2017 Backpack?

[psycoforpsych]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but incoming students in the past were able to vote for the infamous backpack's colour, right? And you could do so on MD Financial Management's facebook page? Is that not a thing anymore? Couldn't find it on their fb page/these forums, so I'm not sure what's up...

Also, sorry if this is the dumbest question ever, but tbh I'm pretty excited to get a backpack of my own haha 

[OwnerOfTheTARDIS]

People are hypothesizing that since there's no vote, maybe they are just making it red for Canada's 150th

[psycoforpsych]

Just now, OwnerOfTheTARDIS said:

People are hypothesizing that since there's no vote, maybe they are just making it red for Canada's 150th

Ahhh, I see! I have no problems with that  

 

[Sauna]

Last year the voting launched on June 8th so any time now!

Vote RED!!!

[psycoforpsych]

40 minutes ago, Sauna said:

Last year the voting launched on June 8th so any time now!

Vote RED!!!

Ok, thanks for letting me know! 

Red would be nice hmmm... decisions, decisions 

[Looktoabove]

It might be red and white panels, mimicking the flag

[Sauna]

2 minutes ago, Looktoabove said:

It might be red and white panels, mimicking the flag

That would be sooo dope

[amichel]

I feel obligated to point out that the voting is a marketing gimmick and has no bearing (as far as anyone can tell) on the actual colour. Sorry y'all. 

[freewheeler]

10 minutes ago, amichel said:

I feel obligated to point out that the voting is a marketing gimmick and has no bearing (as far as anyone can tell) on the actual colour. Sorry y'all. 

What are you going to do next? Take away Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny???

Let them believe. 

[Guest]

What is MD Financial even? Do they give out loans to med students? I don't get what they get out of giving people bags

[rmorelan]

10 minutes ago, 1997 said:

What is MD Financial even? Do they give out loans to med students? I don't get what they get out of giving people bags

They are supposed to be branch (well they are in reality) of the CMA that is set up to provide doctors with financial services, although they operate somewhat independently. They can do student loans but only because they partner with an actual bank which is actually loaning the money and their loans aren't as good historically than others (which is why relatively few are with them). They manage a lot of doctors retirement portfolios. They are getting advertising out the bags, and are in fact they very first group to get to advertise to doctors for anything - powerful advantage - and those bags are important for many years for many students, which probably is associated with good feelings for that business.

I would argue they overcharge significantly for what they do by not using modern investment practices. Like any business they have to attract new clients all the time and they bill those clients often with management fees from their active funds, and other services they provide. I imagine them to be just another financial company looking out for themselves - that has allowed me to properly position them in my mind and take appropriate precautions. 

 

 

[OwnerOfTheTARDIS]

47 minutes ago, amichel said:

I feel obligated to point out that the voting is a marketing gimmick and has no bearing (as far as anyone can tell) on the actual colour. Sorry y'all. 

That makes way more sense because the Calgary students get them in July (I think?) and I was wondering how on earth there was enough time for production and manufacturing if voting only opened June 8!

[rmorelan]

1 minute ago, OwnerOfTheTARDIS said:

That makes way more sense because the Calgary students get them in July (I think?) and I was wondering how on earth there was enough time for production and manufacturing if voting only opened June 8!

and sometimes there are weird colours which make everyone excited (and mean people often vote for those) which inspires people to vote for a real colour and much free advertising is had

Now to be clear MDF isn't all bad - it is just a financial company. You have to be careful with any company - particularly one you are trusting with your retirement ha. 

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, rmorelan said:

They are supposed to be branch (well they are in reality) of the CMA that is set up to provide doctors with financial services, although they operate somewhat independently. They can do student loans but only because they partner with an actual bank which is actually loaning the money and their loans aren't as good historically than others (which is why relatively few are with them). They manage a lot of doctors retirement portfolios. They are getting advertising out the bags, and are in fact they very first group to get to advertise to doctors for anything - powerful advantage - and those bags are important for many years for many students, which probably is associated with good feelings for that business.

