Members of the NIU Students Against Sweatshops marched into the Campus Life Building on Wednesday afternoon to protest Career Planning and Placement’s contract with Cintas, a large public uniform company.

Students dressed in black business suits and masks with printed bar codes stomped through the King Memorial Commons into the Campus Life Building lobby. The “corporate zombies,” as they called themselves, proceeded to robotically stomp around in a circle while pretending to answer cell phones and look at their watches from time to time.

“We’re doing this protest at Mr. Short because it’s absolutely his responsibility to end their [CPP] relationship with Cintas,” said Zach Lutz, secretary of SAS.

Rosemary Feurer, faculty adviser of SAS, wore a box over her head with a picture of Jean Callary, assistant director of campus recruiting, which included Callary’s phone number and job title.

Anthony Sigismondi, a history graduate student, wore a box over his head with a picture of Ron Short, director of CPP, which also included Short’s job title and phone number. Feurer and Sigismondi, as well as other members of SAS, wore the boxes and read statements like “Don’t be a leader, be a sheep like me. NIU must remain a neutral party. Ethics is not our responsibility.” Some of the statements were claimed to be from Callary and Short.

The corporate zombies, Feurer and other members of SAS, walked to the second floor of the Campus Life Building and proceeded to protest in front of the Career Planning and Placement Office. There, the zombies and members of SAS stomped around in continuation of their protest as workers in the building stood outside their offices to look at what was going on.

“Don’t be exploited … exploit others,” they chanted.

Members of SAS said they presented Short with a non-renewal letter that called for CPP to sever its contract with Cintas. In the letter, Lutz said SAS provided Short with evidence of the company’s unethical practices.

Ron Short stayed in his office for the most part while the protesters marched in front of his office.

“They have a right to do it,” Short said of the protesters.

Short has said in a previous interview that Cintas has not been in violation of its agreement and therefore he wouldn’t sign the letters from SAS calling for CPP to end its contract with Cintas.

SAS presented evidence of sweatshops and prejudice at Cintas. Despite these claims, the company was named one of the best big companies in the world by Forbes Magazine.

“I’ve essentially told them that I wasn’t gonna [sign],” Short said. “I understand what they [the protesters] are trying to do.”

Larry Bolles, director of the NIU Judicial Office, whose office is located on the second floor of the Campus Life Building, came out of his office after he said he received complaints about the protesters from workers in the building. Bolles asked the protesters to step outside to continue their protest.

It’s legal if they stand outside of the building; there they wouldn’t be disrupting the workplace, Bolles said.

“I hate to see them get arrested but there are rules of time, place and manner,” Bolles said. “What they’re doing is inappropriate.”

University Police were called in, but the protesters didn’t leave until Bolles said he would suspend them if they didn’t step outside. The protesters then went to the NIU Students’ Legal Assistance and Ombudsman offices to get clarification as to what their rights were.

“The free speech area is in the King Commons,” Bolles said. “But, I was very lenient. I said they could go outside the building [Campus Life Building] and protest.”

University Police Lt. Matt Kiederlen, who was one of the officers at Campus Life Building, said the law states that “when individuals are asked by a university authority to leave an area because they are disrupting or impeding the good function of the university, they do violate the criminal trespass to state supported property.”

Bolles and UP wanted arrests to be a last resort.

“Could they be arrested? Yes,” Kiederlen said. “Our philosophy is that we would much rather allow them their say in a manner that’s both conducive to both the university and the students in lieu of any arrest or enforcement type action.”

Bolles said he himself, as well as the university, encourages protesting, but protesters can’t walk into a math class or the president’s office because there are time, place and manner restrictions.

Earlier this semester, the same protesters stood outside the CPP job fair to protest Cintas’ presence at the fair.

Members of SAS said they plan to continue the campaign against Cintas until the end of the semester and if they have to, into next semester.