INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL

Meeting with the members of the interfraternity council at their annual banquet President Hopkins sketched the policy of the administration in regard to the fraternity situation at Dartmouth. He described the tendency toward lowering the dignity of the fraternities as well as the College caused by freshman pledging which results in railroadstation rushing and extends even back into preparatory school. The President pointed out the desirability of leaving the freshman year as open as possible as a period of orientation. He gave figures showing marked decrease in separations from College which resulted immediately after the inception of sophomore pledging and proved conclusively its success in bringing about the results for which it was inaugurated.

We feel that the present system is better than freshman pledging, but we are equally certain that the present system has evils numerous and serious. The Daily Dartmouth aptly states that, "there is among the undergraduates a very gaping lack of ethical principle in their fraternity dealings which no amount of rules and regulations can be expected to alter." Perhaps this is the answer to all complaints; or perhaps some genius will devise a system in which fraternities will not start illegitimate sinking during the spring and will not have their delegations lined up by the summer recess.

The interfraternity council, following President Hopkins' address, unanimously voted to reorganize their body to make its membership consist ex-officio of house presidents. This we believe is a wise step because of the added respect it will give to the interfraternity council, a harassed body who have always found the control of their houses beyond their power, and who have always found it difficult to gain the respect of the student body.