I would argue they overcharge significantly for what they do by not using modern investment practices. Like any business they have to attract new clients all the time and they bill those clients often with management fees from their active funds, and other services they provide. I imagine them to be just another financial company looking out for themselves - that has allowed me to properly position them in my mind and take appropriate precautions. 

 

 

Ah ok cool! I just want a free bag

 

[rmorelan]

1 minute ago, 1997 said:

Ah ok cool! I just want a free bag

 

and the first rule of financial planning is not to turn away actually free stuff

but to paraphrase a quote I heard about politics - if you can take the bag, go to the seminar, and still feel zero obligations to use their expensive services - then and only then are you are properly in the game. 

keep swimming people

 

[Sauna]

1 hour ago, amichel said:

I feel obligated to point out that the voting is a marketing gimmick and has no bearing (as far as anyone can tell) on the actual colour. Sorry y'all. 

[catchlynall]

On 6/2/2017 at 7:30 PM, OwnerOfTheTARDIS said:

That makes way more sense because the Calgary students get them in July (I think?) and I was wondering how on earth there was enough time for production and manufacturing if voting only opened June 8!

So we can expect to find out the colour of the bag once the Calgary students start in July?

[OwnerOfTheTARDIS]

25 minutes ago, catchlynall said:

So we can expect to find out the colour of the bag once the Calgary students start in July?

Yep! I don't think there's any official announcement - it just spreads word of mouth from the Calgary students 

[psycoforpsych]

3 hours ago, catchlynall said:

So we can expect to find out the colour of the bag once the Calgary students start in July?

 

3 hours ago, OwnerOfTheTARDIS said:

Yep! I don't think there's any official announcement - it just spreads word of mouth from the Calgary students 

As your friendly neighbourhood Calgary first year, I got you guys  

[amichel]

9 hours ago, OwnerOfTheTARDIS said:

Yep! I don't think there's any official announcement - it just spreads word of mouth from the Calgary students 

There's usually an official announcement on their Facebook page! 

[rmorelan]

2 hours ago, amichel said:

There's usually an official announcement on their Facebook page! 

with photos

[Purkinje 2016]

The Facebook link for voting for this year's backpack colour is up:

http://ow.ly/uafV30ct8CL

 

[Sauna]

9 minutes ago, 1997 said:

It's gonna be red and white for sure.. Here's the caption they posted on Facebook:

 

YESSS, we also crushed the poll:

It's time to take out our starters and put our bench players in for the remainder of the 4th quarter. Great job team!!

[catchlynall]

What if the backpacks aren't red?

With all the hype around Canada 150 this year, we can easily forget to acknowledge that indigenous peoples have been on this land way way longer than 150 years. Canada becoming "Canada" is not a thing to be unilaterally celebrated for everyone. We have a long history of racism, residential schools, and cultural genocide that goes hand in hand with the birth of our nation.

I think the backpacks will be red, but what if they weren't? What if acknowledging Canada's not so bright and shiny history is the reason why? I think that would be pretty great.

[Scorbix]

11 minutes ago, catchlynall said:

What if the backpacks aren't red?

With all the hype around Canada 150 this year, we can easily forget to acknowledge that indigenous peoples have been on this land way way longer than 150 years. Canada becoming "Canada" is not a thing to be unilaterally celebrated for everyone. We have a long history of racism, residential schools, and cultural genocide that goes hand in hand with the birth of our nation.

I think the backpacks will be red, but what if they weren't? What if acknowledging Canada's not so bright and shiny history is the reason why? I think that would be pretty great.

 

If the backpacks aren't red, then they aren't red...plenty of people will wear the backpacks regardless of their colour, and someone choose not to wear them (sometimes) based solely on their colour.

 

This backpack colour has nothing to do with any racial issues, so don't try to start something when no one has made any mention about race, gender, etc. If you want to talk about the history of Canada, then bring it up in an appropriate thread. I acknowledge that a lot of bad things have happened in the history of the development of Canada, but this thread has literally NOTHING to do with that. Please take your unnecessary comments elsewhere.