Sitting in with a leader

Randy Metcalf Arizona Daily Wildcat Students Against Sweatshops spokesperson Avery Kolers (right) rallies protesters last week. Kolers, a UA graduate student in philosophy, said that they will not vacate the Administration Building's seventh floor until President Peter Likins concedes.

Avery Kolers, an SAS spokesman and University of Arizona graduate student studying philosophy, said protesters will remain stationed in the Administration Building until UA President Peter Likins agrees to their labor rights resolution.

"It would have been insane if I had not thought about it (giving up)," he said. "We run the gambit of emotions here."

Although the protest has gone on for more than six days, Kolers remains undaunted - focusing on overseas workers who suffer alleged abuses while manufacturing UA-licensed apparel.

"I think that SAS is a place where student activism was actually going to make a difference," Kolers said. "We (SAS) have nothing to gain from this sit-in. We are doing this for the human beings that suffer everyday."

Kolers, 26, received a dock in his pay for missing the class he teaches last week.

"I've probably gotten nothing done in the last three months," he said. "I have a pile of papers to grade."

The sit-in has also taken a physical and emotional toll on Kolers.

"This has ruptured the routine of daily college life," he said. "But it is thrilling in a sense, so I don't experience it as hard."

Kolers said he has been politically active for many years, tackling many causes that involve social justice.

"I was quite active in high school, but in the college I attended there were people always doing things," he said. "The University of Arizona needs more activism."

Although Kolers has not been involved with Students Against Sweatshops for very long, he has emerged as a leader of the activist group.

"I originally got involved with SAS because of the (UA's) Nike contract, but I have deeply involved since August," he said

Although Kolers and supporters started out spending all their time in the office, they have found ways around the daily grind.

"Until yesterday I was here all day, everyday," Kolers said. "Now we work in shifts, but I don't think we have to worry about enough people coming."

The activists are aided by SAS' national chapter, and their protest has stretched longer than any of the organization's prior sit-ins.

"This is a national movement with a commitment to human rights and a connection to the lives of human beings that we can bring universities' power to," Kolers said. "We live in a country and world with injustices of the most basic sort perpetuating the status quo."

SAS members first tried non-confrontational methods of getting their message to Likins.

"It (the sit-in) has been in the works for a long time, but we tried the usual channels, fruitlessly," Kolers said. "Sit-ins have worked everywhere they have been tried."

The supporters message has flowed out of Tucson and across the nation.

"We provide updates and we have the national support of people calling President Likins' office," Kolers said.

The protesters have gained the support of the Arizona Education Association, with over 30,000 members, the Labor Party of Pima County, the Scholars, Artists and Writers for Social Justice, renowned MIT linguistics professor Noam Chomsky and 31 UA faculty and staff members.

The Southern Arizona People's Law Center is providing their law counsel free of charge to the protesters.

"We are grateful for all of the support we have received," Kolers said.

The group is also receiving food donations from the Food Conspiracy Co-op and other Tucson eateries.

Kolers also credits his family and friends for helping him through the sit-in.

"My girlfriend is very strong and she has been very supportive," he said. "Without her I think I would have cracked."

Other SAS members are pleased with the way that Kolers has handled the proceedings.

"I think he's a great person that is very receptive to others," said Lydia Lester, a linguistics sophomore. "He has done a great jobs handling things with a positive attitude."