UPDATE:
MVTHS school board voted unanimously NOT to name the new gymnasium after Mr Beck and to refund his money. Mr Beck abstained from the voting process and was actually out of the room. Then a motion was made to remove the gym from the "list of facilities that could be purchased as naming rights" now and in the future which passed 6-0, with Mr Beck again abstaining. Then another motion was made and passed 5-1 to honor late Coach Stanley Changnon and others through an expanded area in the new trophy cases or a Hall of Honor (beyond the Hall of Fame). Feeling that was not enough, another motion was then made to name the new gym "Changnon Center" but the vote was split 3-3 with Mr Beck abstaining, so the motion/vote failed. At this point, the new gym has NO name. Board members who voted against the name "Changnon Center" include Ben Mitchell, Karen Goodwine, and Norma Fairchild.

Here was our suggestion regarding the name for the new MVTHS gymnasium which we believe everyone could agree with.  The board was given petitions with 1,366 signatures from the public who desire to continue having the "Changnon" name on the gymnasium in some way.  "Changnon Center" was the compromise that was suggested (details below)  The board brought this to a vote and it was a 3-3 tie.

Mr Beck is seeking to honor his father by purchasing naming rights. We understand him wanting to honor his father. The Beck family made their living in Mt Vernon and established their name in the transportation industry by owning and operating Beck Bus for many years. That is how everyone knows them. Therefore, it would seem logical and appropriate to honor the name of George Beck by naming the driveway in front of the new high school with his name. This is the very driveway that everyone will enter on, including each bus. Perhaps it could be named BECK DRIVE, BECK BOULEVARD or BECK LANE. That would be up to Mr Beck and his family. Connecting the Beck name to the driveway enables people to continue to connect the family to the transportation services that were provided to students for many years. It’s really a no-brainer. Everyone would see the street signs each time they go to the new school. Nobody is saying that Mr Beck shouldn’t be allowed to honor his father by donating $125,000 to the school, but it does seem more appropriate to do that with the driveway, instead of the gym.

This would allow the name of the gymnasium to carry on the rich history and tradition of Stanley Changnon in some capacity. Mr Changnon is in the Illinois Coaches Hall of Fame in BOTH basketball and football, an extremely rare feat. The Rams state championships and 3rd Place finish could also still be appropriately honored and passed forward to future generations. While there can never be another “Changnon Gym” due to the uniqueness and character of that building sitting on Jordan Street, the new gymnasium will become the center focal point of activity at the new MVTHS. For example, there will be basketball, volleyball, dances, concerts, cheerleading competitions, and graduations in the new gym. As the “center” of activity for the new school, an appropriate name could be “CHANGNON CENTER” which would be different than Changnon Gym, as it should be.

In the curriculum, we continue to teach history classes IN the school, but isn’t it also important to teach the history OF the school? Up and down southern Illinois there are communities with their gymnasiums named after a legendary coach, player, athlete, or administrator. In each and every case, the name placed on the gym in those communities was not purchased or sold to anyone as naming rights. That has never occurred in southern Illinois and we don’t believe that Mt Vernon should be the first to go down that slippery slope. History and tradition are important in every community and certainly it should be important in Mt Vernon as well. The history and tradition of Rams basketball is Stanley Changnon. We believe that his name must be a part of the new gym so people can connect the dots.

While these are simply suggestions, we don’t think you will find anyone who would have any disagreement with this proposal. Since Mr Trout’s money was not earmarked specifically to the gym only, but instead given to “use where it is best needed,” his money can still go into the general fund as well, along with Mr Beck’s. We believe that this is a very reasonable solution and would serve to address the desires of both families, as well as the many Rams basketball fans, former players and alumni. We hope that the Beck family and the school board will seriously consider these suggestions.