| | Matt Critton/The Lantern | | Protesters gather to voice their opinions at an anti-sweatshop rally held at the Oval Thursday. |
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Student human rights organizations rallied behind a common cause Thursday: to institute the Designated Suppliers Program at Ohio State.
According to a statement from the campus organization United Students Against Sweatshops, the DSP will take three years to implement and would ensure university apparel to be 75 percent sweatshop free.
"OSU is the largest college clothing supplier in the world," said Rachael Needham, a junior in strategic communication and co-president of USAS. "This would be a humongous deal if we got this passed."
| | Matt Critton/The Lantern | | Elizabeth Lenons (left) and other students protested for Ohio State to distance itself from sweatshops at a rally on the Oval Thursday afternoon. |
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The rally took place on the Oval, with other student organizations including Women for Making a Difference, Amnesty and Students Against Coke.
"I think it's awesome, it's important for organizations to support one another," Needham said.
Needham said she was concerned students worry that the price of OSU apparel will increase or OSU will lose sponsors like Nike or Adidas if the DSP is implemented.
"The prices would absolutely not increase," Needham said. "We're the biggest university in the nation. They're not going to want to get rid of our business."
She said these companies will have to make cuts in other areas, such as advertising, to allot for improved working conditions in their factories.
The keynote speaker was Zack Knorr, 29, the International Campaigns Coordinator for USAS. Knorr said he hopes OSU will be the 43rd university to join the DSP and other universities such as Iowa, Duke and Syracuse.
"Before Nike and Adidas can use the OSU logo, they have to get approval from the university," Knorr said. "I'm always excited to see students doing great work about these issues."
Students at the rally listened to the Floorwalkers, a local human rights band, while enjoying complementary bagels and drinks.
Rally protesters held signs with variations of "I LOVE DSP" and offered information and refreshments to passersby.
"They have a solution to this problem and it's legit," said Nicole Klimas, a freshman in social work. "Students want this and this is one we can fix."
Klimas said she feels that not enough attention is paid to the sweatshop conditions in South Africa and Asia.
"A lot of people don't have a voice there, and when they protest they are killed," she said. "We are giving them a voice."
Angela Henderson can be reached at henderson.419@osu.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 11
Abracadabra
posted 5/09/08 @ 11:19 AM EST
To put a spin on this article Angela should have asked to see the tags on many of the participants clothing. I'm sure that the majority of them were wearing or own clothing made in sweatshops or by children. (Continued…)
Campbell
posted 5/09/08 @ 11:47 AM EST
This is an issue that does warrant attention yes. Yet is it the right time? My fellow Americans and Columbus natives. In order for us to stand our ground on human rights issues such as this shouldn't we make sure our own rights are being sought after first? Now you may think I am crazy for saying such but that is okay for you to think. (Continued…)
BanJamn
BenJamn
posted 5/09/08 @ 11:53 AM EST
This is an issue that does warrant attention yes. Yet is it the right time? My fellow Americans and Columbus natives. In order for us to stand our ground on human rights issues such as this shouldn't we make sure our own rights are being sought after first? Now you may think I am crazy for saying such but that is okay for you to think. (Continued…)
KrisC
posted 5/09/08 @ 11:54 AM EST
If you want to start making your own clothes again go ahead and protest. But if you're going to protest, look at the whole picture. This is the only wage people in these countries can manage to make as leadership in their countries has failed to create ways for their people to make living wages in modern times in order to raise standards of living, and cronyism there is rampant, so wages are low. (Continued…)
lenora
posted 5/09/08 @ 2:00 PM EST
I was totally excited when my mom emailed me this article from the latern about OSU trying to implement the DSP. We just pased the DSP here at Brown. Hopefully it won't be as much as a struggle as it was here. (Continued…)
Katina M. Woodruff
posted 5/10/08 @ 12:15 PM EST
This issue needs dealt with. How can we stop sweatshops by "stop wearing the clothing?" There is a greater issue here, one that this protest may help at a much deeper level. (Continued…)
Katina M. Woodruff
Katina M. Woodruff
posted 5/10/08 @ 12:20 PM EST
This issue needs dealt with. How can we stop sweatshops by "stop wearing the clothing?" There is a greater issue here, one that this protest may help at a much deeper level. (Continued…)
Kim
posted 5/12/08 @ 11:29 AM EST
But arent the clothes from these so called sweatshops less costly then the others?
I mean cost is whats really the issue here.
If the prices were either lower or at least equivilant to them then i would gladly support this. (Continued…)
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