Corporation refused campus interview space
by Tim Anderson
After several complaints from UNL
students, the Student Union and Love
Library have decided to grant no more
room space to one corporation
interviewing students.
According to UNL Ombudsman
James Suter, the Union and the library
officials wilt no longer grant rooms for
interviewing to the Southwestern
Company of Nashville, Term., a
subsidiary of the Times-Minor.
Ths company, according to Suter,
has been interviewing students this
spring for summer employment, selling
;!' Tous books door-to-door.
The complaints from students
interviewed alleged that Southwestern
personnel were using a hard pressure
pitch, which at times became insulting
to students.
For examp e, Suter said one
comprint was that when a student
would ask a negative question
concerning the company or their
program, the interviewer would
sharply teii him he was not the type of
person needed for the job. He then
would be asked to leave.
. 'They (Southwestern Company)
might have research to prove that this
is good business practice, weeding out
, these people," Suter said. "But they
are not going to do it on this campus.
"The University is not forced to let
corporations interview on campus.
These people were being given this
piivileg?," Suter said.
"We're just not going to let anyone
come in here and insult our students -at
least not on campus."
Suter said another major compiaint
was the contract. An advertisement
has been run in the Lincoln Journal
and Lincoln Star newspaper under the
heading, "guaranteed salary," but
ujLdn, carefully reading the contract,
onV finds' that this is not necessarily
the case.
The contract states: "In
consideration of buying the
. (Southwester n) , Company's books at
vAHjKitflMftd for other good
(and valuable consideration which is
; acknowledged, Dealer agrees:
1. To operate in his own way,
within his designated territory, in
selling Ixoks published by Company.
2 . To study sa I es
furnished by Company.
literature
3. To mail a complete report to
Company at the end of each week so
that Company may anticipate future
orders.
4. To furnish a satisfactory Letter of
Credit to the Company or pay cash.
5. To remit weekly to Company
during the selling season and daily
during the delivery period all money
colfected by Dealer from the sale of
- ,
books, except necessary business
expenses, to the extent necessary to
pay Dealer's account with Company.
Books sold by Dealer are to be
delivered by Dealer to Dealer's
customers and collected for by
Dealer."
"When the student signs this
contract, it seems that all he is doing is
buying books," Suter said. Later in the
contract it is agreed that "Dealer is not
an employee or agent of Company."
The Company's brochure says "all
you need is enough money to get to
Nashville, spend a week there, and
then get to your territory." This,
according to the brochure, usually
amounts to S50-S75.
In Nashville, the employes are given
a week of intensive sales training. Then
the sales manager and the employee
come to a "mutual agreement" on a
territory in which to sell books.
The brochure says "it will be to
your advantage to work away from
your home state, because you will be
able to concentrate 100 per cent on
your work."
Each week during the summer the
employe sells his books, takes out
enough money for expenses, then
sends the rest to Nashville. At the end
of the summer, he receives a check for
the credit balance of his account.
"The kids are responsible for
seeling their books and for collecting
from people," Suter said, "and there's
nothing wrong with that. Sales have
always meant a lot to this country.
"What I don't like is that it looks
like this company is operating in a
somewhat deceptive manner. They are
advertising the job as one with a
guaranteed salary, but the contract
only entitles the kid to buying books.
That's no job."
"If corporations seem to be more
concerned with benefits for themselves
and their company than they are with
the students, then we'll tell them to
get out That's what this looked like
and that's the action we took," Suter
said.
However, Suter said, he is sure that
Southwestern is a legitimate business,
it's "just that some of their
recruitment policies seem to be
deceitful."
"These people seem to have been
acting improperly and rudely," Suter
said. "It does not behoove the
University to allow private
corporations to come in here and
insult students."
Ken Eidson, one of Southwestern's
interviewers in Lincoln, said that
although the contract does require the
employe to buy books, no definite
number of books or definite amount is
established there.
He said the advertisement in the
Lincoln papers had been listed in the
guaranteed salary column by mistake
and that a correction was to be printed
in the papers. He said he was not
familiar with the Lincoln papers'
requirements concerning the
advertising and naa mererure
mistakenly forgotten to inform them
that the salary was on a commission
basis.
Edison said he has hired between
15 and 20 UNL students. Last
summer, he said, the average student
working for Southwestern made $780
a month and that approximately 7,400
students worked for the company.
GS
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2435 N.33
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-- - .-
short
stuff
Chemistry seminar
A Chemistry Department
seminar is featuring Gilbert
Stork from the Department of
Chemistry at Columbia
University at 3:30 p.m. Friday
in 1 10 Hamilton Hall.
Interim flights
Interim charter flights to
Europe with credit courses are
being offered for UN L students
and staff members next
December and January.
Interested students should
register with the Overseas
Opportunities Center, 205
Nebraska Union, so they wil
receive more information
about the flight when it
becomes available.
doily
nebroskon
. EdSor-ir Chief : Tom Lunjvvorth. Managing Editor: Cheryl Wottcott.
Ne.vs fcfJitor. Mj(.hjl (O.J.) Nelson.
!jt i" a ton Tim Anderson, Peter Anderson, Steve Arvanctto, H.J
Ci.m"i."i Km Kifk, Dave Madsen, Denn it Onnen, Jane Cruris, Hobin
''liv b.i'o Schwieder. Nancy Stohs, Ruth Ulrich, Mary Voboril, Adella
K. Wacker, ntertamme nt writers. Bart Backer, Carolyn Hull, Lorry
Kuiurt Photographer: Don Ladely Sports writer', Kim Ball, Andy
R.ggs, Newt Assistant Mary Holdt. Copy Editors Handy Bmm, Chris
Harper, Bob Snan.ihan, Nancy Wilt Dispatch: Larry Grill. Staff Artist:
Greg Scott. Columnist: John Vihstadt. Bob Russell, Shelly Kalkowski.
Business Coordinator: Jerri Haussler, Advertising Manager: Bill
Carver Receptionist: Kathy Cook. Advertising representatives: Jerr
Ail,)'i Tern Adrian, Robert Hood, Vicki Bagrowski, Larry Swanon,
Mitch Mohanna, Craig McWilhamt. Advertising artist: Sarah Start.
Subscriptions John McNeil. Circulation Staff Jim Sheridan, Charlie
Johnson Jim H.ihherfi
Copyright 1973 The Daily Nobraskan. Material may bo reprintec.
Without permission if attributed to the Daily Nebraskan, excepting
material covered by another copy r ight
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daily nebraskan
friday, may 4, 1973
