Are You Part Of A Student Group On Campus That Wants Its Voice To Be Heard? Is There An Upcoming Event That You Think The Northwestern Student Body Should Know About? Do You Need A Forum To Address Important Issues Confronting Young Adults?
In other words, do you need to affix pieces of paper to the sidewalk?
If the answer is yes, and we are fairly certain it is, you need masking tape. Whether the surface is concrete, cobblestone or asphalt, we have found masking tape to be the most effective method for affixing a piece of paper to a walking surface. It’s true: Other types of tape do exist. But, after a thorough investigation, including a comparison of the price-to-adhesion ratio of different tapes, masking tape was the clear winner.
Every student should be fully informed about making the right choices when it comes to masking tape and related paper-affixing issues. We want to be that educator.
For example, if you are advertising an event only a few days in advance, we would suggest a light gauge masking tape. Foot traffic or a gentle rain will clean up the paper in a snap, and because of masking tape’s relative strength and adhesion, that beautiful masking tape frame can remain in place for weeks, possibly months, for everyone to enjoy. On the other hand, if you have an ongoing commitment to inform NU students and want the paper to last through a snowstorm and heavy wind, we recommend covering your fliers with plastic wrap and affixing them with a thicker gage masking tape and don’t hold back on the overlap.
If you would like to make a splash and tape 100 sheets of paper in front of the Technological Institute arranged as an arrow so that people will know where the meeting is held, we have some exciting ideas about a “double outline” approach.
Even more exciting is the concept of mosaic promotion. This is a skilled procedure that involves spelling out the name of your group or event with the fliers themselves. If done correctly, this will undoubtedly attract the attention of all passersby. Just remember two words: sans serif.
On the other hand, when you want to repeatedly remind someone about an event, a rapid-fire, scattershot taping-down of paper on the walkway along Sheridan Road will do the trick.
Before attempting to affix tens, or even hundreds of fliers to the NU walkways, it is important to know beforehand some of the issues you will encounter. These include, but are not limited to: tape length and/or width, tape overlap, extension beyond the edge of the sheet of paper, bulk tape purchases and perhaps most importantly, placement. To help address these issues, as well as any other paper-affixing problem, we have established the Masking Tape Hotline. Just e-mail us at [email protected]. The hotline can answer any questions people might have about the use of masking tape to affix sheets of paper to any pedestrian thoroughfare.
In addition to answering your paper-affixing questions, we are discussing setting up a database that would include the places and times individuals are spotted removing your aesthetically pleasing, promotional pieces of paper. With a comprehensive database, we can accurately inform the student body of “danger zones,” i.e. places where fliers are removed before a fair number of students can read and appreciate the creativity that went into your sidewalk display.
You, masking tape, and the Masking Tape Hotline: Let’s make it happen.
Peter Schubel and Alan Jacobsen are graduate students in mechanical engineering. Schubel can be reached at [email protected]. Jacobsen can be reached at [email protected].