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March 13, 2003

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Gear Workers Strike

By wpengine | March 13, 2003

Workers that produce caps for Cornell’s athletic teams are in the midst of a strike against their factory, BJ&B, in the Dominican Republic. The 1500 unionized workers are attempting to get a contract with the factory and its owner, a private Korean company called Yupoong, according to the website of the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC).

Cornell is a member of the WRC, an independent consortium of 112 universities committed to using their administrations’ leverage to ensure fair labor conditions for the workers who produce goods bearing their school logos. Cornell joined the WRC soon after it began in early 2000, when students at the University of Pennsylvania held a sit-in to convince the school’s administration to join the newly formed WRC, according to Christina Ingoglia ’02, a member of COLA (Cornell Organization for Labor Action).

“It’s important that Cornell is involved with the WRC because it is a completely independent monitoring system. If not for the WRC, the factories could get away with whatever they wanted. The more we are involved with monitoring them, the less they can get away with, the more we are standing up for workers

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Jones Discusses Trade With Cuba

By wpengine March 14, 2003

Kirby Jones, president of Alamar Industries, the U.S.-Cuba Trade Association and frequent interviewer of Fidel Castro, gave a lecture to over 50 students and faculty members yesterday in 165 McGraw Hall. Jones has been involved in negotiations to allow the first sale of U.S. products to Cuba in more than 40 years and has been described in the New York Times as the “man to see about business in Cuba.” His speech focused on the current environment for American-owned businesses in Cuba and the changes that have occured since the U.S. embargo on trade was first imposed in 1962. Jones stated that contrary to popular belief, there is in fact quite a large amount of business being conducted in Cuba by American-owned companies. Last year over $250 million worth of food products were sold to Cuba with a promise from that country to purchase $250 million worth of goods next year. He also stressed that there is not simply one large conglomeration conducting affairs, but rather there are hundreds of companies operating in 38 states that are currently in the country. Adressing the issue of the possibility of trading in a country with an embargo placed on it, Jones said that “the actual practice of it is essentially open.” Businesses can either work through their subsidiaries in other countries or obtain special permission from the U.S. government to establish a direct relationship in legal areas of commerce. According to Jones, the U.S.’s relationship with Cuba is far different from any other country in the world. Jones likened the relationship to a row of doors. He stated that Cuba is on one side of the wall and the world is on the other side. After the fall of the Soviet Union, which Jones asserted effectually destroyed Cuban beaurocracy, the door “opened wide and the rest of the world walked into Cuba”. However, for the United States, “the door opened just a crack” at the end of 2001. He later stressed that “that crack of the door is not an insignificant crack”. The only industries which have not been infiltrated by foreign owned companies are the military, education, and healthcare, all of which are government-regulated. Jones then focused his lecture on the idea that while a lot has been done to improve the process of cultivating business relations with Cuba, “there is a lot to do to normalize the process,” starting with increased awareness of the situation. He stated that the episode of Elian Gonzalez was the key event that turned things around and got people interested in Cuban politics again. “I like it when I can help create an understanding of what’s going on,” Jones said. Jones concluded his speech with a brief discussion of Fidel Castro. Jones stated that there is a host of new young people in their 30s and 40s running the government who believe in the privatization of certain markets and that the death of Castro “is not going to change that.” The talk was followed by a brief but spirited question and answer session. Questions ranged from concerns over the creation of classes among Cuban citizens to the Cuban people’s feelings towards Americans and the problem of combining elements of socialism and capitalism. Audience members were receptive to Jones and were particularly interested in his personal experiences in the country. Urbashi Poddar ’04 commented that attending the lecture, “was a good way to get information besides reading articles,” and that it was interesting to listen to someone “who is constantly having hands-on experience, as opposed to reading a book.” “I found it incredibly interesting that Jones said the Cuban people make the distinction between American policy and the American people, and that they feel no ill will towards us,” said Michael Pessiki ’04. Jones was invited to speak by the Latin American Studies Program and the Cornell Institute of Public Affairs (CIPA) as part of CIPA’s weekly colloquim featuring prominent guest speakers. Antonio Javier ’04, attending the lecture as part of CIPA’s colloquim said that he was glad that CIPA was able to “try to bring in something that’s pertinent to public policy today.” Archived article by James Marceda
War Book Celebrated

By wpengine March 14, 2003

In a ceremony held in Libe Cafe on March 5, Cornell University Library celebrated the acquisition of its seven-millionth volume, Gardner’s Photographic Sketchbook of the War , donated by University Trustee Thomas A. Mann ’64 and Diann Goodman Mann ’66. Gardner’s Sketchbook contains a hundred photographs of the Civil War, and was first published in two volumes in 1865 and 1866. According to Prof. Shirley Samuels, English, the book differs from other early war photography in that it not only portrays the scarred landscape of battle, but also captures aspects of the soldiers’ lives, from holding cockfights to decorating their lodgings. It was the first time that the public had quick access to wartime photographers’ work. “Within two days [after being taken] the photos would be available to someone in New York City,” Samuels said. University Librarian Sarah Thomas said the library chose the book partly because it coincides well with “academic studies which are increasingly incorporating more forms of media.” “The ceremony also calls attention to the library, marks a milestone, [and] highlights a superlative collection related to the Civil War,” Thomas said. Mann also spoke at the ceremony. “For this document of the terrible and turmoiled times of our country to [join] other important documents such as the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Andrew Dickson White collection of anti-slavery pamphlets is appropriate and an honor,” Mann explained. Only 200 copies were produced, as no reliable method for mass producing photographs had been invented. The set of two volumes sold for the then-exorbitant sum of $150. One famous pair of photographs from the book consists of the same five dead soldiers taken from two different angles. One image focuses on one man with his mouth open as if still alive, the other shows all the soldiers lying in peaceful final repose. Samuels argued that the book was Alexander Gardner’s “attempt to both evoke and solve the horrors of war by showing its devastation.” Cornell’s libraries passed the six-millon-volume mark in 1997, and currently add about 125,000 volumes every year. The library is among the 10 largest academic libraries in the United States. Thomas emphasized that the library’s success is measured in “more than just numbers,” and that in the coming years “one goal is to continue to help students get to relevant information quickly.” Recent library innovations include the renovation of the Kinkeldey Room in Uris Library, and giving students online access to nearly all extant ancient Greek texts. Gardner’s Sketchbook has been digitized and can be seen on the library’s website. The book will be part of an exhibition on the history of abolitionism running from June to September in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections in Kroch Library.Archived article by Dan Galindo