It sounds strange, but the student body would actually be better off giving more power to “the Man.” That’s what would happen if the Memorial Union would give up its independent status and become a part of the university.

What’s that you say? You didn’t know the Union was independent from the university? People want to preserve the current structure will tell you about the great tradition of the Union’s independent status. Great tradition to whom?

These are the only people really know and/or care about this great tradition. These are also the same people who drive their Model Ts to work every day and enjoy getting their milk delivered to their doorstep each morning.

Tradition is great, but when it holds back something necessary and also much better, then it is time to make a change.

Compare our Union to what other schools have to offer and you’ll soon be jealous. Satellite dishes, 30-lane bowling alleys, ballrooms with balconies, auditoriums for performances and school spirit everywhere is common at other schools. Here, we have no cable TV and experience difficulty getting the nice room (or if you’re an optimist, rooms).

Wouldn’t it be nice to go to the Union because you want to watch “South Park” with your friends instead of going there because it’s the only place your club can meet? It’s like comparing Beyer Hall to the Rec Center. Beyer sure has a lot of that neat-o tradition, but for some odd reason students seem to prefer the Rec Center.

The Union needs a major renovation to be comparable to these other schools, and the money just isn’t there. The status quo could be maintained with no real problem, but leave Story County and you’ll see that the status quo ain’t so good.

Beyond tradition there is another, more substantive argument.

Students make up almost half of the Board of Directors, the controlling body of the Union. If the university were to have control, then the Board of Directors would serve in an advisory capacity instead of a controlling one. That doesn’t sound so good, but anyone who has ever been involved with a Board of Directors structure knows you don’t micro manage something from the top down.

So, once a quarter, these dedicated members of the Board get together to review financial statements and make general suggestions as to what the Union should do in the future. Then they tell the executive director (not a student) to figure out how to make it happen, and we’ll see you next quarter.

They’ll talk to the department director (also not a student) and the Board President (who has not been a student 75 out of 76 years) and maybe some version of a general suggestion by what could have been a student will get implemented. How is this any different from something in the university’s structure?

We’ll it’s really not, so what would we really be giving up. We sure as heck are giving up a lot to preserve it, though.

Look at everything in the Student Affairs division, from the Intramural program to the Dean of Students Office. Students are remarkably satisfied with everything that goes on there, and serving students is unquestionably their top priority.

So, why would the Union be any different? Even if you are afraid of the Beardshear Boogie man, take a look at the situation and you’ll see that what’s in the best interest of President Jischke aligns with what’s in the best interest of the student body. If Jischke solely acts for himself, he will want a Union that is attractive to prospective students and alumni. In order to do that he will have to fix the place up and provide services that will make students want to come to the place. Then we can have all of these great pictures of students playing Frisbee by the fountain with our group of racial and gender balanced friends.

Or consider something that I know many of you out there don’t want to — he might actually want to fix the place up because he thinks the students want and deserve a better Union. Any way you want to think about it, we’ll get a better Union that offers more services than before. In exchange, we students give up a board that has power by name only and we continue to do what we always have done, serve in an advisory capacity.

If you don’t change something that would be in the best interest of the student body because of tradition and fear, then you are not being a leader. We can try hard to fight this idea, but we’d actually be better off giving more power to “the Man.”

Matt Craft is a senior in secondary education from LaPorte City.