A small majority of those responding to an Argus-Courier online poll said that they did not think schools should give individuals or businesses the right to name school facilities if they made a large donation to the facility. About 54 percent disapproved, while nearly 37 percent approved.
About 9 percent weren’t sure. Here were some of the comments.
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“Does everything have to have a price?”
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“I think it’s only okay if the name is of someone who has given a lot on a humanitarian level. Integrity is what matters here. After all, schools are places of learning and it’s vital that we emphasize learning about ethics, kindness, and acts that support the well-being of each other and our planet; not just learning how to make money.”
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“Keep the ego out of the gift. What if the giver had no honor, just money, and was a poor example for the kids? Bad idea.”
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“So sick of ‘naming rights’ with everything else, and — now they want to infiltrate schools?
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“The schools need the money so why not?”
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“School should be an environment where students learn to speak freely and think critically. Promoting a particular “brand” may discourage that discourse; brands always have an implicit perspective attached. Corporate sponsorship, in particular, would discourage community action in conflict with the sponsor’s espoused views.”
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