"If we let the trustees of Amherst College abolish the 150 year-old tradition of fraternities and all their related functions with no realistic or possible social alternatives, a crucial and irreplaceable part of this Amherst experience will be lost forever," explained Alpha Delta Phi President Hal Ball '84.
The speakers at the gathering suggested that fraternities were already trying to implement reform. Warren Tolman '82, a member of Theta Delta, cited the fraternity's "establishment of an internal judicial board to help eliminate vandalism problems." He also praised the fraternities that consistently served non-alcoholic beverage options at social events.
In response to charges that the fraternities were hurting people during the rush process, and that they were promoting "drunken and disorderly behavior," John Barrett '85 replied that "being rejected by a fraternity is no worse than being rejected by the Glee Club." He went on to express his belief that students would conduct themselves better if they could live with whomever they chose to. His conclusion that "people want a non-academic alternative" won the applause of the audience.
Other reactions included criticism of the administration itself. Dorrin Rosenfeld '85 said that although the administration seemed to want to find alternative social outlets, they did not seem willing to invest the money to explore these alternatives. Suggestions for changes in residential life included "mixing freshmen and upperclassmen in dorms [to] create a much more socially integrated campus." Another student said that the College could bring the positive aspects of the frats to campus by making the campus houses themselves more "frat-like."
Despite the efforts of the protestors, the college did abolish Greek life in 1983.
-Daisy Cheung