What is Greek Life Anyway?
You are a prospective student, spending hours researching colleges. You come across Dartmouth. It seems like the perfect fit: its liberal arts focus with small class sizes, the faculty who love teaching, the gorgeous outdoors, and the diverse community. But you realize there is something odd about this College on the Hill. You can't help but ask: Why is Greek life such a big deal here? And if you are an international student who is as clueless as I once was, and still lowkey am, you might even ask: What is Greek life?
Traditional Greek life consists of fraternities, only for men, and sororities, only for women. Nowadays, there are more diverse Greek spaces, including gender-inclusive Greek houses. All Greek organizations at Dartmouth uphold six principles: brotherhood/sisterhood, leadership, inclusivity, service, scholarship, and accountability.
All I knew before coming to campus was that Greek life was an excuse for college students to get drunk and party. I felt alienated from most party scenes in fraternities in my freshman fall, partly because my music taste did not align with theirs, partly because I hadn't met the right people yet, but some enjoyed going out to the frats. While some of my friends were enthusiastic about joining Greek life, such adherence to random Greek letters and calling people who were still practically strangers "brothers" or "sisters" felt strange to me. (Not to mention that they do not even pronounce those Greek letters correctly, according to one Greek student I have met). Also, why was the system built on archaic gender binaries? I, like many of my international friends, was confident that I would never rush. But when sophomore fall came around, I found that many people who did not even consider rushing were now affiliated with Greek life, including myself.
After all, Greek life is a big deal here. While there are plenty of open-to-campus events, there is an equal number of member-only events that bring privileges. It's a busy campus, and it's hard to get to know people, so Greek spaces allow students to socialize during member-only or invite-only events; It can be an outlet for finding like-minded people. Despite this, before the rush process, I already had a solid social support system. I also met people who share my passions in clubs and student organizations, such as Spare Rib, the intersectional feminist zine, and the Mental Health Student Union. Rushing is not necessary to have a vibrant, rich social life on campus.
Then, why did you rush, you ask?
I rushed because I wanted to prove to myself that I could find people like me in Greek spaces, who are committed to building a much safer and more inclusive community on campus. That's why I joined Alpha Theta, the gender-inclusive Greek house on campus. Before rushing, I felt like their open-to-campus tails were the safest and most enjoyable party scene I could find myself in on Friday nights with sober monitors, better drinks, music I can dance to, and welcoming members. Since joining Alpha Theta, I have gotten to know the members even more, and I could not be happier about my decision.
At the end of the day, all Dartmouth students would admit Greek life is a big deal here. But it doesn't have to be one of the defining features of your college experience. You can be as involved as you'd like or not at all. Sometimes it takes a little work, but you can find a space you feel like you can belong on this campus.