""Showcase 2007,"" an event intended to ""show the university's best practices,"" was suddenly interrupted Tuesday by students who wished to showcase what they believed to be one of the university's worst practices.
Twenty members of the Student Labor Action Coalition began protesting during an address given by UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley at ""Showcase 2007"" in the Memorial Union Great Hall.
In the middle of his speech, SLAC members interrupted Wiley with shouts against the university's contract with Adidas, and the unpaid wages of Adidas workers.
Wiley immediately told the protesters this was not their event and asked them to ""please leave.""
The students, however, continued to bombard Wiley with questions.
One SLAC member loudly demanded a comment from the chancellor, to which Wiley responded, ""You're not going to get one.""
Wiley attempted to continue with his address but was once again interrupted by SLAC members who began chanting, ""What's disgusting? Union busting! What's outrageous? Sweatshop wages!""
SLAC members ignored Wiley's repeated requests to leave, distributing flyers to a somewhat stunned audience. Some people accepted the flyers, but others told them to ""quit spreading your crap around"" and to ""get the f*** out of here.""
Security officials pushed students out, and Wiley apologized to the audience for the ""disturbance.""
""Our athletes need to be clothed on the field,"" Wiley said. ""Unfortunately, some clothing is made in sweat shops. We are working with Adidas to improve conditions worldwide, but obviously not as fast as some students would like.""
Wiley then continued with his address, and remaining SLAC members were removed by security.
SLAC members expressed frustration at the chancellor's response.
""He just wants us to go to summer break so we'll forget about the issue for three months,"" said SLAC member Johnny Godlewski, a UW-Madison senior.
Godlewski also said he disagreed with Wiley's response that Adidas was one of the only companies that can meet the university's needs.
""There is always another company that will step in to support the UW logo,"" Godlewski said.
Under the current contract, Adidas provides the university with almost $1 million a year to support UW Athletics.
According to SLAC member and UW-Madison sophomore Jan Van Tol, the university has promised to send an assistant to investigate in El Salvador.
However, ""There was already a planned trip enforced by the Workers Rights Consortium,"" he said. ""The university is just piggy-backing on WRC's work.""
