BY MALLORY BOYKIN / Campus Editor

Going once, going twice, sold for the price of $25 million.

The Student Center will remain unnamed until someone donates half of the construction costs, according to the SGA.

An SGA resolution, calling for Dean Emeritus James E. Foy’s name to be carried over to the Student Center in some capacity, was denied in a vote, 16 - 11, at SGA Senate Monday night.

“This resolution is asking the Board of Trustees and administration in some way to put Dean Foy’s name on the exterior of this building,” said Brandon Demyan, Senator for the College of Liberal Arts, when he presented the resolution.

The resolution did not put limits on how Foy’s name would be put on the building. Demyan said some possibilities include raising money or doing a dual name.

“The issue is whether or not this student Senate would like to stand up and say that we would like for it to happen,” Demyan said. “We’re not telling the Board of Trustees they have to do it in one certain way or another, that’s not our place to do that.”

When the resolution came up for discussion, Senator Lauren Woods for the College of Liberal Arts, Senator Brandon Smith for the College of Agriculture and Julian Vida for the College of Architecture, Design and Construction said the majority of the students they spoke to in their colleges were in favor of the resolution, while none in opposition said how many were against it.

“In no way is the name on a building a legacy, the true legacy of Dean Foy is in the hearts and minds of its students and now alumni that were here during his time,” said Senator Andrew Greene for the College of Business. “Disregarding policy and procedure to make exceptions to a rule that was established to help fund massively extensive projects and buildings is irresponsible.”

However, the Board of Trustees’ policy manual does not specify an amount to be donated to name a building after someone or state that names of buildings cannot be transferred.

“The naming of the Student Center does not set precedence for other buildings,” said Senator Smith. “The Student Center supersedes any academic building on campus, it has a different purpose. It has a purpose of unity, not for academia.”

While senators who opposed the resolution said transferring Foy’s name to the new Student Center would set a precedent in naming policy, those in favor of the resolution said Hutsell Track and Hutsell-Rosen Track were evidence against that argument because the two tracks are named for the same person.

While she could not vote, SGA President Lauren Hayes gave her opinion at the beginning of the meeting and said the $25 million donor is a way the University can raise money other than increasing tuition or student fees.

Hayes said she has been told the money from the donor will go to benefit students, whether it is through student programs or lowering fees.

She said one possible lowered fee discussed is the fee for the new student recreation center.

“I’ve been assured by the president pro tempore of the Board of Trustees and by the president of our University that if we receive funds for this building, it will go to students whether off-setting fees or just developing programs,” said Hayes during the meeting. “I think if we want to maintain and even strengthen the quality, we have come to expect at Auburn, we have to look to ways other than tuition and fees.”

Greene said when the campaign for the Student Center called it a “New Foy,” it was not supposed to be literal.

“It was never documented to actually be named Foy,” Greene said. “It was an understanding that we were bettering Auburn’s facilities by building a new Student Center which is the real important issue here.”

Senator Prichard disagreed and said the University should honor what was said 10 years ago.

“I just feel like it is our job to stand up for the people 10 years ago that wrote this,” Prichard said. “I feel like they were misled to think that it was going to be called Foy. I felt like if they had been planning to look for a donor, they would have been looking for a donor 10 years ago.”

After the meeting, Demyan said one good thing to come out of this is in the future, University leaders will know to be clearer about what buildings will be named.

Hayes agreed the controversy has definitely been a learning experience, and the Board of Trustees may want to clarify their policy to prevent this in the future.

“That’s definitely up to the trustees if they want to,” Hayes said. “I believe they set the policy the way they did for a reason, and I wasn’t here when that policy was set that way, but I have a feeling they’re all definitely considering it right now.”

Demyan said while he is disappointed with the outcome of the vote on the resolution, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass, he does not think Hayes’s statement at the beginning of the meeting affected the vote.

“I’m disappointed,” Demyan said. “But at the same time, I’m glad that it got to a full vote, we had a good discussion. This is a democratic society, and we have to respect the majority.”

Demyan said while there is not much else to be done from an SGA standpoint, he does not see this issue going away anytime soon.

Students who wish to show their support to keep the center of student life named after Foy can join the Facebook group, e-mail their SGA

Senators, Board of Trustee members and University administrators to show their support.

The vote against the resolution was as follows: Senator Pro Tempore Griffin Bruns, College of Engineering; Senator Brody Craven, at-large; Senator Katherine Davis, at-large; Senator Brittany Fishel, at-large; Senator Andrew Greene, College of Business; Senator Caroline Hazelrig, at-large; Senator Abby Jones, College of Liberal Arts; Senator Sarah Moloney, College of Engineering; Senator Matt Nelson, College of Business; Senator Allison O’Brien, College of Sciences and Mathematics; Senator Clay Parker, at-large; Senator Stuart Stone, College of Engineering; Senator Jennifer Stubbs, College of Business; Senator Brennan Wade, College of Education; Senator Lee Hamm; and Senator Lindsey Stevenson.

The vote for the resolution was as follows: Senator Bo Bledsoe, College of Engineering; Senator Brandon Demyan, College of Liberal Arts; Senator John Griffin, College of Liberal Arts; Senator Tommy Horton, College of Architecture, Design and Construction; Senator Cullen Johnson, College of Sciences and Mathematics; Senator James Kelley, College of Business; Senator Leanne Marek, College of Liberal Arts; Senator Ashley Prichard, College of Sciences and Mathematics; Senator Brandon Smith, College of Agriculture; Senator Julian Vida, College of Architecture, Design and Construction; and Senator Lauren Woods, College of Liberal Arts.