoxicated strangers or dirty basements, and these wishes should be respected. The fact remains, however, that open sororities do exist and are under-utilized while fraternities are over-utilized.
This is problematic because fraternities create spaces that encourage excessive drinking while the system of getting on table for pong separates girls from their friends, resulting in an ideal situation for sexual assault. Various studies show that fraternity brothers are more likely to have committed sexual assault and that women who go to fraternity parties are more likely to experience assault firsthand. This already uncomfortable situation is intensified for first-year students, who cannot rush and have not been at Dartmouth long enough to cultivate friendships with upperclass students. During my first year, I became painfully familiar with this discomfort. Now, as a sister of Epsilon Kappa Theta, I have a space where I feel supported, and I wish I had known that such spaces existed earlier.
If sororities begin to occupy a more visible position in campus social life it will equalize the playing field and curtail sexual assault by providing spaces where women — affiliated or otherwise — can feel comfortable in the same way that men find comfort in numbers in fraternities, sentiments that Alan Schwarz captures in his Jan. 19 article in the New York Times, “Sorority Anti-Rape Idea: Drinking on Our Own Turf.” In the article, Schwarz quotes Sigma Delta’s Molly Reckford ’15, who states that sororities can combat sexual assault by giving women “ownership of the social scene.” In fraternities, men monopolize power and have the “home-court advantage.” Sororities provide women with the agency to establish spaces where they feel supported and generally safe.
The College should make it a realistic goal to help local sororities occupy a more visible space in the campus social scene. Sororities have not existed as long as fraternities, and thus do not have the same access to alumni resources — especially considering that locals do not have national organizations to help fund them. To combat this, the College should help subsidize local sorority parties and publicity efforts. More importantly, active efforts should be undertaken, both by the College and sororities that want to be more open, to remind students that fraternities are just one of many social options — and that local sororities are certainly one such option.
This does not mean that sexual assault is solely a male-on-female crime. Yet there is overwhelming evidence that sexual assault exists as a very real issue under the current, male-dominated system. Though it may not eradicate the problem, helping local sororities to become more viable social spaces would be an effective step toward combating sexual assault.
