Money shouldn’t steer principles
I would like to address recent letters that objected the University’s commitment to the Worker Rights Consortium on the grounds that Nike CEO Phil Knight withdrew his money from the University.
We should be thankful to our corporate donors. However, a donation should be a gift; it is naturally an unconditional grant. Donating money to the University for a specific purpose is one thing but getting mixed up in how the University conducts its affairs is quite another. That would make it not a donation but a sellout to the highest bidder. Principles should not be compromised on the basis of money.
The issue is not Nike specifically, but how we, as the University, make our decisions. Issues of shared governance and campus democracy need to be addressed. We do not need to add to these the issue of being controlled by our donors. We need to make it clear that any exchange for “donations” is an obstruction of democracy. This will create financial difficulties for us, but there are certain principles that are worth a little suffering.
I don’t necessarily agree with everything the protesters were demanding. I do, however, respect them for standing up for their beliefs. I am proud to call that group — an educated group concerned with integrity, democracy and human rights — a part of this University. Those who think that the protest was about Nike or copying the 1960s need to educate themselves before making unfounded accusations. They could start by talking to the protesters themselves.
Evgenia Fkiaras
English, Spanish
Capitalism not discussed
I am a little concerned about the discourse that has risen out of the Worker Rights Consortium protests. Although I understand the rationale for promoting the WRC from the perspective of the protesters, I don’t see anyone making the connection in global, economic terms, which I feel is more important than sweatshop labor, Nike funding or governance: namely, our relationship with capitalism.
The main tenet of capitalism is inequality or the ability of one to subjugate another for profit. To protest against the effects of capitalism without addressing their cause is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. The content of the protest shows that there is a large unawareness of capitalism, due mainly to its pervasiveness and the promotion of capitalism as the only avenue to democracy and (oddly enough) equality.
If capitalism is to remain, expect inequality, domination and expansion. If, however, we are able to view individual issues in relation to capitalism on a level that is above individuals or nations or even international relations, we can find the nature or essence of the problem: not apathy or stupidity or powerlessness, but our own constructed system of economic exchange.
Charles G. Haller II
international studies, journalism
Knight had no choice
I’ve kept up with the whole Worker Rights Consortium situation, and while I believe that it is probably a good idea to join, it had to be obvious that because the action was affecting his company, Nike CEO Phil Knight had pretty much no choice but to stop donations. I, for one, think that it is great to stand up for the rights of others but don’t condemn our benefactor for responding in the appropriate way.
By the way, did it ever occur to anyone to thank the man for all he’s done for this campus rather than complain and whine about ethics?
Matt Cogorno
physics
Rally against WRC
Something really needs to be done.
It is not about Nike CEO Phil Knight or Nike or even money. It is about a respectable university such as ours joining an extremist highly-politicized Worker Rights Consortium that is backed and funded by American labor groups who don’t even care about workers in other countries.
Shame on the 17,000-strong student body if they let a handful of [protesters] affect the future and the integrity of my alma mater. What do these students know about working conditions in other countries? Do they realize that Nike and other companies often pay salaries that are much higher than what local governments can afford and that the foreign workers do not appreciate one bit what WRC is trying to do to “protect” their rights?
Knight is not the only one who will pull donations. A lot of alumni are absolutely disgusted, and I am one of them. Do something before it is too late! Get out there; organize a rally! Show the administration that you are not going to allow the University back into mediocrity!
Murtuz Zamanly
University graduate
Endorsement unnecessary
The irony of University President Dave Frohnmayer’s decision is that a democratic process was used to support an anti-democratic system.
I use the term democratic very loosely in this case because the majority of the University population appears to have been excluded from voicing or voting.
The Worker Rights Consortium was chosen when a viable and functioning system was already in place, the Fair Labor Association. Many improvements to overseas working conditions, if that indeed was the reason for endorsing the WRC, had been made and were occurring. It was wrong to endorse an entity whose concerns are all too inclusive and who are neither tolerant to other opinions nor accept representation by any other parties of opposing viewpoints.
Ramon Cruz
University alumnus
Message needs second thought
“Ryan” week is nothing more than a week of evangelism, designed to emotionally manipulate students — hopefully by the force of peer pressure — to follow one particular religion.
There are many Christians who don’t engage in these kind of tactics. A few other students and I went around and put up 80 posters saying respectfully the reasons why we did not agree with Ryan. Most of them were torn down within two hours. They aren’t interested in honest dialogue about Jesus Christ, because this doesn’t revolve around Him. It revolves around the Bible saying that Jesus is the only way to God. Never mind that the Bible has contradictions within itself, that it contradicts science and that the God portrayed in the Bible is a jealous pseudo-parent figure who supports sexism, slavery and ethnic cleansing, among other things. Never mind that many passages in the Bible contradict what we know about history. No, you are supposed to believe it for one reason only — the Bible says it is!
If we turned in a report that said “this report is true because I say it is,” the teacher would flunk us and with good reason.
I was a fundamentalist Christian for 10 years. I even went to Bible college. I have never felt as much peace, joy and happiness in my life as I have since I left Christianity. I’ve talked to many other people who have made the same decision I did and are as happy about it as I am. How about a week for us?
Sara Stewart
political science
Ryan tactics an ad campaign
After finally seeing what “Do you agree with Ryan” was about by going to hear him speak in the EMU on Tuesday, I am left wondering what the original goal was. This whole thing to me is nothing but a creative advertising plea for Christianity.
From the beginning, with the mysterious messages written on chalkboards last week, to the armies of red T-shirt-wearing b
elievers walking around campus on the
day of Ryan’s speech, it seemed like nothing more than a misguided attempt to sell people some brand new product.
But faith and religion are not something you can sell like a new diet soda. If, as one of the participants told me, faith in Jesus can only be found in one’s own heart, then what is the purpose of plastering the name and beliefs of one person all around as if everyone should feel the same in their heart?
What all of this advertising seemed to say was “what we’ve got is right and what you’ve got is wrong.” While it may have allowed the participants to show to the campus community their faith in Jesus, it also came across as a grand show of a lack of respect for the faiths and feelings of others. I am pretty sure that is not what Christianity is about.
The product of this advertisement just didn’t deliver. I don’t agree with Ryan, but I wish those who do all the best of luck in finding their own beliefs in their own hearts.
Boris Dolin
linguistics