On April 3, the Iowa State College Democrats and the Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) clubs chalked on sidewalks around campus about upcoming events. The following day, the chalk was removed.
The College Democrats chalked about an upcoming protest, the Hands Off protest on April 5, along with the Death of DEI lecture information chalked by YAF.
“At the same time, the fashion show in this area had just made like basically a giant [chalk display]… and it was there for two weeks, while all of the politically affiliated stuff from both sides was being washed,” Cole Lindaman, a senior in civil engineering and president of the College Democrats, said.
The University Council told the Daily in an email that chalk washing is on a “rotating schedule,” when “all chalking regardless of content is washed within a particular area.”
“When it comes to advertising policy from the university, it’s kind of scattered all over the place,” Caleb O’Gara, a junior studying meteorology and president and social media chair of YAF, said. “There’s not one centralized location where ‘Here’s all the dos and don’ts.’ You kind of have to go dig it out on the website.”
The Iowa State chalking policy website states the following:
“Chalking that violates any federal or state law, the Iowa State University Student Code of Conduct or any other policy of Iowa State University as contained in the Iowa State University Policy Library is prohibited.”
“It appears very inconsistent, and while they’re trying to not be partisan with their washing, it’s still an unfair application,” Lindaman said.
According to executives from College Democrats and O’Gara, the chalk washing was possibly due to it being Admitted Students Day.
“I think it’s fine if the university wants to do that,” O’Gara said. “It’s more that just, they didn’t communicate the reason behind washing the chalking away or give clubs a warning ahead of time.”
The University Council stated that chalking that may violate the policy is reviewed by the Office of General Counsel, citing IAC 681-13.15.
The law states, “commercial activity may be approved only in the area directly to the north of the Memorial Union, with priority being given to all other campus-related uses.”
“If they don’t want you chalking political things, they should put that in their policy,” Alexander Crites, a junior studying architecture and outreach chair of College Democrats, said. “If they don’t want you chalking political things, then maybe we have another problem, but at least put it in your policy.”
