Sex sells, but that does not make it ‘clever’

Oracle writer Stephanie Oliveira was quoted in the July 15 St. Petersburg Times article “A desirable dorm?” as saying the suggestive outdoor banner ads employed by Fontana Hall to attract residents are “clever.” What is clever about using sex to sell? It’s the most widely used advertising ploy today; there is absolutely nothing clever about it.

Unoriginal, base, lowest common denominator? Yes. Fresh, unusual, original, clever? No way.

Dictionary.com defines clever as “Mentally quick and original; bright.” This in no way describes Fontana Hall’s ads.

Mandy Minor is a USF alumna.

New security measures at USF frivolous

USF is currently in the process of “upgrading” off-hours security of several buildings on campus. Vandalism and theft over the past few years have resulted in a need to address the security issue. However, card-access systems are not always the antidote to the security problem.

Up until now, authorized staff and students have had keys to access campus buildings on nights and weekends. Keys always work, end of story. Some people do not close the locked doors behind them, but that is not a system failure.

Now USF ID cards will be the only way to get in to work. I have had to replace my USF ID card twice due to minor scratches so far. So instead of being able to get in to work with a key, people will now come in to work on the weekend, find out their card won’t work because of a new scratch, and be unable to get in until USF is open again the following week.

Where is the sense in reducing productivity for absolutely no gain at all in security? The same people who couldn’t be bothered to close the doors behind them before are still not going to do so, and anyone motivated enough can still hang around until someone leaves the door open long enough for them to sneak in before any alarms go off. The only benefit at all to the new system is that an alarm will sound if the door is left open for an extended amount of time.

Couldn’t we have just installed the same alarms without wasting so much money on the card-access systems? Even without broaching the subject of the university using the card-access system to monitor our comings and goings, this change is a mistake from a fiscal standpoint alone. And for a liberal to say that to a university run by very conservative people is really saying something.

Nate Stafford is a graduate student in biology.