Editorial: CampusCred

Last month, ASUCD made an agreement with CampusCred, a business that promotes local deals to students. In exchange for 3 to 8 percent of their profits, ASUCD lets CampusCred use its logo. 

Since then, CampusCred has been covering lecture halls with flyers and promoting discounts on pizza through 4 inch by 6 inch cards taped to seat backs.

Though the university explicitly prohibits commercial advertising on campus, CampusCred is improperly treating itself as a university entity and using our places of learning as their personal billboards.

The flyers are, by any measure, annoying. But the greater issue is not of such small consequence.

By advertising in lecture halls, CampusCred is devaluing the sacred nature of these areas. They are removing the veil of “truth” and “knowledge” that one would, ideally, obtain through higher education and tainting us with their slanted endorsements. It is one bad sci-fi novel away from product placement being laced into discussions about metaphysics.

Commercializing the University of California has always been a contentious issue. This fall, students were forced to carry a U.S. Bank sponsored AggieCard. In previous years, funding from Budweiser was turned down to keep Aggie Stadium’s name beer-neutral.

Corporate assistance is a convenient and effective way of raising money in times of desperation. Though ASUCD should be cautious, they do not necessarily need to shy away from such forms of income. But they must protect the students they represent.

CampusCred seems to be in direct violation with university policy. By papering our classrooms, they blatantly disrespect the students they advertise to and the institution of education they profit from. So please, play by the rules and stop spamming our lecture halls.