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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2000)
Dartmouth puts pressure on fraternities, sororities HANOVER, N.H. (AP) - A com mittee at Dartmouth College - the school whose extracurricular debauchery inspired “Animal House” - recommended Monday that only seniors and a few juniors be allowed to live in fraternity and sorority houses. It also urged a tightening of the rules on serving alcohol at parties. The committee of students, staff, trustees and alumni proposed specific moves to meet the goal announced by school officials last year to end frater nity and sorority life “as we know it.” That pronouncement caused an outcry at the Ivy League college, where half of all juniors and seniors belong to single-sex “Greek” houses* Supporters said that in snowy Hanover, the fraternity system is a major part of the social life on the rural campus of 4,300 undergradu ates. But school trustees, President James Wright and some students argued the system contributed to underage drinking, exclusivity and a lack of respect for women and minori ties. They also said Dartmouth’s repu tation as a party school was leading some minority students and top ranked applicants to choose other Ivy League schools. Now, after months of discussions, ” Some of the reasons I initially came to Dartmouth are being undermined.” the committee has recommended a softened plan to reduce the influence of the fraternity system, but not elipii nate it entirely. Among other things, it recom mended making on-campus living more attractive by remodeling dorms and adding more social spaces to them that students would control. Dartmouth has asked students, staff and alumni to review the recom mendations and comment. The trustees are expected to begin consid ering a final plan in the spring. The proposed rules are aimed at ending the fraternity-house debauch ery of the type spoofed in the 1978 comedy “Animal House,” co-written by Dartmouth graduate Chris Miller. The rules would allow only seniors, and juniors who are officers of a fraternity or sorority, to live in Greek houses. Currently, students may live in the houses starting the second semester of their sophomore year. Fraternity parties would be much Alex Hocherman * senior fraternity member more carefully monitored to stop such hallowed traditions as “booting and rallying” - drinking to excess, vomit ing, and drinking some more. Even privately-owned fraternity houses would have to hire licensed alcohol servers for parties and allow campus police free access. Alex Hocherman, a 21-year-old senior and fraternity member, said he is glad he will graduate before the changes take effect. “Some of the reasons I initially came to Dartmouth are being under mined,” Hocherman said. “They’re telling students, ‘We don’t trust you to make good social choices.’” Hocherman said under the pro posed rules, drinking would simply move into the dormitories, and some students would party off-campus, increasing the chance of accidents from drunken driving. “Anyone who believes that because of the changes there’s not going to be any alcohol abuse or underage drinking is naive,” he said. Israeli, Syrian peace talks recess ■ Negotiations resume on Jan. 19, but no major agreement has occurred. SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Peace talks between Israel and Syria recessed Monday without agreement on new borders or any other major ele ments of a land-for-peace treaty despite rigorous American mediation. As the two delegations packed to go home, State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said they would resume negotiations Jan. 19, probably in the Washington area. “We are on the right track,” he said. He gave no indication how the gaps might be closed quickly. The basic shape of a treaty has been clear since Prime Minister Ehud Barak took office last July. Israel would sur render virtually all of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau on the Syrian frontier, for peace, provided that security measures are found to take the place of the highland Israel has held since the 1967 Six-Day War. Syria insists on a pullback to the Sea of Galilee, thereby letting it recover a stretch of land it captured in the 1950s. Another scenario would push Israel back to borders set in 1923 or patches of land might be swapped. But Barak has not specified what line he wants drawn between Israel and an Arab country with which Israel has ---- fought three major wars. In Tel Aviv, an estimated 100,000 Israelis massed in pouring rain to protest Barak’s apparent willingness to cede the Golan Heights for peace with Syria. Demonstrating in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv’s main plaza, where former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabjh was assassinat ed for trying to make peace with Palestinians, the mostly youthful crowd was smaller than previous rallies for and against peace agreements. Considering the weather, however, the protest appeared significant Two of Barak’s ministers joined the demQnstrators, as did several high-rank ing military officers. Polls show that support has dropped among Israelis for withdrawal from the Golan since the talks began, largely because of coolness toward Israeli negotiators by their Syrian counterparts. “We have not resolved the border issue, but we are working on it,” Rubin said in Shepherdstown, “and work will hopefully continue at the resumption of the talks.” Similarly, othettough issues were not resolved in eight days of talks at the old West Virginia town, including peace terms, division of scarce water and security measures. “I’m not going to declare that a major obstacle has been overcome in any of the particular areas,” Rubin said. “We did not reach agreement.... We did not even get near” one, Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy said on his return to Israel. A source close to the Syrian delega tion said that the talks had not reached the objective - a commitment to with draw to the Sea of Galilee. “Procrastination and maneuvering will never lead to... peace because they will keep the roots of occupation and instability in the region,” the govern ment-run Syria Times said in an editori al. > In Washington, President Clinton said that he is not discouraged. Clinton intervened in the negotiations, some 70 miles from the Capitol, for parts of five days and nights. “These people really talked about the substance of their differences for the first time,” he said. Come check out <«? Open Mon.-Sat. Lincoln’s hottest 'c.Im Tues s‘Th"’s evenings new salon and spa! •"* * 328.0777 ^P^ 2901 Pine Lake Road Services available to students include: ’ Primary Care Clinic Specialty Care: | Allergy Dermatology Gynecology PfltPf Neurology Jl JL Id. Ophthalmology {Supporting and Optometry Promoting a Orthopedics Healthy You! 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