The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 18, 1999 - A

Protesters reflect on actions

By Michael Grass
Daily Staff Reporter
As Students Organizing for Labor and
Economic Equality occupied University
President Lee Bollinger's office demand-
ing the administration to support a
stronger set of labor standards for the col-
lege apparel industry, rany reflected on
heir choice to protest and how their
actions can help end sweatshop labor
practices.
As sit-in participants around him
were passing the time playing chess,
LSA sophomore Chris Haufe was keep-
ing up with economics homework.
'I feel strongly about (sweatshop labor)
as a human being, as a U of M student and
as a Muslim,' Haufe said, adding that
many Muslims work in sweatshops in
.Malaysia, Pakistan and Indonesia.
When 'SOLE members stormed
Bollinger's office, they brought home-
work,' backpacks and food to last
throughout the protest.

The protesters said they have gotten to
know each other much better during the
sit-in. "We've played icebreaker games,"
said Rodolfo Palma Luli6n, an LSA
junior.
Mara Luna, an LSA junior, traveled
to El Salvador last summer with a
group of students from the Cleveland
area and visited a factory which she
said produced merchandise for JC
Penny, GAP and Liz Claiborne.
While sitting in Bollinger's office she
said she remembered images from her
trip."I looked through the pictures last
night and it jogged some memories"
like armed men guarding the factory
complex, the pollution and the sub-
standard conditions, she said.
Luna said the workers told her the best
way to improve conditions is to target the
corporations in the United States.
LSA junior Brendan Hill and LSA
senior Sarah Cole made parallels
between SOLE's protest to their study

of Jean Jacques Rousseau in their polit-
ical science 401 class.
To keep up with their work class dur-
ing the -sit-in, they studied Rousseau's
"The Social Contract" and "The First and
Second Discourse."
"It's making us remember where we
are "coming from and where we are
going,"Cole said, adding that "SOLE is
remembering to look out for humans."
Hill said he believed that just as
Rousseau called on his readers to not be
apathetic, people today need to be aware
of the what is happening in the world.
"If citizens aren't involved, then our
decisions are made for us," Hill said.
"tou can see the U of M logo all over
the world. I want to be proud of this
University but I cannot be if they value
profits over people," LSA sophomore
Rachel Stern said.
"We're here for compassion," Palma
Luli6n said, adding that "our offers aren't
ludicrous."
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SOLE
Continued from Page 1A
Fleming throughout the night.
"So many schools are looking to us and we're asking for
a lot, but we aren't asking for more than what these (work-
ers) need," said LSA senior Sarah Cole, who is a part of the
sit-in.
Cornell told the sit-in participants he once bought his
parents "U of M Dad" and "U of M Mom" sweatshirts but
said that he would "be embarrassed if they'd be wearing it
now."
Cornell said people buy University products and don't
realize where the goods were produced and by whom.
"People love it and they eat them up," Cornell said.
LSA sophomore Jason Keydel said when he says he
attends the University he does not "want to be associated with
blood ... I want to be proud of my University."
Cornell said "we're going to say that people are more
important than profits."
University alum Brad Markell, who works for the
United Auto Workers research department, applauded the
SOLE's actions when he addressed the sit-in participants
yesterday.
"Your target is right on the money," he said.
SOLE members gave University administrators their final
set of demands last weekend after a number of negotiation
sessions last week.
1uStriaI Ave rae and the NASD
Aosite for Week3111-3/17

Their most current demands also call for the University not
to be part of the White House-sponsored Apparel Industry
Partnership code, which 17 universities across the nation,
including Duke University, Harvard University and other v\
League schools, signed Monday.
Bollinger said last night that he was not prepared t
announce the University's position on the AlIP code.
Charles Kernaghan, National Labor Committee director
said the SOLE members' actions are "extraordinary" and
"very timely" because they come on the heels of the sign ing
of the AIP code.
Kernaghan, who exposed sweatshop labor practices in fac-
tories that pioduced merchandise for television talk show
host Kathy Lee Gifford, said the University is a leader in the
movement.
"I think they are going to spark the movement around the
nation;' Kernaghan said.
Harvard student Dan Hennefeld, a member of Progressive
Students Labor Movement, said the AlP code is not adequat#.
"All students feel that (the AIP code) is especially weak:"
Hennefeld said.
More than 50 SOLE supporters gathered outside Fleming
at 4 p.m. yesterday to support the sit-in participants. A larger
rally is planned for today at 2 p.m.
In the meantime, members of the sit-in wait in Bollinger's
office.
"We have the luxury to wait. The women in sweatshops
don't," said SOLE member Joe Sexauer, an LSA junior.
)AQ Read
Change
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+49.911)al
+7.83
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Daily.

