Kim Pearson

© 2003-4. All Rights Reserved

Meghan Belz's December 1, 2000 class assignment

Date: December 1, 2000

To: Jesse Rosenblum

From: Meghan Belz

Subject: Trenton Center for Campus and Community Sponsorships

The College of New Jersey has been asked by the Trenton Center for Campus and Community Sponsorships to host the organization’s regional golf tournament and camp this summer. Nike would be providing corporate sponsorship for the event. Tiger Woods, the professional golfer and Nike spokesman who is also connected to this organization, would be making an appearance here at The College of New Jersey during the event. Various members of the TCNJ campus community including physical education majors and ambassadors would be invited to assist in the facilitation of the events. The dates of the event are unknown at this point in time.

The goal of this program is to provide the Trenton area youth with an opportunity to learn the game of golf, an opportunity they may not have had other wise. With financial assistance and the support of volunteers, the participants are able to join the program free of charge. Each participant is given his or her individual set of clubs and receives instruction from professional golf volunteers in the Trenton area. The program is open to children from ages 4 to 18. The program provides its participants with physical activity in addition to healthy competition.

In keeping with the mission statement of The College of New Jersey (commitment of building, maintaining, and improving relations with the surrounding area), the Trenton Center for Campus and Community Sponsorships provides a great service to the Trenton community. TCNJ’s facilities, staff, and volunteers would provide the organization with the adequate means to bring a successful tournament and productive camp here to the Trenton area.

Nike’s affiliation with the organization and its sponsorship of the event would bring much media attention to The College of New Jersey. Recently, The College has also been confronted with the Anti-Sweat Shop Pledge which asks TCNJ to renounce relationships with companies connected to sweatshop labor. Nike is a corporation that has become notorious for its dependence on sweatshop labor. The College has not yet signed the Anti-Sweat Shop Pledge. However, in order to maintain The College’s integrity, we could not sign the pledge and agree to host this summer’s golf tournament and camp. This would represent a gross conflict of interest.

Speaking in terms of the greatest good for the greatest number for this particular decision, I feel that it would be very beneficial for TCNJ to take this opportunity to host this event for the community. Nike’s sponsorship would provide excellent media coverage of the event, spreading awareness for the program. Although sweatshop labor is nothing to be ignored, signing the Anti-Sweat Shop pledge might potentially injure the fiduciary responsibility of The College of New Jersey.