Dartmouth Faculty call for and end to fraternities

By Doug MacPherson on Monday, May 21, 2001.

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Dartmouth faculty members call for abolishing fraternities and sororities.

THE FACULTY VOTE CAME AFTER THE BROTHERS OF ZETA PSI PUBLISHED NEWSLETTERS WITH THE NAMES AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE HAD SEX WITH. FRATERNITY MEMBERS DESCRIBED THE NEWSLETTERS AS SATIRICAL -- INTENDED FOR IN-HOUSE VIEWING ONLY. A WOMAN NAMED IN A NEWSLETTER GOT HOLD OF A COPY AND BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF DARTMOUTH OFFICIALS, WHO DIDN?T SEE THE HUMOR -- THEY PERMANENTLY BANISHED ZETA PSI FROM CAMPUS.
FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE VOTED REPEATEDLY TO ABOLISH GREEK HOUSES AT DARTMOUTH. IVY SCHWEITZER IS A PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH.

TAPE IVY SCHWEITZER, PROF ENGLISH 293 what they learn is that they can turn a blind eye to everybody else. What gets reinforced for them is their sense of entitlement; their sense of privilege; their sense that they don?t really have to know what anybody else is doing outside of that circle. And that counteracts the kinds of values and the kinds of insights that I and lots of my colleagues are teaching in our classrooms. :22

ABOUT 250-DARTMOUTH STUDENTS GATHERED TO DISCUSS THE ZETA PSI INCIDENT AT A PUBLIC FORUM. THEY BROKE INTO SMALL GROUPS IN A CAVERNOUS HALL BENEATH A GREEN DARTMOUTH BANNER.
JEN MURRAY IS A SENIOR AND A SORORITY MEMBER WHO APPROVES OF THE FRATERNITY?S SACKING. . SHE?S DISTURBED THAT THE NEWSLETTERS WERE APPARENTLY AN ON-GOING TRADITION AT ZETA PSI, WHICH HAD A REPUTATION AS A WELL BEHAVED FRATERNITY.

TAPE JEN MURRAY 213 And I think that?s what scared me the most was that, they?re not bad guys, and yet everyone knew this was going on and no one really said anything.
:09

SOME STUDENTS, INCLUDING SOME WHO DON?T BELONG TO THE GREEK SYSTEM, SEE THE NEWSLETTERS AS A FREE SPEECH ISSUE.

TAPE RODRIGO LUCIANO 245 I think it?s kind of like, it?s an inside joke. It wasn?t like they were making it to the whole campus. :05

RODRIGO LUCIANO [?looth-ee-AHN-oh?] IS A JUNIOR FROM SALT LAKE CITY.

TAPE RODRIGO LUCIANO 253 and I don?t think it?s -- as bad as their opinions are, I don?t think it?s right to censor somebody for the opinions that they have. :06

SOME STUDENTS FEEL ALIENATED FROM THE GREEK SYSTEM. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE TRADITIONALLY BLACK FRATERNITIES AT DARTMOUTH, GREEK MEMBERSHIP IS WHITER THAN THE CAMPUS AS A WHOLE, AND FEWER MEMBERS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID. ALFRED VALRIE, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN SENIOR FROM DETROIT, SAID HE FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE EVEN WALKING PAST SOME HOUSES.

TAPE ALFRED VALRIE 244 I see young white men, I mean -- and that?s all I see when I pass by. And I don?t have a problem with ? I don?t have a problem with young white men [LAUGHS], but it?s just the idea of them all together. And it?s just like, me, sort of walking by. :16

40-PERCENT OF DARTMOUTH UNDERGRADUATES BELONG TO GREEK HOUSES. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 12-PERCENT. STUDENTS AND FACULTY SAY THE SYSTEM IS POPULAR BECAUSE THERE?S LITTLE IN THE WAY OF NIGHT LIFE IN HANOVER. BUT DARTMOUTH?S ADMISSIONS OFFICE SAYS THE GREEK SYSTEM TURNS OFF SOME PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, WHO BELIEVE IT UNDERMINES INTELLECTUAL LIFE AND ENCOURAGES EXCESSIVE DRINKING.
IN RESPONSE, TWO YEARS AGO DARTMOUTH LAUNCHED ?THE STUDENT LIFE INITIATIVE.? THE LONG TERM PLAN ENCOMPASSES EVERY ASPECT OF CAMPUS LIFE, AND CALLS FOR A NEW, COEDUCATIONAL, INCLUSIVE SOCIAL NETWORK AS STRONG OR STRONGER THAN THE GREEK SYSTEM. BUT THE PLAN, WHICH WILL CREATE A CLUSTER SYSTEM FOR DORMS, DEMANDS NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT ARE SEVERAL YEARS AWAY.
BILL KING, A FRATERNITY MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1963 AND CHAIR OF DARTMOUTH?S BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SAYS THE BOARD IS WELL AWARE OF THE FACULTY?S IMPATIENCE WITH THE STATUS QUO.

TAPE BILL KING, CHAIR BOARD TRUSTEES 205 the question is, really, how does the institution deal with organizations that are part of the experience to the institution. And in higher education in this country a part of that has always been sororities, and fraternities, and all sorts of other organizations that may or may not be somewhat exclusive. :22
FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES ARE PART OF OTHER IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS, INCLUDING BROWN, COLUMBIA, AND CORNELL .
BUT OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, MANY NEW ENGLAND COLLEGES, SUCH AS AMHERST, BOWDOIN, AND COLBY, WHICH COMPETE WITH DARTMOUTH FOR STUDENTS, HAVE ABOLISHED GREEK HOUSES ALTOGETHER. FEW AT DARTMOUTH VIEW ABOLITION AS AN OPTION, GIVEN STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE SYSTEM, NOT ONLY BY STUDENTS, BUT BY ALUMNI.
DARTMOUTH PRESIDENT JAMES WRIGHT BELIEVES STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE GREEK SYSTEM. BUT HE ADVISES THEM TO LOOK FOR MORE INCLUSIVE ORGANIZATIONS. WRIGHT SEES THE DEBATE OVER DARTMOUTH?S SOCIAL LIFE AS A MICROCOSM OF A BROADER, NATION-WIDE DEBATE.

TAPE JAMES WRIGHT, PRES DARTMOUTH 214 students are trying to negotiate their way through a very complicated world. None of us do very well in talking about matters of race and gender, and of sexual orientation, of class. But all of these things play out here in this sort of mile and half, square mile of campus. And it?s a complicated place.

THIS FALL, DARTMOUTH PLANS TO IMPLEMENT NEW FRATERNITY AND SORORITY GUIDELINES FOR HAZING, DESIGNED TO AVERT ANY PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I?M DOUG MACPHERSON IN HANOVER.