Alpha Xi Delta, Beta Theta Pi, & Alpha Phi Housing Concerns: Dartmouth
 

In the last few days the student paper at Dartmouth has published an article and an opinion piece about Greek housing. The specific issue seems to be the house currently occupied by Alpha Xi Delta; it’s owned by a Beta Theta Pi alum group, and Beta is going to take back the house as it strives to return to campus and be recognized.

Alpha Xi Delta will apparently have to move to much smaller quarters. It also looks like a place to house Alpha Phi has been found.

It sounds like there’s some -- maybe a lot of -- unhappiness over all this. The new locations for the sororities are supposedly (according to the paper) pretty much off the beaten track, and that, along with their smaller square footage, might be a disadvantage:

Article
http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/11/news/beta/
Opinion piece:
http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/15/opinion/beta/


Added: An update on the situation and Beta's history at the college was recently published:

http://thedartmouth.com/2008/05/28/news/beta/

That's a pretty fiery opinion piece. A lot of the animosity seems to be based on the social situation at Dartmouth, not just the Beta-AZD situation. I mean, was the old AZD house really "A space where (women) can control the pong lines, alcohol distribution, music and guests"?

I doubt very much that there were "pong lines" at that house, and moving to a different/smaller location wouldn't change that at all. I'm sure it's a rough situation for AZD, but this sort of thing happens when you rent a house owned by another organization. It's hardly unique and shouldn't be unexpected.

Wow, I just read some of the letters to the editor and other articles.

http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/14/news/beta/
http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/15/opinion/fundraising/
http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/15/opinion/sons/
http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/15/o...iscrimination/

Doesn't seem like a good situation, all around.

There's a thread about Dartmouth and the situation over in the Beta Theta Pi forum.

There are no bars in Hanover so for socializing, the fraternity and sorority houses are it. I find the overall attitude at Dartmouth quite refreshing - they don't agree with the concept of women having to use men's spaces to party in even if that's what the national HQs of the sororities say.

I can understand her view to a point, but the thing is, if you rent from another group, that is never YOUR house. If they wanted to make sure they never had to move, they should have purchased/rented a house on their own, not from another Greek group. What Beta did or didn't do in its previous incarnation has nothing to do with that. The guys who will recolonize Beta are not the ones who committed the offenses and I doubt very much that the men who did commit them will be involved w/ the recolonization in any way.

With the situation at Darmouth it is a mess.

Yes, the BTPi Alumni have the right to tell AXD to vacate as they plan to retake the house. But if they cannot come back, then what will happen to the house? That is a whole other problem.

I do find it a bit rough to just inform them that they have to move by June and while it is the end of the school year, it is still hard to be stuffed into a much smaller house.

It is a very sad situation all the way around and I am sure there will be hard feelings that will come from this problem.

I guess time will tell.

A house of over 100. Renting from Beta for 10 years. They should have started thinking ahead.

If you are renting a house from an organization, they don't owe you any time other then what your lease/rental form states. I'm sure they gave them the amount of time that was mentioned in the document they signed 10 years ago.

As for Beta, I think it's rediculous that the University is breaking a rule just to allow them back (no new locals). If they come back, they are a local until Beta national gives a charter back. Thus, they shouldn't be allowed back.

Rent the house or sell it should be their options.

Also, doesn't IFC have to vote on allowing a new fraternity to colonize on campus?

I am pretty sure the IFC does have to vote, but Beta alums have only petitioned as of now, I think. As far as allowing 'no new locals,' they just gave permission to another fraternity who was "permanently banned" to start rush in 09. I think it is unfair that there are only 7 sororities to 15 fraternities. That definitely does not provide balance, especially if the sororities have caps on how much they can recruit. I also think it is unfair that those articles bring up beta's past conduct, when the past alumni will not be the new undergraduates, and believe when i tell you that Beta's AO will have a watchful eye and iron fist during pledging. Also, Beta has changed so much in the last 10 years sky rocketing its MoP initiative as well as becoming a fraternity pimp when it comes to leadership training. The Beta track kids who rush would be on today will be very different then over a decade ago. The thing is, if the campus is really upset about it, especially the sorority girls, then it will be hard to recruit.

(p.s. im a beta)

OH, and there are several bars in hanover, so i don't know what thats all about

If Beta has only petitioned, then why would AXiD be told to vacate the house?

From the articles on thedartmouth.com it seems like the Beta alums are threatening to start a housed local with no oversight from the school or a national to pursuade the school's approval. Since they own the house they could get away with that, which is why they'd need the house to be available.

"Beta-Vision"


wow. just a rumor, I know!

I too wondered about that? But, what would they gain from it?

It just seems like two heads butting against each other and envolved in a peeing contest.

Then AXD is caught in the middle. But as banditone said, they could have or should have planned for the future.

We have planned as much as we can in a town where suitable vacant/available real property is non-existent and we're not the only one looking. (Remember, Alpha Phi is still unhoused -- not for lack of interest in having a house -- and the College is also very active on the real property front.) This is a tough situation, but our women are driven and their sisterhood is strong, and we will make it through.

