How much commercialization is too much for Iowa State University?

With the McDonald’s at the Hub issue now resolved, a broader, more philosophical debate seems to have arisen out of the McHub controversy’s ashes: How much, when, where and who?

The polarization surrounding the McHub issue drew fairly clear political lines:You either wanted a McDonald’s on campus, or you didn’t.

But how much commercialization in general is the university administration, its students, faculty, staff and Ames residents willing to, depending on your viewpoint, tolerate or encourage?

There are no hard and fast rules or guidelines under which to operate.

Corporate sponsorship and involvement at public universities has been going on for quite some time.

From shoe contracts with school athletic teams, to contributions to help improve and add to university facilities, to Coke machines in many campus buildings to fast food franchises in our own Memorial Union, the line that separates state interests and the private sector has always been quite blurry.

Should endeavors such as the McHub proposal be viewed as simply the next logical step in a series of the complete privatization of American society?

Or should all elements of commercialism on campus facilities be eradicated?

Both options appear to be naive, unworkable and next to impossible conditions under which to operate normally.

The answer seems to lie somewhere between these two extremes. But where exactly that line is, nobody seems to know.

So here we sit, waiting for the next McHub controversy to come along.

Should all parties expect to have a no-holds-barred free-for-all every time this happens? If so, be prepared for a very long, drawn-out struggle with no solution in sight, because as long as we debate this issue on a case-by-case basis, we’ll never address the heart of the matter: How much is enough?

Those protesting the over-influence of corporate America on their campus seem to view it in the same light some view pornography: They can’t exactly define it, but they know it when they see it.

Those encouraging a growing partnership with private interests seem willing to take as much as they can get until someone cries foul.

Is this any way to conduct business? Can some workable procedures on how enterprises of this nature should be approached be created in a joint effort between university officials, students, faculty and staff? Or do we continue to stumble blindly, hoping we don’t screw up?

If not, be prepared for another bitter controversy that could have been avoided if everybody was playing by the same rules,