Section·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Monday, November 22, 1999
Coke money pays for recycling effort
Stephen Andrews, St. Louis senior, empties a recycling bin full of Coca-Cola bottles in Stauffer-Flint Hall. Although Coca-Cola does not use recycled plastic for the bottles, the University has used money from its contract with the company for a recycling program Photo by Jamie Roper/KANSAN
Use of virgin plastic concerns University
By Todd Halstead and
Emily Hughy
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writers
Although Coca-Cola uses virgin plastic to bottle its products, the University of Kansas has instituted a recycling program with money from its contract with the company.
She said the Resource Conservation and Recycling Center was determining how many bottles were recycled or thrown away on campus each day.
Theresa Klinkenberg, University director, said the University was looking for alternatives to the bottling practices employed by Coca-Cola
Victoria Silva, environmental program manager of Resource Conservation and Recycling, said that Coca-Cola provided $100,000 in recycling start-up costs two years ago and that the University allocated $10,000 from the Coca-Cola funds each year for maintenance of the recycling program.
Silva said her organization had more than 100 plastic recycling bins on campus and 50 multiuse bins in addition to two trucks used for transportation of the materials.
Coke's failure to use recycled polyethylene terephthalate has concerned the University.
"We actually talked to Coca-Cola about why they aren't using more recycled contents in their bottles," Klinkenberg said. "We are hoping to get the bottling company in Kansas City, who is party to the contract, to use recycled materials on a local level."
She said the University had approached the Coca-Cola Company of Mid-America, which bottles Coke for the Midwest, about using recycled materials in its local packaging.
Bill Sheehan, coordinator for the national GrassRoots Recycling Network, said the organization was involved in a direct action campaign
against Coca-Cola and supported any effort by the University to promote recycling on campus.
"It would be significant if the University of Kansas could do that," Sheehan said. "If it could be done there, why not elsewhere?"
virgin plastics.
Shannon Martin, coordinator for KU Environs, said the organization was in the process of creating a campaign to inform the public about Coca-Cola's recycling practices and to support reinstituting the company's use of aluminum cans.
Sheehan also said that because Coca-Cola does not use recycled plastic, PET recycling rates have fallen.
Coca-Cola representatives could not be reached for comment.
He said that Coca-Cola did not use recycled plastics because it was more cost efficient to use
Edited by Jennifer Roush
Purple people pick Pepsi as their preferred pop
By Katie Hollar and Lori O'Toole
Lori O'Toole
Kansan staff writers
Kansas State University has become the latest casualty in the cola wars.
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writers
In early November, Kansas State joined the University of Nebraska as the second Big 12 Conference school to contract with PepsiCo Inc.
Jeremy Bodecker, Benton senior, puts his money into a Coke machine in front of the Jayhawk Bookstore at Naismith Drive and Jayhawk Boulevard. Because the Jayhawk Bookstore is not on campus, it offers students a choice between Coke or Pepsi products. Photo by Christine Neff/KANSAN
K-State's contract will bring $2.3 million in general scholarships and a $5 million allocation to the university's Hale Library. Throughout the contract period, Pepsi vending machines will grow in number on the Manhattan campus.
"I'm just waiting until we have purple Pepsi machines everywhere and cans with Powercats on them," said Michael Bonebrake, a Kansas State junior.
Tom Schellhardt, Kansas State associate vice president for administrative finance, said the university began the process of choosing an exclusive product about a year and a half ago. He said Kansas State prepared requests for the proposals last May and approached Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
"Both seemed very interested in the contract," said Schellhardt, who represented Kansas State on the negotiations committee. "We did not
go back to either one, though. They both had the opportunity to submit their best and final offers."
university chose to sign with Pepsi for several reasons, including its positive, longstanding relationship with Marysville's Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., which will serve as
the distributor. He said another factor was the athletic department's existing contract with Pepsi, which expires in 2005.
Schellhardt would not share the specific details of the Coke proposal but said the
Schellhardt said a study
conducted by the university's vending services also showed that based on sales, K-State students preferred Pepsi products, specifically Mountain Dew and Diet Pepsi.
Schellhardt also spoke with other Big 12 Conference universities to see what had worked in their contracts. K-State's contract includes an inflationary clause, guaranteeing that the money the school receives will increase with inflation, a feature most universities' contracts do not have.
"When we considered everything we were interested in, when we looked at the nature of the two philosophies, it just seemed to lean toward Pepsi-Cola." Schellhardt said.
