If you’ve been anywhere near the Cardinal Technology Center in Usdan recently, you’ve likely noticed the presence of a large and rather out of place ad for Under Armour, the popular manufacturer of athletic wear. Approach the poster from one side and you find yourself admiring a model with a chiseled jaw, a vacant gaze and ridiculously veiny arms. From the other side, you’re met by a dead ringer for the unforgiving visage of Tommy Jenkins, the kid who always gave you swirlies in sixth grade. Who are these people, and what are they doing in Wesleyan apparel?
It will disappoint some and relieve others to learn that the ads do not represent a partnership between the university and the apparel company. They were simply sent to the school as part of the routine distribution of promotional materials. According to Luis Rodriguez-Vodak, Cardinal Technology Center’s assistant store manager, Under Armour products are very popular among the student body, particularly athletes. Clothes are a relatively new addition to the store, which sold exclusively technology-related products until recently. “I wish we were just a technology store, but we sell [apparel] now, too,” said Rodriguez-Vodak.
The glossy commercial ads may be out of place among the hand-drawn and messily photocopied signs posted throughout Usdan, but for the time being they are here to stay.