For the first time that I can remember, last Tuesday's Panhellenic Council dug into some serious issues currently affecting our campus community. Starting with a tense discussion on the failures of this year's sorority bid night, the meeting evolved into a candid conversation about organizations at Dartmouth, our relationship with the administration, our roles in the broader community, and the disparate regulations imposed on sororities and fraternities. We ladies are up in arms, and frat boys should be, too. In fact, the entire campus should be concerned; the student-vs.-administration battle has gone far enough, and it is time that we take responsibility for ourselves.
The bulk of the Panhell deliberation centered on hazing and how initiation practices play out in Dartmouth's Greek houses and other campus organizations. We all agree that hazing causes bodily harm and emotional strain or puts a person in a compromising, embarrassing or offensive situation. It creates a dynamic of power and control that has no place at our college and is in no way "welcoming" to new members. I have great faith that most Dartmouth students understand the line between appropriate and inappropriate initiation rites for our organizations. But there remain some questionable activities.
As to the regulations governing said activities, most College policies are direct -- if sometimes misguided -- responses to behavior that must be curtailed to ensure student safety, compliance with state and federal laws, and adherence to Dartmouth's uncomplicated Principals of Community. So when the administration learns of pledge "missions," hears music pounding inside a fraternity house, finds broken furniture in the Choates, and deals with alcohol-related arrests of brand new Greek members, no wonder they get anxious and create a complex web of detailed rules to govern organizations and individuals.
The protocol glut is hardly a problem in comparison with the inconsistent and often inappropriate application of existing regulations. Kappa is going through the wringer right now because of some intoxicated pledges during a period when sororities must go dry. But many fraternities on campus are constantly devising funny ways to "play with" their wasted pledges. Five Greek houses are currently on probation for minor violations of SEMP and keg rules, whilst empty Keystone cans litter the yards of Webster Ave. As if to exemplify the College's absurd precautionary measures, Rent-A-Cops will arrive this weekend to keep '10s from touching the bonfire. But I suppose somewhere along the way, someone lacking nerve endings tried to give it a shot.
If precautions and punishments are any indication of campus behavior, we are really terrible kids and deserve a long, toy-free timeout. But it seems to me that the College blows petty events out of proportion. It almost looks as though the administration enforces nitpicky rules so they can meet legal standards, while turning a blind eye to the more flagrant stupidity that actually does run rampant at Dartmouth.
If we want to alleviate the tension, two things need to change: our attitude and the College's use of power. We need to continue to take responsibility for ourselves and for each other. Especially as we move into the infamous pledge term, Greek houses need to think carefully about what they ask of their new members, and new members need to exercise their own common sense by standing up for themselves if they feel uncomfortable.
For their part, the College really needs to give us all some breathing room. Most organizations, Greek or otherwise, want to do good things and demonstrate leadership. Most houses treat pledges as new brothers and sisters rather than as punching bags. We want kegs so we can be fiscally responsible and control distribution of alcohol. Most students love the traditions of big party weekends, and will continue to enjoy them regardless of stringent supervision. Dartmouth is not Giuliani's New York, and a crackdown on minor infractions will not change "ragey" student behavior. The goal should be that students behave within reason, and we students are in a position where we can prove ourselves sensible and mature.
We dance an elaborate tango trying to reconcile College regulations, state laws, old traditions, and student behavior. It's getting absurd. Let us refocus on the ultimate reason for the rules: safety and solidarity within our community. We are all responsible for that.
