FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information Contact:

Allyson M. Wilcox

609.555.5555

wilcox2@tcnj.edu

Anti-sweatshop advocates threaten class in mini-protest

DECEMBER 1, 2000 - EWING, NJ Three students and a professor interrupted

Professor Kim Pearson's Intro to Professional Writing class today, in an

apparent threat to the college and its planned involvement of

co-sponsorship with Nike of a Junior Golf tournament in Trenton.

Professor Janet Gray and two students, Jill Fink and Noelle Petruzelli,

entered the class at approximately 2:40 p.m along with a third male

student. Gray lectured the class at great length about the repercussions

of supporting co-sponsorship with Nike. The male student, Ramon Suarez,

was later revealed to be an "alternative media" journalist who shared the

views of Gray, Fink, and Petruzelli.

Upon entering the classroom, Gray asked permission from Pearson to talk

to the class about the controversy. Despite protests from Pearson, Gray

then proceeded to address the class on her anti-sweatshop, anti-Nike

stance on the matter. Fink and Petruzelli, student representatives of the

college's chapter of Amnesty International, urged the class to consider

alternate sponsorship arrangements or the college would have a "public

relations nightmare" on its shoulders.

The mini-protest came as an apparent attempt to dissuade Pearson's

Professional Writing students from supporting co-sponsorship with Nike

because of Nike's involvement with sweatshop labor.

The class had been discussing the sweatshop issue at length and the

students were immersed in assignments correlating to the issue at hand.

The students had recently sent memos to Jesse Rosenbaum, Director of

College Relations, stating their personal feelings on the matter and

offering suggestions for reasonable solutions to the controversy.

College Relations is expected to vote later this week on the matter.

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