For sale

This has bothered me for some time, but yesterday it was taken to a new level, or at least, a Helen-begins-to-rant level.

Adidas. Vodafone. Mobinil. Sony Ericsson. Mango. Panasonic. Espirit. United Colors of Benetton. Several other computer/phone oriented corporations. Nestle.

What do all of these have in common? They have assaulted my school with gigantic banners, booths set up in the middle of walkways, people walking around giving out things, and fliers. I come from public school America, so I'm used to the corporate advertising in stadiums, the plethora of Coke machines, the tables selling the Atlanta Journal Constitution or trying to get me to sign up for Visa. But never have I encountered quite the spectacle of marketing that is AUC. Of course the advertisers are genius- the AUC is home to the richest and most western students in all of Egypt. But does AUC really have to put up with this? This is an institution for education, not commercialism. When there are more vendors than student groups, more banners for Adidas than the school play, there is a huge problem.

rrrg. End of righteous indignation.