Most people assume that the only "rush" at Harvard occurs in front of the Science Center printers before term papers are due.

After all, the College handbook specifically states that fraternities may not hold social or recruiting events on campus; it is Harvard's downstream neighbors at MIT who have been notorious for their Greek life.

However, in an inconspicuous, newly-sided gray house on Mt. Auburn Street, the Kappa Eta chapter of the International Sigma Chi Fraternity is working to promote brotherhood and community among its members. The chapter, founded in 1989 by a group of Canaday first-years, has grown over the years from four "brothers" to 35, has moved its meetings from dorm rooms to the recently-acquired house and has collected an active alumni association of 160 members.

Members say their group defies many of the stereotypes common to both fraternities and final clubs both in terms of its varied social life, strict policies on underage drinking and strong community service program.

"The fraternity has really enhanced my college experience," Consul Obiora "Bo" Menkiti '99 says. "It encompasses so many different parts of life, dealing with a variety of people. It's the most challenging, most rewarding thing I've done here."

While some of the fraternity's activities have predictably drawn ire from campus administration, the clashes have centered not on the drinking issues that usually plague such groups, but rather over how, or whether, they should be included in the Harvard community.

Community Service?

College administrators perceive Sigma Chi's recent effort to help first-years with move in as part of the group's recruiting efforts--efforts which Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III says are not allowed for groups that are not officially recognized by the College.

"Individual Harvard students as individuals, are...always welcome within the University, but...it was clear that [the students] were there as members of their organization rather than as individuals," said Dean of Freshman Elizabeth S. Nathans, defending her decision to forbid uniformed Sigma Chi members to help with the move-in.

But group members say the drive was not part of the group's efforts to recruit, but rather part of Signa Chi's vaunted community service program, which in 1996, received the Mack J. Davis Award for community service from the city of Cambridge. Sigma Chi has also been recognized by the Cambridge School Volunteers for its efforts.

The chapter's community service activities include tutoring at the Cambridge Ridge and Latin School and staffing the University Lutheran Church homeless shelter, where each "brother" works at least once each semester.

But the College administrators do not consider Sigma Chi a community service organization, and denied the fraternity's bid to join the student activities fair as a service group.

"They are a fraternity...[and] are certainly not a part of Harvard," Epps says.

In recent years, Sigma Chi has had similar trouble when trying to organize its annual fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network, identified on the group's Web site as the "nationally recommended philanthropy of Sigma Chi."

The fundraiser, called the Miracle Jam, is a concert performed by a capella groups at Harvard. But because Sigma Chi is not an official school group, the event must be sponsored by one of the a capella groups in order for it to rent out Sanders Theatre.