To the Dartmouth Community,


On Sunday, a coalition of students sent out an email as part of the Week of Action at Dartmouth for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, notifying all students of a March to Take Back the Night in protest of sexual violence, and proposing that the student body close social spaces in a night of solidarity.


After discussion amongst the brotherhood, Sigma Nu has decided that we will be standing in solidarity by closing on Friday, April 6th.


Fraternities at Dartmouth and across the nation have historically, and today, presented an environment potentially conducive to sexual assault and gender-based violence. We stand by our commitment to the idea that fraternities, sororities, and other organizations with primarily single-gender membership can hold value for these members. However, if these organizations are not careful, they can also open the door to gender-based discrimination, harassment, and violence -- especially in male-dominated spaces. Especially in combination with the prevalence of alcohol as part of partying at colleges and fraternities, this has the potential to create an unsafe environment in which visitors could be at risk of being taken advantage of.


Sexual assault is not an issue that can be solved overnight, and despite steps made by organizations and administration, it remains prevalent at Dartmouth. The Week of Action, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Night of Solidarity are great steps towards acknowledging this problem, and bringing organizations and social spaces in the community to task with addressing potentially unsafe environments -- as well as indicating to survivors that the community stands in support with them, in a way that hasn’t always been the case at Dartmouth and around the world. Consent is a prerequisite for all sexual contact, and survivors need to be seen, heard, and believed.


Sigma Nu stands in solidarity, and will continue to strive to hold our members and social spaces -- as well as the community at large -- to the highest standards of responsibility in preventing sexual violence, and taking action if they see a potentially unsafe situation arising.



The brotherhood urges others to speak out in solidarity, and participate wholeheartedly in the Week of Action. We hope the campus will continue to retain the same commitment, through Sexual Assault Awareness Month and beyond, to creating a campus culture completely intolerant of sexual violence.



In Solidarity,

Sigma Nu