After much thought on the issue, I have finally reached a conclusion. Catt Hall should not be renamed. Allow me to explain my reasoning.

The argument for renaming the building is based on emotion, not logic. Those who are pushing to have Catt Hall renamed because of alleged racist comments made by Carrie Chapman Catt in her efforts to gain suffrage for women are attempting to rationalize an issue that is entirely subjective.

History must be examined within its context. In fact, that’s precisely what the study of history entails: learning the context of events that occurred and individuals who lived in any given time period. Those who point to Catt’s writings from the early twentieth century and say, “See? She was racist,” are begging the question. People draw differing conclusions about the same body of evidence all the time.

Take the Rorshach ink-blot test, for instance. You may look at a blob of ink and see a butterfly; but to claim that a butterfly is the only image that can be perceived is downright wrong. The person standing next to you may see something completely different. Documented comments from Carrie Chapman Catt are a far cry from ink blots, you say? You’re right.

The point here is that many viewpoints exist pertaining to Catt; no one is categorically right, and no one is necessarily wrong. We’re talking about interpretations. And in our attempts to promote diversity on this campus, tolerance of others’ interpretations is absolutely crucial.

Everyone brings his and her own experience to the table when discussing issues such as Catt Hall. We can try to be objective, logical, and rational — but in the final analysis, total objectivity is simply unattainable.

As a woman, I could be offended by the fact that Catt’s character is being scrutinized to an extent that, before now, was unheard of when naming buildings on this campus. According to a biography of George Washington Carver, William Beardshear was president of this university when Carver was ISU’s only black student and when Carver was not allowed to eat with the white students. Why is there no movement to change the name of Beardshear Hall? Is it because Catt is a woman that she is more subject to criticism?

Members of The September 29th Movement may object, “But we weren’t around when Beardshear Hall was named.” To that I reply with a bit of The Movement’s own logic: “Does that make it right?” Is it okay that Beardshear Hall is named after a racist because none of us were around to offer our opinion at the time? Does that make it right?

I agree with The Movement on several counts. Student, faculty and staff opinion ought to be taken into account when the university makes administrative decisions; we ought to have more of a say than we do right now. I will fight until my dying day for freedom of speech and for The Movement’s right to hold a peaceful demonstration in the lobby of a public building. I also condemn the secretive judicial system that handed down sanctions to members of The Movement.

But when it comes to Catt Hall, I simply do not agree.

When we throw all concerns with logic and rhetoric aside, and view this issue as it is — one of emotion — we are faced with a different dilemma. Right or wrong, a significant portion of the student population is disturbed by the name of Catt Hall. These students feel downtrodden, uncared for, unwanted — every time they walk by that building. To these students, do we say, “We don’t care about your feelings. Suck it up and just get over it”? Is that the message this university wants to project? I think the answer is obvious: No, we don’t want our students to feel that way.

But in a democratic society, the only way of settling this type of issue is by majority rule. How does the majority feel? In this case, surveys have shown that the majority feels that Catt Hall should not be renamed. Yes, people will be hurt. Yes, people will feel ostracized. Unfortunately, that’s how it goes. Sometimes you just don’t get your way.

Communication is healthy. I think it’s wonderful that personalities are clashing and that people are arguing and expressing different viewpoints. This is why college campuses are so cool. And, as Milton McGriff pointed out in his commentary in yesterday’s (Apr. 15) Daily, this is what it means to get a higher education.

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Tracy Lucht is a senior in journalism and mass communication from West Des Moines.