A recent statewide law, called the Minority and Female Business Enterprise Act, will require NIU to make at least 10 percent of all its purchases from minority and female-owned businesses.

Although the law was first enacted in Illinois in November 1987, NIU will have to fully adopt the act by June 30, 1990. It will force the university to place orders with new vendors to comply with the law.

NIU Purchasing Director Don Widick said, “NIU materials management (purchasing) will continue to work with departments to obtain items requested. No businesses will be replaced, there will just be additions made.”

Widick said nothing is concrete, and there are no specific vendors at this point that the university will approach.

NIU junior Nicole Ertas said, “It’s ridiculous. I don’t see how they can keep a high level of quality if importance is placed on (the color or sex) of the business for that purpose alone.”

NIU senior Bruce Tuftie said minorities deserve the same chance as everyone else, but many students, workers and businesses continue to be penalized simply because they are not a part of minorities. “I think it’s reverse discrimination. If those minority businesses can stay competetive with the rest of the relative environment, then fine, but it should not be a forced issue.”

NIU junior John Kobald sees the new law as an alarming trend. “We should not be forced to patronize businesses on the basis of their owners’ nationalities. If these businesses run on an equal or higher level with their competition, they will get customers anyway.”