Author Archive

Why IC Dining Service workers remain quiet after Sodexo’s revised media policy By Alyssa Figueroa While flipping through an employee handbook, it is not unusual to find a media policy outlining the employee do’s and don’ts of speaking with the news media. Many institutions, including companies like Sodexo, a multinational corporation to which Ithaca College [...]

Tracking the protests against Sodexo on the Ithaca College campus.

The lack of anti-war coverage in the mainstream media By Alyssa Figueroa In February 2003, while more than 10 million people worldwide participated in United for Peace & Justice’s coordination of “The World Says No to War” demonstrations, the “Save Martha” campaign to save Martha Stewart from going to jail received more coverage on CNN, Fox News [...]

Instead of a contract, IC dining workers have broken promises By Alyssa Figueroa At the start of their employment, Ithaca College dining service workers are required to sign something that means nothing. After receiving and reading their “Sodexo Employee Handbook Addendum,” the workers sign the last page, which states that the handbook “is not a [...]

On Wednesday, April 9, 2010, Naomi Klein, distinguished journalist and author of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism and No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies and co-producer of the documentary The Take, came to Ithaca College’s campus.  A few students attended a Q&A session with Klein and hundreds of people came [...]

How the company that supplies IC’s food treats its workers. By Alyssa Figueroa It is a multinational corporation raking in billions of dollars but paying workers an annual salary below the living wage. It once had a handbook for managers on how to fight unions in the workplace. It also made an appearance in the [...]

Getting a driver’s license in the U.S. and abroad By Alyssa Figueroa Sophomore Cherrie Rhodes from Japan said it “never even occurred to [her] to get [her] driver’s license.”  After all, it costs over $4,200 to get one, and since Japan has no permit period, many drivers often have to take the test about five [...]

Health care amendment excludes abortion coverage By Alyssa Figueroa One may not initially consider the hidden consequences of the “abortion bans” included in the health care bill recently passed by the House. At first glance the idea of universal health care sounds wholly inclusive. After all, those who cannot afford health care, mostly people from [...]

Working hard in life is good for you. Working so hard you miss out on happiness…arguably not so good for you.

Dining halls’ initiatives aim for food conservations By Alyssa Figueroa Ithaca College Dining Services has decided to go trayless and portion popular foods in certain dining halls in an aim to be more sustainable. On Oct. 22, 2008, Campus Sustainability Day, Towers Dining Hall tested out trayless dining. After a successful test run they officially [...]