A recent increase in Greek life at the University has led the administration to take an introspective glance at the role of Greek life on campus.
In attempting to identify the successes and failures of fraternities and sororities, University officials may need to look at Greek life beyond Fitzrandolph Gates.
All schools in the Ivy League have experienced a tension similar to that of Princeton in balancing Greek life with other social outlets on campus.
The number of students involved in Greek life at Brown and Columbia universities is on par with the percentage of University undergraduates participating in fraternities and sororities.
Roughly 800 students participate in fraternities or sororities at Columbia, said sophomore Michael Lee, president of Sigma Nu fraternity at Columbia.
"The school owns most of the houses," Lee said, "and everyone seems to know at least one other person in each fraternity or sorority."
Columbia's urban setting, however, offers a significant alternative to these instutions.
"The entire city is open for students to take advantage of," Lee said. "Most students do look to the city to provide social options instead of frat life."
In some respects, Brown University's Greek system seems analogous to the Princeton eating club experience.
The Greek organizations have ten houses on campus — just one fewer than the number of eating clubs at Princeton. The fraternity and sorority houses accommodate a "disproportionately large amount of functions" on campus for their small membership — between 10 and 15 percent of the student body — said senior Evan Feldman, member of Sigma Chi fraternity and outgoing chair of the Brown University Greek Council.
"Brown serves to dispel stereotypes," Feldman said. "There seems to be a lot of diversity in each house which seems to dispel the myth of a frat being a group of rich white guys drinking together. Brown also has two coed 'frats,' making for another social innovation."
Dartmouth College — widely recognized as one of the most active Ivies as far as Greek activities — announced in January 2000, that it would drastically alter existing Greek life, raising concerns similar to those of Tilghman earlier this month.
While Tilghman has just intiated a dialogue on the role of Greek life at the University, Dartmouth has implemented drastic changes to reduce the role of fraternities and sororities on campus.
After a year of deliberation, the Committee on the Student Life Initiative at Dartmouth recommended that over the course of five to seven years several coed Greek organizations be "derecognized" by the college, remove refrigeration and tap systems, allow only upperclassmen to live in Greek houses and forbid hazing.
"This reduction is desirable in order to eliminate the historical dominance by the [Greek] organizations of Dartmouth social life," the report stated.
Currently, Dartmouth recognizes 24 fraternity and sorority houses on campus — a decrease since 2000.
Similar to Dartmouth, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania have a high proportion of undergraduates participating in Greek life. About one-third of the population at Cornell is involved in one of the 45 fraternities or 13 sororities on campus.
At Penn, Greek organizations support 46 houses. The university offered no estimate of the number of students involved in the Greek system.
Yale University, much like Princeton, has a less active Greek life. Yale does not officially recognize fraternities and sororities.
And just as several frats on campus used to rent houses in Princeton Borough, several fraternities and sororities at Yale rent houses along a street in downtown New Haven they refer to as "fraternity row."
However, the residential college structure at Yale presents a key difference between the two campuses. Yale's four-year residential college system provides more centralized and diverse social options for undergraduates.
At the University, upperclassmen identify with eating clubs which prevents a long-term sense of loyalty to the residential college.
Only the social scene of Princeton's esteemed rival, Harvard University, resembles what some often consider the elitist element inherent in the Bicker clubs. Fraternity life is nearly non-existent at Harvard, but the university has 'finals clubs.'
In contrast to the process of joining an eating club, members of the finals clubs offer freshmen an invitation by giving them a 'punch' — another name for a bid. The clubs — one of the few social options on campus — only offer punches to a select few.
Read More
Remembering Dorothea von Moltke, Labyrinth co-founder and local community builder
Lucia BrownDorothea von Moltke, widely considered the heart of Labyrinth Books, was remembered by friends and loved ones for her passions for language, literature, and local activism.
Dorothea von Moltke, widely considered the heart of Labyrinth Books, was remembered by friends and loved ones for her passions for language, literature, and local activism.
Cloister Inn to pause operations for the next 2–3 years, citing “hefty renovations”
Justus WilhoitCloister Inn, one of Princeton’s eating clubs, will pause operations for the next two to three years, due to “hefty renovations” to the club’s house.
Cloister Inn, one of Princeton’s eating clubs, will pause operations for the next two to three years, due to “hefty renovations” to the club’s house.
Duo text and call authentication methods disabled amid rise in phishing
Ben GoldstonDuo, the University’s authentication provider, has disabled phone and text authentication methods beginning from June 11 in response to rising phishing attacks.
Duo, the University’s authentication provider, has disabled phone and text authentication methods beginning from June 11 in response to rising phishing attacks.