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Coke drinkers on campus now have to go on a scavenger hunt to find the drink. No longer found in Tiger’s Grocery, Coke products have been usurped by PepsiCo drinks. To those students who prefer Coke over Pepsi, this change came as quite a surprise. Even ASUOP had no prior warning about the contract University of the Pacific signed with Pepsi Bottling Company.
“We did not know it even existed until it was a done deal,” said ASUOP President Adam Ellison. “The Associated Students was made aware of this contract during the early parts of summer.”
Though ASUOP knew a contract would be signed, they did not anticipate having student-run Tiger’s Grocery included in the Pepsi deal.
“We understand that these types of contracts are quite normal for universities to engage in, and as a result, are nothing new to Pacific,” Ellison said. “What was new this time was the fact that ASUOP Tiger’s Grocery was included in the contract, which means that the Pepsi contract then dictated to ASUOP what products we could or could not sell.” The contract in question was finalized in March with the impression that ASUOP was in full agreement. No explicit approval was granted by the student organization, Ellison said.
On September 18, the ASUOP Senate voted on a resolution, ASUOP Senate Resolution 2006-2007:01, condemning the University of the Pacific and calling for involvement in all future decisions regarding students.
Eight Senators voted for the resolution with one abstention. “ASUOP’s concern was simply that students were not contacted regarding the contract on any level,” Ellison said, explaining the actions ASUOP has taken since then.
ASUOP sent a memorandum along with the resolution to President Donald DeRosa and Vice Presidents Elizabeth Griego and Patrick Cavanaugh. The resolution states that “the Associated Students of the University of the Pacific strongly condemn the decision to engage in such a contract directly affecting students’ interests without properly notifying students or acquiring their approval.” It also calls upon the university to involve students and receive consultation on any future decision.
Student life vice-president Elizabeth Griego, who joined the university several months ago, responded to the memo on October 20. Griego was not with the university in March when the contract was agreed on. Julie Sina was the vice-president of student life at the time and helped craft the contract.
“We want you to know that we agree with both the intent and the spirit of your request and resolution,” Griego wrote in the reply. “We promise that whenever feasible and reasonable, ASUOP input and consultation shall be sought in the future.”
Griego then listed some of the terms of the contract. The ten-year contract with Pepsi would have the corporation paying $150,000 to go towards the University Center. Pepsi would also pay $290,000 to athletics annually and $25,000 to help install card readers in vending machines. The total of the agreement, Griego wrote, would exceed one million dollars for the duration of the contract.
For Student Life, Griego stated that the money provided would help fund the ASUOP Welcome Weekend, which in past years has been largely unfunded except by housing and dining services. Pepsi products including tshirts and drinks would be provided at most campus events for the entire ten years.
“While the amount of support from the contract is clearly quite lucrative, and will benefit students directly, your point about proper consultation with the Associated Students remains undiminished and well taken,” Griego said, concluding the memo.
Griego met with ASUOP October 30 to answer questions from students and assure them that the university will gather student input in future decisions. She mentioned that student input was a factor with the university center. Student comments changed some aspects of the design.
The fact remains that other popular Coke products are absent from campus, Ellison said.
“Many very popular and high grossing products within the store, a vast majority of which are not Pepsi-owned, became unavailable at high student demand,” ASUOP wrote in its memo to the university.
“We decided to act because it is our responsibility to make sure that students are put at the forefront of all university decisions that have a direct effect on students,” Ellison said. “The fact that we were not notified or consulted showed us a lack of student-centeredness.”
Ellison thinks that even though the university cannot legally change anything with the contract, future decisions will contain more a dialogue between the university and students. Griego, through her memo, appeared willing to work with students and listen to concerns.
“It is essential to have students elected to represent the student voice,” Griego said, “and this Associated Students group under the leadership of Adam Ellison and (ASUOP Vice President) Josh Foster, and a very active Senate, is doing a tremendous job for their fellow students.”
Griego usually attends the ASUOP meetings.
ASUOP invites students to attend Senate meetings Mondays at 5:00 pm in the Pine Room in the McCaffrey Center. There, board members will be able to talk with students about concerns and potential problems.
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