In response to Steven Martens’ article of Dec. 4, he is right. Students should have more important concerns than what kind of soft drink they can get, and while I think it would be nice if there was more selection on campus, it truly isn’t that big of a deal.

But Martens went far beyond this issue when he began to discuss the commercialization of our campus, and if he doesn’t think that’s a big deal, he should.

He uses terms like “free enterprise” with all of the enthusiasm of the teacher’s pet in a high school economics class. Is he kidding?

How is it free enterprise when Coke negotiates a midnight contract with the university to fix the Hilton Coliseum sign? Was there competitive bidding? Was there any competition for the deal at all?

Supposedly we’re a public university, and we’re told everyday that students are the ones who are important on this campus. Is there a single student here at ISU who knew anything about the sign before it was already done?

Of course, once the deal’s done, it’s too late, right? How convenient for those who don’t care about the students. Does it not matter to you, Mr. Martens, that “Coke” is just as big as “Iowa State” on our sign? Do you have no pride in your school?

Of course, this is the point at which you protest that there’s nothing wrong with a little advertising, and Coke did us all a favor by fixing the sign.

Well, Coke didn’t become a global corporation by doing favors, and I’m sure that they wouldn’t have fixed the sign if they weren’t sure that they would recoup the investment in very little time.

Think about what you’re calling ridiculous. You are content to let Iowa State become a part of Coke’s marketing strategy. Well that is wrong, without qualification.

A corporation cares for nothing but its own profit. When you mix the interests of Coke with those of Iowa State, we, the students, will lose every time. Coke knows what it wants, and the administration is more than happy to let them walk all over us to get it.

Do you think a global corporation is benign? Do you think it doesn’t have plans of its own? Do you think that sign doesn’t matter?

Go to Iowa State. Drink Coke. Everything’s for sale, because, shucks, what harm could it do? Do as you’re told and don’t make trouble, because it’s “ridiculous” to want your education to count for something more than Coke’s advertising campaign.

Well, I can’t behave and I won’t.

I care too much about Iowa State to let them sell it for a quick buck while you stand around telling us all not to be ridiculous.

Brian Johnson

Junior

English / Philosophy