Will he run? LOOI<ING FOR NEW MUSIC? Wednesday • Texas governor George Bush has formed a • Read The Observer's four album reviews. presidential exploratory committee. MARCH 3, News•7 Scene ·12-13 1999 THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's VOL XXXII NO. 101 WWW. ND.EDU/-OBSERVER ND unveils program to monitor licensee factories ByTIM LOGAN University will decide whether to termi­ A!t.\Oliouc Nl·w~ Editor nate its relationship with the factory or pressure it to improve eonditions. In an attPrnpt to PnsurP compliancn "If there are f~gregious violations of' with anli-swPatshop provisions in Notre our code ol' conduct, we'll ask them to IJanw's li«'nnsing code ol' conduct, tho terminate," lloyn said. "We have that in UniVPrsity anJwurH:nd that it will hire an our eon tract." accounting l'irm to monitor l'aetorins This monitoring is bolieved to be the worldwidl' whnrl' Notrn DamP rlothing l'irst such indepondent site-inspection is madf'. program undertakon by an American This indP(li'IHll'nt anti-swPatshop ini­ eollege or university. It will likely be tiatiVP will IH' ar1·ompanind by llw l:rl~­ underway in the nnxt fnw months and ation of' an on-rampus task l'orcl' to will eost Notre Dame $75,000. addrl'ss thP This effort to isSUI' of S\\'l'a(- put teeth into shop labor what was the and llw ' ITS OVER-ARCHING GOAL nation's first llnivPrsitv's licensing code IS TO COME TO TERMS ri'S(lOIISi!Jlli­ of conduct is a lii'S to inform WITH AND EXPLORE THE move in the thl' puhlir MOST DIFFICULT ASPECTS OF right direction, about' !'ado riPs said Father and prPvPnt THE SWEATSHOP ISSUE, 0 I i v e r a h 11 s I' . THINGS LIKE THE LIVING W iII i am s. :\d 111 i 11 is t ra tors director of' the say tlli'SI' Sll'flS WAGE.' Center !'or will put mon• WtU.IAMIIOrH Ethics and Wl'ight llf'bind SWI:'A'f:\'1/0I' 'fi\SK FOIIU:' C//A/1/MAN H e l i g i 0 u s I hI' I' XiS tin g Values in I'IHII' ol' 1'011- Bu'siness. dul't, which "It's a grnitt was written in IIJ')7. first step," he said. "We've had a won­ The Observer/ Dully Arnoull "WI' wen• rPady to move l'rom having derful code of conduct. but no provi­ Manufacturers of Notre Dame sweatshirts, t-shirts, caps and other merchandise - similar a rodl' to having indPpendent monitor­ sions for monitoring. In this business, to that sold in the bookstore -will now face scrutiny under the University's new licensing ing to ensure tlw r.ode is being followed you absolutely have to verify." contract. on tlw ground in tlw factories," said Williams noted that dothing manufac­ William lloye. assoriat1• vice pn~sidnnt turers like the ones that produce Notre the code is enforced. One of the first Dame's position on a rangr of othnr and l'iHIIISI'l for thn University and chair Damn men:handisn are often those with steps will be to collect from the 230 labor rights issues. of till' swl'alshop task l'orce. labor code violations. licensees a list of all manufacturing "Its over-arching goal is to eome to Under tlw new initiative. the aecount­ "The track record of these eompaniHs sites. In some cases, these licensees terms with and explore tho most diffi­ ing firm of l'riwwaterhouse Coopors is very poor," he said. "To have a code have dozens of subcontractors, compli­ cult aspeets of the sweatshop issue. will IH~ rontrartl'd to 1:onduet random of eonduet without verification is not cating matters. This list will be used tu things like the living wage, public dis­ spot inspnelions of' factorins. The firm w01:~ the paper it's printed on." select sites at random for inspm:tion, elosure of licensed faetol'i1~s and the will also inspeet factories where alleged The task force, which will indude fac­ and may be released to the public as right to organize." lloye said. abuses havl' bl'l'n reportnd. II' violations ulty, administrators, studnnts and staff well. () r t h n (' 0 d (' lll' (~ d is e 0 v ere d. the members, will work on ensuring that The task force will also discuss Notre see WORKERS I page 4 • GRADUATE STUDENT UNION Study finds few SMC feminists Council plans forum By COLLEEN McCARTHY that, "this is not how students viable under~tanding of femi­ Sainr M.1ry's News Ediwr at Saint Mary's pereeive femi­ nism. nism." Shn found that surveyed stu­ Saint Mary's stud<•nts are In rnsponse, she eonducted dents fell into four categories. on BOT decisions lwsitant to identify themselves a survny in I 1JIJ4 to discern Some held mixed views of as f<nninists. and of'tpn view feminism, others had a point­ By BRAD