The question of renaming Douglas Hall has been a topic of conversation for many Eastern organizations lately, including the Residence Hall Association.

Thursday night members of the RHA voted unanimously against renaming of Douglas Hall.

Representatives from each hall voted based on what their hall councils decided earlier in the week.

Each representative was able to share their hall council’s thoughts and opinions during RHA’s voting process.

Hall council members from Weller, Thomas and Pemberton Halls, voted unanimously against changing Douglas Hall’s name.

Some hall council members from Lawson Hall were concerned about how much money the name change would cost Eastern. The student senate informed them that they will not start figuring out the cost until they are sure if the name change will happen or not.

Douglas’s hall council only had one member in favor of changing the name; all other hall council members voted against the change.

Zach Samples, a junior history major and an RHA representative for Thomas Hall, said even though RHA’s vote was unanimous, this does not mean that the name change will not happen.

Samples said the naming committee has the final say on whether or not the name will be changed.

“By renaming Douglas Hall we are ignoring history that happened here in Charleston,” Samples said.

Eastern is gaining feedback from many people and organizations, not only from RHA members.

Samples, who is also a member of the student senate, said the senate voted in favor of keeping the name. They also voted in favor of putting the vote on the fall elections ballot.

By doing so students will be able to vote for or against the renaming of Douglas Hall.

The fall elections ballot will be open to all students starting 12:01 a.m. Monday, and will be available until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday on the student government website.

The naming committee will use these ballots as feedback when making its decisions.

Olivia Angeloff can be reached at 581-2812 or onangeloff@eiu.edu.