Of course. That’s precisely why many of the other small, selective colleges in New England abolished their Greek systems.
Many people suspect that the Dartmouth administration would love to get rid of (or at least reform) the Greek system.
The Greek system has many strong and powerful supporters in the Dartmouth community, and is obviously popular among the currently enrolled students as well. It seems unlikely that there will be any major changes in the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>If you are considering Dartmouth, you should be aware that the prominence of the Greek system in social life is one of the things that distinguishes Dartmouth from other New England schools. For some people, this a plus; for others, it’s a minus. There are other schools that have completely different attitudes: for example, if you tried to organize a fraternity chapter at a school like Middlebury or Williams, you would be expelled. So there are choices out there, and it’s up to applicants to make informed decisions.</p>
<p>WOW. Can we say something MORE sexist and anti-feminist than that? Thats the classic “men make money and women belong in the kitchen and nursery” concept, just with an “intellectual” Dartmouth twist. Bait&Switch, I hope you realize that women have been combatting this very concept for generations. It’s not “biology” that you described, it’s patriarchy.</p>
<p>It’s a shame, too, about Dartmouth because I personally feel that it is the most “undergraduate-sensitive/catering” of all the Ivy League institutions.</p>
<p>“Greek-heavy” schools seems to have more publicity about sexism/chauvanism–something to think about. I hear such complaints about Duke and USC, too. And I think that you can generalize about the sensibility of schools, based on redundant complaints–e.g. sexism, drinking, overly-studious, a-political, big Christian coalition, etc.</p>
<p>And, yes, you can definitely find sexism, anywhere and everywhere. My then fiance’s (now husband’s) house-mate, one year at Stanford, told me that I would be really pretty if I didn’t use such big words. Needless to say, he’s no longer my husband’s friend. Of course, this is a guy who plastered his room with Christie Brinkley posters and thought the highlight of his Stanford career was orchestrating a “Pimp 'n Hos” party whereby the girls were told not to wear underwear. So, such inappropriateness exists outside of Hanover, NH, too.</p>
<p>I just walked with a neighbor today who reminisced fondly about her sorority days at Dartmouth. She and her sorority sisters get together every year, and have done so for 40 years. There’s something to be said on both sides of the Greek/bad, Greek/good debate. (P.S. My neighbor is a highly respected professional and thinks highly of the Greek system).</p>
<p>Not to be excessively nit-picky, but 40 years ago D was not coed.</p>
<p>Maybe she was there 30 years ago. :)</p>
<p>I know a number of D female grads who seem to hold the place in great esteem and affection. Several of them are in double-D marriages to men who regard their wives with respect and affection.</p>
<p>My own S is a D undergrad who, at least as far as I can tell, is interested in women who are both intelligent and–to him–attractive.</p>
<p>If the women of D wish to, they can avoid the neanderthals. They are 50% of the student population, and can change whatever they wish to change.</p>
<p>One of my business partners was active in getting Beta reinstated. One group of students performed some acts that were horrendous several year ago. The punishment was swift and justly severe. But why should that wipe out an organization on campus forever? He and several others in my former firm were Beta’s 20-30 years ago and they are some of the nicest men you can imagine with lifelong memories of what they consider a great organization. It’s no more likely, and probably less, that any atrocities will happen in the new Beta than at any other frat.</p>
<p>DS’s sophomore gf is living with us this term. I asked her opinion of this thread. She in no way feels degraded. Yet she does have a major complaint about the Greek system which is that sorority rush is handled completely different than fraternity rush. There is a bizarre matching system rather than the system for the guys where they are free to rush any house they want. They also get to know the brothers in the houses freshmen year as that’s where all the parties are. The girls don’t really meet their potential sisters until rush sophomore year. Sounds unfair to me.</p>
<p>My son is a Dartmouth '06 and worries about his sisters having problems in a still, somehow male environment. His sister is a Princeton '11 and wouldn’t worry about any such thing at Dartmouth any more than she would at Princeton.
I have heard about a shot glass (mug?) that has a full line at Dartmouth, 3/4 at Princeton, 1/2 at Yale, and 1/4 at Harvard. Seems entirely accurate to me. Some elements at Princeton would be offended that the 3/4 rating dissed them, especially Princeton ladies.
Here at the U of Chicago, where I’ve studied and now work, the women are much more aggressive than the males, sexually and in other ways.<br>
In my experience, if you are worried about feral students, don’t consider the Ivy League, except maybe Harvard.</p>