Few people on campus will be able to look at neon green in the same way for a long time. Thanks to the fluorescent blitz from the “Do you agree with Dave?” campaign, the entire campus has been exposed to a multifaceted, slick advertising strategy that culminated Thursday in the touted speech from Dave.

Dave appeared on campus first in signs, in banners and the ubiquitous T-shirts. One of the first ads in the Daily, a stark half-page ad asking its mantra again, mentioned neither the group advertising Dave nor the group funding Dave’s campaign. Further Dave literature described the path Dave is on as the only path. Dave’s Web site (agreewithdave.com) listed nine campus groups it claims support the movement. However, when the Daily telephoned these groups, a representative of Illini Life stated that not only does no Illini Life group exist on the ISU campus, but the group does not endorse the campaign.

Criticism followed the Dave campaign. Some students felt it was deceitful. Others felt the pervasive Dave materials were an invasion of privacy – and that the buildup wasn’t worth the words Dave Newendorp, the ISU senior who was the mystery behind the campaign, shared on Thursday. Twice.

The religious leaders and campus ministers in the community are welcome to be part of the Religious Leaders Association at Iowa State University. The group adheres to a code of ethics guiding the role of religious organizations in campus life and unifies the core values of different faiths as they strive to meet a common goal of enriching the lives of students at Iowa State.

Within the code, religious leaders agree to abide to several basic points. The code of ethics states, “We will seek to represent the beliefs of others [sic] faiths accurately. We will not endorse or promote any literature or activities which misrepresent the beliefs of another faith or tradition.” However, if Dave’s path is the only path to salvation, what about the salvific theology and afterlife beliefs of other groups, like Catholics, Jews or Muslims?

The code of ethics states that “[a]ll advertising will clearly identify our sponsoring religious organization and its denominational affiliation, if any.” The ad in the Daily stated neither its supporters nor its funding. The T-shirts did not have a “sponsored by” section on the back. The green signs had a tiny “Funded by GSB.”

Members of the Religious Leaders Association – which not all of the “Dave” sponsors belong to – who participated in the Dave campaign violated the group’s code of ethics.

The campaign tactics undercut the basic community ethics put forth by the members of the Ames religious community. It makes one want to carefully consider the answer to the question, “Do you agree with Dave?”

Editorial Board: Cavan Reagan, Amber Billings, Rachel Faber Machacha, Charlie Weaver, Zach Calef, Ayrel Clark.