Commentary
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Stephan
      Macleod
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      these
      ‘most-podern’
     
     
      times,
      sponsorship
      is
      a
      necessary
     
     
      evil,
      but
      how
      can
      such
      a
      thing
      real-
     
     
      ly
      be
      evil?
      Perhaps
      the
      invasion
      of
     
     
      logos
      and
      propaganda
      in
      our
     
     
      already
      cluttered
      landscape
      is
      what
     
     
      gives
      sponsorship
      a
      bad
      name.
      But
     
     
      I
      doubt
      most
      people
      even
      notice.
     
     
      Besides,
      a
      few
      random
      acts
      of
      van-
     
     
      dalism
      of
      posters
      for
      Casey’s
      Pub
     
     
      and
      cardboard
      cut-outs
      on
      the
      Coke
     
     
      machines,
      most
      students
      have
     
     
      grown
      too
      accustomed
      to
      advertis-
     
     
      ing
      to
      even
      notice
      the
      giant
      Roots
     
     
      banners
      at
      the
      Field
      House
      or
      the
     
     
      subtle
      references
      to
      Don
      Diego’s
     
     
      Tacos
      I
      slip
      in
      almost
      everything
      I
     
     
      write
      for
      The
      Cadre.
     
    

    
     
      My
      position
      as
      advertising
     
     
      manager
      for
      this
      newspaper
      allows
     
     
      me
      to
      experience
      first
      hand
      the
     
     
      psychology
      of
      manipulating
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      in
      the
      name
      of
      commerce,
     
     
      and
      through
      my
      job
      I’ve
      learned
     
     
      that
      most
      mom
      and
      pop
      shops
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      are
      under
      the
     
     
      impression
      that
      an
      ad
      in
      a
      student
     
     
      newspaper
      will
      not
      increase.
      busi-
     
     
      ness.
      Dealing
      with
      these
      ‘crazy’
     
     
      people
      can
      seriously
      deteriorate
      a
     
     
      person’s
      self-esteem.
      With
      so
      much
     
     
      rejection
      and
      the
      occasional
      insult
     
     
      from
      The
      Editor,
      I’ve
      come
      close
      to
     
     
      tears
      on
      many
      occasions.
     
    

    
     
      Organizing
      a
      rock
      concert
     
     
      is
      perhaps
      the
      last
      thing
      someone
     
     
      as
      fragile
      as
      myself
      should
      under-
     
     
      take,
      but
      I
      accepted
      the
      task
     
     
      because
      nobody
      else
      would.
      If
     
     
      businesses
      think
      advertising
      in
      The
     
     
      Cadre
      is
      futile,
      imagine
      their
     
     
      response
      to
      being
      asked
      for
      money
     
     
      SO
      we
      can
      put
      on
      a
      concert.
      The
     
     
      fact
      that
      this
      concert
      happens
      to
     
     
      coincide
      with
      the
      East
      Coast
      Music
     
     
      Awards,
      which
      it
      seems
      have
     
     
      already
      drained
      Charlottetown’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      business
      community
      of
      sponsor-
     
     
      ship
      money,
      only
      adds
      to
      the
     
     
      amount
      of
      rejection
      I
      get
      on
      a
      daily
     
     
      basis.
     
    

    
     
      What
      I’ve
      learned
      through
     
     
      trying
      to
      acquire
      sponsorship
      for
     
     
      the
      Alter-Cases,
      the
      unofficial
     
     
      showcases
      of
      ECMA
      weekend,
      is
     
     
      that
      businesses
      treat
      sponsorship
     
     
      more
      like
      a
      charity
      than
      an
      ad
      cam-
     
     
      paign.
      It
      helps
      relieve
      their
      corpo-
     
     
      rate
      conscience
      by
      giving
      them
      the
     
     
      chance
      to
      contribute
      to
      the
      commu-
     
     
      nity.
     
    

    
     
      The
      motivation
      for
      spon-
     
     
      sors
      of
      the
      Alter-Cases
      is
      a
      bit
      more
     
     
      sincere
      than
      that.
      I’m
      happy
      to
      say
     
     
      that
      most
      of
      the
      sponsors
      who
      gra-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ciously
      donated
      to
      our
      show
      happen
     
     
      to
      be
      organizations
      on
      campus
      who
     
     
      want
      to
      help
      us
      put
      on
      an
      event
      for
     
     
      UPEI
      students.
      So
      the
      impression
     
     
      I’m
      getting
      of
      sponsorship
      is
      that
     
     
      it’s
      not
      particularly
      evil
      —
      it
      can
     
     
      actually
      be
      quite
      honourable.
     
     
      Maybe
      I’m
      just
      saying
      that
     
     
      because
      the
      money
      from
      sponsors
     
     
      allows
      us
      to
      keep
      ticket
      prices
      low,
     
     
      and
      get
      free
      beer
      for
      the
      bands,
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      wouldn’t
      knock
      sponsorship
      just
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      because
      it
      takes
      attention
      away
     
     
      from
      the
      events
      being
      sponsored.
     
     
      Who
      actually
      notices
      the
      sponsors
     
     
      anyway?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      e
      doctors
      can
     
     
      me,
      it:
      the
      ae
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Is
      it
      anetity
      of
     
     
      each
      of
      us
      as
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ar
      on
      what
      constitutes
      ‘quality
      of
     
     
      e?
      If
      not,
      how
      can
      we
      determine
     
     
      omeone
      else’s
      quality
      of
      life
      or
      of
     
     
      timer’s
      case
      should
      be
     
     
      me
      more
      reason
      for
      Canadians
      to
     
     
      s
      on
      the
      question
      of
      quality
      of
     
     
      |
      life
      and
      who
      has
      the
      right
      to
      decide
     
     
      |
      how
      someone
      should
      live
      and
     
     
      /
      when
      and
      how
      someone
      should
     
     
      |
      die.
      This
      is
      not
      a
      new
      issue,
      nor
      one
     
     
      |
      that
      is
      going
      to
      go
      away.
      In
      1993-
     
     
      |
      94,
      many
      Canadians
      followed
      Sue
     
     
      |
      Rodriguez’s
      quest
      for
      a
      dignified
     
     
      |
      death.
      She
      didn’t
      have
      a
      choice
      that
     
     
      involved
      not
      dying,
      that
      was
      an
     
     
      inevitable
      consequence
      of
      her
      ill-
     
     
      ness.
      She
      only
      wanted
      power
      over
     
     
      the
      when
      and
      the
      how,
     
    

    
     
      Tracy
      Latimer
      didn’t
      have
      a
     
     
      choice
      that
      included
      not
      dying,
      nor
     
     
      |
      did
      her
      father,
      the
      only
      choice
      he
     
     
      |
      had
      was
      in
      determining
      how
      long
     
     
      ‘he
      could
      stand
      seeing
      one
      of
      his
     
     
      children
      suffer
      daily
      before
      the
     
     
      inevitable
      happened.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Cadre
      13