Walk in to the bookstore next year and you won't see a single Nike swoosh on a sweatshirt for sale. Walk onto the soccer field, basketball gym, or any other athletic arena however, and expect to be surrounded by Seattle University athletes rocking the emblem.
As Seattle University's Athletic Department moves from Division II to Division I, varsity athletes from every sport will continue to wear Nike athletic apparel in competition. While sports information director Jason Behenna expects to see an increase in the amount of Nike merchandise the university will purchase to accommodate the growing number of student-athletes, he does not foresee any switch in suppliers.
"We decided to go with Nike a long time ago because it's a brand with a good reputation," Behenna said.
Nike is the world's leading shoe company and an internationally recognized industry leader in sports apparel. Goods bearing the famous swoosh are manufactured and packaged all over the world, however, most of the company's production plants are located in Southeast Asia. These sites have long been the target of "sweat-free" campaigns-advocacy that is directed at ending sweatshop labor, raising wages of factory workers in the Third World and improving working conditions on manufacturing sites.
According to Global Exchange.org, an organization dedicated to educating the public about sweatshops in the Third World, in the past decade Nike has indeed made some strides towards instituting "sweat-free" practices. In the spring of 1998 they began to allow independent monitoring of their factories in Vietnam and improved their ventilation systems to prevent harmful toxins from lingering in the manufacturng areas where employees work.
Still, Nike is not a certified "sweat-free" company. Nike officials in Southeast Asia have been indicted for abusing workers and Global Exchange.org is continuing their campaign against the mega-corporation.
In 2004, a committee of faculty and students was established at Seattle University to help promote a "sweat-free" campus and provide education about sweatshops. The committee holds open meetings and encourages every department to purchase apparel and other merchandise from suppliers that meet or exceed "sweat-free" standards.
The committee as a whole holds mixed feelings about the Nike apparel on campus.
"In the past the sense was that we wanted to use our leverage on Nike for change rather than just cutting ties," says professor of theology Gary Chaimberlain, a member of the committee.
"To some extent because of all the pressure on Nike, they have made some changes." Presently the bookstore does not sell Nike clothing. "All of the vendors the Seattle University bookstore uses are certified sweatshop free," said Bob Spencer, the bookstore manager. Instead, the bookstore buys from major vendors Champion, Jansport and MV Sport to stock their shelves.
The recreational sports department also utilizes a wide range of brands to outfit their athletes. According to Matt Shaw, intramural sports and sports club coordinator, team captains and coaches are free to purchase merchandise from whatever company best suits their athletes.
While the Nike swoosh may be a controversial icon to some, it is here to stay on Seattle University's varsity jerseys indefinitely. The future is sure to hold many discussions over the little swoosh.
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