By Abigail Bender

University of Maryland’s Student Government Association recently voted to call for the renaming of 10 campus buildings and areas that are named after individuals linked to supporting discriminatory workplaces, homophobia and people connected to military industries and U.S. defense companies.

Buildings included in the vote are McKeldin Library, Geary F. Eppley Recreation Center and Glenn L. Martin Hall. The goal of SGA’s referendum is to change building and room names that do not align with the University System of Maryland Board of Regents policy of honoring individuals who have made positive contributions to the university.

Many students around campus were unaware of the SGA’s referendum. Although many students said changing the names of notable buildings would be confusing at first, they understand why it is necessary to comply with the University of Maryland Policy and Procedures on the Naming of Facilities and Programs. 

Alyssa Nguyen, a freshman biology major, visits the Geary F. Eppley Recreation Center often. Although she said a potential name change at the gym would be confusing at first, Nguyen said that changing a name associated with racism is needed.

“Honestly, changing the name of Eppley would be a little bit confusing at first because everyone is so used to calling it Eppley and it being known as the gym,” Nguyen said. “I think it would definitely take some time for a new name to stick, but at the same time, I think it would be completely reasonable and necessary to change the name.”

Nguyen said she would rather get used to a new building name than continue her frequent visits to a place that is linked to someone who supported discriminatory practices during sports games. 

“A campus gym such as Eppley in such a diverse university should foster a community where all students and people feel welcomed to participate freely,” Nguyen said.

UMD’s Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, an on-campus organization dedicated to advocating for long-lasting peace in the Philippines, strongly supports the SGA’s referendum to rename campus buildings named after people who do not uphold university values. 

“Names like Glenn L. Martin Hall symbolize the profits that his company continues to reap from the ongoing genocide in Palestine and the brutal repression against people standing up for their human rights in the Philippines,” said Elijah Emley, a kinesiology and exercise science major and chair of the University of Maryland’s Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines.

McKeldin Library, the campus’s largest library, is a notable building set for renaming through the SGA referendum. Sydney Schwartz, a freshman journalism major who studies in McKeldin Library, agrees with changing its name to better reflect the university’s mission.

“It’s important to uphold our values as a society and with the institution, especially, and the names of buildings should reflect that,” Schwartz said. “It’s ​important to acknowledge our past and build ourselves from that.”

The SGA’s referendum for renaming campus facilities will take place this spring. Although changing the names of spaces may initially spark confusion, students and campus organizations understand the significance of adhering to the university’s values and standards.

Featured Image: McKeldin Library is one of the ten buildings or rooms on campus that students can vote to support renaming this spring. Photo by Paige Trendell.