Over-commercial Freshers’ Week irks student bodies

Student organisations Movi­ment Graffiti, AD Żagħzagħ and Realtà Collective have criticised the over-commercialisation of Fresh­­ers’ Week, saying companies were practically “shoving their wares into the hands of students”.

They said the main aim of the week is that of welcoming first-year students to University, but the organisers of the week – the University Students’ Council (KSU) – seem to have again missed the point and think companies are better suited to the task.

They said the week should belong to students alone.

The organisations also criticised the positioning of the stands in the Quadrangle.

They said that while the companies were given a prime, central location, NGOs were given stands on its outskirts, and most student organisations were grouped together in a tent.

They also queried why the stands of MEP Simon Busuttil and that of political think-tank Fon­dazzjoni Ideat were given such prominence, whereas organisations such as the European Union Programmes Agency and Erasmus programme, which KSU should be promoting, were sidelined in favour of profit-making companies.

They claimed that as a conse­quence, students wanting to register with KSU, visit the canteen or health food shop in Students’ House, or even get to the library were being bombarded with adverts and promotional material but were easily bypassing the tent.

They asked: “Is this the correct policy for KSU to follow? Is it not in KSU’s interests to have students emerge from University as educated, mature people?

“Or is their vision so twisted that they see students best served by getting offers for mobile telephony?”