tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10384575.post767622400519877589..comments2024-01-02T17:48:07.739-05:00Comments on The Little Green Blog: "Unconventional" Is An Apt AjectiveNathan Bruschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01335558831525808820noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10384575.post-45974418189855592942012-07-10T00:45:54.622-04:002012-07-10T00:45:54.622-04:00Brice, I hope you're well, I just found this a...Brice, I hope you're well, I just found this after seeing a link to my bicycle trip blog. Thank you for your criticisms.<br /><br />A few notes:<br /><br />1. "Reforms" do not necessarily come by fiat from the central administration. I apologize for the semantics. Many of these are necessarily grassroots, and my suggestions are intended to spark thought and debate. Binge drinking is a complex social-biological-cultural phenomenon at Dartmouth, and I'm not claiming to have any silver bullets on hand. Marginal improvement is still improvement, which is what I was going for in a limited writing space.<br /><br />2. I don't claim any solution to binge drinking in my post, nor do I claim to fix fraternity culture. #1 was about improving the environment and cleanliness of Dartmouth's fraternities, burnishing fraternity's public image at the very least. Consider the "broken windows theory" and how that might also apply to the typical basement being covered in bodily fluids and rotting Keystone cans. #2 was out-of-the-box, but I think if fraternities chose a "quality beer mandate" for their basements, they might be surprised at the results. Regarding #3, I don't deny that a fraternity's cash prize might go to paying for a party. But parties aren't the problem: sexual assault, binge drinking, and self-destructiveness are. The development of "real fraternity" that could accompany these competitions might make a real difference. #4 is about a culture change in College faculty and leadership; as long as they're terrified of stepping foot inside fraternities, fraternities will never be anything more than drinking clubs. As soon as the nature of the space is changed, future fraternity leaders will have a leg to stand on when they push to reform their houses. #5 is about alumni influence, and I can tell you from experience that the right alumni leaders can have a tremendous impact on a fraternity, even if they aren't attending Wednesday meetings or weekend parties.<br /><br />I encourage you to read my previous post on "Fraternal Nihilism" as I feel it to be a stronger piece of writing and more central to the problems faced by fraternities. http://www.dartblog.com/data/2012/06/010248.php<br /><br />And I will also add that my writing and Joe's follow-up were not in conflict; I am also heavily in favor of dorm continuity and the reforms he mentions. Unfortunately, every indication from the administration in my four years at Dartmouth has been that this is NOT a priority for them and won't be anytime soon. I fought hard for it throughout my time as an undergraduate, believe me. In the absence of administrative turnaround, what can we do to improve the system we have, rather than the one we wish we had? These are admittedly small, marginal improvements, but they're on the table for us right now.Isaiah Berghttp://www.dartblog.comnoreply@blogger.com