To the Editor:
It was at the house of Beta Theta Pi were I first met my husband almost three years ago. When he proposed to me a year and a half after we met he sang the "Beta Sweetheart" song in which the last line reads, "Won't you be a Beta wife?"
The traditions and brotherhood of Beta Theta Pi have contributed to the fond memories and friendships that both my husband and I have experienced at Dartmouth. After all, who can think of a more romantic and traditional way of asking someone to be your wife. It is much the same way that my father asked my mother to become his wife almost thirty years ago. It may not be in tuned with "modern conventions," but I believe that tradition is a sacred thing.
It is not just the loss of tradition that saddens me, but also the loss of a place that brought my husband such a sense of self; a sense of who he was and what he believed in. Much more occurred within the walls of the house than beer drinking and pong playing. It was a place where support and friendship allowed members to stand strong in their beliefs and endeavors. At a place as competitive as Dartmouth, this is invaluable.
As the administration of Dartmouth College continues to try and phase out the Greek System, I wonder where men like these will go to find their niche? Will there be a place? Derecognizing houses like Beta will not work to encourage diversity; diversity can only manifest itself through the availability of choice. Choice to seek out what part of Dartmouth College with which you as an individual want to become affiliated.
I would like to publicly thank the brothers of Beta Theta Pi for enriching my Dartmouth experience. It saddens me that when I return as an alumni, I will not be able to go to the place where my husband and I first fell in love. It saddens me that the house of Beta Theta Pi will not be there so that I can visit with the brothers who made my husband's Dartmouth experience so special. It saddens me that in the future my son may arrive at Dartmouth to find no community of brotherhood to enrich his Dartmouth experience.
