The ISU Block and Bridle Club is annually among the elite chapters of the organization, receiving top prizes at the national awards convention.

The ISU Block and Bridle Club works to promote animal agriculture and unite agriculture students and the agriculture industry. This is done through various annual activities, the most prominent being livestock shows and sales specific to species — cattle, sheep, swine, horses and dogs.

The club has sponsored the Cyclone Classic Cattle Show for numerous years and has developed the show into the second-largest youth show in the state of Iowa.

Recently, the ISU Block and Bridle Club has been attacked by the trademark office for the use of the word “Cyclone” and is being fined for the usage on prizes that were awarded. The ISU Block and Bridle Club has more “Cyclone spirit” than the majority of students on campus and consistently works to promote the university’s reputation.

With the current budget cuts and restructuring taking place, I find it understandable that Iowa State is looking to create revenue wherever possible, but taking free advertising and turning it into a profit margin is not following the trademark office’s mission unless you forget all parts except the generating revenue portion.

Which by the way is “to ensure proper use and application of Iowa State University’s trademarks, to strengthen the trademarks through relationships with retailers, licensees, campus units, student organizations, alumni and fans and to generate revenue that funds athletic and academic programs.”

I understand the need to “protect, promote and market the indicia owned by the university.” However, attacking student organizations of the university is not promoting or protecting what Iowa State stands for.

I suggest the ISU Trademark Office re-evaluates its tactics of attacking student organizations and enjoy the free, good publicity the events give to Iowa State and Cyclone Nation as a whole while asking for nothing but support in return.

Kassi Williams is a senior in animal science and a member of Block and Bridle.