By Vanessa Renderman
Features Editor

More than 30 anti-sweatshop supporters crowded into a room on Tuesday in Hovde Hall to discuss the University's position on sweatshops.

They lined the walls and filled the seats; four of the students gave a presentation to Purdue president Steven Beering and Joe Bennett, vice president of University relations.

"Joining the FLA (Fair Labor Association) is out of the question for a university of Purdue's caliber," said Negin Almassi, a junior in the schools of Science and Liberal Arts, one student who presented an argument to the group.

The students also discussed the Worker Rights Consortium, a factory monitoring system that members of Purdue Students Against Sweatshops want Purdue to join.

Ben Partridge, a junior in the schools of Liberal Arts and Science and member of Purdue Students Against Sweatshops, brought a prepared letter for Beering to sign, committing Purdue to the Worker Rights Consortium.

"All we need to do is sign this letter, and we can join the WRC," he said.

Almassi added that Beering’s signature on that statement would show "sincere concern" for the issue of sweatshop labor.

Purdue is known for its athletics and academics; human rights needs to be added to that list, she said.

After all of the presentations were made, Beering and Bennett responded.

"It’s difficult for us to join something that doesn’t yet exist," Beering said.

The founding day for the Worker Rights Consortium is April 7, and only representatives from universities that have officially joined can attend.

"We cannot make this commitment (to join the Worker Rights Consortium) today," said Beering.

Beering said he is disappointed with the response he received from Maria Roeper, coordinator of the Worker Rights Consortium. Beering had inquired about unofficial membership to both the Worker Rights Consortium and the Fair Labor Association.

Roeper made it clear that only official members could attend the founding day conference in April, Beering said. He said that if the consortium really wanted members, they would welcome representatives as observers and potential members to the conference.

"We’re not confident with what we know so far (to join)," he said.

As the questions were answered and heated debate ensued, Bennett gave additional administrative insight, including the hypothetical possibility that Purdue could join both the Worker Rights Consortium and the Fair Labor Association. Roeper said there was no clause preventing the University to do so if it really wanted to, Bennett said.

"It’s clear that there are certain philosophical differences with the two organizations," he said. "The only thing Purdue wants to do is proceed with a little bit of caution. We don’t intend to join either (organization) right now."

The discussion continued and Marikah Mancini, a graduate student, argued that the longer Purdue waits to join the consortium, the longer sweatshop labor will continue.

"Frederick Douglas said ‘Justice too long delayed is justice denied.’ That’s what happens if we wait," Mancini said. "We owe this to the workers."

Beering and Bennett expressed concern that rushing to join the consortium is unsafe and that all matters involving contracts need to be well researched.

Bennett pointed out that, so far, the students have gotten everything they wanted except membership in the consortium.