After a string of unconventional student protests inside Old Main -- including one yesterday -- Penn State President Graham Spanier released a statement yesterday addressing concerns about university policy on sweatshop-produced apparel.
Spanier wrote on live.psu.edu that he is "disappointed" by the actions of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) and Student Labor Action Project (SLAP), the groups behind the recent protests.
"The tactics your group has enlisted are rude and inappropriate," he wrote. "I would ask that you cease your frequent visits to my office and communicate, if needed, through more customary channels of mail or e-mail."
Yesterday, the groups stood in the HUB-Robeson Center and outside Old Main, pulling trash bags over their heads to symbolize the administration's attitude toward student voices, USAS member Steph Chapman (senior-human development and family studies) said.
She added that an administrator commented last week that letters intended for Spanier from the groups were "garbage."
USAS and SLAP members later dropped the trash bags outside of Spanier's office, repeating phrases including "I'm not trash," and "My voice is not garbage."
The protests have mainly centered on the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP), which would require Penn State apparel to be produced in facilities approved by the Worker Rights Consortium.
However, university officials haven't adopted it, saying the DSP violates anti-trust laws, and the U.S. Department of Justice has not endorsed the program.
Lisa Powers, a university spokeswoman, said Spanier wrote the letter because he feels the protesters do not understand key facts about the DSP.
"I think he felt it was important to put the facts on the table, which seem to be forgotten when the students are making demands," she said.
In his letter, Spanier writes that the DSP "does not and has never existed in practice," adding that there have been "widespread concerns" that Penn State "would be party to anti-trust violations of federal law" under the program.
USAS member Doug Baldwin (senior-environmental research) said protests would continue until the group meets with Spanier.
"Our behavior is not that extreme, when you look at the amount of time it took a student-friendly, open-door policy administration to respond to us," he said. "It's really disrespectful that he wouldn't have the time of day to come out and look at the students ... It shows a lack of moral integrity."
Some students said they don't support the two groups.
Leonard Torchia (junior-electrical engineering) said the protest was "well-intentioned," but he disagrees with the group's message.
"I'm actually kind of pro-sweatshop," he said without further comment.
Powers said she didn't know what the university would do if the protests continue.
"It's their choice to undertake activism," she said. "And [Spanier] really supports students who have a passion. Of course, there are wrong and right ways to go about this."
