[623] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Dartmouth controversy and single-sex housing
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Christopher D. Beland)
Sat May 12 17:09:46 2001
Message-Id: <200105122109.RAA20601@Press-Your-Luck.mit.edu>
To: mit-talk@MIT.EDU
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 17:09:23 -0400
From: "Christopher D. Beland" <beland@MIT.EDU>
Interestingly, *The Dartmouth* reports that college administrators
found that the Zeti Psi chapter had violated the college's harassment
policy and two of "the fraternity's own local and national ethical
codes." So if all of this business is due to usurping of the reigns
of institutional power by hippies and their children, sounds like the
boys of Psi Epsilon are on the same side as the administration in that
particular battle.
But why not just put the chapter through "sensitivity training" just
like the MIT chapter of ATO?
A number of colleges and universities have come to the realization
that all-male, especially all-male Greek housing, can cause problems
that conflict with the educational mission of the broader
institution. Dartmouth nearly replaced all of its all-male Greek
housing with coed living groups for that reason. While the president
of Dartmouth acknowledged that there is no longer any overall plan to
shut down fraternities on campus, it seems difficult for the college
to ignore this particular chapter's problem.
Maybe the shutdown isn't really about what was done or said in this
particular case. Maybe this pamphlet was merely the straw that broke
the administration's back. While there was certainly a legitimate
violation of university policy, which all students voluntarily agreed
to obey when they accepted admission (idealistically motivated as it
might be)... and while there were certainly legitimate violations of
the fraternity's own rules, which members agreed to follow when they
sought out the organization and decided to join it...maybe the most
important facet of this incident is that it brings to light
incontrovertible evidence of the violent, sexist attitude pervasive at
Zeti Psi. (How likely is it that the members would have gone through
with their little publication if half of them had been women?)
Now, obviously not all Greek institutions have been infected with this
particular malaise, which is perhaps one reason why Dartmouth decided
not to eliminate them all. But I think it's an excellent policy
decision to shut down the troublesome chapters, for the benefit of the
students, the educational institution, and the rest of the housing
system there.
Certainly the Boston Licensing Board has no compunction about acting
in the interests of its constituents here by shutting down
fraternities when it is presented with evidence of a consistent
pattern of broken laws and upset neighbors.
Some people around here have complained about MIT fraternities being
"picked off" one by one when various incidents come to light. Given
the sort of trouble some chapters are still causing, it's a wonder
that more of them don't have more trouble renewing their lodging
licenses. All that a given incidents does is force a review of a
house's record. BLB declared (and being one of the upset neighbors
who has been subject to harassment by its members, I think rightly)
that Fiji should be shut down merely on the basis of its record,
irregardless of the charges surrounding the Krueger incident.
To put it crudely, Zeti Psi had it coming. And they aren't alone.
Beland
