2008 Woodie Awards
Campus fails to protect students from solicitation in resident halls
Elizabeth Barnett
Issue date: 1/19/06 Section: Opinion
Businesses use advertising, whether paid or free, to encourage business. But where is the line between acceptable and unacceptable solicitation?
The University outlines the definition and procedures of solicitation on campus, but I have found that solicitation in my housing building is under par.
Upon returning from semester break, I found a restaurant menu slipped under my door. In the time it took between unloading my car and making a trip to the grocery store, someone placed a piece of mail under my door.
This mail was a menu from a local restaurant placed snuggly under the bottom trip of my door and printed with an address that did not match my own.
A few things deeply bother me about being solicited to. First, I am receiving this piece of mail whether I want it or not. Yes, I get the junk mail from the credit card companies like many college students on campus, but I don't have to open the material and read their information. Instead I choose to shred away their existence.
With a menu like the one I received, the message is clearly and brightly printed and stamped across the material. There was no chance to hide the message.
This can be seen as effective advertising. As a matter of fact, the mere mentioning of the business, which I feel is not worthy of mentioning, would incite advertising I feel is unnecessary.
Second, I am curious if the University, or Housing in this instance, has any form of punishment or penalty which they use against those businesses that solicit. The details and processes of solicitation are so vague that even a high-school student might be deeply confused.
It is possible the business, which solicited to me, is aware of this problem with the understanding of the policy and is using it as an option to sidestep the rules and expectations in order to make a profit, to which I believe the University could take greater steps to clarify the policy that is already in place.
Third, I question the sincerity of these businesses to their customer's or future customer's emotion. About a year ago, I received a menu in my campus mailbox from a local barbecue restaurant.
The business is known for selling cooked meat products. And it hit me, what if the thought of eating meats offended me or someone else?
It was apparent the sender did not know my lifestyle choices or me. But did they even care? In this situation, the menu was apparently placed in the campus mailboxes by mistake. Housing told me it was a lack of communication that resulted in the mishap.
Lastly, I think less of the business that sent it to me because they were so certain I would visit their business because they solicited.
The menu I received is for a business I have not done business with, and I choose to keep it that way.
The insensitivity of their actions and the cheap nature of their advertising were not effective in swaying my customer dollars. I only hope other local restaurants take heed to our more sensitive community by being more considerate with their advertising.
The University outlines the definition and procedures of solicitation on campus, but I have found that solicitation in my housing building is under par.
Upon returning from semester break, I found a restaurant menu slipped under my door. In the time it took between unloading my car and making a trip to the grocery store, someone placed a piece of mail under my door.
This mail was a menu from a local restaurant placed snuggly under the bottom trip of my door and printed with an address that did not match my own.
A few things deeply bother me about being solicited to. First, I am receiving this piece of mail whether I want it or not. Yes, I get the junk mail from the credit card companies like many college students on campus, but I don't have to open the material and read their information. Instead I choose to shred away their existence.
With a menu like the one I received, the message is clearly and brightly printed and stamped across the material. There was no chance to hide the message.
This can be seen as effective advertising. As a matter of fact, the mere mentioning of the business, which I feel is not worthy of mentioning, would incite advertising I feel is unnecessary.
Second, I am curious if the University, or Housing in this instance, has any form of punishment or penalty which they use against those businesses that solicit. The details and processes of solicitation are so vague that even a high-school student might be deeply confused.
It is possible the business, which solicited to me, is aware of this problem with the understanding of the policy and is using it as an option to sidestep the rules and expectations in order to make a profit, to which I believe the University could take greater steps to clarify the policy that is already in place.
Third, I question the sincerity of these businesses to their customer's or future customer's emotion. About a year ago, I received a menu in my campus mailbox from a local barbecue restaurant.
The business is known for selling cooked meat products. And it hit me, what if the thought of eating meats offended me or someone else?
It was apparent the sender did not know my lifestyle choices or me. But did they even care? In this situation, the menu was apparently placed in the campus mailboxes by mistake. Housing told me it was a lack of communication that resulted in the mishap.
Lastly, I think less of the business that sent it to me because they were so certain I would visit their business because they solicited.
The menu I received is for a business I have not done business with, and I choose to keep it that way.
The insensitivity of their actions and the cheap nature of their advertising were not effective in swaying my customer dollars. I only hope other local restaurants take heed to our more sensitive community by being more considerate with their advertising.