As Friday night ended, however, the campus returned to its normal divided self. This inevitable return to the usual separated campus leads us to wonder what impact theme houses really have upon life at the College.
Theme housing can be compared to the Greek system banished from campus 20 years ago. We recognize that the mission statements of theme houses are far different from those of fraternities, but at the same time, we also agree that striking similarities between the two exist. Occupying entire houses or floors of dormitories, theme houses have, in part, resurrected the selective nature of the Greek system by catering to the desire for security through self-segregation.
An immediate problem is that many of the theme houses themselves are geographically isolated from the rest of campus, so the large majority of students never share in the culturally broadening experiences these houses are supposed to offer to the campus as a whole.
The underlying problem, however, is not as superficial as the mere location of the theme houses. Once accepted into theme housing, residents are surrounded by people who are similar to themselves to the point of excluding others. It is natural for people to seek the companionship of like-minded individuals. However, this human inclination leads to division and segregation. Theme houses only perpetuate the problem, providing an outlet for exclusiveness and giving it a house off campus.
We are under the impression that theme housing is intended to foster a cultural element on campus, whether that be Asian culture, an appreciation of the arts or an interest in a given language. But the theme houses, by isolating and separating those most dedicated to bringing cultural appreciation to our campus, in effect defeat their own purpose. In light of the Daily Jolt posts in response to the assault several weeks ago, the need for the College to stop this isolation is clearly evident.
We ask that the dean of students office and members of our student community reexamine the theme housing system as it exists today to see if there is any way that the goals of cultural appreciation could be better achieved in a way that allows for universal participation.