Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Tim Davis, Jamey Hansen, Tim Frerking, Chris Mende and Keesia Wirt.

The cry of censorship by an Iowa State University graduate student over the removal of his art seems to be a bit harsh.

Pedro Perez, whose artwork was recently displayed in the Memorial Union, says his paintings were censored because they contained nudity. However, Union officials say the artwork was removed at the request of a group, Odyssey of the Mind, who rented the room and wanted it free of impediments for the length of their stay.

This is a difficult situation for the Union, who is trying to accommodate both the artist and the group that rented the space.

Is it fair to the organizations who pay to rent these rooms to be forced to look at artwork they may find offensive?

Also, what about the artist? If there is a possibility his/her work will be damaged isn’t it better to remove the art rather than risk it being destroyed?

We think Mr. Perez should be able to express himself in any way he wants.

However, when the artwork is placed in a room that people rented for a meeting, it seems the Union did the only thing they could and removed it at their request.

Unfortunately, the entire ordeal could have been averted if only Union officials would have spoken with Perez earlier. Telling artists there is a possibility their works could be removed from the meeting room if conflicts arise may be the solution to the problem.

Mr. Perez was not the victim of censorship, but the recipient of poor planning and management on the part of the Union. Good communication can work wonders and cut down on the growing amount of headaches the Union seems to be accumulating.