As we have all found out in the past week, the elders of the university have decided to place a McDonald’s in the Hub.

In their issue of a contract to the Memorial Union Corporation, The Iowa State administration has once again demonstrated their ever-present ineptitude.

They did not even ask for student input on this matter, assuming the student body would put their stomachs before their principles.

Through their decision, the university leaders have once again insulted the student population with arrogance and ignorance.

The first question one should ask is, “Why place a commercial fast food restaurant in the Hub?”

This location may be a good location for receiving a large amount of student traffic, but logistically it is a nightmare.

How would the business be supplied? Would McDonald’s semi trucks sit idling on Morrill Road, blocking traffic for hours? How would the employees travel to work? Would they be forced to walk, or add to the immense parking problem we have by driving?

Clearly, these questions should have been directed to the Memorial Union Corporation, but it doesn’t seem that they were.

What will happen to the Hub after McDonald’s moves in? The Hub will surely have to be locked after closing, leaving many students who are up late studying without anything to cure their hunger.

What will happen to the Copy Center, which helped thousands of students with its timely service? Will it also be forced to close its doors as well?

With the millions of dollars spent in renovating the Union, why not move it there? Why place it in an area that people go only to grab a quick bite to eat?

With the new restaurant in the Hub, it will be next to impossible for any students to get anything quickly, with the throngs of people congesting the building.

Moving McDonald’s to the Union would reduce student traffic in the Hub and it would just be a little farther to walk.

If you can’t walk the two hundred yards to the Union to eat a Big Mac, then either you don’t have time or are just lazy.

This decision is also financially suspect. With Ronald McDonald and Iowa State in a partnership, that will leave two franchises within a half mile of each other.

I can’t see how either location could make a sizable profit with such a saturated market.

This isn’t even taking into account for the businesses moving into the Union, which will also have an impact on the new eatery.

Another person requiring investigation is the owner of the Ames area McDonald’s, John Dasher.

Not only is he one of the more successful businessmen in the area, but is also a member of the highest class of contributors to the university, The Order of the Knoll, who recognizes alumni who have contributed $15,000 dollars or more.

Knowing this, you can see our leaders really don’t have our needs in mind, just alumni who give a lot of money to the school.

The Daily reported that the new vending contract was based on the model provided by the University of Missouri.

Well, I must say that the Iowa State is setting its sights high. With all the quality institutions out there, like Northwestern, Stanford or Harvard (who all lack such gaudy structures such as a McDonald’s); they chose Missouri as their model.

People will certainly respect a university with a fast food place in the middle of its campus.

I totally support revamping the vending system on campus, seeing that many of the machines in existence are old and in disrepair. But where the hell does that give an administration the right to put an unsightly eyesore of a restaurant in the middle of one of the most beautiful campuses in America?!

Not only is it a moronic decision financially, but it prostitutes the very ideals that colleges and universities are based on.

Where can you learn new ideas, ideals and principles knowing full well that you are learning them from a group of people easily influenced by large corporations, rich alumni, and their money?

What will be next? “This graduation is brought to you by Bud Light,” or, “The Nike Recreation Center.”

We should expect as much from this school. This new blunder comes from an administration that gave us the Cyclone Stadium/Jack Trice Field fiasco, the Botany Hall/Mary Chapman Catt Hall debacle, the ISUCard, the residence hall door policy, the campus parking controversy, sold WOI-TV, and wanted to move the Union’s Browsing Library and Chapel.

With all these absurd decisions, it’s clear that no one in Beardshear Hall gives a damn about the opinions of the 24,000 students at Iowa State.

It looks like the decision has already been made, and McDonald’s will soon occupy the Hub this fall.

That doesn’t mean that we have to eat there, though. If enough people feel as I do, maybe we could send a message to the fools masquerading as leaders of our university.

If you truly oppose this decision by the University, then don’t eat there; I know I won’t.

Robert Zeis is a senior in finance from Des Moines.