Got Milk? (Respond to the 2008 AP Lang prompt for extra credit)
For years corporations have sponsored high school sports. Their ads are found on the outfield fence at baseball parks
or on the walls of the gymnasium, the football stadium, or even the locker room. Corporate logos are even found on
players’ uniforms. But some schools have moved beyond corporate sponsorship of sports to allowing “corporate
partners” to place their names and ads on all kinds of school facilities—libraries, music rooms, cafeterias. Some
schools accept money to require students to watch Channel One, a news program that includes advertising. And
schools often negotiate exclusive contracts with soft drink or clothing companies.
Some people argue that corporate partnerships are a necessity for cash-strapped schools. Others argue that schools
should provide an environment free from ads and corporate influence. Using appropriate evidence, write an essay in which you evaluate the pros and cons of corporate sponsorship for schools and indicate why you find one position
more persuasive than the other.
Everywhere we go, brands and advertising shout at us- but should schools be ad/sponsorship free? I say no, but there are many pros and cons to advertising and corporate sponsorship. Got Milk? signs hanging throughout the cafeteria, “Adidas” printed clearly on jerseys, advertisements and sponsorships from various local businesses plastered around the gym and the sports fields. Kids become confused with all the corporate choices, until it all melts away into everyday life.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it’s almost impossible to get away from “branding” and “sponsorship.” Being from a “poorer” school, sponsorship really helps, and the advertising doesn’t negatively affect the kids. It’s all over our clothes anyway, our bodies walking billboards of our favorite companies- what’s so different about the school getting money from corporations if it helps us?
Yet, corporate sponsorship does have its cons. It shows that we can be bought. It’s also a big negative when there isn't enough sponsorship so programs don’t do well- or on the flip side there’s too much and it’s spent irresponsibly. It also gives schools with better athletic programs the advantage over not-so-athletically-inclined schools like ours.
-Olivia Leathers