UVSC College Times, 2004-08-30

              ffemry; kmb (te Mfes Wm w m UTAH VALLEY STATE COLLEGE "XP- VOLUME 33 ISSUE5) ( EL BUEN PANO EN EL ARCA SE VENDE l I I I I I I I I .A ll llllll I J l n l lll J 1MM J YfeQDUJ PEdfu Coege football player kept from shreading the slopes. Page 12. ( And the beat goes on. Alex Caldiero keeps things groovy on Page 7. Get some culture in your life courtesy of the Woodbury. Page 8. Ten to the hour, every hour, UVXNews brings you the latest. p xc o J ; i 'fiir" i g : ;r i fc I II Til WW. .m M The new monthly mag that gives it to you straight. Special Report I 1 1 ! f J M ; f I I, VM i l 1 I fs By Shawn Mansell News Editor Those little tags that slid: out of your sliirt collar do more than distinguish size and brand, they tell stories. . Each article of clothing is made somewhere by someone. Whether in a far off country with a name most people can't pronounce, or here in the United States, work goes into making clothes. People with names and families do the work. Some of the factories these people toil in have such poor conditions and pay, that they've earned the title of sweatshop.Sweatshops aren't new. They have sickened many, and galvanized others into action. The persistence of reports of worker abuse has given rise to a civil rights movement of ' . f . BEST FOOT FORWARD: No Sweat Apparel makes the No Sweat Sneaker. For $45 you get a quality shoe made by folks who are being paid a living wage and work in good conditions. sorts, the anti-sweatshop movement. These people are concerned with your tags and their stories. In 1995, startling labor violations were discovered in California. "Several Thai workers were forced to work in slave-like conditions," said Karin Mak, a project coordinator for the organization Sweatshop Watch. Mak said that some of the laborers were held captive and forced to work without compensation for nearly seven years. The immigrants had been brought to the Los Angeles area illegally. Their undocumented status was one tool their bosses used to control and abuse them. That incident caused the genesis of Sweatshop Watch. Authorities wanted to deport the workers, something the founding members of Sweatshop Watch successfully helped avoid, but Mak still sees a problem both domestically and internationally."There are 100,000 garment workers in California, 60 to 65 percent of them are undocumented immigrants," Mak said. "Most of the workers are ; "There are 100.000 I 1 garment workers in California, 60 to 65 percent of them are undocumented immigrants. " -Karrin Mak Project Coordinator Sweatshop Watch women, often they are forced to take pregnancy tests." If the women fail they lose their jobs. She explained that immigrants flock to any available job. "A lot of times jobs in the garment industry are the only ones they can get," Mak said. The jobs often don't even pay minimum wage, or abide by legal safety standards. Mak said seven-day work weeks and 12-hour workdays aren't uncommon. Mak explained that the problem is hard to battle, partly because of how layered the corporate manufacturing process is. "There are so many levels to this," she said. Following a trail of contractors and subcontractors who often don't want to disclose their op- id Former Utah A.G. faces incumDant Bennett By Shawn Mansell News Editor Paul Van Dam is an underdog. But don't tell him that. The Democrats' choice for senator is campaigning aggressively and he intends to be victorious. "I don't get into races I don't plan on winning," Van Dam said. He disputes the notion that his candidacy is symbdlic. "I'm no sacrificial lamb," he said. "I want to be a senator." Van Dam is a lawyer by trade. He once served as Utah's attorney general, something that gives him hope. "I wasn't supposed to win before for attorney general and I did," he said. His opponent, Republican Bob Bennett is heavily favored. Van Dam is aware It I ! i of the proverbial odds being stacked against him. "I'll be outspent for sure," he said. What he lacks in conventional politicking power he makes up in creativity. RECUMBENT VERSUS INCUMBENT: Paul Van Dam and his Wife Mary Dawn have taken their campaign on the road, crisscrossing Utah this summer. Van Dam has been biking, that's bicycling, no Harley's, through the Beehive state. r '.m.,v i Former LDS church leader lirlngs legislative experience to UUSG By Hanna Hooge Senior News Writer There is a new member on the Utah Valley State College Board of Trustees. Janette Hales Beckham was appointed as the eighth constituent by Governor Olene Walker August 2004. "I'm enthusiastic about UVSC and the potential it has to help people of all ages to live happier lives," said Beckham. "I'll do all I can to contribute to its success. I'm very impressed with the leadership the faculty and the citizens have taken in the Valley." Mrs. Beckham became aware of the needs of UVSC in 1988 while serving in the Utah State Legislature. Since then she has consistently followed the growth and success of UVSC, and is aware of the school's challenges caused by large number of students and limited stated funds. "Adequate funding is only one part of the solution, however," Beckham said. "It is equally important to have students who are willing to work through the difficult challenges and take advantage of the opportunity that being a student provides." Besides being on the Utah State Legislature, Beckham also served as the General i mm