Students voted on it, and students protested for it.
But ever since the University signed on to the Worker Rights Consortium and a $30 million donation from Nike CEO Phil Knight subsequently disappeared, students have been strongly divided on whether signing on to the WRC really was the will of the students.
The elections on March 1, during which students voted for the recommendation of the factory monitoring body to University President Dave Frohnmayer, had a turnout of only about 10 to 15 percent of the student population. Many who opposed the protests in support of the labor monitoring body said 10 percent of the campus giving 75 percent approval to an issue does not properly reflect student opinion.
Nonetheless, many students, including several members of student government, claim the vote still stands as an accurate authority of student voice. Aside from the number of students who shared their voices in the elections, the bigger issue may be whether there was enough information provided about the WRC for them to make a smart decision.
“I think that there was a lot of misinformation and a lot of emotion involved and not a lot of understanding of what was being decided,” junior psychology major Jesse Lichtenstein said.
But some said that students did know what they were getting into when they voted to sign on to the WRC. Even with more knowledge about the WRC, they said, the vote would have turned out relatively the same.
“The students really are a voice of what goes on,” freshman theater arts major Katie Plein said. “And I think if the entire school is polled, a really large amount would vote to sign up for the WRC.”
Recent developments shed light on how little was truly known by many of the students when they did or did not vote. Duncan McDonald, the University’s vice president for public affairs and development, attended a Friday meeting in Chicago to discuss the WRC. He returned with reports that the WRC is an organization still in its infancy and will not even get around to monitoring factories for a few years.
Some students said that knowing this would have changed the way things turned out.
“I think it would have influenced it a lot,” sophomore psychology major Chris Fick said. “Since we only signed a one-year contract, I think we want to go with something that’s a little more established. “Some students said that other students were treading in unfamiliar territory when they decided to involve themselves in the politics of business.
“I think they serve for a good cause, but I think they should’ve known all the facts,” senior fine arts major Amanda Fox said. “Even though school is school, it’s also a business, and I don’t think they were being very wise in their decision.”
Brian Procter, an undeclared sophomore, declined to cast a vote specifically for or against the WRC because he didn’t know enough about it.
Several students have said that arguments claiming the students haven’t been represented because of low voter turnout are simply illogical.
“That happens in United States elections — we vote for the president on 10 percent of the population,” said Beth Rogers, a freshman psychology major. “If they didn’t vote, that means they didn’t care. Why would they now have a say [because] we’ve lost money? That doesn’t make sense.”
ASUO President Wylie Chen said the WRC measure’s passage should not be blamed on the fact that so few students voted. He said federal election results are not considered invalid because of people’s failure to vote. Considering voter turnout for the ASUO election is similar to that of state and federal elections, he said, people should not expect the WRC vote to be invalidated.
Students have a right and responsibility to be heard, Chen said. “If they choose not to vote, they lose their voice.”
The students who did express their opinions during the elections, but whose voices were not those of the majority, conceded that the University should follow through with the student vote. Although it was not the decision they wanted, democracy calls for the University to listen to the will of the students.
“I thought it was a bad idea because what happened [would happen],” said Jon Clements, an undeclared sophomore. “I think they need to stick with the student decision.”
Some say the focus on the student vote is a bit drastic. ASUO President-elect Jay Breslow said that scapegoating the students for the signing of the WRC was an inaccurate placement of blame. “The vote was one piece of a large puzzle,” he said.
That puzzle included not only the student vote but the University Senate and the Licensing Code of Conduct Committee, which was assembled by Frohnmayer to look at the WRC.
Frohnmayer said the student vote did have its effect. If it had gone the other way with students voting against the WRC, things might have been different.
“I am sure it would have had some impact,” Frohnmayer said.
Frohnmayer also said that the vote may have turned out differently if the students had been given a choice between the WRC and the Fair Labor Association, another group that monitors labor conditions. The FLA allows industry representation on its governing board and practices announced factory visits, two factors the WRC opposes.
Questions about the future have bubbled up along with the controversy, and they ask what should be done now that there has been so much outcry about the University’s decision. Because the University is signed on to the WRC for a one-year period, that means the process of renewal will meet with new perceptions about the organization.
Breslow said that issue will be dealt with when it arises and that he hopes the decision to sign on to the WRC again will go through the same channels it went through this past year.
One student suggests not waiting that long.
“I think the best solution might be that now the people are a little bit more informed, give it another vote,” said junior anthropology major Steven Eller. “Give the two sides time to campaign again, [and] put it to a vote next week.”
At any rate, the signing onto the WRC and the student part in the process has certainly raised awareness that there are important issues abounding during elections.
“Maybe this will improve voter registration,” ASUO Vice President Mitra Anoushiravani said. “Maybe students will cast a vote next year.”