The views and opinions expressed in this article are my personal opinions and do not reflect opinions of the Federation Orientation Committee, the Faculty of Engineering or the University of Waterloo as a whole.
Year after year, our faculty rises above the status quo and runs a truly amazing Orientation Week that introduces and transitions incoming frosh into university life. Every year, Engineering Orientation solicits sponsorship from companies in a wide variety of industries in order to cover the costs of running Orientation Week. While we receive adequate funding to cover the costs of the week through student fees, sponsorship funds are what allow us to plan some of the most exciting and unique events that we are known for. Potential sponsors are carefully screened by both the Federation Orientation Committee and the University to assure that their presence will not negatively affect the orientation experience for incoming students.
As a result, companies who promote alcohol, smoking and other industries deemed inappropriate by the University are not allowed to sponsor the week. This screening is in place to assure that incoming frosh are not negatively influenced by the presence of these companies on campus. I don’t believe that anyone reading this believes that we should be promoting cigarettes to 6000 eighteen year-olds who are living on their own for (most likely) the first time in their lives. No matter whether they are from Mississauga or Japan, frosh have just arrived in a completely foreign environment and are especially susceptible to influence as they adjust to their new home. But there is no conclusive evidence, nor even hearsay that I am aware of, which indicates that the presence of a company related to the defence industry will in any way promote inappropriate lifestyle choices by students. A defence company’s logo on the back of a t-shirt is no more likely to cause a student to make a bad choice than the logo of a bakery.
While, I have no intention of debating the ethics of war today, I will immediately concede that wars cause immeasurable damage and harm which has a ripple effect across the world. It is not the companies who developed the weapons who are responsible for the damage, but rather the people involved. As long as humans have existed on this earth, there has been war. This is not a result of large multinational companies, but rather simply human nature. If every modern weapon were removed magically for the earth, would people stop getting hurt? Would people cease to fight? To kill? No. The defence industry produces tools, and nothing more. I apologize if I seem insensitive in the following comparisons, as it is in no way an attempt to trivialize war, but for those who disagree with me, I ask you:
- Do you blame the stationary industry when you fail an exam?
- Do you blame the auto industry when a distracted driver gets in an accident?
- Do you blame Cuisinart (who make kitchen knives) when someone gets stabbed?
The answer is no. You don’t blame these companies, because they only supplied the tools which were misused. The defence industry is no different; they simply make tools which are used to cause harm. But these same tools are used for so much good. It was RADAR, developed for the air force, which has become invaluable to the aviation industry. It was the military again who developed GPS which has revolutionized search and rescue operations around the world. These are just some of the examples of tools, developed by the defence industry, bettering lives around the world.
But I digress. How does the defence industry help incoming frosh? The simplest answer is employment. With over 10 billion in annual revenue and 90 000 employees across the country (Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries), the defence industry is an important and integrated part of Canada’s economy. I have personally worked in affiliation with the defence industry for 3 of my coop terms, and greatly benefitted from the experience. While it was not exposure through Orientation Week that landed me these jobs, engaging companies in University activities is a sure-fire way to open their eyes to what Waterloo students can do. The greatest incentive for a company to sponsor orientation week is to gain exposure to the brightest students, and I believe we step up to the challenge year after year.
So what is it I’ve been trying to articulate for the past 700 words you ask? I believe that the benefits of opening the potential of Orientation Week sponsorship to the defence industry greatly outweigh any possible harm that it could do to our incoming students. The presence of these companies on campus won’t cause students to smoke or drink any more than it will cause them to get into a fight. But what it can do is help us transition these students, and set them up to succeed in their next five to seven years here. It is for this reason that I believe that Orientation should continue to accept sponsorship from companies who can improve orientation week without compromising our new students.
If you disagree with me or have any comments, I invite you to contact me at brockkopp@gmail.com.
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