The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 14, 2000, Image 1
vol. 93, no. 85 Fridav April 14.2000
- v
mi ( 'ommunity since 1008
Group seeks labor resolutions
Amnesty International
pushes for stricter codes
for USC apparel makers
by Patrick Rathbun
Assistant News Editor
^ The Far East is said to be a hotbed for the is
sue of human rights. And while many think the
issue might not be on the mind of “apathetic” col
lege students, it’s not so far removed from the
USC campus.
USC’s fchapter of Amnesty International, a
group working to protect human rights worldwide,
is concerned about the manufacturing conditions
of USC licensed merchandise. Those involved
with the effort are happy that USC has a current
code of conduct, the Collegiate Licensing Com
pany code, but they want the code to be “taken a
step further,” Amnesty International Vice Presi
dent and antliropolqgy junior Autumn Perkins said
That step consists of the adoption of the Work
er’s Rights Consortium, which is a set of criteria
for codes of conduct that would allow for third
party human rights groups to enter and investigate
manufacturers’ facilities and to fully disclose the
location and conditions of the facilities. A reso
lution for the WRC will be brought before Stu
dent Government Wednesday.
The WRC targets sweatshops and child labor.
Among the scrutinized conditions are wage lev
els, benefits provided scheduled and average work
hours and policies and citations, according to the
WRC agreement.
The consortium was formed by the United
Students Against Sweatshops organization, which
has a membership of about 230 universities na
tionwide, Perkins said.
The CLC code requires “decent working con
ditions” and a living wage, but it’s without en
forcement or inspection, political science junior
and Amnesty International president Christine
Cook said. Cook said the current monitoring ex
ists only internally and the polices of CLC are “un
clear.”
She also said the internal monitoring doesn’t
work because of language barriers.
Amnesty is concerned with USC licensed ap
parel at bookstores and other locations, including
athletic stores.
Amnesty members are currently working with
USC’s Director of Business Affairs Richard Wfertz,
who has been responsive, Perkins said. Amnesty
has also circulated petitions to achieve student
support for the effort, and 300 signatures have
been collected.
Perkins said the CLC code is in need of mod
ification.
“[The CLC code] is like having a really
good bill of rights without having police or lawyers
to enforce and defend the bill of rights,” she said.
Chrissy Stauffer, a political science freshman
and a liberal arts senator who endorsed the reso
lution, said the adoption of the code would be “im
proving the status quo.” Stauffer said the CLC
code provides “independent monitoring without
standards or instructions,” while the WRC would
include such stipulations. Stauffer also said she has
hope the WRC will be passed by SG.
Cook said there are considerable reasons why
USC should adopt such a code.
“It’s really important to look out for the rights
of people not in America and for schools to take
care .of workers everywhere,” she said.
The resolution will also be brought before Fac
ulty Senate.
Many schools have adopted WRC criteria, in
cluding the University of North Carolina, the Uni
versity of Illinois, the University of Iowa, Co
lumbia University, Cornell University, Boston
College and all of California’s state schools. Peikins
said she hopes Amnesty can resolve the labor is
sue without the use of sit-ins or protests, as some
other schools have been forced to do.
The USC chapter of Amnesty is also active
' Amnesty see page 2
No. 2 Carolina
baseball team
tames Tigers
The Gamecocks received
eight strong innings from
starting pitcher Kip
Bouknight to notch a 6-3
win over the No. 7 Clemson
Tigers at Doug Kingsmore
Stadium in Clemson.
• Senate
votes
to move
flag
NAACP rejects
| plan, says boycott
will continue
by Leigh Strope
Associated Press
A bill to remove the Confederate flag
from South Carolina’s Statehouse dome cleared
the Senate on Thursday, but the NAACP
rejected the plan and said the boycott will
continue.
The bill now is headed to the Republi
can-controlled House, where leaders stepped
forward this week with a similar plan to re
move the flag after months of remaining on
the sidelines.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction,”
^ Republican House Speaker David Wilkins
said of the Senate bill. “I think it really is the
only viable alternative to resolve the issue
with honor and dignity and finality this year.”
The House on Thursday passed a bill to
create official state holidays to recognize Mar
tin Luther King Jr. and Confederate
Memorial Day. Six weeks ago, the same bill
failed after rancorous debate that created racial
and political rifts.
Expect the flag to be even uglier, said
Clemson University political scientist Dave
Woodard.
“We’re not through with it,” he said.
“The worst battles are ahead The House is
more partisan. The discussions are going to
be an awful lot more vitriolic.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman
I -O Harrison, R-Columbia, said a subcom
mittee would debate the bill next Wednesday
and has the votes to pass the bill out. The full
Judiciary Committee probably has enough
votes to bring the bill to the House floor for
debate, Harrison said.
