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Will Chief Illiniwek exist on Jan. 1, 2100?
By SUSAN LOVING GRAVENHORST
No one can be certain whether Chief Illiniwek will still
be the athletic symbol for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
on Jan. 1, 2100.
Chief Illiniwek is a symbol. He recalls for us the Illini,
the people who were here for hundreds of years before the first French explorers
saw this land. He represents the qualities of dignity and courage to which
our athletic teams aspire.
Chief Illiniwek has enriched the culture and tradition
of the university for more than 70 years. But the university existed –
and its members were called Illini – for decades before a student created
this living symbol. Chief Illiniwek will remain a potent
symbol so long as those who love the university wish him to be so. It is
really up to the university family – students, faculty, staff, alumni,
trustees and all those who love the university – how long he remains
our symbol.
Really, that is true of any symbol. An institution doesn't
give a symbol meaning just by creating one. People do that by how they respond
to the symbol.
Personally, I love the Chief. I hope he is with us for
many years to come. The loyalty and pride and emotion that I feel when the
Chief appears are an important part of my love for the University of Illinois.
I remember when I first enrolled at the Urbana-Champaign campus and first saw the Chief. His dignity and presence made such an impression on me, and they still do. This is a tradition that has meant so very much to me for almost 50 years of my life, and it always will.
The board of trustees has recently reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue on the issue of Chief Illiniwek. That means that we will be inviting everyone who wishes to communicate his or her personal feelings about the Chief, and the board will respond. We have not decided exactly how that will happen, but the board has directed the staff to come up with some suggestions, and I imagine that we will receive them soon.
I cannot predict exactly what we will do, but I can promise that all voices will be heard and that the board will reply to what has been said.
Whether we have Chief Illiniwek or not – and I hope that we will – I know that loyal Illini will continue to love and support their alma mater for many decades and centuries to come.
The News-Gazette welcomes comments from readers on the
issues raised in this article. Please send your comments to: Editor, The
News-Gazette, 15 Main St., P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677. Send
comments by e-mail to news@news-gazette.com.
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