But when the faculty voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Epperson proposal, no one was more shocked than Epperson himself. He claimed the only purpose for the motion was to spark debate, thereby stimulating reform of the fraternity system. But, demanding immediate changes, they made clear their right at any future time to abolish fraternities and sororities. Flash forward to February this year, just before Dartmouth's Winter Carnival. For better or worse, Wright and the trustees had decided that the time had come, maybe had long since passed, to change the social scene on the Hanover Plain.
Positions are passionate, often divisive, with little room for compromise.
Seekers of common ground are frequently dismissed by both sides. Like not being able to be half pregnant, it is difficult to be half for and half against fraternities and sororities. But the Dartmouth crisis is symptomatic of a deeper conundrum facing colleges and universities. The frequency of unintended consequences in even the best-planned social engineering raises cautionary flags. And it creates critical questions about the experiment Dartmouth is undertaking.