In Context: 5 Web Perspectives On A Story In The News

Corporate sponsorship vs. history

(The Globe and Mail) The fact that Robert Sutherland was the first black man to graduate from a university in North America is noteworthy enough. The fact that upon his death he left all his money to his alma mater, Queen’s University, makes him even more worthy of recognition, according to a group of students at Queen’s.
When he died in 1878, Sutherland left behind about $13,000 to Queen’s. At that time the amount was equal to the school’s annual operating budget. Sutherland’s supporters want a building on campus named in his honour, but several members of the university’s board are opposed to it. They say naming a building after a man who’s been deceased for over a hundred years kills fundraising opportunities.

1.

University of Minnesota’s student magazine looks at ads on campus

The Wake
This blog posting talks about corporate sponsorship at the University of Minnesota. While the writer does talk about buildings on campus named after corporate sponsors, it also touches on other issues like companies funding events like frosh week. While the writer does take issue with how the university is using its student body to attract advertisers, the article also points out that many school societies and sports teams wouldn’t exist without corporate support.

2.

Coporate funding at Dal

The Dalhousie Gazette
Speaking of corporate sponsorship, Dalhousie has had problems of their own with it. This article from the Dalhousie Gazette chronicles the story of the Dalhousie student union’s 12-year contract with Pepsi. The story outlines the danger of signing onto a 12-year contract with a sponsor, especially when you might not be able to meet all of their demands.

3.

Sponsors and profs

Simon Fraser's University's student paper
This article from Simon Fraser University’s student paper looks at the issue of corporate sponsorship from the McGill faculty’s point of view.  According to the article, the main concern for most departments is whether it affects their autonomy or not. It argues that cuts in government funding have driven universities to seek out advertisers and corporate handouts.

4.

Dalhousie's benefactor

Geroge Munro Day
Over the course of the late 1800s, George Munro donated around $333,000 to Dalhousie University, an amount equal to $8 million in today’s money. While Munro didn’t get a building named in his honour, he got something even better: a day-off school named after him. While this has endeared him to Dal students over the years, many do not know why they don't have classes every first Friday of February. To find out for yourself, check out the information page Dalhousie has set up. It not only includes a detailed history, but also a short, cute animated video explaining Munro Day.

5.

A bridge too far

Bridges of Budapest
Rather than name places after historical figures or companies, another way to decide names is to allow people to choose through an online poll. However, it didn’t work out to well for Hungary. In the summer of 2006, they started an online poll to get the public involved in naming a bridge. When American political satirist Stephen Colbert heard about it, he rallied his viewers to vote to have the bridge named after him. When the poll closed in September, Colbert had garnered 93,163 of the votes, making him the winner.
Unfortunately, the bridge was not named after Colbert because of several technicalities. You can read about them on this English site which showcases the bridges of Budapest.