Jesse Agro

12-12-16

AAD 300-001

The waters of politics is a difficult realm for artistic organizations to wade through.

Politics- especially in todays world of instant communication and news- is constantly relevant,

and thus will always be a source of profit. However, the messy world of politicians and

campaigns are often a source of conflict and contention as well. In the case of the Hancher

auditorium, the contention stems from the organizations existing mission and vision. Though

hosting a campaign event would likely fill all 1,800 seats of the Hancher Auditorium, the event

itself does not follow with the mission or vision of the space. The only reason that Hancher

would have a reason to host the incumbent president would be to support the Universitys

mission of teaching, research, and service. However, as the Board of Directors will recognize,

this event would fall outside of both the auditoriums mission and vision. The mission of

Hancher is to support the University through artistic means- not by hosting controversial political

figures. A campaign event does not fall under the umbrella of transformative artistic

experiences and thus is also outside of Hanchers vision. Ultimately, the auditorium, though in a

university environment, has no business being one step in a campaign trail. Unless the University

specifically requests the use of the space, as General Manager, I would present this case to the

board as to why the auditorium shouldnt host this event.

When considering the ethical implications of hosting this event, the issues far outweigh

the benefits. One the hand, Hancher and the university would gain business and recognition on a

national level, which could have a lasting impact on attendance and support in both institutions.

There is also a great deal to be said for the sharing of ideas and fostering diversity, especially
given the president incumbents highly controversial first term. Though many of his policies may

even be contentious with the mission and vision of Hancher, the auditorium would still be

promoting arts supporters to listen and engage. It also could sway Republican donors to give

more money to the auditorium. On the other hand, these ethical implications are a double-edged

blade. The hosting of this event could turn off Democrat or independent supporters of Hancher

and the university, and convince them to withdraw their patronage or donations. Both the

university and Hancher itself could be accused of political partiality. Hancher is an artistic

institution that exists to enrich the life of every Iowan through transformative artistic

experiences, and thus should hold a neutral stance in politics, especially in a swing state. It has

no business in the political realm, and could be accused of bias should it host this event. Thirdly,

with this event, the auditorium takes on enormous safety risks to the event staff, the campus, and

all involved in the event. Though this is not to say Hancher and the university could not handle

such increased responsibilities for students, this would pose a significant financial and physical

burden for the auditorium.

Should the event proceed despite General Managements recommendations, there are a

host of issues to discuss with staff upon preparation for the event. Again, safety is the primary

concern of this event, for president, patrons, staff, and even protestors. The organization will

have to discuss whether they should hire increased security staff or utilize university security

personnel and resources. Background checks for those involved in the event would also be an

issue to discuss. Secondly, after accommodating safety measures, Hancher would have to figure

out how to accommodate the university. Though the event is a Saturday, the university is still

operating, and an event of this magnitude needs to be as little of a burden on the functioning of

the university as possible. For example, the event will need to designate parkinging for the event,
and monitor parking lots designated for faculty, staff, and students. There will also need to be

traffic monitors assisting flow of vehicular traffic and the flow of people in and out of the event.

In addition to event attendants, the auditorium will also likely have to accommodate media

personnel and equipment. How close theyll be to the president before, during, and after the

event is likely to be determined by Secret Service, which brings us to the next issue- the financial

and physical burden that will come with meeting the requirements laid out by the Secret Service,

the magnitude of which is yet to be determined. Then there are the finer details, such as the

increased staff for the event, how the stage will be set for the president, pricing for tickets (and

how much profit will be taken by the campaign), among many others. Determining the event

type should bring another array of issues (whether the event is a town hall style meeting, a

speech, a debate, etc.), but most likely those would be addressed at a later date.

In addition to addressing the many external factors of hosting this event, Hancher must

also prepare internally. Reinforcing a pluralistic, open work culture will be key to helping this

event run smoothly. The first step to take would be to increase communication among all levels

of staff. Weekly reports or email updates should be instituted from the top of the organization

down, as well as an increase in staff meetings. Higher-ups should be trained to consistently

reinforce open communication channels with all employees, who should be encouraged to

address issues and voice concerns throughout the process of the event. Given the highly

structured nature of this event, the staff (if this is not in place already) should be placed into

teams with equally divided work responsibilities. These teams should continually meet

throughout the process of this event, building strong work relationships and trust so that when

the time comes, they can operate effectively and efficiently. There are a great many difficulties
and risks to come with a project of this prominence, but should the staff and teams have

confidence in one another, it is absolutely possible to execute successfully.