Breezeway tabling effective for some, overwhelming for others

Students make their way through the breezeway on their way to class. Donatela Vacca // Contributing Photographer
Students make their way through the breezeway on their way to class. Donatela Vacca // Contributing Photographer
Students make their way through the breezeway on their way to class. Donatela Vacca // Contributing Photographer

Buzzing with student volunteers, the University of Miami breezeway offers a chance for organizations to spread the word about upcoming events or fundraising. Some passersby, however, find all the commotion overwhelming.

Junior Gabriella Canal explained that the breezeway tends to wear her out instead of grab her attention because of the excessive amount of flyers thrown in her direction.

“I know these students are giving up free time to raise awareness, but sometimes it just becomes too much,” she said. “There are so many tables and so many voices calling you in, that it ends up being useless because we’re totally overwhelmed.”

Brandon Carusillo, public relations manager for Distraction magazine, believes that tabling is efficient and productive.

“You have to get the word out some way, and to me it is fun because we get to bond with the staff while getting some laughs trying to hand magazines out,” he said. “I don’t see why people dread it.”

Carusillo explained that asking simple and friendly questions and being polite is all it takes to make someone stop by.

Junior Emily Robbins, who has tabled for Distraction, said that although she thinks it’s a good method for distributing the magazines, she still feels like it can be an inconvenient to those walking by.

“I always feel like I am bothering people who are just walking to class, and sometimes it doesn’t seem fair to do so,” she said.

Melissa Ostroff, a junior, said she doesn’t like getting approached with handouts when walking through the breezeway.

“I usually have my earphones in so that they don’t approach me,” she said. “Also, I get the impression that most of the tables are associated with fraternities and sororities, which I have no interest in.”

Senior Yael Herman, who has tabled for UNIVEN, the Venezuelan Students Association, explained that the success of tabling depends on the situation and the way information is delivered.

“When organizations just have a stand and are competing for the attention by flying pamphlets in your face or screaming ‘free cupcakes’, I don’t think it takes them very far,” she said.