For decades, the big
Georgian house that frames Baker Library and College Street had borne the
letters Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Following whirlwind years of bad press and legal
battles, those letters are now on their way out, replaced by a single Sigma turned
sideways, to look like the letter “w”. This temporary symbol will soon be taken
down and replaced with the new name of the fraternity once they acquire enough
letters. Reports from members have confirmed that the new name of the house
will not be SAE, as it was for more than 100 years, but it will be hereafter
known as Scarlett Hall. The desire to change the name of the fraternity came from
the members’ desire to distance themselves from their national chapter, and
begin to redefine their image on campus. They are choosing “Scarlett Hall”
specifically as the name because of Andrew J. Scarlett, a Dartmouth Class of
1910, who was a founding SAE brother that later became a Dartmouth professor of
chemistry. Scarlett, along with other members, helped affiliate their local
fraternity Chi Tau Kappa with the national fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Chi
Tau Kappa had been created in 1903, but it was not until 1908, Scarlett’s
sophomore year, that it became SAE, when the national organization granted them
a charter and declared them the New Hampshire Alpha chapter. It was because of
their affiliation with the national fraternity, and the funding that they were
given by national, that they were then able to buy the house on School Street.
It was in 1916 that SAE moved its location to where it currently stands.
The house today, with
its large American flag and twin stone lions, has been an important part of the
campus scene at Dartmouth for quite some time, known for their wealthy, preppy
brotherhood and close alumni ties, especially to finance. In 2012, the
fraternity received an unexpected blow when Rolling Stone magazine published a
piece called Confessions of An Ivy League
Frat Boy. The article, written by a disgruntled SAE brother, Andrew Lohse,
contained shocking accusations against the fraternity, alleging that the
fraternity made pledges, among other things, eat egg and vomit mixtures known
as “vomlets.” Although parts of the story were later discredited, the resulting
controversy sent shockwaves across campus and beyond, resulting in new scrutiny
of practices that had long been considered part of the Dartmouth brand, just as
inextricable as Winter Carnival or the New Hampshire woods.
Four years after the
article was published, the national chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, under
pressure from the fallout, revoked their charter, and indefinitely suspended
the memberships of all brothers. The national organization is no stranger to
controversial behavior, as it has been connected to 9 hazing, drinking, and
drug-related deaths, more than any other national fraternity. SAEs across the
country have also been connected to numerous racist incidents, including the
Oklahoma University chapter of SAE, which was kicked off campus in 2015 after
videos surfaced of them singing songs about lynching African-Americans, becoming
an overnight media sensation.
Following the
derecognition, the College quickly terminated their affiliation with SAE,
leaving the house in a unique and precarious legal situation. Although the
physical building is owned by the fraternity and not the College, it is
situated within a Town of Hanover zoning area deemed “I”, for “Institutional”.
Prior to the derecognition, SAE had been approved as student housing through a
loophole which allowed buildings that were not strictly “institutional,” but
which “worked in conjunction with an institutional use”, and thus avoided
zoning violations. In 2017, a proposed change to the town’s zoning ordinance
came before the town meeting. SAE, employing the Revolutionary War-era motto
“Join or Die,” rallied Dartmouth’s Greek Life in an attempted hijacking of
Hanover’s town meeting. While they ultimately failed, partially due to dissent
among some of the other Greek houses, the incident set the stage for conflict.
Following derecognition, the Town of Hanover swiftly revoked the zoning
exemption, and threatened the house with legal action or fines if they
continued to use the house for residential use. After an initial legal
challenge, the case finally made its way to the highest court in New Hampshire,
the New Hampshire Supreme Court, which delivered a mixed blessing for the
fraternity’s legal woes. Under their ruling, the court upheld the institutional
zoning restriction, but held that the Zoning Board had not fairly considered the
fraternity’s claim to be an institution, which if approved, would give Scarlett
Hall residential rights. These claims must legally be reevaluated by the Town
of Hanover, and a determination must be made about the status of the
fraternity. According to a report from The
Dartmouth, the town’s definition of institution includes religious,
educational, and governmental use. Fraternity members are still awaiting the
decision of the zoning board, but given the hostility of the town towards the
fraternities in general, this could prove an uphill battle, and one especially
weakened by the history of the fraternity operating under the non-institutional
loophole.
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