First came divestment. Then came Earth Day. Now is the time for Syracuse University to have its official apparel made exclusively in the United States.

As reflected by the efforts of student groups and past administrative actions, the university works to remain environmentally and socially conscious when addressing problems locally, nationally and internationally.

However, there is always room for improvement. For SU to only stock apparel that is made in the U.S. in the bookstore is to put the welfare of people and the planet before profits.

The university outsourcing SU apparel contributes to the environmental impacts that occur as a result of having to transport apparel to the U.S. It would be in the best interest of the university to act in a way that supports our Earth by choosing to only stock official SU apparel and university merchandise that is made in the U.S.

In choosing to import our collegiate apparel from foreign countries, SU is condoning the large amounts of energy involved in the transportation of that clothing.

Melissa Cadwell, the marketing manager for the Sustainability Division at SU, said in an email it is important that clothing materials are also sourced in the U.S. because there are less environmental emissions from sourcing, procuring and selling the items in the U.S.
“It is the right thing to do and there are finite resources that we are depleting,” said Cadwell in an email. “If we assume the items are sourced and made in the USA, I would like to believe the university is sending a strong message that it understands the implications of climate change and how the university can be a part of the solution…”

In making the decision to not fiscally support these manufacturers, SU can successfully minimize its global transportation footprint.

Although SU would not be the first college to implement such a policy, it would be one of the pioneering institutions to do so. From hats to hoodies, Harvard University only stocks official university clothing that was made in the U.S. and capitalizes on that fact on its bookstore’s website.

SU has made improvements in the past when it comes to the way SU apparel is produced. After months of student protest in 2000, the university administration agreed to sign onto the Worker Rights’ Consortium, an independent labor rights monitoring organization that works to protect the clothing manufacturing workers whose products are sold in the U.S.

SU was recognized by United Students Against Sweatshops in 2014 for its anti-sweatshop stance after the university enacted a policy requiring all of its licensees producing and sourcing goods in Bangladesh to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in order to ensure safe workplaces.

Although SU purchases its sports apparel from companies that pay fair wages to their employees who work in facilities that meet safety regulations, not all official university items sold in the bookstore are sweatshop free.

The university’s past dedication to the rights and safety of workers is meaningful, but we can take this a step further to grow into a university that is even more environmentally and socially conscientious.

Students should be able to wear SU apparel with pride knowing that the university made the decision to be responsible when it comes to the manufacturing of our clothing.

When factory-produced worker exploitation and pollution allows governments, corporate entities and institutions to decide who deserves clean air, water and basic human rights, Syracuse University must choose to not have a hand in the degradation of individuals and of our Earth.

Alexa Diaz is a freshman magazine journalism major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at adiaz02@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @AlexaLucina.

Published on April 21, 2015 at 11:38 pm