The Tufts community was asked to take a stance against hate crimes last Tuesday night, when volunteers from Tufts Men Against Violence (TMAV) sponsored the annual Cause Dinner. Members asked students entering the Dewick and Carmichael dining halls to donate a meal to raise money for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). In total, $2,775 was earned and over 1,000 students, faculty, and administrators supported the effort. It was a triumph for TMAV and the entire Tufts community in its efforts to eradicate hate on campus and worldwide.
"While no one event can aspire to end hate on campus, we at least feel that awareness is a strong start and we hope that our donation to the ADL makes a powerful statement for stopping the hate at Tufts," said TMAV member Kenny William.
The Cause Dinner is an annual event in which the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate gives one student organization the chance to sponsor the dining hall fundraiser for a cause of its choice. The topic of hate crimes is especially poignant this semester, as the University has seen a dramatic rise in the number of incidents of intolerance on campus.
Among those pledging money and support for the ADL were Tufts President John DiBiaggio, Provost Sol Gittleman, and Mel Bernstein, vice president for arts, sciences, and engineering. "We had convincing support from the administration and this is very empowering for Tufts," said William.
Dining Services agreed to give the two dollar profit it makes off each meal to ADL via TMAV. Manager of Dining Services David Kelley said he had to patrol the lobby of Dewick at times because the large number of volunteers were bombarding the students, asking them to donate money for this good cause.
"We're more than happy to have them. This is the best turn out of volunteers I've seen in years," said Kelley.
"Thank you, good work" was a common response from those donating meals, but many were not sure where exactly their dining dollars were going. William said that getting students to understand the cause was a real effort, as most students were primarily concerned about whether they could still eat that evening or whether they could afford to sacrifice a meal.
"It's tough, and it really is tiring. By the end of the night I was ready to cry or pass out. I didn't know which," said William.
All in all, their sales tactics paid off, and the Cause Dinner was hailed as wildly successful by TMAV.
"In light of the incidents that have happened recently, I felt this was a good way to help the cause," said freshman Justin Freedman.
