On Monday, Feburary 26, Kent State University President Carol Cartwright gave a speech to International Students in Education at a celebration/awards ceremony. Much to "Corporate Carol's" surprise she was surrounded by banners reading "People over Profit" and "Are you wearing human suffering?" The overwhelming display included extensive background information on sweatshops as part of a campaign by students on campus to get the university to adopt a code of conduct to ensure that workers producing Kent State apparel are not exploited.

Cartwright put on a happy face and never commented on the University's use of sweatshops, despite her audience's obvious interest in the subject. Instead, she gave many feel-good statements about technology, globalization, and her upcoming trip to South Africa to attend a conference on globalization. Cartwright's speech was preceded by a member of CHANGE (Coalition for a Humane And New Global Economy) leading a half hour long discussion with the group about sweatshops and the effects of corporate globalization.

CHANGE would like to thank the International Students in Education for giving us this amazing opportunity. If the Campaign for a Sweat-Free KSU is to become successful, we will need the support of organizations and indviduals outside the traditional social justice activist community, and this has been a great boost to our outward momentum. We look forward to continuing to work with International Students and to build a broader, more diverse coalition of concerned students, faculty, and staff.

(Thanks to Nate and RabbleRouser for contributing to this story.)