“The Gospel According to Matthew” by Matthew Ritger ‘10 from the October 9th issue of the D opened up the floodgates to a tsunami of letters and conversations about rush and the Greek system in general. The anti-Greek article used anecdotes to pull at the reader’s heartstrings and spark dialogue. Matthew started a blog, changedartmouth.blogspot.com, so that he could share all of the email responses that he received—both in favor of and against his article. Two of the letters are from female students who describe being raped by fraternity brothers and place at least some part of the blame on the fraternity system itself. If that doesn’t spark dialogue, I don’t know what will.

This article is just another wake in the torrent of writing on the Greek system. I say keep ‘em coming. Let’s start a fucking storm.

Our Greek system is central to social life on campus, so it is seldom strongly challenged by most students. The predominant campus attitude is that going to frat parties and eventually rushing a house is simply what people do. People rush “just to check it out” (as if they hadn’t been checking it out for the past year) and pledge because “they seem like a pretty cool group of people.” Even worse, people inside and outside of the system are very reluctant to voice their criticisms—any sort of anti-Greek speech is taboo. I have had countless conversations with students who have spoken pleasantly about the Greek system until I revealed my problems with it. Then their complaints poured out. Heck, the taboo is so strong that I’ve been pulling my hair out writing this article and worrying that it will make everybody hate me.

To those students who have pledged: Think like an activist for a second. Take issue with obvious problems. Be honest with yourselves. Did the ooey-gooey feeling of getting a bid—a statement that you have more merit than others not because of something that you have done, but because of who you are—play a role in your decision to pledge, even though you “only rushed to check it out?” If so, do you think this is a problem?

Do you have any major problems with the system that you fund with your membership dues? Do you find that, at least in some cases, your house facilitates sexism, homophobia, alcoholism, negative body image, or even violence and rape? What have you done about these problems? What are you going to do?

Many of you are great friends and awesome people. All I ask is that you carefully consider things. Talk about it. Don’t let the taboo keep you from airing your concerns—talk honestly and openly about where you stand.

And for all those unaffiliated students, including ‘13s, you can be activists too. If you’re fed up with the Greek scene, what are you doing to create alternativesocial spaces? Are you still supporting frat culture by showing up at frat parties on Friday and Saturday nights? If you plan to rush, are you merely considering it because everyone else is?

Just stop and think. Look around you the next time you’re in a frat basement. Read every single entry at changedartmouth.blogspot.com. Write and submit your own anonymous letter. Start a conversation.
Make waves. Be the change.