Eastern students gathered in the Doudna Fine Arts Center to listen to a panel of faculty debate whether Douglas Hall should be renamed.

The panel consisted of English professors, Christopher Hanlon and Michael Loudon, and history professors, Martin Hardeman and Mark Hubbard.

The panel was moderated by Janice Collins, a journalism professor.

The debate began with opening statements from each panelist, followed by questions.

Hanlon began by discussing arguments against his idea such as Lincoln was also a racist, Douglas did what he had to do in order to succeed, it is an idea of political correctness and that he is forgetting history.

“Not a single one of these proposals is relevant. Not one single person has made a positive statement about Stephen Douglas,” Hanlon said.

Loudon raised the idea that it might feel weird to wake up in a bed in a hall named after a white supremist. He also said this is an issue of American history, not only African American history. He proposed not only renaming the residence hall to Douglass, but to Douglass-Jones after Johnetta Jones.

Jones was the Daily Eastern News’ 2004 Person of the Year and director of Minority Affairs before her passing in 2003.

Hardeman gave an introduction about Davie Crockett as a man of his time, much like Stephen A. Douglas was and began to give a history of his actions.

“He considered slavery not as important as maintaining the union,” Hardeman said.

Hardeman gave further proof that Douglas’ real goal with the Kansas-Nebraska Act was to build the transcontinental railroad, not to discriminate against African-Americans.

Finally, Hubbard’s view was the assertion of Douglas as pro-slavery was untrue because he was a nationalist first and was just providing the tools for Western expansion. The only way to do this, Douglas said, was to instate popular sovereignty to determine a slave or free state.

A man in the audience made a statement about how residence halls are named after those that ought to be honored, but the clarification was that a majority of the halls were named after those who donated money.

“If that’s our standard, I’d rather have Stephen Douglas,” Hardeman said.

Hanlon said they were not talking about beliefs that he held but rather the effects on the country.

One student brought the discussion back to the idea of naming the residence hall Douglass-Jones, saying she deserves something of her own, such as a parking garage, which Loudon agreed that she would have liked a lot.

“The Compromise of 1850 was his greatest legislative achievement. Skill and influence got it through and averted Civil War for about ten years,” Hubbard said, to which Hanlon insisted the compromise only made abolition go mainstream.

Hanlon also said in differing Douglas from Lincoln, that Lincoln changed after assuming presidency, but Hubbard refuted that argument by addressing the fact that Lincoln never really embraced full civil rights for black.

Some of the students final comments include topics such as: the Missouri Compromise failing due to slave state minority, the focus on the debates rather than the senators, and that this entire ordeal means very little to students anyway. The final comments of the panelists proceeded.

“History is flawed,” Hubbard said, asserting that he wouldn’t have even come to the conclusion to name the halls after Lincoln or Douglas. Hardman compared this issue to a statute to Benedict Arnold’s leg, since he was still a really good commander in the Revolutionary War, even if he was a traitor.

Loudon said he does not place a high priority on renaming buildings.

Hanlon said if we were to keep the name Douglas for the residence hall, then Douglas’ beliefs are also a part of Eastern.

Dan Nadler, Vice President of Student Affairs, gave his view on the debate.

“I think the debate is extremely healthy. I expected it to happen, and they did a great job in preparing for the conversation,” he said.

Nadler said if any naming process were to occur, the Naming Committee would gather additional information and focus on whether or not it should still be named after Douglas.

Jacob Swanson can be reached by 581-7942 or jjswanson2@eiu.edu.