We are a new student group who is trying to spread the word about Coca-Cola's human, worker, and environmental abuses.
We have a two U Weekly front cover articlesspring 07 and winter 08 and numerous Lantern articles that have generated lots of blog discussion. There is a front page article, Eddie Klatka’s editorial , and Harry Lindner’s editorial. There is info about an SAC event at killercoke.org.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):
What need or area of interest does your organization meet?
Students Against Coke (SAC) meets many areas of interest including activism, world awareness, social, role model, support for other student groups and university organizations, promoting Ohio State University pride, and, most importantly, supporting Ohio State University ethics. SAC gives students the opportunity to organize an issue campaign about Coca-Cola's business practices worldwide, practice communication skills with administrators (Rich Hollingsworth, Bill Shkurti), and plan large scale events. It also opens students up to world issues. SAC gives students an avenue to do the right thing about global ideas and with local actions. SAC also meets social needs of students by organizing a progressive student party for multiple student groups and having times to meet up and hang out. The members of SAC are role models for other students because SAC members can maintain high GPAs and still be active in the university. SAC also supports other student groups because it works with them to gain their support and to collaborate on common ground. SAC has also supported The Lantern with two editorials and buying ad space. SAC promotes Ohio State pride by upholding its name and trying make it a model for other universities to follow. Most importantly, SAC works to uphold Ohio State's ethics. It works to make the university be a beacon of high morals and involved only with just corporations. SAC works to make sure Ohio State is helping others and not supporting organizations that hurt others. SAC wants the University to not be involved with child labor, worker rights abuses, human rights abuses, and environmental abuses. The students in SAC transcend the student who only joins organizations to boost their resume. SAC cares about our university, and works to make it the best university possible.
What was your biggest challenge in establishing your organization, and how did you overcome this challenge?
The biggest challenge in establishing Students Against Coke (SAC) was figuring out how to run a campaign. None of the members in SAC had experience in running an issue campaign before, but the way SAC overcame that challenge was it kept on working hard, trying new strategies, and reevaluating past efforts. SAC contacted student groups at other universities who have been working on similar campaigns asking what about good strategies for campaigning. SAC has talked with faulty members and graduate students on how the university systems operate and strategies to work it. SAC has educated themselves on the issue through extensive research. There have also been other undergraduate students who knew about the business practices of Coca-cola, independently of SAC, who confirmed the research and invigorated the members of SAC even more than before. SAC has met with multiple administrators: Rich Hollingsworth, Bill Shkurti, Xen Riggs, Helen DeSantis, and Rick van Brimmer. SAC figured out who they should talk to, how to get in contact with them, and reaped positive outcomes from the meetings. An example of this is more understanding of what the University administration wants to see from the students. The Lantern has run a number of articles on SAC and its events including a front page article. SAC has posted a website, and flyered around campus. SAC has worked with USG to pass a resolution about the issue, and SAC has had events where hot chocolate and information were passed out for free. SAC has planned an event sponsoring Ray Rogers, an acclaimed labor human rights activist. SAC originally wanted an event where representatives could come for each side. SAC was disappointed that Coca-cola declined to send a representative, but did mention at the event where people could find Coca-cola's side of the issue. An example of reevaluating a past effort for SAC was when handing out hot chocolate and information was put on hold until more extensive flyering was completed. This was so more people could see coverage of the issue and for a more extended period of time.
What was your biggest accomplishment this year, and what is one goal you have for the coming year?
Students Against Coke's (SAC) biggest accomplishment this year was generating interest about Coca-Cola's business practices worldwide. This is not an easy task considering Ohio State is the biggest university in the nation. SAC knows they have been successful in this venture because most people within the university system have heard of the issue if not have their own opinion about it. At the first meeting, only four people were present. By the time of SAC's event, there were 70 people who stayed for two hours. In addition to that, other Student groups have contacted SAC, offered to help plan events, and distribute materials. USG has shown an interest with their resolution, and the Lantern has run a front-page article in addition to other articles. The Lantern articles about the Coke issue and SAC events have generated a lot of discussion on the Lantern blogs online. This shows that SAC has been successful in increasing awareness and generating student interest in the issue. SAC has been gratified to see this happen. A goal for next year is to get the University to start a trend of looking more closely into the ethics of corporations contracted with OSU. A foreseeable issue could be working to get anything with an OSU emblem on it not to be made in a sweatshop.
Here is the gang at the time of the event minus Jane Harrison, from left to right: Chris Trout, Kyle Reiser,
Amanda Guenther, Ray Rogers, Harry Dreyfus Lindner, Eddie Klatka, Andrew Trout
Meetings Thursdays at 7:30pm in Hagerty Hall Room 0056
osustudentsagainstcoke@gmail.com