For Whom the Taco Bell Tolls

Boise State University ScholarWorks Student Newspapers (UP 4.15) University Documents 10-7-2004 Arbiter, October 7 Students of Boise State University Although this file was scanned from the highest-quality microfilm held by Boise State University, it reveals the limitations of the source microfilm. It is possible to perform a text search of much of this material; however, there are sections where the source microfilm was too faint or unreadable to allow for text scanning. For assistance with this collection of student newspapers, please contact Special Collections and Archives at [email protected]. UOLUI4E I? THURSDRY OCTOBER ? 200'1 T H ES T UDEll U 0 ICE OF BOISE 5 TIlT E S I Nt E 1933 ISS,UE 15 f IR ST I 55 U E F HE E ) message boards, breaking news, archive search, photo slide shows & weather whom the For "What do you tell TacoBell tolls: a woman with [The controvarsuccntmues] two black eyes? usl a BY GRRCE LUCRS vance to have an item on the News Writer agenda of a specific meeting," says BSUFacilities planner Dean Student and faculty gover- Gunderson. "To say it wasn't nance are questioning whether planned to go to the Board when Nothing you Boise State President Bob Kustra students and faculty are gone is a ., properly followed procedure discredit to the intelligence of the when he sold the naming rights executive office." haven't already of the Pavilion to Taco Bell. Gunderson is actively boycot- The questions arise from alle- ting Taco Bell, as are many orga- • gations Kustra may have twisted nizations throughout the coun- told her twice:' Idaho State Board of Education try. bylaws by negotiating the con- Kustra defends the contracts as tracts himself, possibly sidestep- a great opportunity for the uni- ping the approval of the "institu- versity and by pointing out a lo- tional community," required by cal family, not Yum!Brand Foods, the board. owns the restaurants that bought en. The result is it often sounds like it is women But Kustra may be well within BY CRRDLYN MICHRUD the Pavilion naming rights. ASSistant naws editor who are doing something wrong, almost as if the bounds of his authority be- "We do know for a fact that they they were inviting the violence and abuse. cause the' term "institutional do not receive or purchase any This joke is funny isn't it?At least, it is un- However, according to Katz this is not the community" is not clearly de- of their tomatoes from Florida," less you are a woman who knows what case saying that men are at the heart of the fined. In the past, renaming of says Kustra. "We feel here in the it Is like to be abused. It is unless you problem. He believes that whether a man is buildings has not always in- northwest somewhat removed are a friend, brother, son, cousin, or personally guilty of the crime or not, he needs volved consultation with faculty from that problem." neighbor of a battered woman. It to step up to the plate to help put a stop to the and students. Some feel in this Kustra also said that he signed is funny unless you are someone problem. case it should. onto the deal with the good of the who cares about women, some- "Gender violence prevention is a leadership Associate professor of anthro- university in mind. "If I thought one who is strong and brave issue for men", he said, "We need more men pology Bob McCarl said the stu- for a second that entering into enough to take a stand to help who have the courage to stand up to these is- dents and faculty should have this contract would damage our prevent violent crimes against sues." been asked through their respec- reputation I wouldn't enter into women. Instead ofbeing defensive about these topics, tive senates before the contracts it." These crimes are not fun- Katz believes men should realize that they can were signed because classes are Athletics Director Gene ny, and they are' not just be a part of the solution. He said all men should held in the Taco Bell Arena each Bleymaier said that Taco Bell has about women. Jackson try to be role models for young children, espe- semester. had a four and a half year rela- Katz, one ofAmerica's lead- cially boys, by showing them positive ways to . "Faculty Senate bylaws state tionship with the university prior ing anti-sexist male activist interact with the opposite gender. that the Faculty Senate is the only to this summer's contract and and founder of the Mentors Katz became interested in helping fight gen- voice of the faculty," says McCarl. , these complaints are new to him. in Violence Prevention der violence during his first few years of college He says Kustra could have ap- "Until now, there has not been (MVPl program, said, "This when he realized how much of an impact this proached the senate for their one complaint or concern raised is a men's issue, not a.worn- had ori the women around him. " opinion, but has yet to do so. about our association, part- an's problem. "The threat of men's violence is a daily is- Associated Students of BSU nership with Taco Bell," said Katz argues by labeling sue in women's lives", said Katz. As a man he Sen. Ramiro Castro said Kustra Bleymaier. He said that the Taco violence against women a felt he could help do something about this. He should have also consulted with Bell logo has been in the Pavilion woman's issue, the continues to work towards making the world a the student Senate about the for a year. ' focus is shifted safer place for women. planned contract. Kustra feels his actions -have from men to Katz said ultimately the biggest obstacle fac- Castro says that his concern is served to benefit the university, wom- ing the struggle against women's violence is that the Kustra Administration the students and the pavlllon. "I how mainstream it has become. The way wom- acted without proper consider- really think that we tried to act en are featured in the media helps perpetuate ation to allegations of slave labor in good faith and all of this that these crimes and makes them seem normal. conditions on the Florida farms has come to our attention lately This leads to the belief that seeing, hear- where some of Taco Bell's par- ~svery late because the contract Ing, or even joking about abuse is ac- ent company Yum! Brand Foods' is signed and underway and you ceptable. tomatoes are grown. However, don't just go around breaking Katz said our country needs greater Castro stresses he is not upset contracts willy-nilly," he said. social awareness about this grow- with Kustra himself. In the meantime, McCarl is ing problem said Katz. We, men "I just want to express to the sponsoring an anti-contract and women alike, need to stand President that this is not a knock Faculty Senate resolution later up, take charge, and fight against on him. I have a great respect for this month and says a two thirds violence of all types. the guy," Castro said. He points vote from the full faculty could out that the timing of the con- result in Kustra's signature being tracts made a cross-campus di- voided from the contract. McCarl alogue difficult. "I don't know hopes that the senate can discuss what happened this summer but the implications of BSU aligning I plan to find out," Castro said. itself with a corporation he says Kustra brought the issue to the has a damaged national reputa- Board of Education in a meeting tion. last June when most students and "To be in a sponsorship of this faculty were gone. Student Body magnitude with a corporation President David Morriss said that has an unconscionable re- that he and Student Body Vice cord in terms of wages and treat- President Tom Labrecque were ment offarm workers is a real slap not told of the plan until minutes in the face," says McCarl, who has before the Board of Education been involved with Idaho farm unanimously voted to approve it. worker's rights advocates for "We were not asked our opin- years. ion," Morriss said. His adminis- Working in ASBSU,Sen. Castro tration has not yet made an of- recently introduced a bill hoping ficial statement about the con- to bring the contract to the atten- tract. tion of the students. The bill is be- .Others say the summertime ing revised in committee after its meeting may have been strate- first senate reading last week. gic. "You have to plan well in ad- Increase, Your political sauuu With "Swing Party" today on SUB patio Agency, and others will pres, representatives. of political par- Other students are frustrated by TDRRIE RRE MRRTlNDRLE ent their views at the event. ties and interest groups. "Many smear campaigns and destruc- Special to the Rrblter people are still unclear on who tive tactics of the candidates in- Democratic, Republican, and Green Party representatives will In an effort to increase the . they are going to vote for in the volved, Gorrell said. "This is why explain their presidential can- turnout of college-aged voters in upcoming presidential election they need to stay focused on the didate's position on the econo- the upcoming election, the BSU or if they are going to vote," said issues, do their own research; and my, education, the war in Iraq, Student Programs Board is spon- Kara Hartmann, a Swing Party come to the Swing Party to hear healthcare, human rights, and soring a Swing Party today, from organizer.

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