SU proposes Coca-Cola ban....again

lightbulbs · 09-12-2013 05:47PM #1

The Student Union is proposing a ban on Coca-Cola products on campus for the duration of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia (Feb 7th - 23rd) due to attacks on gays in there. Coca-Cola is a sponsor of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

I bet Putin is shaking in his boots. Students in one Irish university will have to make do with Pepsi for the whole 2 weeks of the Winter Olympics. If they fancy a coke they will have to walk 40 seconds outside the side gate to go to Spar. Such an inconvenience!

This isn't the first time the SU has banned Coca-Cola on campus. A few years ago they implemented a ban as a protest of the company's treatment of workers in South America. It was later recalled due to popular demand of the students, much to the embarrassment of the SU. It doubt Coca-Cola even noticed.

Is it just me or do these bans seem futile? Why don't the SU focus on practical issues like fixing the printers instead of trying to save the world?

Interferon Gamma · 09-12-2013 06:03PM

This is why I'm relieved that I wasn't in college during the boom years, it appeared the SU had nothing else to do back then. As annoying as promoting the almost annual post-budget protest was, you could at least argue it was in students' interest.

This is, like all SU bans before it, is just an exercise in pointlessness.

TheBandicoot · 09-12-2013 06:07PM

Pepsi Max > any variant of Coke. Don't even try to deny it, you can't.

Hande hoche! · 09-12-2013 06:29PM

Weren't they giving scratch cards with a purchase of a coke bottle last week?

the_syco · 09-12-2013 07:00PM

lightbulbs wrote: »

This isn't the first time the SU has banned Coca-Cola on campus. A few years ago they implemented a ban as a protest of the company's treatment of workers in South America. It was later recalled due to popular demand of the students, much to the embarrassment of the SU. It doubt Coca-Cola even noticed.

Pointless crap; when was the last time they boycotted Nestle?

It seems that Coca Cola is the only corporate evil do'er that they like to boycott.

SureYWouldntYa · 09-12-2013 08:10PM

TheBandicoot wrote: »

Pepsi Max > any variant of Coke. Don't even try to deny it, you can't.

Don't try and kid yourself

MrPain · 09-12-2013 08:27PM

While it does littl eto impact coke, it does raise awareness of the issue of antigay policies in russia. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing.

bscm · 09-12-2013 09:29PM

MrPain wrote: »

While it does littl eto impact coke, it does raise awareness of the issue of antigay policies in russia. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing.

There are other more effective ways of raising awareness for this cause though.

The ban would just reduce the SU shops' income. If people have to go off campus for a can/bottle of coke, then they'll pick up their sandwich/snacks from Spar/Centra/Tesco instead of going back to the SU shop.

09-12-2013 09:47PM

lightbulbs wrote: »

This isn't the first time the SU has banned Coca-Cola on campus. A few years ago they implemented a ban as a protest of the company's treatment of workers in South America. It was later recalled due to popular demand of the students, much to the embarrassment of the SU. It doubt Coca-Cola even noticed.

Is it just me or do these bans seem futile? Why don't the SU focus on practical issues like fixing the printers instead of trying to save the world?

To clarify your points, you realise that students voted to ban Coke before, and then students voted to remove the ban? It wasn't some decision made by individuals involved in the SU inflicted upon all students. Instead some students proposed a referendum, enough students voted to ban it. It really was as simple as it sounds.

lightbulbs · 09-12-2013 11:04PM

For the sake of full disclosure, it should be noted that poster Dónal is a former education officer of the TCD Students Union (2006 I believe?) and therefore his knee jerk defense of all SU proposals should be taken with a rather large pinch of salt.

The SU council will tomorrow decide whether or not to implement the latest ban. The students have zero input into the decision.

Anita Blow · 09-12-2013 11:07PM

Students do have input, through their elected class reps. That's the way representative democracy works

Eoin247 · 09-12-2013 11:32PM

Could the potentially lost money in the SU shops from this thing be used instead to fix the broken standing computers and printers?

This is just going to annoy some students and coca cola wont even take notice. As for raising awareness, if people don't know about the anti-gay winter games controversy at this stage they either live under a rock and thus dont go to trinity or they are extremely ignorant and something like this would just go over their head anyway.

09-12-2013 11:33PM

lightbulbs wrote: »

For the sake of full disclosure, it should be noted that poster Dónal is a former education officer of the TCD Students Union (2006 I believe?)

Indeed, that is me. Not that that has anything to do with clarification raised in my post.

