0. THE NATIONAL COLGE NEWSPAPER 0 U. *us NOVEMBER1989 9 Student Body EMBER 1989 0 U. THE NATIC*AL COLLEGE NEWS / I - - FOCUS Despite accusations of apathy, col- lege students are actively involved in boycotts, protests and consciousness- raising events. Some student groups have organized boycotts against Coca-Cola and Domino's Pizza. Others have spoken out against boy- cotts. Coca-Cola's presence in South Africa and the Domino's owner's con- tributions to Operation Rescue have spurred many students to action on both sides of the issues. f Students protest Coke sales By Nathan Krystall The Collegian U. of Massachusetts, Amherst A petition drive to have Coca-Cola vending machines removed from the U. of Massachusetts began last spring. The drive was prompted by student opposition to the company's continued investment in South Africa, said the organizer, Christine Robinson. Robinson kicked off the drive with an information table in the Union to tell stu- dents about Coke's involvement in South Africa, and has since collected 2,000 sig- natures supporting the ban. "Don't drink Coke because if you do, you're drinking the blood of a dead South African," Robinson told a student putting money into a campus Coke machine. South Africa's apartheid system legal- izes segregation, allowing the country's 4 million whites to politically and eco- nomically dominate 22 million Blacks, she said. "They don't treat blacks as if they were human." The Coca-Cola company agreed in 1986 to divest in South Africa to encour- age the end of apartheid, but actually only relocated its syrup plants to Swaziland, a country that is economical- Although Hampshire divested from South Africa in 1978 and Coke machines have been removed from campus, Coke products are still served in Hampshire's dining hall. Hampshire student Marcus Hong said, "We're still in the process of getting them to remove Coke." The Dining Commons is owned by the Marriott Corporation. Ray Sheen, The Amherst Student, Amherst College By Ray Sheen The Amherst Student Amherst College Last spring, the Black Student Union and Coalition for a Free South Africa initiated a campaign to educate stu- dents about South Africa to obtain a pos- itive response to a referendum on the serving of Coca-Cola products by the Dining Service. The campaign follows activities to ban Coke products from Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith College. Manolo Espinosa, an Amherst stu- dent, is working with BSU to bring lec- turers to campus, including, possibly, a representative from the Coca-Cola Company. Espinosa said the meeting with a Coke representative may be impossible as Coke representatives have been verbally abused during visits to other campuses. According to Espinosa, the boycott is a consolidated effort by colleges around the nation. Francis Crowe, Western Massachusetts representative of the American Friends Service Committee's national campaign to boycott Coke, said a boycott of the product is a signal for the other 300 American companies in South Africa to pull out. No soft drinks are served at meals, but both Coke and non-Coke products can be purchased from vending machines. Head of Dining Services Paul Garvey said that "not a tremendous volume" of Coke is sold. Although student Kathleen Kienholz is organizing a boy- cott, no referendum is planned. Ray Sheen, The Amherst Student, Amherst College ly dependent on South Africa, Robinson said. She claims the company's 15 bottling plants were sold to independent owners who buy their syrup from the Swaziland- based plants, rendering the move use- less since neither the government nor Coke sales were effected. MICHIGAN STATE Associated Students of MSU voted to support a campus-wide boycott of Coke products in February 1989. ASMSU member Rocky Beckett said, "The boy- cott is not just against Coke. We are ask- ing students to focus on Coke simply because they don't buy IBM computers every day." Leslie Garner and Joan Patterson, The State News, Michigan State U. Graidnd Am and Sunbird. Two Stylish Ways To Get More ExcitmetThan You BaaieFo Igits time for new wheels to replace Old Paint, g Pontiac has a pair ofpersonal driving machines that can fill your bill. Grand Amk leads off with a 110 hp, 2.5L fuel-injected engine, power steering and brakes, tinted glass and an AM/FM stereo as standard equipment. Options include a hot 160 hp Quad 46 engine and a Sport Appearance Package. Sunbird6 Coupe is rakishly cut from the same cloth. Its fastback profile conceals a driver-oriented interior with pod-mounted controls and analog instrumentation. Opt for the convertible and it develops an even breezier personality. Sunbird options range from a hot 165 hp 2.OL turbocharged engine for the soft top to the crisp sound of an available compact disc player. What price this excitement? Less than you'd think. See your dealer for details. And the keys to your first ride into Excitement. PONTIAC® W E B UIlL.D Call Toll-Free 1-800-888-2997 For More Product Information. ® LET'S GET IT TOGETHER...BUCKLE UP. 01989 GM CORR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SEE YOUR DEALER FOR TERMS OF THE LIMITED WARRANTY. 3 YEAA/SO,000 BMER O 7 59N , :Y * Domino's officials say Tom Monaghan's activities and con- tributions are personal, but evidence shows that he has com- mitted both staff and funds to his right-wing agenda. In addition to his company's contributions to Operation Rescue, Detroit Free Press reported in July that a Domino's CEO and coordinator of Operation Rescue spent three days a week blocking health clinics, on company time, with his boss' approval. Additionally, Michigan Department of Civil Rights said Domino's has four pending complaints for racial injustice against employees. Domino's refusal to serve predominantly black neighbor- hoods has led to a boycott by black churches. Monaghan also founded an elite sub-unit of the Word of God, which has a chapel in the headquarters where employees are encouraged to worship. Also occupying Domino's corporate office is the campaign headquarters for Word of God member running for Ann Arbor City Council. Think about where your money goes before you spend it at Domino's. Danalynn Recer, columnist, The Daily Thxan, U. of Texas, Austin A debate has begun on campus centering on whether a social- ly-conscious group has a right to dictate what should be bought at Connecticut College. The misdirected boycott of Domino's hurts everyone but Mr. Monaghan, and there should be no boycott. The logic behind an anti-boycott is simple. Each franchise owner pays a fixed amount to the main company, whether or not business is bad. However, Mr. Monaghan will continue to support whatever groups he wants to, and the managers and employees of each Domino's franchise will be hurt. These people probably do not have Operation Rescue and its impact on the question of abortion on the top of their priority list. I assume they are more concerned with having enough money to feed their families. Some adamant boycott supporters say that working for Domino's tacitly supports anti-abortionist tactics. Mr. Monaghan will survive this boycott. However, I am not so sure about the rest of the Domino's team. So, when deciding on how best to protest Mr. Monaghan, take a hard look at who is going to be hurt. If it's the innocent workers, then please, look somewhere else. Ed Kania, columnist, The College Voice, Connecticut College