VU poster sale funds AS events

AS Productions will conclude its two-week long poster sale on Friday, Oct. 2. Proceeds from the event help fund future AS Productions throughout the year. Inside of the poster sale, the Viking Union Gallery is covered with posters of all sizes on both the tables and walls. The posters range from famous musicians and iconic athletes to scenic panoramas and inspirational quotes. Along with posters, imported cotton tapestries are also available. The proceeds from the sale help AS Productions put on events such as Lawnstock and outdoor movies throughout the year, as well as bring exposure to the VU Gallery. Western hosts the poster sale for the first two weeks of fall quarter every year. It is is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout these weeks. Student Activities Advisor Jennifer Cook said AS Productions will receive 17 percent of the proceeds from the poster sale. They can receive an additional 5 percent for setting up posters throughout campus in order to help increase sales. “[The sale] is a nice way to supplement money that we don’t have so we can put on quality events for the year,” Cook said. “It’s also a way to have students introduced to the VU Gallery so they know where it is and what to expect.” The posters are provided by a fundraising company called Beyond the Wall. They are sponsored on college campuses by student organizations, such as AS Productions, who receive a commission depending on how the sale goes, according to Beyond the Wall’s website. “They essentially just have a bunch of big posters and they show up with a truck full and load them all in and sell them,” said AS VU Gallery Director Jean-louis Gazabat. Beyond the Wall's website also mentions how they have brought their poster sale to over 650 universities and colleges throughout the country. Having sold posters at Western before, employees from Beyond the Wall expect to be back at Western in the near future. “It’s just a good school for posters,” said Jason McNally, a Beyond the Wall employee. As a new batch of freshmen move into the on-campus dorms, many come to the poster sale in search of something that will set them apart. “I want something that’s cool, but I don’t think everyone else would buy,” junior Owen Sheets said. “Like I want to have that one poster.” The poster sale helps ease incoming students who are new to Western by encouraging them to explore their new setting. “It’s really reaching out to the community,” Gazabat said. “[We are] trying to draw in a new audience who’s brand new here to Western."

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