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Show MONDAY, NOVEMBERS, 2007 • THE COLLEGE TIMES News International On campus Chinese manufacturing raises concern • - • / .it- Business in China, though beneficial to American companies, creates new problems also forced the value of their money down to better com••Guest writer pete so that their products The Chinese govern- are dirt-cheap. This move ment is opening up the door drove out all other competifor American companies to tion in Asia and throughout exploit their people. Ameri- the world. One simply cancan companies manufacture not get manufacturing for their goods in China for the cheaper. It seems logical for same reason we all can't any business to want to cut stop shopping at Wal-Mart: costs as low as possible and other businesses can't com- ship out of China. pete. Luke Drake, who works According to manufac- for a local company that turingnews.com, an average manufactures their prodChinese wage of $0.57 per uct in China, believes his hour, or $104 per month, is company couldn't compete about three percent of the without their low cost manaverage U.S. manufacturing ufacturing. "A lot of prodworker's wage. China has ucts that display the beauLauren Roderick tiful stitch work that we. demand come from Asia. A machine'usually isn't doing that stitch work; a woman is. Paying an American worker to do something by hand would price an item outside of mass retail. "So much of it goes back to . our demands as consumers. We want beautiful things, and we want to buy them at Target and we want to spend under twenty dollars. If that's going to happen, it's unlikely that the product can be made in Minnesota." In the end the people who suffer are the factory workers, working 14 hour days making hardly enough to get by. A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune focused on the horrendous health problems that these Chinese workers endure. Many are exposed to hazardous chemicals on a daily basis and are dying because of them. One worker, 39, is dying from being exposed to cadmium while making batteries. These workers are devoid of any sort of health protection at all. These American corporations are claiming it's just business. Are American consumers to blame for continuing to shop at these businesses that manufacture in China, proliferating their success? Are the companies to blame for making no more than a financially economic business decision? Or is the Chinese government at fault for looking the other way while they boast of their economic growth? This is a huge question of ethics. Do we allow our businesses access to China and let their government continue to suppress the Chinese people or do we put our foot down and defend their basic rights even if their government will not? In the community United Way volunteer opportunities their families through the Migrant Head Start proCentro Hispano needs gram to help improve their volunteer office assistance. educational and social expeVolunteers must be bilin- riences. gual and wiil be assisting Volunteers can read with answering and mak- books to children one on ing phone calls, as well as one, teach them the alphaother office duties. Volun- bet, play with them, and teers should have their own assist teachers. For more transportation, commit to information, contact Jose at four hours a week and pass (SOI) 754-0700. a background check. For Learning for Life is a more information, call In- school for character and grid at (801) 655-0258. career development. VolunVolunteer with pre- teers 21 years old or older school age children and are needed to help organize Press Release EJv ' Die Cuts With A View Scrapbook &? Paper Go. Huge Warehouse Sale ( purchase inventory by the pound!) . | 1281 S. 350 E. Provo (East Bay) (two blocks East of Sam's Club) Nov. 9,10,16 &? 17 10:00am-6:00pm Also women's and men's designer clothes, purses, shoes, etc. to support Quelessebouqou Foundation Charity Cash only! No early birds! A3 field trips, outdoor activities, classroom presentations, career fairs, trainings, service projects, and many other operations in conjunction with schools and businesses. Contact Amber at (801) 437-6215 for more information. In cooperation with the Utah State Developmental Center, volunteers can visit residents with physical or mental disabilities to provide friendship and a listening ear for people who need it. Additional activities include making arts and crafts, reading books, playing games, singing, and presenting musical programs and dramas. For more information, contact Sherilyn at (801)763-4008. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is looking for volunteers and will begin holding volunteer trainings in November. Each year the VITA program is available to help middle and low-income families file their income tax returns for GET PAID 96%'c AREER PLA llfww.flyuvsc.com free. Training will be provided for volunteers who wish to prepare taxes. They must pass an online certification and will be trained to help participants take advantage of special tax credits, such as the earned income tax credit. Anyone interested in volunteering or in finding out if they qualify for help should contact Swalberg at (801) 374-2588. For more information on volunteer opportunities in your area, dial 2-1-1. UVSC dance department receives grant Press release The UVSC Department of Dance was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA). The grant was awarded as part of the NEA's American Masterpieces: Dance College Component program, and will support the efforts of dance department faculty members Angela Banchero-Kelleher, Nichole Ortega, and Kim Strunk, UVSC dance faculty and students, and Utah's Repertory Dance Theater's artistic executive director, Linda C. Smith, in reconstructing the important and historical modern dance piece,"Dance for Walt Whitman." "Dance for Walt Whitman" was originally choreographed in 1958 by legendary choreographer Helen Tamiris, and was designed to reflect the American spirit of equality and respect captured in Walt Whitman's poem, "Leaves of Grass." In addition to the learning, re-staging and performing of "Dance for Walt Whitman," there are a variety of panel discussions and community outreach activities planned. UVSC professors from a range of disciplines will lead panel discussions, including Sam Rushforth, Ph.D. and dean of the School of Science and Health College of Sciences who will provide insight into current environmental issues confronting Americans today, and William Cobb, Ph.D. and dean for . the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences who will focus on the use of language and the shaping of an American ideology as it relates to the current Iraq war. "An endorsement such as this, from the most prestigious national arts organization in the country," says UVSC Dance Department Chair Kim Strunk, "is testimony to the compelling scope of the Tamiris/Whitman Project, to the rich history and appreciation of dance in Utah, to UVSC's commitment to the performing arts, and to the _vitality and expertise of dance faculty." The work will be performed at the Utah Regional Ballet's spring concert, as well as Synergy Dance Company's spring concert. The culminating performance of "Dance For Walt Whitman" will be given March 21, 2008 at the University of Utah in celebration of Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters' Centennial Spring Conference. "Dance for Walt Whitman" is choreographed for 23 student dancers and one child, and will be double-cast to meet the demands of the performance schedule and to assure coverage in the case of injury. Auditions will be held November 27 from 5 - 7 p.m. in PE152at UVSC's Orem campus. All UVSC dance students are encouraged to audition. For more information contact the Department of Dance at (801)863-8610 or go to their Web site at www.uvsc.edu/dance |