OFTEN this page is used to point out what is wrong in the world, what our school, country or fellow citizens are doing to harm one another. Hopefully we also point out possible solutions to these ills, but those solutions rarely are easy. That's why it's pleasant, for a change, to take notice of two recent instances of the University doing what's right.
This week the University demonstrated its concern for both human rights and the environment in significant ways. The Division of Recoverable and Disposable Resources - U.Va. Recycling - won awards for excellence in recycling, and the University finally sold all of its stock in Unocal Corp., a company with ties to the oppressive Burmese army.
The recycling awards come from the Solid Waste Association of North America. SWANA is awarding U.Va. Recycling two gold medals, the first time any school has earned two gold medals in one year. One award is for waste reduction. The University recycles 44 percent of its waste, well above the state mandated 25 percent.
The second award is for the communication, education and marketing division. This award particularly is significant because it signifies an effort to continue the trend that led to the first award.
The second indication this week of the University's commitment to the world outside its immediate community is the decision to end all investment with Unocal. The University did not explicitly ask Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co., the company handling the University's investment with Unocal, to sell the stock. However, Richard Mayo, who handled the sale, told The Daily Progress that the sale was not unrelated to student protests.
In Sept. 2000, a federal judge found that Unocal knew that forced labor was being used to build a new pipeline. Unocal's association with the military regime in Burma was cause for concern among many students and faculty worried about the role the University might be playing to support a company that does not respect human rights.
The Virginia chapter of the Free Burma Coalition had been protesting the investment for months and Student Council passed several resolutions denouncing the investment. Additionally, six Nobel Peace Prize winners wrote to the University to encourage divestment.
Both the SWANA awards and divestment in Burma are the result of cooperation between students and administration, particularly in the case of recycling, where the dedication of Facilities Management cannot be overlooked. Both also demonstrate the importance of the student voice in decisions and programs that often seem outside of the reach of student involvement.
U.Va. Recycling is honoring student involvement by bringing several student members with them to accept their awards in Baltimore. Students are active in promoting recycling around grounds. The current "Claim Your Can" promotion is organized and run by students. Each house council in first-year dorms has a recycling representative.
In the case of divestment in Unocal, student involvement is ongoing. Student Council was scheduled to meet with the Board of Visitors to discuss Unocal. The meeting will still take place but is now planned as a discussion of guidelines for ethical investment.
The University is to be commended for both divestment and the recycling awards. It's easy to get wrapped up in the college bubble and forget about the world outside of Charlottesville. That's why it's heartening that the University recognizes its impact on the greater world.
The student involvement in these cases is especially exciting. The University, particularly in comparison to rival University of California-Berkeley, is not known for its political activism, but students here can and do impact the administration's actions. It is important for students to continue to involve themselves in social issues, which is what Council is doing by continuing talks with the Board. Greater amounts of student involvement leads to a more vibrant community and a greater and more lasting impact on the University and the greater world.
(Megan Moyer's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at mmoyer@cavalierdaily.com.)
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