By By Kaitlin Andorfer

The red and white Coca-Cola logo that has long graced the University’s dining halls, vending machines and scoreboards, will now be accompanied by other brands such as Pepsi, Snapple, Gatorade, Red Bull, Poland Spring and Tropican

After much pressure from students and faculty, the University decided this summer not to renew the much-debated exclusive contract with Coca-Cola.

Instead, the University has entered into non-exclusive beverage agreements with Lackman Culinary Services and Vendlink.

The decision was finalized this summer by University President Stuart Rabinowitz in response to the Coca-Cola referendum on the Student Government Association’s last election ballot, which received 506 student votes.

There were only 172 votes against ending the exclusive contract.

Because of the University’s decision to end the 10-year agreement with Coca-Cola, students now have a wider variety of drinks to choose from at mealtime.

But for those against contract renewal, problems run far deeper than just an increase in beverage choice.

Most critics of the contract said the soft drink company’s human rights practices leave a bad taste in their mouths.

Students Against Injustice (SAI) has opposed the contract for the past three years.

SAI met with Rabinowitz on four separate occasions, conducting overnight sit-ins and collecting more than 1,000 signatures for a petition.

In February, SAI members met with Rabinowitz, along with several other members of the administration, to discuss the group’s 57-page portfolio entitled “The Truth About Coca-Cola: What kind of Company Represents Hofstra.”

SAI, as well as members of the faculty, asserted that Coca-Cola uses sugar harvested in El Salvador by children whose health suffers from dangerous working conditions.

They also said the company continues to torture and threaten union workers at Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia.

In India, the company has been accused of distributing toxic waste as fertilizer and selling soft drinks with high levels of pesticides in India.

“I’m very pleased that our University will no longer contractually favor a corporation that profits from the murdering of labor leaders, the use of child labor and the sale of beverages containing toxic chemicals,” Gregory Maney, professor of sociology, said.

“I applaud all of the students who have worked tirelessly to ensure that Hofstra does not turn a blind eye to injustice no matter where in the world it occurs. Once again, students have been a powerful force for positive social change.”

The campaign at the University is only part of a large, growing movement that has spread to colleges and universities nationwide to hold the Coca-Cola Company accountable for their alleged offenses in India and Colombia.

According to the India Resource Center at the University of Michigan, a student coalition representing more than 5,000 students has challenged the school’s contract with the company, contending Coca-Cola violates codes of conduct and humanity.

Recently, New York University’s Committee on Student Life voted to recommend a campus-wide ban on the sale of Coca-Cola products.

“Not only does not renewing the contract allow students to have choice, it also puts direct pressure on Coca-Cola,” Vanessa Cudabac, a leading member of SAI, said.

Cudabac said the only way the company will cooperate is if they sense the campaign is growing too strong, especially at universities. So far tha campaign has cost the company millions, she added.

Coca-Cola, however, repeatedly denied charges of inhumane practices.

According to statements released by the company, they firmly oppose the use of child labor and have incorporated that into their guidelines: “Commercial agreements with direct suppliers require compliance with child labor laws under the Supplier Guiding Principles Program.”

The company also acknowledged that although they do not support or condone child labor, it is a problem on family-owned farm cooperatives in El Salvador.

The company said in an effort to help address this problem in the sugar industry, local sugar associations have increased monitoring, enforcement and education of parents and communities and provided expanded educational opportunities for rural children.

“Hopefully subsequent institutional contract and investment decisions will similarly encourage multi-national corporations to pay more than lip service to international human rights norms,” Maney said.

The University will continue to sell 20 percent of Coca-Cola products on campus.

“We were fortunate to have enjoyed a close relationship with Hofstra for 10 years,” Harriet Tolve, local Coca-Cola sales representative, said. “We hope we will continue to sell our products on campus in the future as well.”