Move to Exclusivity

THE Harvard student body is poised to take a giant step backward. The emergence this fall of new social clubs and fraternities will lead toward a more exclusionary, more factional social life.

Discontent over Harvard's anemic social life, both campus-wide and within the houses, has inspired many students to seek alternatives. Some men join one of the nine all-male final clubs. But for most students--all women and those men who do not fit in these sexist and elitist settings--the final club option is foreclosed.

Many have sought solace in the formation of three--you guessed it--single-sex social organizations, two of which hope to become chapters of national fraternities. But, beyond solace, these groups move towards a conscious trend of selectivism which cannot be attributed entirely to poor social life, but rather demonstrates and active interest in exclusive behavior.

In early October, 35 male Harvard students were initiated into Sigma Alpha Mu, a traditionally Jewish fraternity that disbanded at Harvard more than 50 years ago. About two weeks after the re-emergence of "Sammy," 17 more male undergraduates formed a provisional chapter of the Eta Sigma Chi fraternity. And two weeks ago, about 60 female students announced that they wanted to form a non-exclusive women's club.

The founders of all of these organizations have insisted that their groups would pursue public service activities, as well as social events.

And, unlike the Harvard members of Black fraternities and sororities at MIT, these groups of undergraduates are forming their own Harvard chapters and hope to gain recognition from the University.

But the issue is not merely whether the new organizations, unlike the final clubs, will have any socially redeeming value. If public service were really the primary aim of these students, they could find plenty of other organizations at Harvard through which to channel their altruistic impulses. The Phillips Brooks House Association is only one of many. No, the essence of fraternities and organizations of their ilk is improving the social lives of their members.

FEW students would deny that Harvard lacks a vibrant social scene that cuts across house lines. Not only are the final clubs morally repulsive, they are extremely exclusive. The student center is nonexistent.

Surely Harvard's social scene could use some rejuvenation. But creating even more exclusive social organizations is not the right way to correct these deficiencies. New clubs will simply further factionalize the student body by providing more ways to gather in small groups, separated from the rest of Harvard students.

Not surprisingly, the organizers of these factions have claimed that their clubs will not be exclusionary. But if a club's raison d'etre is social activity, how else will they choose their members except on the basis of personal attributes as important as cocktail-party banter?

And if the clubs do not want to restrict membership at all--and the founding members of the women's club say do not--why form a "club"? If everyone is truly welcome, why not organize parties for everyone? Integration requires actively working to include, not simply passively promising not to exclude.

WE also question why none of the three organizations formed this fall decided to be bold enough to accept members of both sexes. One of the main complaints against the final clubs is that they discriminate against almost half the student body--women. So why can't these alternative groups respond to this problem by accepting anyone, male or female, who wishes to join?

Organizers of the women's club say they want a place where women can meet in a relaxed social atmosphere and a supportive environment. Fine, but that's what the Women's Center should do.

So perhaps the women's club wants to have parties where men are invited? The men could come and socialize with the women when and only when the women choose to invite them. Hmmm, it sounds vaguely familiar. Do we want to answer elitism and sexism with more of the same? We thought progressive thinkers had long ago discarded the "separate but equal" doctrine for a more socially constructive integrationist view.

It is difficult to imagine why people who complain of the closed social life of this campus would want to limit the types of people they could meet in a new club to members of the same sex. Why not try to meet members of both sexes in a more relaxed setting, rather than in the more tense and stilted atmosphere of a club party?

The University justly refuses to recognize any organization that discriminates on the basis of race, sex, color, sexual orientation or national origin. It is unfortunate that the young and idealistic students of this institution cannot follow the same enlightened policy.

ONE reason that at least two of these groups claim that they cannot accept members of the opposite sex is that the national organization will not allow it. Fraternities are traditionally all-male, explains Sigma Alpha Mu member Richard M. Geyser '90-'91.

But this explanation begs the question, then why try to join a national fraternity? Why not simply form your own group on campus and accept women if you are so eager to do so? Opportunities for social networking and help from a national office may be attractive, but they cannot be the reason for subverting the interests of the campus or the group's members.

Harvard also refuses to recognize groups that are affiliated with national organizations, and we support this policy. Not only do the students who run these groups have no control over the larger direction of the organization--such as whether to admit women--but Harvard has much less control over the groups in question. Harvard's policy may be against discrimination, but if the national organization's is not, the group must be loyal to the latter or risk losing its affiliation.

ONE of Harvard's most attractive features for many perspective students is its lack of selective social clubs. Although the final clubs are still a bane to the Harvard community, so we can at least take comfort that their members make up only about 5 percent of the student population.

As the make-up of the student body increasingly reflects the diversity of the country as a whole, it is disturbing that these students should want to separate themselves from the whole. As Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III correctly points out, it is ironic that "while many colleges are trying to get rid of [fraternities], Harvard students are interested in joining them."