Meg Smoot '01, the newly-elected undergraduate member of the Trustee Steering Committee said she knew from the first time she set foot on campus that Dartmouth was perfect for her, but did not find her niche on campus until she joined her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.
And that, according to the sophomore from McLean, Virginia, is a sentiment she plans to relay to the 16-member Committee, including four undergraduate students, when they begin meeting today.
Smoot responded to one part of a Student Assembly questionnaire by writing that one of her roles on the committee would be "to represent the 80 percent majority of Dartmouth students who support the Greek System."
Recently, Smoot was appointed to the Executive Student Committee of the Dartmouth Action Network - a group whose leaders have stated DAN will focus its initial work on opposing the Trustees' Social and Residential Life Initiative - the same initiative the Steering Committee is supposed to help implement.
Smoot said she came to Dartmouth on a visit as a senior in high school and fell in love with the College. She said the sense of community and school spirit drew her to the school.
Now that she is here, the economics and math double major is happy with her choice.
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Smoot said.
Smoot was in San Diego during Winter term, and heard of the Trustees' five principles for social and residential change in BlitzMail messages from friends at Dartmouth.
As she learned more about what was going on at Dartmouth, Smoot said she wanted to get involved in shaping Dartmouth's future under the initiative.
Smoot has been involved in a variety of activities since her freshman year, but considers her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, to be her main involvement now. She is the interim registrar for Kappa this term and will be formal chair this summer.
"Every term I was involved in something different and I didn't really find my niche until I joined a sorority," Smoot said.
She said she likes being in a sorority for the friendships that are formed, the access to female social space and for the diverse groups that are brought together by being a member of the same house.
Smoot attended Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., which just changed from an all-male school to co-ed in 1991, giving Smoot an interesting perspective on the Trustees' third principle involving coeducation in residential life.
"I've been through a transition like this ... trying to get more coeducation," Smoot said.
As the coach of a lacrosse team for fourth and fifth graders in Hanover, Smoot takes on the responsibility of planning games and running practices for her team. Smoot was an All-South lacrosse player in high school, but has chosen to spend her time on other activities here.
During Winter term, Smoot participated in the Dartmouth exchange program with University of California in San Diego, an experience she said made her thankful for the Greek System here at Dartmouth she has pledged to protect.
While in San Diego, Smoot had the opportunity to see what the Kappa affiliate was like on another campus. She said Greek life at UCSD involved a much smaller percentage of the student body and was much more exclusive.
"It made me appreciate what we have here," Smoot said.
Besides the introduction to Greek life outside of Hanover, she said the transfer term was a wonderful experience, especially the beautiful weather and living close to the beach.
After graduation, Smoot, who said she can practically recite the entire Star Wars trilogy from memory, is considering the possibility of law school, although she says it's too far the in future to know exactly what she will do.
