TO THE DARTMOUTH COMMUNITY:

After much deliberation, the sisters of Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority have decided that we will not be partaking in the formal recruitment system this coming fall, but instead will use a shorter, more casual process.

In light of recent events and an escalating campus climate, Dartmouth as a whole is shifting and struggling to make the Greek system more inclusive and empowering for young women, marginalized groups, and the community as a whole.  There has always been talk about the inevitable flaws of the formal recruitment, such as superficial conversation, ranking and numbering of women, and competition between Potential New Members and between houses. Panhell, as well and our fellow sororities, has been making great changes in the recruitment process. We, as a sisterhood, fully support these changes and the sisters making them, and we look forward to participating in that dialogue throughout the spring and hopefully the coming years.

However, Theta has the ability and the desire to make change that we are confident will be immediate and most likely to alleviate many flaws from the old rush system, a few of which were previously described. Therefore, this coming fall, we will host two Shake-Out events, resembling the fraternity rush process, in lieu of participating in the traditional system.

This policy change should come as little surprise based on Theta's history and dedication to women's empowerment and leading change for the good. In May 1992, we went local by breaking off from a national sorority that was suppressing us into conforming to antiquated traditions and sexist molds. Instead, we committed to gender equity (and inclusivity) at Dartmouth as one of our primary values. We believe in providing female-dominated social spaces, opening up our basement both weekly and for termly campus parties (like Thetaroo, a party that supports the community through local bands and live music). Our house dedicates much of its community service to WISE, an organization devoted to serving survivors of sexual and domestic violence in the Upper Valley.

Even more recently, Theta was the first sorority to install a Freshman Outreach Chair, who is in charge of finding new ways that Theta can empower freshmen women and men through alternative social spaces, campus events, and other innovations. We are pleased to see that this idea has spread to our fellow sororities.

We are still invested in improving the formal recruitment process, so we will continue to be a part of the conversations and work with our fellow sororities in this process as it develops and moves forward. Even the Potential New Members that are not joining our specific house are still joining our Panhellenic community, so we care about improving their recruitment experience as well. But, as a house, our commitment to individual empowerment combined with our ability to make real change has made it necessary for us to take these steps. We all want to contribute to Dartmouth in any way we can, and we are confident and resolute in making Dartmouth as much of a community as possible.

Any questions can be addressed to Emily Reeves '15.

EPSILON KAPPA THETA SORORITY

Emily Reeves '15, President

Lily Albrecht '15, Vice President

Megan Bogia '15, Standards Chair