ADMINISTRATION DECREES SECOND YEAR RUSHING

For the past five years it has become increasingly obvious that a fraternity rushing system originally devised for a college of 500 is ill ■suited to an institution with an enrollment surpassing 2000. There have been those who, considering the old system to their personal advantage, combined with a certain number of standpatters to cause several weird and unnatural years in Dartmouth's fraternity life.

The last half decade has seen the transformation of the fraternities at Hanover into highly efficient rushing machines. No desired freshman was allowed to escape without at least one call a week from one of the rushing "teams" of each house on whose list his name chanced to be. And what inane affairs these "calls" were.

Prominent upperclassmen came obsequiously to a freshman's room, introduced themselves, and chatted with little ease on a number of trite and uninteresting subjects (both parties avoiding all but the most innocuous topics for impression's sake and fraternity matters because of an Interfraternity Council ruling). In the meantime, the upperclassmen attempted to size up the degree of manhood to which the yearling might eventually attain, and then departed, frequently when reminded, by the entry of a delegation from a rival house, that the five minute minimum period has elapsed.

Freshmen of the most certain fraternity calibre were not unlikely to be thus honored at least fifty times during a week. Invariably they would know only a few of their guests and frequently would not even know from which house they came. These same freshmen were usually considered desirable fraternity material because of some activity, athletic or otherwise, which also took up a great deal of their time. It is self-evident that the tired athlete who had to be the charming host to six or seven fraternity rushing teams after a hard afternoon on the football field was able to give his books but scant attention. When given a chance the first year men were not slow to express their disapproval of a system which did not serve to acquaint them with the nature of fraternities and was such a real obstacle to satisfactory scholastic work.

Nor did the system meet the favor of fraternity men. Freshmen were made lords of the campus during the pre-pledging period. Things were at sixes and sevens. Before the close of the 1924 rushing season which occurred early in December, there was a demand for an open forum on the second-year season.

President's Letter Welcome

Welcome as a crashing thunder shower on a sultry summer day was the following letter of President Hopkins, sent to Mr. R. A. Reading, the president of the Interfraternity Council, immediately after the pledging of the members of the class of 1928:

"Dear Mr. Reading: "The interpolation of fraternity interests into the freshman year at Dartmouth is a maladjustment. Its processes are harmful to the class, demeaning to the fraternities and injurious to the morale of the College

"The increasing seriousness of the situation during recent years has been largely due to what in many ways has been a desirable development,—namely, an increasing number of chapters. Coincident . with this, nevertheless, the tendency remains among most of the fraternities, old and new, to establish contacts with men of a common type and to judge fraternity success by the number of men of this kind who are eventually pledged. These men aggregate a relatively small group as compared with the number of fraternities which seek their attention. The original impact and the continued pressure of the system annually creates discomfort for many and misfortune for some among those most sought by the fraternities.

"The present rushing and pledging system is bad in its unnatural formalities and in its artificial complexity. It is even more an injury in its tendencies to monopolize time and to distract attention among men subject to it, time needful to many of these men if they are to qualify in their college work.

"In so far as the judgment of the respective fraternities is good in determining who are the outstanding men of the freshman class, the system works as an- almost infallible procedure for making the college course difficult for these men. Mesfhwhile, to the extent to which the judgment of the fraternities concerning men proves fallacious, and to the further extent to which many a man fails to find due satisfaction within the fraternity of his hurried choice, responsibility can be ascribed to the insufficient time which is involved.

I am quite clear in my own mind that both the men of the freshman class and the fraternities themselves ought to be protected from the unfortunate workings in the college of today of a system devised for a college of few fraternity chapters and of classes comparatively small.

Finally, those men not enlisted in or interested in the fraternity life of the College have right to protection against the disorganization of college work as a whole incident to the present system.

"Therefore, after the close of the present academic year, no fraternity will be permitted either to initiate or to pledge a man to membership until he shall have attained sophomore standing and until the beginning of his sophomore year within the College. To such extent as may be necessary, regulations will be established to enforce this ruling.

"It is not my wish to have the College go farther in official action than may prove necessary because of the unwillingness or the inability of the Interfraternity Council to adopt and to enforce measures to support such a method as outlined. I include in this the avoidance by the fraternities collectively and individually of anything in the nature of an attempt to encourage organization of freshman societies.

"If I were to suggest further what the desirable procedure should be I would unhesitatingly recommend the elimination of all formal and arbitrary rules restricting natural contacts between upperclassmen and freshmen and the common adoption among the fraternities of a date as early as possible subsequent to the opening of the sophomore year for the pledging of new members.

In order that there may be full understanding among men of the College at the earliest possible time in regard to the insistence of this letter, I am sending a copy of it to The Dartmouth for such publicity as may seem desirable to it.

"I am

Yours very truly, Ernest M. Hopkins"

The air was immediately cleared. A general feeling of relief and approbation swept the campus. Even those who for selfish reasons had been forced to favor an earlier season rejoiced that President Hopkins had taken the matter out of their hands. The Dartmouth interviewed several prominent undergraduates and faculty members at the time the administration ruling was announced and found all unanimously in favor of the second-year season. This sentiment still seems to be nearly universal. Some regret the shortening of undergraduate fraternity life but agree that the new system should serve to intensify life within the fraternities. All realize that the change was absolutely essential for the welfare of the College itself and so are glad to assist in putting it into effect.