“We would have said ‘fracket’ here, but we already had too many references to Greek life,” my friend, a member of the Dimensions welcome show, told me as we listened to some of the songs that would be performed. “People worry about it, so we wanted to downplay it.”

Dartmouth is a place where Greek life occupies a central role in our social lives. Especially for first-year students, who are still adjusting and finding their group of friends, Greek life can be both intimidating and enticing. Many freshmen find themselves in fraternity basements on the majority of their weekend nights. For some, this social life is enjoyable and fulfilling, while others seek alternative choices. Later, as upperclassmen, students may choose to affiliate with a Greek organization, potentially increasing their involvement. Regardless of whether a student prefers to participate in Greek life, the dominant presence of Greek organizations is undeniable.

Greek life is a particularly divisive issue within the Dartmouth community. The social climate on our campus is a chief concern for many parents and prospective students. The fear that Greek life will define campus social life is a legitimate concern that the Admissions Office, Dimensions crew and current students must attempt to address. The easy solution to this complicated question seems to lie in de-emphasizing fraternity culture. However, to what extent should the school and current students downplay the role that Greek life has on campus? When does the desire to soothe become a mechanism for deception?

The urge to downplay the dominance of Greek life is not in itself expressly subversive. Students who participate in the Dimensions show or host prospective students do so because they genuinely believe that Dartmouth is a great school and want to help imbue prospective students and families with that same sense of enthusiasm. The impulse to minimize the role of the Greek system when faced with concern is natural, but perhaps more deceptive than helpful.

Limiting the references to Greek life during Dimensions or exaggerating the presence social alternatives may temporarily assuage a potential student’s fears, but these actions present a distorted view of the social climate at Dartmouth. Students who would have otherwise been dissuaded by the strength of Greek life may be convinced to give Dartmouth a chance, but we should not, and need not, be dishonest in order to convince them.

Instead of avoiding the topic of Greek life or intentionally misleading accepted students and their families, many of the Dimensions programs emphasize the other wonderful aspects of the Dartmouth experience. Dartmouth does offer other rewarding social outlets, such as clubs and sports teams, through which students can find fulfillment and develop strong friendships. However, we must be careful to strike a balance between promoting alternatives and using them as distractions.

Although I believe we can win over prospective students with the strength of other aspects of our community, I am not advocating that we completely avoid the topic of our Greek system. Rather, I am advocating that we address it in a way that both acknowledges and contextualizes the strong Greek scene. Because social life is an integral part of a student’s college experience, the College’s Greek system will obviously have to be addressed. Whether this component of our campus culture attracts or repels prospective students is for them to decide. While we do not want to discourage students from enrolling, we also must strive for an honest representation of our school. Attempts to distract students from their concerns are no more constructive than outright lies.

If Dimensions were to focus a portion of their program directly on honest discussion of the social life, perhaps through a student panel or forum, there would be more open communication with prospective students. There is a fear that if we recognize the prevalence of Greek life, we will deter prospective students from enrolling. However, we must strike a balance between attempting to diminish the concern of Greek life and representing our social scene honestly.