It’s time someone stood up for Dartmouth’s Greek system

After reading the Rolling Stone article Confessions of An Ivy League Frat Boy during my Senior Spring in high school, I was terrified for my arrival at Dartmouth the following Fall.

Shortly after arriving on campus, I realized that my fears were unfounded.

Today, the story has been fresh in my mind following the news that SAE has been derecognized.

In a typical passage of the story, the Rolling Stone journalist Janet Reitman describes a Dartmouth degree as  “a ticket to the top,” before adding the disclaimer “you may [first] have to get puked on by your drunken friends and wallow in human filth.”

That line – so alluring to Rolling Stone readers and so obviously untrue to anyone who has attended our school – illustrates the gross misrepresentation of Dartmouth life by the media over the past few years.  Dozens of newspapers, magazines and even our own campus newspaper – in fact, most strikingly our own campus newspaper – have participated in the dishonest portrayal of  our fraternities and sororities.

It’s time we called them out.

Last year, The Dartmouth‘s editorial board published an op-ed  calling for the termination of Dartmouth’s greek system. The story was enthusiastically picked up by the Huffington Post and read across the nation. The story was powerful because it was written by Dartmouth students. How could it not be true?

Filled with lurid descriptions of drug use, hazing, and sexual assault, the Dartmouth editorial conjured a gothic fantasy of our Greek life based on the most sensational anecdotes they could find.

A quick Google search will reveal a myriad of stories criticizing Dartmouth’s Greek life.

Some of the stories were legitimate. Alpha Delta’s “Bloods and Crips” party was an atrociously racist incident. And investigating the extent to which racism, sexism and homophobia permeates within the Greek system is a worthwhile and necessary undertaking – as it is across our community.

The Greek system at Dartmouth is not perfect.

But there are those of us who believe that when you balance the few bad incidents against the many positive things that our fraternities and sororities do and offer, Dartmouth’s Greek system ends up being a positive presence in our community. I sense that there are quite a few of us who believe it – let’s see.

In a previous Tab article entitled How do Dartmouth’s ‘infamous’ frat parties compare to those at other schools Jackie Saralegui compared the inclusivity of Greek systems across the country, based on dozens of interviews.

In the article, a male at Penn State says that getting into a frat party “[is] all about who you know. If you’ve got a friend in another house he can help you get in a side door if you’re not getting in. Sometimes it doesn’t work.” On the other hand, a Dartmouth student finds that getting into a frat party is “extremely easy . . . that’s the beauty of fraternities at Dartmouth, all you have to do is show the brother on door duty your college ID and you are good to go.”

The survey wasn’t scientific but it highlighted some interesting positives about our Greek life compared to other schools. Houses around our campus should strive to continue to promote and improve inclusive environments.

Moreover, Dartmouth’s sizable Greek system provides students with a variety of social niches on campus. Dartmouth has a total of 17 fraternities (including Alpha Delta and SAE which have been derecognized by the college) and 10 sororities. This is remarkable considering that Dartmouth has a campus body of just over 4000 students.

Each of the 27 Greek organizations has a distinct culture. This diversity ensures that there will always be a Greek house that is a good fit for Dartmouth students who choose to rush.

Additionally, the greek system provides a solid social structure for affiliated Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. Affiliated students develop close bonds with their fraternity brothers/sorority sisters at weekly meetings, and other events for members of the house. Greek houses become a home away for many students, including me.

Our greek system has created valuable social webs between houses across campus, making it possible for students to develop close ties with their peers of different affiliations at joint meetings, tails, etc.

Dartmouth’s fraternities and sororities also provide a much needed college nightlife to Dartmouth students. The Hanover bar scene is as lifeless as the D’s interminable reporting style.

A 2013 report The Greek Community at Dartmouth found that Greek organizations “donated more than $300,000 to philanthropic causes” in the 2012-13 academic year, in addition to hundreds of hours of community service each semester. Our Greek system not only provides a uniquely inclusive social experience, but also provides a platform for students to contribute to the greater good of the Upper Valley area and beyond.

The D and the journalists who report on our school don’t want to see these things. They made their mind up a while ago – like fevered conspiracy theorists on the internet, for whom one tempting narrative has become an ideology.

This has gone on long enough.

In the din of hysterical misrepresentation,  it’s time those of us who know better spoke up.

@TheTab