 "Photo: Travis Turner")
 "Photo: Travis Turner")
Ghandi once said, “There is enough water for human need, but not for human greed.” On Monday, geography senior Maxwell Unger and his alter ego Captain Reducer spoke on the quad about the wrongdoings of the bottled water industry. Unger stood in front of Siemens Hall, with Ghandi’s words painted blue onto a paper sign on the ground in front of him.
Students walking through the quad at noon encountered several plastic water bottles of varying brands crowning the brick planter in front of the Siemens Hall and a yellow-masked man wearing a blue cape and water bottle for a hat. On his chest was a pin that read “I [heart] tap water.”
A group of about 10 students gathered around to hear what Unger was saying, “We are tricked into thinking bottled water is pure,” said Unger. “It’s the biggest hoax. We’re such idiots for being tricked by these corporations.”
It wasn’t long before Vice President of Student Affairs, Steven Butler, approached Captain Reducer and told him that he should turn down his microphone. Butler said he had no issue with Captain Reducer or his speech but rather the amplification of his speech. “We don’t want to interfere with classes,” he said.
At the exact same time, staff from the Center Activities, who had reserved space on the quad, were promoting ‘Wellness Week.’ One of the features of their rally was a booming sound system.
Unger turned down his microphone and continued with his speech. “We suffer from the corporate rule,” he said as he crushed an empty Arrowhead bottle in his left fist. “If water isn’t free, what is it?”
Sergio Allen, a social work junior, took notes for a social work class. He was skeptical of Unger’s methods. “I think he should state more facts,” said Allen. “He should tell people about plastic bottles and the harm to the earth, but he’s not stating those facts.”
Miguel Llanos of MSNBC reported that in a 2003 study, 40 million water bottles a day went into the trash. The report, “Plastic Bottles Pile Up as Mountains of Waste,” also revealed that plastic water bottles take up space in landfills and take over 1,000 years to biodegrade.
Much of Unger’s speech was inspired by the film “Tapped.” The film explores the shortcomings of the bottled water industry and the concept of water as a basic human right. The film screened on the HSU campus last Friday.
Unger said that polluted water bottles are highly toxic when they float around in the ocean, especially when animals eat them. “It’s run by corporations who do not have ethical considerations for the planet, or for resources,” he said.
“Bottled water is the epitome of the extravagant desires of our nation.”
By 12:30, much of Unger’s small audience began to dissipate, its members wandering off to classes. Among the last of Unger’s original audience to leave was freshman art major, Jessica Parker, who also attended the film screening.
Parker appeared on the quad with some of her fellow moviegoers to show their support. “He stood up at the end of the movie,” said Parker, “He said there was going to be a protest today.”
The protest that Unger proclaimed was a quiet affair, but it did not stop Unger from speaking his mind. Even when his audience numbered zero, he continued to talk into the microphone. At 12:35, he held an empty water bottle aloft, shook it and said, “This plastic bottle is gonna outlive me.”
The Arcata Theater Lounge will screen “Tapped” on Thurs., March 4. Admission will be free.
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