When Ben Rubinstein (LA '05), a Theta Chi brother, lost his father to heart disease, he began raising money for the American Heart Association (AHA), the charity in which his father had been involved.
"My father was a cardiologist who was very active raising money and promoting advocacy for the AHA," Rubinstein said. "He passed away my freshman year at Tufts, and I took on a fundraising role afterwards, trying to fill at least some of that gap.
"So it seemed logical in spring [of] 2004 when the [Theta Chi] house was looking for philanthropy events to bring up the AHA," he continued.
The brothers of Theta Chi rallied around Rubinstein. Planning to raise money by selling red dress pins on campus for $5 each, they sought and received permission to do so from the Office of Student Activities (OSA). In the first year of their fundraising efforts, Theta Chi raised $1,500; in the second year, they raised about $2,000.
This fall, after two successful years of fundraising, the brothers geared up for a third round. Since all student fundraising requires a University permit issued by the OSA, the Theta Chi brothers submitted an application detailing their plans to sell the pins in dining halls, the campus center and through door-to-door methods in the dormitories.
The brothers did not realize, however, that the University prohibits door-to-door canvassing in student dormitories.
According to the 2004 Pachyderm, permission for student activities "never includes door-to-door canvassing or sales in the residence halls." But as the result of what appears to be an oversight, the brothers were given the official go-ahead.
None of the brothers can recall whether the flyers they had turned in for the previous years' fundraisers stated that the brothers would be going door-to-door in the residence halls, and in previous years, the brothers were not reported for doing so.
This year, however, Resident Director of South Hall Lacey Prouty brought the actions of Theta Chi to the attention of the Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL), bringing a stop to the door-to-door canvassing.
When Rubinstein called the ORLL to find out what had happened, he discovered that the fraternity's fundraising efforts had been reported and stopped - despite the lack of any student complaints.
"This is a program that was recognized by the Massachusetts House of Representatives," Rubinstein said, baffled by the University's reaction. "We received a citation from our representative Carl Sciortino, as well as recognition from the AHA."
The University, on the other hand, maintains that student groups shouldn't go door-to-door for their philanthropic cause.
ORLL Director Yolanda King explained that there are other options for those engaged in philanthropic organizations.
"We have an option for any student or groups to set up tables in the lobby areas of the halls to sell or fundraise as appropriate," she said. "This alternative seems to be working out very well."
According to the brothers of Theta Chi, however, setting up tables is not enough. "I think in dining halls and such, [students] don't get a chance to find out what we are doing because they are running to or from class," said sophomore Ian McClellan, president of the Theta Chi chapter at Tufts.
"In dorms we can explain it better, and they [students] are in their rooms so they are not as busy," he added.
Additionally, the money made for the charity by tabling in the campus center and the dining halls accounted for less than 25 percent of the total funds raised by Theta Chi. The rest came from the brothers' efforts in the residence halls.
Theta Chi's goal for this year was to raise $2,500, though they managed only to reach $2,200.
In addition, the fraternity was able to secure a grant from the Silver Family Foundation that matched that amount, allowing Theta Chi to donate a total of $4,400 to the AHA.
To the Theta Chi brothers, it seemed like the main issue of concern for the University was the potential for the invasion of privacy.
"From what I gathered from ResLife, it was like we were going and disrupting a private place for a student, which I understand," said Theta Chi brother Anish Agarwal, a junior. "But it was unfortunate."
Some brothers also feel that they may have been unfairly singled out, saying that other groups often go door-to-door in residence halls.
"I know for a fact that the [Tufts Community Union] Senate has been going door-to-door for years," asserted junior Evan Lichtenstein, the public relations chair for Theta Chi.
"I've been a senator for a year and a half, and I've been going door to door," Lichtenstein added. "Nothing has ever happened."
Senior Jeff Katzin, president of the TCU Senate, said that while individuals running for senate positions "have sometimes gone door-to-door in the dorms in order to get signatures, they haven't gone door-to-door selling things."
Katzin added that the rules of the Tufts Community Union Election Board (ELBO) allow senate candidates to campaign from room to room in Tufts' dormitories.
Students, though supportive of Theta Chi's charitable goal, are not 100 percent in favor of door-to-door soliciting in the dorms.
"I'm totally up for fundraising - I bought a pin my sophomore year," senior Therese Corsello said. "I'm just not totally comfortable with strangers knocking on my door... what if I was in a towel?"
But "if the issue is invasion of privacy, then our 30-second spiel about heart disease is nothing compared to a senate campaign pitch, which can often be a couple of minutes long," Lichtenstein argued. Senior Jeff Burke, another brother who worked with the charity, didn't think that Theta Chi had been singled out as a fraternity.
He did, however, point out that the brothers weren't the ones most affected by the incident.
"One hundred percent of the money was going to the AHA research for women's heart disease. So if someone decided to target us as a fraternity, then they were really targeting the AHA and all of the people across the country who it helps," Burke said.
As a fraternity, Theta Chi "[has] nothing against ResLife," Agarwal said. "It's just unfortunate that the first time this really came up has been for the American Heart Association."
The brothers aren't planning to take any action to contest the ORLL's policy on door-to-door soliciting.
Some of the brothers seem daunted by the task in front of them.
"To tell you the truth, I don't see this charity really being able to continue on this campus at the level that we have taken it to without going door to door," Burke said.
"Most students, especially underclassmen, don't carry money with them on campus," he elaborated. "They have their ID cards that they use for meals and other purchases on campus. Students are more than willing to donate, but just don't have the means with typical tabling."
And McClellan, though grateful for the Silver Family Foundation grant that allowed the brothers to reach this year's fundraising goal, admitted that it would not be realistic to expect the matching donation every year.
Still, the brothers are committed to continuing the charity next year.
"We'll have to find other ways if [going door-to-door in residence halls] continues to be an issue for the school," Lichtenstein said. "We'll just have to wait and see."
"I don't want to play the Greek victim card, because I don't think that's the case," Rubinstein said. "I don't think Greeks are put down because they're Greek, and I think to suggest so would be insulting to those who really have been through an institutional barrier.
"And I know that Greeks have done some really awful things at Tufts," Rubinstein added. "So, in light of this, why not highlight and encourage the good?"
