Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Northwestern U. student leads crusade against Coke
By Hillary Proctor
Daily Northwestern (Northwestern U.)
05/17/2006

(U-WIRE) EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern University junior Kyle Schafer has been avoiding Coca-Cola products since he heard allegations of human rights violations at the company's Colombian bottling plants a few years ago.

"I haven't been pushy about it, but I go out of my way not to drink Coke," Schafer said. Schafer is among the students involved in the "Campaign to Stop Killer Coke," which began in 2003, two years after two paramilitaries killed a union leader at the gate of the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Colombia.

According to its Web site, the campaign aims to stop murders, kidnappings and tortures of union leaders and organizers involved at Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia by promoting dialogue about the issue and helping students petition administrators to cut contracts with Coca-Cola. About 150 colleges and universities in North America and Europe are involved with anti-Coke "Unthinkable! Undrinkable!" campaigns, including 12 in Illinois.

But Northwestern hasn't taken a stance on the Coke issue, university administrators said.

"It's an infinite thing, once you open up that door and make the university run according to some group's view," University President Henry Bienen said. "That's just not the role of the university, to take a political stance."

NU students have not started their own movement against Coca-Cola, but many said they are interested in the issue.

"It's really scandalous," said Remigio Torres, a Weinberg sophomore who boycotts Coca-Cola products.

Weinberg senior Leo Suarez, who is of Colombian heritage, first became interested in starting an anti-Coke campaign last year but has not been able to devote enough time to the project. Suarez said a more viable option is a public awareness campaign, which "leaves it as a consumer choice issue."

Suarez recently spoke with officials from the Colombian bottling plant at a conference at DePaul University, which is in the midst of its own campaign. He said he would model NU's campaign after DePaul's.

NU's situation is more complicated than that of most universities because the school does not hold a direct contract with Coca-Cola. It works with Sodexho, an intermediary company that governs food and beverage service on campus. Sodexho officials have expressed concern for the Coke issue.

"It's a terrible situation that's going on down there," said Paul Komelasky, NU's Sodexho representative. "Social justice for everyone is important. We need to make sure we have vendors that are doing that."

The Coca-Cola Company has created a Web site, cokefacts.org, to respond to allegations.

"It's a very important issue," said Kerry Kerr, a Coca-Cola public relations representative. "We're very concerned that people could have these questions about our company."

According to the Web site, the company is cooperating with the International Labor Organization's investigations and is working to provide a safe and stable work environment.

Boycotting Coke completely would constitute a huge change: Komelasky estimated that Coke products represent more than 50 percent of the sales of all cola beverages on campus.

Some students insist it would be worth it.

"I see no reason why a campaign wouldn't be successful," Suarez said.

Schafer said students can take a stand without committing to a formal campaign.

"It's important that people pay attention to the choices that they're making in their daily lives," Schafer said. "If people are making conscious decisions based on how they impact larger issues, it's a step in the right direction."

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