Larch Hall’s eighth floor has lost its identity.

The now-white elevator doors on Emerson House once bore an image that characterized the floor for more than a decade:

A Jack Daniels bottle.

But, because of concerns about copyright violations, the bottle, which read “Emerson House, Iowa State University, quality gentlemen of Iowa State University,” was covered with white paint, said Larch Hall Director Brad Knapp in Thursday’s Daily.

Another reason Knapp gave for the new paint job was the floor’s substance-free policy. As a wellness floor, the members must promote a healthful diet, good study habits and physical fitness.

And residence house names can’t be associated with anything alcohol-related, he said.

But the name “Emerson” has no relation to alcohol. And just because the doors were painted to look like a whiskey bottle does not mean members of the floor were encouraged to drink.

As far as copyright infringement goes, nowhere on the bottle did the words “Jack Daniels” appear.

The residence halls simply covered a decoration that apparently has been acceptable for many years. So what’s so offensive about Emerson’s only house decor that it had to be taken care of now?

Unfortunately for the floor’s residents, they never again will have an opportunity to creatively express their community on their elevator doors in an artistic fashion.

They can’t repaint the doors in a more wellness-friendly manner because of a new Department of Residence policy. Throughout the next two years, the DOR will do to the rest of the residence hall elevators what was done to Emerson’s: turn them into sterile, white doors with absolutely no aesthetic function.

Students won’t be able to paint the doors any more, apparently because of problems with students spilling paint down the elevator shafts.

But janitors who paint the doors white can spill paint as easily as can students.

Painting elevator doors is a great way for students to come together and decorate their dorm floors. And the designs offer a pleasing aesthetic not available on the walls of some floors.

Give the students their creativity, even if their creativity consists of alcohol bottles.

How much harm could it do?

Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Sara Ziegler, Greg Jerrett, Michelle Murken, Kate Kompas and Carrie Tett.