Already the lines are getting drawn. Some
black House members think the Senate com
promise to fly a Confederate flag in front of
the Statehouse is too visible. And the
NAACP’s executive committee voted unan
imously against the proposal, said state Pres
Flag see page 2
1 1 Second City comedy troupe comes to Russell House
Amy Goulding Photo Editor
The Second City, a national touring comedy company out of Chicago, performed Wednesday night in Russell House. Carolina
Productions sponsored the event, which has featured famous comedians like Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and Chris Farley.
SG senate
passes new
Freshman
Council
constitution
by Brandon Larrabee
Associate'News Editor
A new Freshman Council constitution
passed student senate Wednesday after a flur
ry of amendments.
The senate also tabled a bill that would
amend the SG Elections codes and ratified
Vice President Corey Ford’s choice for sen
ate clerk.
The constitution was subject to a flurry
' of amendments and votes, including an amend
ment that was defeated only after Vice Pres
ident Corey Ford cast the tie-breaking vote.
Sen. Becky Floyd, co-sponsor of the new
constitution, said the bill was an attempt to
update the old constitution, which she said
hadn’t been updated in at least 10 years.
Changes in the current constitution include
the codifying of the Cabinet Liaison and Sen
ate Liaison positions, and changes to the se
lection process.
Floyd accepted an amendment, striking
language that required more than 30 ffesh
SG SEE PAGE 2
USC plans Earth Week activities
by Kelly Haggerty
Assistant News Editor
What do yoga, barbecued tofu and
a keynote speaker front Greenpeace
USA have in common? They are all a
part of USC’s celebration of Earth Day.
For the 30th anniversary of Earth
Day, USC will host a variety of events
and activities to increase awareness
about the environment April 16-22,
which will be free and open to the pub
lic.
Gwen Geidel, assistant dean of the
School of the Environment, said she
thinks it could be the biggest Earth Day
event ever held on campus, particular
ly because it’s the first time the cele
bration will last an entire week. She said
she expects 2,000 to 3,000 participants.
“I think it will be very successful
because there’s enough variety that
every student can get involved in some
thing,” Geidel said.
Geidel said she hopes students rec
ognize that much can be done to im
prove the environment. She said that
in some ways, people’s general approach
to environmental issues has improved
in past years, and in some ways, people
are continuing to have an adverse ef
fect on the environment. On the plus
side, industries have been strictly reg
ulated to help preserve the environ
ment and have become “better stew
ards of the Earth.”
People, on the other hand, have
contributed to the worsening of the en
vironment because of things like pol
lutants and the size of cars. They
have, however, been better about con
sistent recycling.
Geidel said she hopes Earth Week
participants realize that even the small
est effort to help preserve the envi
ronment c;ui have a significant impact.
For instance, she said participation in
clean-ups and monitoring the amount
of unnecessary running water in a sink
could make a difference.
“Every person is important to the
environment. Each individual act that
we make makes a difference,” she said.
“There are some people who don’t
need Earth Week to take action, and
there are some who need to be re
minded,” Geidel said.
Wednesday will be Earth Week’s
most important day, according to Sarah
VanWye, vice president of Students Al
lied for a Greener Earth.
The day begins with half an hour of
morning yoga taught by experienced
practitioners on the Horseshoe.
The real fun will take place from
11 am. to 1 p.m. on Greene Street. This
Celebration of Earth and Environment
will feature a showcase of non-profit
environmental organizations, research
and activities. The USC Swing Sliift Jazz
Combo will perform as well.
During the celebration, participants
Earth Week SEE PAGE 2
Upcoming Events
April 16
2- 3 p.m.: Clean-up in A.C. Moore Garden and duck pond. Meet '
in the garden on the corner of Pickens and Blossom.
April 17 *4
8 a.m.: Sunrise yoga on the Horseshoe. (April 17-19) ;
3- 5 p.m. "The Wetlands Mitigation Quagmire - Can Natural
Wetlands Functions and Values be Replaced?"
School of Law auditorium. i*
8 p.m. Candlelight environment poetry reading on Horseshoe. I
April 18
2-3:30 p.m. “Challenges in Environmental Ethics,” Nursing 125
April 19
12 p.m. Awards Ceremony in front of the Russell House.
12:30-1 p.m. Clean-up at Rocky Branch Creek. Meet in front of RH.
7 p.m. Performance by Djoliba Don of the African Drum
Ensemble in Gambrell 153.
7:30 p.m. “Environmental Justice for All:, Confronting Racism and
Economic Injustice,” at Gambrell 153.
April 22 Earth Day Celebration. Finlay Park.
Weather Inside Datebook Online Poll
Today
66
57
Saturday
71
60
EtCetera
looks at
the parking
perils on
campus
Page 6
Friday
• L.E.A.D. Retreat
1
Saturday
• Round Table Gaming
Society, noon to 11:45
p.m., RH
• L.E.A.D. Retreat
Do you use Napster
software to download
music files from the Web?
Yes-72% No-28%
Look for next week’s poll question in,
Monday’s eurtion of The Gamecock