The Journal

Issue date: 10/26/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Mariano Ulibarri Freshman Phillip Diehl shouts into a megaphone in front of the Imo's Pizza restaurant on Big Bend Boulevard Oct. 23. Diehl and other freshmen were assembled in protest of a promotion that offers students free pizza for filling out a credit card application.

Media Credit: Mariano Ulibarri Freshman Bobby williams uses a megaphone to recruit protesters in the dorms.

The nine freshmen gathered in front of the Webster Groves Imo's Oct. 23 didn't want pizza. They chanted with a megaphone, marched, held signs and called out their slogan, "Pizza now, debt later."

The students gathered outside Imo's at 8115 Big Bend Blvd. to protest the distribution of flyers on campus. The flyers promised students a free medium one-topping pizza from Imo's, but in order to get the pizza, students had to fill out a credit card application.

The protesters said these credit cards can lead students to overspend on credit and get into financial problems and debt. They also protested that the flyers did not explain that students had to apply for a credit card to get free pizza.

Bobby Williams, a freshman journalism major, the Webster freshman who organized the protest, said the credit card companies are preying on college students, a demographic that is already financially struggling.

"I wanted to organize this because I was sick of being mislead by these (flyers)," Williams said. "A lot of people don't know what they're signing up for."

Solicitors came into West Hall, the freshman residence hall, Oct. 23 and placed flyers under students' doors. Distribution of flyers in the dorms is against campus policy.

Lucas Davis, assistant director of housing, said members of Residential Life found out about the people distributing flyers in the dorms and asked them to leave. Davis called the manager of Imo's to explain the policy.

Freshman Kate King, an art major who participated in the protest, said the flyers clutter up the hallways and dorms. King said she thinks it's a bad idea for students to give out personal information in exchange for food, because credit card companies can use the information to send students junk mail.

Kean Hammond, who works for Elite Synergy Promotions, the company distributing the flyers around campus, said the company gets students to fill out applications for Chase credit cards geared toward students.

"We're allowing students to get student cards with a lower rate to build credit," Hammond said.

Eric Shrenker, a freshman business major who participated in the protest, said if the credit card company's intent is really to help students build credit, the flyers should include that information.

"If that's the main focus, why wouldn't they say that?" Shrenker said.

Hammond, who is the team leader for the group that solicited Webster students Oct. 23, said student information filled out on applications, such as name, address and Social Security number are for the credit card company's use only. He said after the student fills out the credit card application to get free pizza, a credit card is sent to that student, but he or she must call the credit card company to activate the card.

Hammond said Webster gave the promotions company permission to hand out flyers on campus.

"We have a relationship with every school we go to," Hammond said.

John Ginsburg, director of the University Center and Student Activities, said neither Hammond nor Elite Synergy Promotions has permission to distribute flyers on campus. Ginsburg must approve the distribution of any handouts on campus, and he said he did not give the company permission.

Hammond could not be reached to comment on Ginsburg's statement that Hammond did not have permission to distribute flyers on campus.

Webster's official policy on advertising, posting notices and solicitation, stated in the student handbook, says "no commercial solicitation is permitted on campus except recognized student organizations or authorized representatives of the university and staff, and they must secure permission from the appropriate building administrator and the University Center and Student Activities Office … All outside vendors are prohibited from selling their wares on campus unless special permission is given by the University Center and Student Activities Office."

Matt Gotsch, a manager for Imo's, said the company distributing the flyers has a deal with the Webster Groves location to allow the company to set up in the restaurant. He said the promotions company pays for each pizza out of its budget, and Imo's gets $8 for every pizza bought through the deal.

Gotsch said he lost two customers who called Imo's not wanting to come in the front door because of the protest. Gotsch said they could come in the back door, but the customers never came into the restaurant.

Phillip Diehl, a freshman broadcast journalism major who participated in the protest, said the people handing out flyers on campus are really intrusive and a big irritation. He said he thinks it's "a really sneaky thing to do tounsuspecting students.

Craig Wolf, a freshman musical theater major who participated in the protest, said students who have the card might use it if they're in a bind and end up in financial trouble.

"It's dangerous because a lot of people misuse the card," Wolf said. "Your only requirement is being 18. It's so easy."

Wolf said it's deceptive to hand out flyers that "do not inform people of what is really going on."

Nellie Mae, a popular student loan provider, found in a 2001 national study that 83 percent of undergraduate students have at least one credit card. Twenty-one percent of those students have balances between $3,000 and $7,000, a 61 percent increase from 2000. The average debt per undergraduate student was $2,327 in 2001.

Nellie Mae also found that of the 94 percent of graduate students that have credit cards, the average credit card debt is $4,776. The average credit card debt level for a freshman undergraduate student was $1,533, raising each year to $3,262 for undergraduate seniors in 2001. The study also found the average credit card debt per undergraduate in the Midwest is $2,478 - the highest of the nation's four regions.

Hammond is part of a team of people that work for Elite Synergy Promotions. The team travels to colleges across the United States handing out flyers similar to the ones Webster students have been receiving.

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