Editorials

On sale now: Our space

By the

October 31, 2002


“The first sign it was a mall was when the Sunglass Hut moved into the Registrar’s Office. Or was it when Foot Locker took over Copley Formal Lounge? Wait, it was definitely when the Sbarro opened up in the ICC Food Galleria!” said Jane Hoya (SFS ‘12), when asked about the rapid development of the University Square Shopping Center. “I just can’t wait until the second Banana Republic opens where the Italian Department used to be!”

But those of us at Georgetown this week will know exactly when Red Square went from hallowed “free speech zone” to a lovely open-air shopping mall: when Aeropostale brought a whole bunch of boxes, and low, low prices, to a big white tent.

The student handbook says Red Square “shall be available, without prior arrangement, for individuals and groups during daylight hours for the purpose of exchanging ideas.”

According to our admittedly amateur grasp of metaphysics, ideas don’t come in the form of discounted merchandise sold out of soggy cardboard boxes. Nor is this a fundraiser for a campus organization?such as Habitat for Humanity’s doughnuts or the French Cultural Association’s croissants; the guarantee of access to Red Square only applies to “members of the academic community,” which Aeropostale sadly is not. And though individuals and campus groups may be invited to “address the community,” effective as they have been in spreading the gospel of reasonably-priced Francophone sportswear, Aeropostale is interested in profit, not proselytizing.

According to Brett Burchette in the Athletic Department’s marketing office, Aeropostale is an official corporate sponsor of Georgetown sports, and as a part of its contract, the company is allowed to run a yearly sale on campus. The past two years, the sale was held in Yates Field House, but this year Aeropostale wanted a more visible campus location for the sale. Burchette said the Office of Campus Activity Facilities office approved the space on Red Square and supplied the tent. Further inquiries were referred to Vice President of Facilities and Student Housing Karen Frank, who did not return phone calls before press time late Wednesday.

True, our pitifully-sized endowment has been plagued by flaccid growth due to the recent economic downturn. If Georgetown wants to compete with the throbbingly enormous endowments of our peer universities, corporate partnerships like this can bring in a much-needed boost to the bottom line of the University and campus groups alike (look no further than the Habitat for Humanity-Krispy Kreme megalith). But it is unwise to sacrifice student space, especially what little free speech space we have, to do it.

But we do admit a Sbarro would be nice.



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