Letter to the Editor: Kiosk should not replace flyers

The only thing worse than seeing the administration systematically dismantle social life on campus is to see students doing it themselves. In another utterly asinine production from the masterminds at the Duke Student Government, the virtual Kiosk takes us one step closer to complete collapse of a social atmosphere. The Kiosk is presented as an alternative to the hours of time it takes to flyer campus effectively.

However, this just takes us another step closer to universal elimination of paper flyers and probably the banners over the BC walkway (a service that was suspended at the beginning of this school year). When, if ever, will people go to some website to check out the latest social events? The fact that it has "DSG" in its URL is enough to turn people away. I ask: Can you check the website while waiting for a bus, walking to class or passing by the BC walkway? It is hard to overcome people's natural tendency not to pay attention to something unless it is readily available.

Even though flyering may take a considerable amount of time, its effectiveness cannot be ignored. Campus events already suffer from a lack of awareness and the Kiosk will do little to help. The student body is disadvantaged by having to use those atrocious brown turrets to post flyers that are few and far between. The whole point of flyering is to make as many visual impressions on people as possible to remind them of an event. Sure, the campus may look much nicer to tourists and parents who visit, but what do they know about a disappearing social scene?

As a senior, I remember the days of East and West campus bus stops being a completely different color in the morning when some student group plastered flyers all over the ground. Although the tactic was time consuming and not the most aesthetically pleasing method available, it worked. Rather than DSG coming up with these useless ideas, they should be working to bring back the old system of flyering.

Kumar Sukhdeo
Trinity '04