One of the first things I noticed hanging in the dorms when I came to Kutztown, was the flyers saying, “Please be a dear, don’t bring in any beer”. This catchy, modern sounding slogan is to help prevent any alcohol from being in the dorms. The administrators know that students under the age of 21 drink alcohol, but they are trying to persuade them to basically not to do it on campus. They tried to make this slogan catchy and sound like a polite request, rather than a demand or even a rule (even though we all know it is one). I’ve seen many students walk by and read it and laugh, whether they’re laughing at the idea of it, or of the sound of it, it is getting their attention, which was the point of it.
Another thing, which isn’t really a material given to us, but it can be found on the Kutztown website if you take the “virtual tour”. However, I noticed it walking around campus. There are new street signs located all around the campus. These signs are big and bold; pointing to each direction any building is located. They are signs that help commuters, freshmen, transfer students, and are even welcoming to you as you drive around the campus. They even help with traffic, so people are not constantly turning around as they realized they just passed the building they were looking for. These signs make Kutztown and the entire campus more friendly and welcoming to the public. They are there for the public to use and they give you a sense of direction, making you feel more at home, which is nice for anyone who is away from home.
Also, on the website, there is a little ad saying Visit the Campus, with a pretty, fall background. It is very welcoming and gives a nice touch to the prospective students. The wording, “Visit the Campus”, may not be the friendliest phrase, but it at least is telling you to come out to the campus to look around.
Kutztown University is a public space when it comes to the academic buildings, student union building, the library, the gym, the dining hall, etc. However, dorms are not what would be considered public. Although, any guests can go into a dorm, you need to have an escort, and can only be in there at certain times if it is not your own dorm. Overall, Kutztown portrays itself as a friendlyand diverse campus, and I'd agree with that.
1 comment:
I like the "please be a dear" slogan. It got me thinking about the relationship constructed between the writer (the university) and intended audience (presumably students). It sounds to me like the voice of a grandmother or an older woman dressed properly and very sweet. That's just my reaction, but it's a very different tone than "If you bring in beer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," which sounds more masculine...like a male chief of police.
Nice observations on the signs too. On the opening day of classes, the President actually referred to these new signs as part of "reinforcing the KU image." In addition to being "useful" they convey a sense of unity of the campus...and define the "borders" of the campus as distinct from the town.
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