2008 Woodie Awards
Alumnus: students should practice self-control with free giveaways
Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
03/11/08 - To the Cigar,
Jeffrey Andreoni's Feb. 26 letter to the editor ["URI student upset with sandwich shop giveaways, marketing on campus"] gave me a good laugh, since it implies that students can't resist corporate advertising. Be it a free sandwich for signing up for a Visa credit card or a slice of pizza for a pint of blood, the "evil" corporations are just waiting to ruin our lives.
All I can say is, Jeff, get a life! Advertising is used to sell products and services, sometimes worthwhile (like getting people to donate blood), other times less so.
Is the writer too weak to resist the temptation of Visa credit (it's called self-control) or subs? The word no has wonderful results if it is used at the right moments and is the ultimate response to ads.
As to his dislike of military recruiting posters, perhaps another old slogan may have slipped his mind, "freedom is not free." But then again, I might be slightly biased on this issue (there are Army Battle Dress Uniforms in my closet with master sergeant stripes on them.)
Jeff, I obviously give students more credit than you do in their ability to decide what is worthwhile and what is not. No one is forcing you to choose the aforementioned products. That decision is totally up to you.
Eric Feinsmith
Class of 1974
Jeffrey Andreoni's Feb. 26 letter to the editor ["URI student upset with sandwich shop giveaways, marketing on campus"] gave me a good laugh, since it implies that students can't resist corporate advertising. Be it a free sandwich for signing up for a Visa credit card or a slice of pizza for a pint of blood, the "evil" corporations are just waiting to ruin our lives.
All I can say is, Jeff, get a life! Advertising is used to sell products and services, sometimes worthwhile (like getting people to donate blood), other times less so.
Is the writer too weak to resist the temptation of Visa credit (it's called self-control) or subs? The word no has wonderful results if it is used at the right moments and is the ultimate response to ads.
As to his dislike of military recruiting posters, perhaps another old slogan may have slipped his mind, "freedom is not free." But then again, I might be slightly biased on this issue (there are Army Battle Dress Uniforms in my closet with master sergeant stripes on them.)
Jeff, I obviously give students more credit than you do in their ability to decide what is worthwhile and what is not. No one is forcing you to choose the aforementioned products. That decision is totally up to you.
Eric Feinsmith
Class of 1974