Rather then spend all that money to renovate a house that will house 7 women, how about they demo that house, use that money, as well as money from AZD to build?

All solved.... Yes, I rock.

Pepperdine is about* the only campus that has more sororities than fraternities. Generally the fraternities WAY outnumber the sororities (but are also ususally smaller).


*ABOUT: There could be a few more, but that's the only one I've ever seen mentioned.

Clarion has more sororities than fraternities right now, but it certainly isn't by design. :rolleyes:

I'm sure there are more schools with more s than f, but I think in most cases the enrollment probably dictates it. (i.e. former all girls schools, etc.)

Most campuses (most, not all) have more fraternities than sororities. Illinois has 20 sororities and 42 fraternities.

Yes, sororities have caps (quotas, totals), but that isn't really a factor. Think of the SEC schools: Large sororities (in the 100s) and then the fraternities are on a bell curve with a few having 100+ guys, a large group with about 50-100, and then the rest with <50.

So, is it unfair? If more women wanted to join the system or were willing to give new groups or "lower-tiered" groups a chance, there could be a more equal amount of sororities to fraternities.

I don't see how fewer chapters=unfair as long as male to female Greek participation is comparable. At my alma mater, we have 14 NPC sororities and 22ish IFC fraternities. As far as participation, there are comparable numbers of men and women who are Greek, it's just a question of chapter size. The sororities are larger and there is less variance in size (after formal recruitment last year, two chapters had around 85, and the largest had 115, with most over 100). The fraternities have much variance in size, but generally are smaller, most being within 40-60, a small group above 75, and a small group below 25.

-By mentioning that i can see how it is unfair with the ratio, I was saying that I see the point in the articles on how the ladies didn't want to tip the gender balance further out of there favor. I generally think however that the amount of chapters there are is sort of irrelevant, its activity and spirit.

-I think the beta alums kicked the sorority out of the house as to not renew the contract they had going, so when they can get started, they could use the house (the current contract was apparently for like 5 or 10 years). I have heard rumors of the alums shopping around for a new fraternity, but those were strictly rumors. I haven't heard anything from nationals announcing a Dartmouth expansion, so it is all in the air. Nationals needs to go around the alums and figure out where they stand with the school.

Rally and Petitions -- Article

The campus paper's January 18 article on the Thursday, January 17, rally and petitions related to the Beta and Alpha Xi housing situation, and to the concerns about sororities' "control" of "social spaces," is at:

http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/18/news/social/

The paper's editorial in the same issue is at:

http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/18/opinion/verbum/

Because Beta OWNS the house and can do anything they want with it. They could decide to turn it into a lovely little B&B if they wanted to. What happened to the constitutional idea of the "right to own property"?

And, give me a break... it is "unfair" and there is a "gender imbalance" - last time I heard, membership in greek organizations was voluntary - if more women signed up for recruitment, pledged and went through initiation then there would be more women involved in the greek system.

If they don't want a recurrence of this dilemna, they should buy their own house, then they would never be faced with being asked to leave a property at the end of a legally executed lease.

The problem is, the administration up until Alpha Phi's colonization (which was what, a year ago?) would not allow any new sororities to colonize. Women in the North are not as enamored of the 200 member chapters as those in the South and didn't want to raise total to what they believed were uncomfortable amounts, so women were going without bids. Hopefully now that the door has been kicked open, another sorority or two can colonize if the need is still there. But there's still the problem of where to house new chapters.

As I've said, I find Dartmouth's attitude refreshing. If this was most big Greek schools, it probably wouldn't even be on the radar - the girls would just shut up and leave because it's more "important" for the guys to be housed.

Good point, 33girl! Looks like Dartmouth's administration is taking the women's housing issue seriously (or at least trying to appear they're taking it seriously):

Updates January 30, 2008

A little more on the housing issues and the possible re-colonization of a Beta Theta Pi chapter:

http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/30/news/crady/

“Dean of the College Thomas Crady pledged to try to find better housing for Alpha Phi and Alpha Xi Delta sororities . . . .”


http://thedartmouth.com/2008/01/30/news/briefs/

“Beta Theta Pi national fraternity delayed discussion of the possible re-recognition of a chapter at Dartmouth at a meeting of the national organization’s Board of Trustees this weekend. The board decided it would wait to hear more from the Dartmouth Beta alumni group before discussing a decision . . . . Further dialogue between the two groups will occur at some point in the next two weeks . . . . [A Beta Theta Pi official] previously told The Dartmouth that the main factor hindering the alumni group’s petition for re-recognition was disagreement between Beta national and the Dartmouth alumni group over re-recognition protocols and the proposed structure of the new chapter, including national guidelines that would restrict alcohol use within the chapter’s physical plant.”

Update March 7, 2008

Dartmouth's residential life office is looking at buying several properties, two of which might be used as housing for Alpha Xi Delta and Alpha Phi. Article is at:

http://thedartmouth.com/2008/03/07/news/orl/

By the way, the article hints that there may be interest in adding another NPC sorority in a year or so. This doesn't mean that it'll happen, and AFAIK there's been no announcement that the school is open for NPC expansion. We'll see, I guess.