UNTIEDT "This will allow us to voiee l'ominism nngatively al'ter edly positive or negative view. News Writer our disapproval of tho Board SJWIHiing four ynars at the while others. labeled of Trustees for the way that 'WE THOUGHT IF CollPgP, said Susan AlexandPr, "ambiguous," daimed not to After heavy debate, the thny made thn University Saint Mary's assistant profes­ ANYTHING, SAINT know the meaning of the term Graduate Student Union aware of thn final dncision," sor ol' sodology in a lecture MARY'S WOULD BE PRO­ "feminism." Couneil (GSUC) dr.cided Graham said. haspd on lwr I 1)1)4 reslmrch. Alexander found that 13 against passing a formal rnso­ GSUC mnmbnr CathlnHn AIPxander l'irst explained MOTING FEMINISM AND percent of students surveyed lution denouncing the Board MeMahon expressed similar lhat l'<~minist sociologists WHAT WE WERE LEFT ASK­ held a mixed view. One stu­ of Trustees' Feb. 5 decision to disapproval. assuml' feminists work to dent in this category delined a not include sexual orientation "We want to toll tlw Board ING WAS IF SAINT MARY'S transform sodal instilutions to feminist as someone who in the University's non-dis­ of Trust1~es that we arn vnry improv1~ woml'n's social status WAS PROMOTING A NEGA­ stood up for her rights, while crimination dause. displeased with tlwir dndsion lJPra use soda I strudure, not another student said she The group will instead hold and actions," McMahon said. TIVE VIEW OF FEMINISM.' biology, forces mnn and would not define herself as a an open forum on the mattnr, "This is something that is womPn into unequal positions feminist to men because she specifically inviting members important and something that in sodl'ty. SUSAN ALEXANDHR was not extreme. of the Board of Trustees and we have to pursue." Jo'!Hninists also work to link Thirty percent held a posi­ the Board of Follows and The group deddnd to fmego !\SST. 1'1/0FHSSOR OF SOUUWGV tlw soc i a I a n d p o I i ti e a I. tive vinw of fnminism and making them aware of the passing a prnparnd resolution Alnxand<•r report<~d. indicated that a feminist is council's disapproval of the but plans to make a formal "FPminists have to make a studnnt vinws on l'nminism, "conlident" in hersr,lf. dedsion. movf~ after the forum. The J>Prs<HHtl commitment to over­ difl'erencns between seniors' About 33 percent held a "We want to make the resolution will sent to mem­ <:oming inequality," slw said. and freshmen's perceptions of negative view of feminism. administration more account­ bers of the Board of Trustees "Creating social rhange can't feminism and how students Students in this group the able and establish a public and Board of Fellows. happPn solely through individ­ identify with feminism. behavior of feminists as forum so it could be more of a "We all know that thny ual niTorts. Fmninisrn is a way Alexander hypothesized that "always l'ighting. fighting, democracy and more voiees probably won't respond," said of thinking and aeting." if a women's eollege like Saint lighting." They said a leminist and opinions could be heard," Graham. "This will at least Soon al'ter arriving at Saint Mary's promotes women's said GSUC president Marybeth make them aware of what we Mary's, Alexander realized issues, students should have a see FEMINISTS I page 4 Graham. see GSU I page 4 --~ -~-------~--~ -~-- -- page 2 The Observer • INSIDE Wednesday, March 3, 1999 • iNSIIJE COLUMN Star gazing utside the Dome There once was a village where the people Compiled from U.Wire reports celebrated the light of the sun by day and waited for its return by night. When night came, the people closed their Letter urges university to adopt anti-sweatshop code eyes and waited for the CAMBRIDGE. Mass. drastic action. emerging fire of day, In the wake of sit-ins at other col­ "There's a faculty meeting on embraced by the velvet leges and increased anger at the lack [March 91 and we've taken note of blanket of darkness that of progess in negotiations with the that," said I'SLM member Benjamin fell upon them each University, members of the Progressive McKean. evening. They lamented Student Labor Movement (PSLM) sent Shuldiner said sit-ins have already the departure of the sun, a letter to university president Neil proven effective at Duke, Georgetown, praying every night for Rudenstine Thursday demanding that and the University of Wisconsin at its return. the school adopt an anti-sweatshop Madison, whem protesters havn won One day, one of the Noreen Gillespie code of conduct.