Students from the United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) and Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) traded in their bats and trash bags in favor of suits for a press conference yesterday.
The press conference, held on the steps of Old Main, was held to reply to a letter Penn State President Graham Spanier wrote Thursday in response to the groups' recent actions regarding Penn State's policy on sweatshops.
The groups' four-page response letter accused Spanier of skewing the facts.
"We are disappointed that the president of Penn State would willingly disseminate misleading information to the public," USAS member Ben Brewer (senior-Spanish) read.
The groups are asking the university to adopt the Designated Suppliers Program (DSP), which would require Penn State apparel to be produced in Worker Rights Consortium-approved factories.
Spanier wrote in the letter that the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) informed Penn State in January that the U.S. Department of Justice had "refused to provide anti-trust clearance" for the DSP, and that the WRC had withdrawn its request.
USAS and SLAP's letter alleges that the WRC "willingly withdrew its Business Review Letter when it became apparent that the program would be judged according to politics, not legal merits."
University spokeswoman Lisa Powers said the administration doesn't understand why students are protesting because the DSP is a "moot point."
"I don't think the administration knows what they're protesting about because the DSP doesn't exist and never has," she said.
In his letter, which was published on Penn State Live, live.psu.edu, Spanier called the protests "rude and inappropriate," and asked that the groups stop visiting his office.
USAS and SLAP protests have included a wiffle ball game inside Old Main, dressing up in trash bags and dumping valentines on the floor of Spanier's office.
Brewer said the groups have distributed more than 2,600 copies of their letter to faculty mailboxes across campus.
He added that they plan to continue distributing the letters to students throughout the week, most likely in the HUB-Robeson Center to raise awareness.
USAS and SLAP's letter will also be posted on student advocacy group Safeguard Old State's Web site, safeguardoldstate.org.
USAS President Doug Baldwin (senior-environmental research) said he is pleased with the letter.
"I think we effectively addressed Spanier's letter in a very concise way," he said.
Although Baldwin said last week that protests would continue until Spanier adopts the DSP, he said yesterday that the group is only discussing future actions.
About 10 people attended the press conference yesterday.
In addition, USAS and SLAP members handed out copies of their letter to intersted students passing by.
Press conference attendee Ted Wheeland (sophomore-information sciences and technology) said while he appreciates the groups' message, he thinks they should use more conventional means to communicate with Spanier.
"There are structures in place here that are being circumvented," he said. "I mean, you're playing wiffle ball before the actual dialogue."
