Dartmouth Fall '06 Sorority Recruitment Begins

[exlurker]

285 women registered for fall 2006 recruitment at Dartmouth. This is a decrease from last year, according to the campus paper. See article for data, schedule, and so on:

http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006100401010

(To put the 285 number in perspective, recall that Dartmouth isn't a particularly large college; the total undergrad enrollment's about 4,100, and something like 51% men, 49% women.)

[lauralaylin]

Does anyone know if Alpha Phi is participating in formal? I don't know much about their colonization.

[irishpipes]

The article says that Alpha Phi is participating. Good luck to them!

[lauralaylin]

I must have Mommy brain or something, I swear I didn't even see that link! Thanks! :)

[kathykd2005]

Laura I believe exlurker added the link later on. haha

[exlurker]

Alpha Phi -- Specific Article About Dartmouth Recruitment

And today The Dartmouth online has an article -- with picture -- dealing with Alpha Phi's recruitment.

http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006100501030

(Do you suppose they came up with this just because GC people were asking questions? I doubt it, but one never knows.)

Added October 9 '06: Alpha Phi and Housing

The Dartmouth published a letter from the president of the Alpha Phi colony concerning Alpha Phi's plans for housing. Sounds like the college, the colony, and Alpha Phi IHQ are working to get housing, maybe by fall 2007:

http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006100902020

[PeppyGPhiB]

Anyone else read that article? It sounds like the woman from the local sorority is bitter that a national organization with policies on alcohol use was allowed to come on campus? I don't get the "female-dominated social scene" that she's talking about...

[SoCalGirl]

The way I interpreted the quote was that the KDE member thinks that the sorority houses should be open to non-member women to hang out at but if there's no alcohol there the women won't hang out there. :rolleyes:

[IvySpice]

if there's no alcohol there the women won't hang out there.

At Dartmouth, they're probably right.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Hmmm...do the locals have alcohol during recruitment events?

I guess it surprises me that Ivy League students would basically demand and promote alcohol as THE reason to join a sorority. I'd expect them to be a little more thoughtful and intelligent than that. And the only reason why I say that is because this is NOT the first article like this that I've read from Dartmouth.

Or, if she's talking about non-recruitment times, does she think non-members would want to hang out in a sorority house all the time anyway? I don't think that would appeal to me at all if I wasn't a member (unless I was waiting for a friend or something). Or is she just trying to promote female unity and bonding in general on the campus, specifically by holding parties at sorority houses instead of fraternities or something?

[IvySpice]

does she think non-members would want to hang out in a sorority house all the time anyway? Or is she just trying to promote female unity and bonding in general on the campus, specifically by holding parties at sorority houses instead of fraternities or something?


Probably both. They perceive parties at fraternity houses to be an imbalance of power -- the men own the space, they control the alcohol, etc. If women are throwing the party, there's a better balance. Since the locals can have a bar in the basement or whatever just like the fraternities do, they can have open parties for the campus where both male and female non-members can attend.

this is NOT the first article like this that I've read from Dartmouth.


It won't be the last, either. The eight Ivy League schools are very different from one another. Being at a small, undergrad-heavy college with a huge Greek system way out in the woods leads to a completely different social scene than you find at a giant research university in the middle of a big city.

[33girl]

Probably both. They perceive parties at fraternity houses to be an imbalance of power -- the men own the space, they control the alcohol, etc. If women are throwing the party, there's a better balance. Since the locals can have a bar in the basement of whatever just like the fraternities do, they can have open parties for the campus where both male and female non-members can attend.


A stance with which I absolutely, completely, 1000% agree.

Peppy, if you'll look at some of the locals' pages, the reason they broke away from their national to begin with was because of what they perceived as old-fashioned and antifeminist attitudes about the role of women in the Greek system and society at large.

It's not "we have to have alcohol so we can parteeee", it's "the men have it, so we should have it also." The same would apply if only men could have intramural teams or houses.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Thanks, Ivy and 33girl, now I get what she was saying. I never thought of things that way (my chapter went from local to national the year I rushed, so I'm mainly familiar with the disadvantages of locals).

Coming from a greek system that was/is dry - and still managed to be fun - it's sad to hear GLO members go on and on about alcohol as if it's the end-all and be-all of sorority/fraternity membership. (I'm sure some will disagree with that notion, though :p )

[WCUgirl]

Dartmouth recruitment results. (http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006101001010)

What does it mean to "sink" a bid?

[33girl]

I think it's just Dartmouth-speak for accept a bid.

[exlurker]

Thanks, Ivy and 33girl, now I get what she was saying. I never thought of things that way (my chapter went from local to national the year I rushed, so I'm mainly familiar with the disadvantages of locals).

Coming from a greek system that was/is dry - and still managed to be fun - it's sad to hear GLO members go on and on about alcohol as if it's the end-all and be-all of sorority/fraternity membership. (I'm sure some will disagree with that notion, though :p )

PeppyGPhiB, it's possible that there'll be more discussion aboout alcohol use at Dartmouth in the near future. The student paper (Oct. 10) has a special "developing story" about hospitalizations and arrests that may be related to the Bid Night (or other?) activities of one of the NPC sororities.

http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006101001000

The article by Kevin Garland in The Dartmouth
does say that some of the sorority members called 911 because they were concerned about other members. That, at least, shows sense. (As opposed to not trying to get help for fear of repercussions, which has been known to happen in other cases elsewhere.)

According to the article, the president of the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter declined comment, other than to indicate that they were in a fact-finding mode.

[PeppyGPhiB]

An updated article about the arrests and hospitalizations, and the beginnings of investigations, is in the Wednesday, October 11 student paper:

http://www.thedartmouth.com/article.php?aid=2006101101010


"Crate also said the Enfield Police were aware that it is presently "initiation time for fraternities and sororities."

Both Kinne and Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone refused to comment on any possible hazing that may have taken place leading up to the arrest of the 11 underage members."

How embarrassing! And so sad that the local police apparently view it as part of "initiation" activities. Well, that's one bid day those new members won't forget!