Almost everyone has had an experience with solicitors. Whether they’re Boy Scouts, a religious group or a guy trying to sell you an HVAC, it’s a nearly universal experience.
Now, it’s coming to the dorms of the University of Oregon for a good cause.
This is thanks to the UO anti-ICE Coalition, an alliance of organizations dedicated to resisting ICE by creating a rapid response network and lobbying the university administration to tighten their policies.
To accomplish this, a team of roughly 30 students are using a technique known as “dormstorming,” or door-to-door petitioning in the dorms. In the words of a member of the Coalition (who has requested they remain anonymous so as to not get in trouble with the university): “We believe that it is very productive to directly tell people about the problems facing students at UO. Even if they don’t agree, they become more knowledgeable.”
It’s clearly an excellent strategy; according to the Coalition, they’ve received over 2,000 signatures, and at a rate much higher than other methods. However, this efficiency comes with a cost, as it’s landed these “dormstormers” into a legal gray area that’s difficult to navigate.
According to a statement given by Nedzer Erilus, Director of University Housing for Residence Life & Educational Initiatives, “University Housing generally prohibits door-to-door solicitation and canvassing within residence halls,” because “unescorted individuals moving door-to-door to collect signatures would be in violation of our community standards and culture of residential safety and security.” He also noted that, “While the university supports student engagement and the free exchange of ideas, we encourage petitioning and similar activities to take place in designated public campus areas rather than within the private residential wings of our housing facilities.”
When comparing the University’s policies to the actions of the dormstormers, it seems that these petitioners may be successfully side-stepping UO regulations. All of the dormstormers, according to the one I spoke to, are UO students, and whenever they’re canvassing a dorm, they try to be with someone who lives there, justifying their presence. Then, knocking on doors and offering a petition is not inherently disruptive or invasive: it’s a part of everyday life, and, put simply, isn’t a big deal to most people.
To get a better picture of the issue, I spoke to multiple students who had been petitioned, and few took significant issue with it. In the words of one, “(While) I felt a little pressured to sign it, luckily it’s something I support.” These petitioners aren’t trying to sell vacuum cleaners or collect personal information; they’re concerned students, trying to take action on an important issue. It’s also worth pointing out that while all four of the students felt mostly fine with the dormstorming, they didn’t always appreciate the timing (the dormstorming often occurred early in the morning), and felt better when the dormstorming was done by someone they knew.
ICE is a very real concern on campus, with the unjust threat of raids looming omnisciently over us all. It’s fair for students to want to put pressure on the administration to implement stronger safeguards against ICE, and dormstorming is the best way to get that done.
Just recently, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4079, obligating all schools, including
universities, to notify students when immigration enforcement is on campus. I asked the dormstormers if this would mean a scaling back of their program. Their response? Absolutely not.
The anti-ICE Coalition has no faith in Bill 4079, believing it to be too little, too late, and that it “allows admin to tip toe around real change.” They told me to expect an increase in dormstorming over the next few months to fight for an actual quality response. So, if you haven’t been dormstormed yet, expect it in your near future. And, maybe add your signature.