And for the sake of full disclosure, what is your background?

partyatmygaff · 09-12-2013 11:38PM

I wonder what would happen if the SU didn't waste so much time and energy on these pointless little campaigns and endless posturing on social issues and just focused on the problems faced by Trinity students.

the_syco · 09-12-2013 11:42PM

lightbulbs wrote: »

For the sake of full disclosure, it should be noted that poster Dónal is a former education officer of the TCD Students Union (2006 I believe?) and therefore his knee jerk defense of all SU proposals should be taken with a rather large pinch of salt.

Full disclose? Are you bullsh|tting me? I wonder if mister 2 post poster with a knowledge of the goings on of TCD ever logs onto his other account with the same machine? Duplicate accounts get banned for less :pac:

andrew · 10-12-2013 12:05AM

The students union is basically a society for people who are interested in politics, which every student is forced to join upon entering college. Not everyone is interested in this society, so not everyone gets involved.The problem is, the society gets to make policy which affects students as a whole, like banning Coke, or taking a position which they claim is representative of all students. Votes are taken in order to give the policies some veneer of legitimacy, but turnouts show that the majority of people don't care, wouldn't join the society if presented with the option during freshers week; and shouldn't have to care if they don't want to. So you end up with a situation in which students can't buy Coke in the student shop because a society they aren't interested in proposed a policy they don't care about and then made it incumbent upon them to deal with an issue they shouldn't have to engage with if they don't want to. How about the students union *gasp* let people make the decision, for themselves, as to whether they want to purchase Coke?

10-12-2013 12:23AM

Interestingly, the full sponsor list of the Winter 2014 games are here: http://www.sochi2014.com/en/team/partners/

I'd imagine there are some P&G products in the SU shops too?

Superbus · 10-12-2013 05:39PM

I have a Samsung phone... does that mean I can't bring it onto campus in February?

10-12-2013 06:55PM

Superbus wrote: »

I have a Samsung phone... does that mean I can't bring it onto campus in February?

Is it made in Russia?

Amirani · 10-12-2013 08:46PM

Motion was passed. Coca-Cola and P&G products banned from SU shops.

10-12-2013 09:20PM

Silly motion gets passed. Ah well.

partyatmygaff · 10-12-2013 09:21PM

I wish the SU would think before they act.

Will this stop Trinity students and staff from buying P&G and Coca-Cola products?
Most probably not.

Will this annoy/inconvenience people and shift revenue to vending machines and other nearby shops?
Yes

What has the SU achieved?
The SU gains nothing but a loss in revenue. I suppose whoever supported this campaign might feel as if they've achieved something but it's the outcome of your efforts and not merely your efforts that actually matter.

the_syco · 11-12-2013 12:44AM

partyatmygaff wrote: »

What has the SU achieved?

Short-term boost to local retail. You goto the shop to buy a coke, and I dare say you'll also buy something else. People will change their entire route to get their morning can, so in the long term shops on-campus will suffer a loss of footfall.

Superbus · 11-12-2013 01:00AM

Dónal wrote: »

Is it made in Russia?

Samsung are a global partner of Winter Olympics akin to Coke according to the link above. If the problem is that Coke is made in Russia then obviously it's a different situation but that would be news to me.

stealinhorses · 11-12-2013 12:31PM

coke should be banned from campus anyway, why do people drink that sh*t

enda1 · 11-12-2013 01:25PM

It should be mandatory that SU candidates have to state their views on product bans such as this in their manifesto so that the sane student body can avoid voting for them. Politics by the back door, hippie nonsense.

Amirani · 11-12-2013 02:43PM

stealinhorses wrote: »

coke should be banned from campus anyway, why do people drink that sh*t

Because they want to.

Grimebox · 11-12-2013 09:00PM

What P&G products will be banned?

Bears and Vodka · 11-12-2013 10:17PM

Grimebox wrote: »

What P&G products will be banned?

All P&G products SU outlets may have. Doesn't the SU Shop have some personal hygiene stuff? A lot of that is P&G.

cbreeze · 13-12-2013 01:40AM

Superbus wrote: »

Samsung are a global partner of Winter Olympics akin to Coke according to the link above. If the problem is that Coke is made in Russia then obviously it's a different situation but that would be news to me.

Will they go through the collection barrel for old mobiles outside the SU shop and ceremoniously march all the old samsung phones out through front gate under the big SU banner and trash them in the middle of college green?

yournerd · 13-12-2013 02:05AM

partyatmygaff wrote: »

I wonder what would happen if the SU didn't waste so much time and energy on these pointless little campaigns and endless posturing on social issues and just focused on the problems faced by Trinity students.

exactly.

SU proposes Coca-Cola ban....again

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