To the Editor:
I have spent the weekend thinking about an incident I witnessed on Friday, and I ultimately decided that I cannot remain silent. At about 9 p.m., I was walking in front of Thayer when I noticed some "men" (I use the term loosely. You'll see why.) gathered in front of Psi Upsilon fraternity. About five men stood on the front lawn while five others stood on the upstairs terrace. One man on the ice explained, "Now, when we shout 'Wah-Hoo-Wah,' you shout 'Scalp 'em!' Okay?"
And lo and behold, they began to chant.
"WAH HOO WAH!" "SCALP 'EM! SCALP 'EM!" "WAH HOO WAH!" "SCALP 'EM! SCALP 'EM!" over and over again. As I neared Psi U, the shouting ceased for a moment, and then started up again. Except this time, the "men" screamed "WAH HOO WAH!" "SCALP THOSE BITCHES!" "WAH HOO WAH!" "SCALP THOSE BITCHES!"
As a woman walking alone in front of this fraternity house, I was suddenly overcome with shock, fear and disgust. I couldn't think of anything to do, save to yell back "PSI U IS SO COOL!" only to be assaulted with a series of insults, which I did my best to ignore as I kept walking by.
I write this to let you know that repulsive things like this still go on in our campus, and not just in fraternity basements. This shouting occurred early in the evening, in virtually the center of campus. I can't say whether or not these Psi Us changed their chant once I came into their line of vision, or if their sexist chants ALWAYS follow their racist ones. But I can say that I am ashamed. I am ashamed that I stood on that very lawn two winters ago in a rally, trying to protect those very men. I am ashamed that as an active member of my sorority, I have been an ardent supporter of the Greek system. I am ashamed that "the old traditions" of racism and sexism are alive and well on Dartmouth's campus. And I am ashamed for these "men," who have no respect for anyone who is not a member of their elite misogynist microcosm.
Two years ago, College President James Wright claimed that it was the "the end of the Greek system as we know it." Oh, how I wish that were true.