Online gambling
1increases at UC

hange
.124.60
-21.09
+82.42
-28.30
-51.06

NASDAQ Close
2412.25
2381.54
2431.45
2439.28
2428.97

By Y. Peter Mang
Daily Californiani
BERKELEY, Calif. - As the popu-
larity ofthe Internet grows exponential-
ly, the number of Websites known as
online casinos, catering to the at-home
gambler, has also grown, analysts say.
Currently, there are about 280 gam-
*ling sites on the World Wide Web, as
opposed to the 15 sites available two
years ago, according-to Sue Schneider,
editor of Interacitive Gaming News and
chair of the Interactive Gaming
Council.
Some government officials have esti-
mated that online gambling generated
$600 million in gross revenue last year,
up from $60 million in 1996, according
to a May 1998 report by the New York
imes.
Online gambling is the placing of
bets over the Internet. The transfer of
cash is done via credit card or wire
transfer and many sites offer a wide
range of opportunities to gamble.
Betters can place wagers on sports,
Fieger
Inay run
for senate
alone
* DETROIT (AP) - Attorney
Ueoffrey Fieger is one step closer to
running for U.S. Senate as an indepen-
dent because he said he thinks the
Democratic party plans to shut him out.
Fieger said he sees Democrats flock-
ing to support U.S. Rep. Debbie
Stabenow as the Democratic candidate
in the 2000 race.
Fieger, speaking from his vacation
home in the West Indies on Tuesday,
told The Detroit News that he's tired of
hat he sees as another round of "back
oom politics" within Michigan's
Democratic party.
"Under the circumstances, she can
expect to see me as her opponent - as
an independent," Fieger said about
Lansing's Democratic congressperson.
"The things I see happening are exact-
ly what I said would cause me to run as
an indeperdent. ... They should stop
conspiring in the back room and let the
eople decide."
Fieger, best known for representing
assisted suicide advocate Jack
Kevorkian, won the 1998 Democratic
gubernatorial primary, but lost in the
general election to Gov. John Engler.
Democrats say they aren't trying to
hurt Fieger's Senate candidacy.
"He's overreacting," said state
Senate Democratic leader John
Cherry. "He's mistaking the warm
reception (of Stabenow's expected
*andidacy) with some sort of cooked
up deal. I don't know that there's an
effort to predetermine who the party
nominee is here. My guess is
Democrats will look at the field and
nominate who they wish."
Stabenow, who represents the 8th
District stretching from Lansing to the
outskirts of Ann Arbor and Flint, is
expected to launch a bid this month to
eust Michigan GOP Sen. Spencer
Abraham.

blackjack, poker and even who will win
the Academy Awards.
"You just need a credit card and you
can start gambling right away,' said
University of California at Berkeley
junior Jeff Brennan. "The cool thing is
you don't have to drive anywhere. They
just bill your credit card and if you win
they credit it to you."
How could this be legal in states like
California?
Technically it is not. According to the
1961 Interstate Wire Line Act, placing
bets over telephone lines or other wired
devices is illegal.
The Wire Act does not mention the
Internet, however, and that is where the
law becomes cloudy.
"As far as I know it's legal, since it's
offshore;' Brennan says. "I think there's
a gray area."
Only two states have outlawed
Internet gambling. Nevada made it ille-
gal for residents to gamble online, but
not for Nevada operators to accept
wagers outside of the state.

Highlights from the week: The DJIA continued its flirting with hitting 10,000 this week, while actually
crossing the record mark Wednesday before ending lower for the day. Many analysts believe that the Dow
will continue to hover around the 10,000 barrier but it will be a week or two before it breaks out and reg-
ularly trades a} this level. Last Thursday saw the week's biggest one day gain for the dow as oil stocks were
again respo ible for the jump. Barrel prices were raised from $11.50 to $14.50 due to producers cutting
prpductic March 23. Yesterday, the Dow did not touch the 10,000 level due to low volume and many con~
tine sell and take profits. There have been an historic number of bank mergers over the last three years
an it is again a hot topic on Wall Street. Fleet Financial Group and Bank of Boston plan to merge and
,create one of the biggest retail banking operations in New England. On even a bigger scale, Chase
.Manhattan is looking to acquire the nation's biggest brokerage firm, Merril Lynch.
What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average? The DJIA represents 30 stocks traded on the New York
Stock Exchange (NYSE) and are all major factors in their respective industries. These stocks are widely
held by individuals and institutional investors. Many financial advisers think of it as a good indicator in
telling whether the NYSE is doing well or poorly
What is the NASDAQ Composite? The NASDAQ is the fastest growing stock market in the United
States due to it being a screen-based stock market, compared to a trading floor market like the NYSE. It
also has almost all of the technological stocks available for trading, which has proved to be a very volatile
industry in the last few of years.
-Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Kevin Magnuson from wire reports.

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