By Russell Couchman
Published: March. 24, 2012
A disconnect between the university and the community? No, really! Here’s my experience: Last summer I attended a week long workshop at Quest University.
It was amazing.
There were approximately 60 students from all around the world. I found out about it at an event in Vancouver, despite the fact that I believe this was their third year at Quest, and, I was living a ‘stone’s throw’ from campus.
It appeared that I was the one and only local student, and after learning that they really needed about a hundred students, I volunteered to assist in increasing local awareness, and hopefully local enrolment for this year’s session.
They sent me some very nice posters to place around town. Everywhere I went, “Quest U? No Problem. Put that poster up here”.
And then, I went to the district owned Squamish Adventure Centre and received a very different response: “Mmmmm let me see, is somebody making money on this? Oh, OK maybe we’ll put it up”
Nothing happened.
On my second request, “oh yeah I’ll look into that”.
So, weeks later, after realising that several other posters were managing their own advertising, I took the bull by the horns and put one up myself.
There was lots of room on the ‘community’ board at that time. About 24 hours later it had been removed!
Funny, I thought the Adventure Centre’s mandate was to promote local events? Looks like it, unless you happen to be running a workshop at Quest U. Oh man, do you think that all the local shredders would have been stoked to hang out with Mike Stern and Steve Vai, performing live, to a private audience of sixty, in Squamish! I think so.
Joe Smith says
Everyone and anyone must get permission before posting items on the board at any public building. The board at the Adventure Centre is only for non-profit events, not your money grabbing event.