Stewart Winger, assistant professor in the history department at Illinois State University, offered possibilities for the ongoing debate on renaming Douglas Hall. He read excerpts from his book Lincoln Religion and Romantic Cultural Politics and suggested studying history to better understand the issue.

“Any claim made in the present.is rooted in a view from the past,” he said. “We (can) use history to understand the past and better understand the present and future.”

Winger acknowledged that many people are uninformed on Douglas, so he provided some basic information on him. He said that Douglas was open to the idea of creating slave states excluded under the Missouri Compromise. Winger also said that he was very unswayed by opinions, as was common of the era.

“Victorian men handled matters of the head, not the heart,” he said.

Winger said the people who named the buildings may not have been aware of the implications of their names.

“Both buildings are presented as equals and partners,” he said. “The people that named these didn’t think about it.”

Winger said that although he sees both sides of the issue, there can be downfalls.

“There is always blood in the water,” he said.

Winger also provided arguments against changing the name of the building.

“(This could create) a slippery slope,” he said. “Where would this stop? If we are going to test past heroes by our standards (today), we have a lot of work to do.on both sides.”

Winger said that he is afraid that by changing the name of the building, we would create a landscape barren of meaning.

“As a historian, I fear the further erasure of history,” he said.

To conclude his lecture, Winger provided proposals on how to solve the issue of the name change.

He first suggested a plaque explaining Lincoln and Douglas’ opinions on the race and acknowledges Charleston as the site for these debates. He also suggested creating a monument or exhibit for Jane Bryant, an African American slave, which he said is an important part left out of the story.

Finally, he suggested recognizing the Charleston Riot in 1864.

“This would provide a richer understanding (of the issue),” he said. “Without this, we can’t come to terms with the past or present.”

After Winger’s lecture concluded, Ed Wehrle, a professor in the history department, asked Winger specific questions about the debate. Wehrle said he enjoyed his interaction with Winger.

“(Winger) is a very learned individual,” he said. “It was a very galvanizing talk.”

Ultimately, Winger said he hopes these debates will raise awareness to the current issues important to students.

“As a teacher, (I see) our students are fighting different battles,” Winger said. “It’s so important for them to talk with each other.”

Sara Hall can be reached at 581-2182 or [email protected].