The student government resolution against renaming Douglas Residence Hall passed.

“After all the debate and the two hours of audience participation, this is probably the most exciting meeting I’ve been to,” said Jarrod Scherle, a student senate member.

Several faculty members spoke at audience participation.

“I would urge you to vote against this resolution this evening just because I don’t think that the discussion has been had fully yet and I think that there is time, still, to talk,” said Angela Vietto, an English professor.

Jan Marquardt, an art history professor, commented.

“As a historian, one of the things that we have to remember is that history is always constructive,” Marquadt said. “We memorialize, we build buildings, we name things according to what we need in that point in time and in the 1950’s they needed to remember Lincoln and Douglas in a certain way.”

Marquadt also said there was no reason why there can’t be change with the name.

Father John Titus from the Newman Catholic Center also spoke during audience participation and said he lived in Douglas Residence Hall his freshman year and approves of the resolution to retain the name.

“The issue to rename Douglas seems to have opened a can of worms that could invite a never ending similar assault on the name of every other building on campus and I don’t think that would be healthy for this community,” Titus said.

Otis Seawood, the president of the Black Student Union, also spoke.

“There are a lot of other things on this campus that would be better to debate on,” Seawood said. “At the end of the day you guys passing this resolution doesn’t mean anything. It just means that you sat here and passed something that the students are not even showing concern about.”

Scherle, along with Alex Boyd, Jake Caldwell, John Poshepny, Blake Pierce, and Zach Caskey, authored the resolution.

Michael Stopka was later added to the list of authors.

“It’s our job as senators to represent our constituents and this (resolution) is in response to the faculty senate resolution in favor of (the renaming),” Scherle said.

Scherle also said the majority of students he talked to in class and on Facebook opposed the renaming of Douglas Hall.

“Polling people that are your friends is a way to put more support in your corner and I feel that we should be focusing on other things, but at the same time, shed light on the situation by informing the students to what the issue is,” said Demarlon Brown, a student senate member.

There was a motion to table the resolution until after Thanksgiving Break, but it failed by one vote.

“Essentially, what I’ve heard is a lot of emotional appeals designed to sway votes and opinions,” said Dan Rolando, the vice president of student affairs.

The resolution was put to a vote and it passed.

In other business, the proposal for food and beverages for the program “House Parties, Toga Parties, and Can My Landlord Really Do That?” was tabled for the next meeting.

The proposal for publicity for the “Panther Cares” winter clothing drive was also tabled.

Zach Caskey and Michael Stopka resigned their positions as student senators.

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-7942 or rjrodgers@eiu.edu.