Pat Bosco, dean of students,
said considerations included
sure make that profits from
vending services would not
change and that full-time
vending employees who
worked on campus would not
lose their jobs.
Bonebrake said he was annoyed neither he nor any other students were surveyed for their opinions before the contract. He said he thought K-State administration should have polled the students.
— Edited by Katrina Hull
Company offers aid to children of faculty
By Michael Terry and Mike Miller writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writers
Matthew Adeyanju doesn't drink Coca-Cola products, but his children get a combined $2,000 a year from the multi-million dollar company.
The money is used for his three children, Toyin, a senior majoring in biology; Yemi, a junior majoring in journalism; and Femi, a freshman majoring in engineering. All three attend the University of Kansas. Because the average cost of tuition for instate students to attend the University for one year is about $2,500. Matthew Adeyanju will take any extra financial aid he can get for his children. Most of the scholarship money is used for textbooks and supplies.
For the last two years, Coke has made money available for the University to distribute scholarships ranging from $250 to $1,000 to the sons and daughters of full-time faculty and staff members.
Adeyanju, associate professor
of health, sport and exercise science, said all three of his children had received Coke scholarships for this academic year. He has been a professor for 15 years, but the Coke scholarships were the first aid his family had received from the University.
"All three received a total of $2,000 this year from Coke," Adeyanju said. "I'm pleased that Coke is giving something back to the University
Adeyanju said he knew that some other colleges allow their faculty's dependents to attend school on a full-scholarship, so he was grateful that Coke was able to provide his family with some sort of financial aid.
"It's better than nothing," he said.
Diana Carlin, acting associate provost of academic services, said that to receive the scholarship, students must be incoming freshmen who have never attended another college or university after graduating high school. The students must have scored at least a 24 on the ACT or 1090 on the SAT and have a 2.5 grade point average. They also can qualify with a 21 ACT or 970 SAT and a 3.0 GPA.
Carlin said Theresa Klinkenberg, university director, had the number of students who receive scholarships. Klinkenberg could not be reached for comment.
Though the scholarships are awarded as a one-time $1,000 scholarship, they can be extended and increased based on need and GPA, depending on fund availability.
Students are also ineligible if they are pursuing their second degree. Adevyanjiu's wife, Rachel, attends the KU Med Center and is a graduate student in the school of nursing but isn't eligible for any Coke scholarship money.
- Edited by Brad Hallier
Administrators defend value of Coca-Cola contract
By Chris Bornier and Amanda Kashcule writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writers
Given the University of Kansas' contracts with a major corporation such as Coca-Cola, some students may think the University is a commodity that can be bought and sold to the highest bidder. Still, University administrators say students reap the benefits of the contract.
"All of the things we have with the Coke contract are things we didn't have before," he said. "Maybe it's not a good deal for Pepsi lovers, but the University believes that's a small price to pay."
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs, said much of the money went to student organizations and scholarships.
Ambler said that the University's 10-year contract with Coke, signed in 1997, was worth $20 million — most of which is fed into scholarship programs for National Merit Scholars and the children of University employees. The money also finances developmental workshops such as LeaderShape, he
"The money shifts the values of the University — the priorities don't reflect those of the University, but of the moment and the money," Katzman said. "It risks the integrity and intellectual freedom of the University."
But David Katzman, chairman of the American Studies department, said the contract detracts from the University's educational mission.
said.
Amber also said he understood Katzman's concerns, but said the University took steps to maintain its autonomy.
"If people feel these contracts with Coke or any other business have any undue influence on the University or detracts from its mission, I wouldn't support that, either." Amber said.
However, Katzman said Coke could get away with subtle infringements of the University's autonomy.
"Coke trucks park illegally all the time on campus," he said. "If a student or professor were to do that, they would get nailed with a ticket."
James Kitchen, dean of students,
leads a committee that allocates money
from the Coke contract to student
organizations. He said that committee
"All of the things we have with the Coke contract are things we didn't have before.Maybe it's not a good deal for Pepsi lovers,but the University believes that's a small price to pay."
David Ambler Vice chancellor for student affairs
had allocated about $50,000 in the two years since the contract was signed.
However, student groups have to prove that the money they receive could somehow benefit the entire University community, he said, such as Hawk Week and the Hawk Night alcohol-free events.
Kitchen said the University's relationship with corporations was like a
"There's a give and take," he said,
"We wouldn't be involved if it wasn't for the good of the University, but Coca-Cola wouldn't be involved if it wasn't a profit-making venture. But if it helps provide for things that students need, I'm all for it."
double-edged sword.
Edited by Jennifer Roush