Free Stuff Anyone? latest job fair supplies goodies

This article is in the tradition of Tech News is Free Stuff Awards. This tradition was started by Matthew Lug, who some number of years ago began giving awards to companies for the free stuff they handed out to lure in prospective employees. He has since graduated, and can no longer continue this fine practice.

However, I will not be handing out the Free Stuff Awards. Why, you may ask? The Free Stuff Awards belong solely to Matt, and it would be shameful to think anyone could follow in his footsteps.

As some of you may have noticed, last week the CDC held its annual Summer Internship and Co-Op Job Fair, a.k.a. We're Looking for a Few Good Temps. While this fair was considerably smaller than regular Job Fairs, there was a decent amount of free stuff. So, without much further ado, I bring you: The SWAG Awards!

Best Pen

Winner: Accenture, with their very…different design that looks spiffy.

Runner Up: Tellabs, with a pen that looks remarkably like the Tech News design, only in more shades of colors.

Best Stress Reliever

Winner: GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., with their soft gel squishy balls.

Runner Up: Bose, with their simple red ball. Red is my favorite color, after all.

Best Light-up Bouncy Ball

Winner: Iris Associates, because theirs came in a lot of pretty colors.

Runner Up: Teradyne, who had the sense to put the balls in a plastic wrap, so you know the things are clean.

Best Clip

Winner: Axcelis. These things are big enough to close those extra large bags of Ruffles you never can seem to finish.

Runner Up: Fidelity Investments. A good clip, but Axcelis's was bigger and more powerful.

Best Keychain

Winner: Boston Scientific, with a cute little plush lobster hanging off it. Shows they didn't fail geography in high school, at least.

Runner Up: Maxtor, with the bat and baseball key chain. Insert your comments about the Red Sox here.

Best Thing to Carry Stuff With

Winner: Compaq, with their good-sized laundry bags. Great for carrying all the free stuff from next year's Job fair, too.

Runner Up: Raytheon, for the mini-fanny packs they were handing out. Nice place to stick a handful of free candy.

Most Useful Item

Winner: EMC Corporation, for their free CD cases. I just hope this really was free…

Runner Up: EMC Corporation, again, for their can holders. What kind of can goes in them is up to you.

Most Useless Item

Winner: Ucentric Systems, for their bright orange puzzle thingies. I hope Ucentric didn't pay money for these…

Most Original Item

Winner: Karl Storz, for their endoscope pens. Just don't try these things out on your friends (and if you do, do so in private, please).

Runner Up: Analog Devices, with their neon colored luggage ID tags. Going away for a project? Then you need really should use these.

Honorable Mention

Millipore Corporation, for the silly putty. Who doesn't love silly putty?

Best Overall

Winner: EMC Corporation. They had three things every college student can use: CD cases, can holders, and t-shirts. I just missed out on the t-shirt, but the other two items I plan to use.

Most Absent

Winner: Microsoft. So our summer work isn't good enough for them? Is that it?

Runner Up(s): Biotech Companies. I only found one, and I heard rumors of a second, but that was it. Fortunately, there are other resources for us Biology types.