After years of controversy surrounding the name of the Carlsen Center, the name was only changed after the college received a donation of one million dollars from Brad and Libby Bergman, the owners of Midwest Trust. So, the question remains; did the name change have anything to do with the sexual harassment allegations against Charles Carlsen? Board of Trustees Members seem to disagree.
(Greg Musil) “Well I don’t think you can unravel and say it had nothing to do with it. It was because that had been that had been raised off and on over the years, often by The Ledger with differing responses, both on campus and from students and from the community. So, what we know is that by renaming it, we take care of a problem for a lot of people that was a serious issue. And again, we offset that or actually add to that benefit by getting student scholarships and out to the tune of a million dollars so that, you know, you can’t say there wasn’t a connection. And I think that’s why it was something that was supported so broadly.”
(Angeliina Lawson) “So, while we did get the name change, how it was done leads me to feel that it’s almost a sorry, I’m not sorry. It’s a non-apology. The naming committee, there was one line in there that the chair had written It was when he wrote out the board packet. He said that Dr. Carlsen was in support of this, that the donor had gone to Chuck Carlson and find out if they were OK doing this, the rate that they paid is so minimal for the size of the building that it concerns donors that have paid very big significant amounts are now looking at that saying, well, wait a second, why was that such a deal for infinite rights? And was the victims that this movement was really for, how do they have a voice at the table? Were they in support of this? Were they contacted? How were they included in this committee and the concerns? I’m not seeing that. I’m seeing a lot of the same people who knew the name on the building come together and protect that same legacy instead of the purpose to which this whole movement was about.”
What is the feeling surrounding Midwest Trust, the name of a bank, being the new name of the building?
(Lawson) “Angeliina Lawson: Now the future issues that I’m worried about in regards to a bank being on our name on such a big building and the repercussions that may or may not happen, I don’t know. But there are concerns and there are other situations where people have made cautionary tales because there is times where if you have an infinite naming rights and something changes down the line, you now have locked the public into an agreement. And as elected officials, we are never supposed to lock any decision in forever.”
(Musil) “We discussed that nothing is an infinite or indefinite under our policy and under the written agreement that the Bergman’s have executed. Everyone understands that the board has the right to remove that name. And I hope no future board would do that without really giving consideration to the fact that if you put somebody’s name on there for a gift and then take it off the next year, guess what? You’re not going to get another gift. There is a there’s a connection between those that we have to acknowledge. So, you know, I don’t know how long that that building will be there or how long their name will be on it, but certainly for the foreseeable future.”
(Emily Behrman) “I’m really grateful to Brad and Libby Bergman for making that gift and being willing to support the performing arts program going forward, as well as students at the college. I think that speaks really highly to them. They are very well-respected members of this community. You know, I feel like, you know, Midwest Trust Center; I think to some people it’s not as warm and fuzzy as maybe they’d like it to be. But I don’t think it’s a bad name by any means. I think it’s going to be fine. There are performing arts centers named for corporate entities all over the country and on college campuses in many cases as well. So, it’s not as though this sticks out or is weird or, you know, isn’t done. It certainly is done. So, I think it’s a great change.”
For The Campus Ledger, I’m Landen Fields.