The sculpture was made of table-stands common promotional materials used by student societies on the campus. The "artist" was Green World, a student environmental group at The Chinese University, which recently has been conducting an "anti-abuse of promotional items movement".
"We collected all these table-stands of different societies from the canteens to make this sculpture in order to remind fellow students that promotions of this kind are merely a waste of resources," said Green World President Bernice Kwong.She said the popular use of handbills and table-stands as promotional tools by student societies is "prodigious".
"It is obviously paper consumption," said Miss Kwong, "and the chemicals used to process the films to make the photos on table-stands also pollute our environment."
A poster publicizing the anti-abuse of promotional items movement is credited to all student societies, but it actually was published by Green World. Green World criticized the societies as "environmentally unconcerned". It is not difficult to see the irony, as Miss Kwong put it.Yet the wit of the Green World fails to work on the president of the Society of Business Adminis- tration at the university, Mr. Leung Kin Yip.
"It is not mere promotions that help to draw students' attention, but outstanding and high quality ones," said Mr. Leung. "Confronted by thousands of other promotional activities held on campus, ordinary ones will not be effective."
Disagreeing with Mr. Leung, Miss Kwong suggests ways to avoid waste without being ineffective."Effective promotions have to focus on their targets."For instance, student societies can promote their activities during college assemblies, where their targets are locked up in the assembly hall.
"Attractive promo-tional items need not necessarily be brand new. Posters and banners can be used again, and by paying more effort to the artwork and design, reused materials can also be masterpieces," she said.
It is not that student societies are unaware of the importance of environmental conservation, according to Miss Cynthia Ho, financial secretary of the Society of Business Administration. It is just that large-scale promotion is still necessary."We seldom distribute handbills, and our banners are made of wood that can be used again," said Miss Ho. "However, when we have to get hundreds of votes from our members, large- scale promotions are our only option."
"I agree that table-stands are useful in attracting students' attention when table-stands of two competing proposed cabinets of the same society are put together, side by side," said Mr. Edward To, a Chinese University student. He said he always finds "heaps of table-stands accumulated on the canteen tables."
Adopted by students at Hong Kong Polytechnic as well, massive promotions have become a trend on that campus also."Election of new cabinets usually requires heavy promotions," said Mr. Lawrence Lai, an executive committee member of the Hong Kong Polytechnic Student Union. "Sometimes, items like badges and stickers are used in addition to ordinary tools. These can really help to create the mood of an election and arouse students' concerns."
Yet to Mr. Victor Lee, internal vice-president of the Hong Kong University Student Union, too much emphasis on promotional tools may make promotions run their course in vain."Students may just be distracted by the tools and neglect the message. We encourage simple and direct messages."We do not find excessive waste in students' promotion activities, as the school authorities have set restrictions on the place and duration of promotions," said Mr. Lee.
With a more concentrated campus, information flows at City Poly are easier and more direct.
"Our main channel of promotion is class visits," said Miss Stella Fung, general secretary of City Poly's Student Union. "This is surely more environmentally friendly and direct in reaching the targets.
"Defending their controversial act of taking away other student bodies' table-stands without approval, Miss Kwong said:"We are not trying to be critical of the hard work of the student societies. We are just trying to reinforce the idea that invaluable resources should not be abused."