By Jack Vebber
Student volunteers set up a table on the north side of the Quad Tuesday to ask fellow students to exchange their old Chief merchandise for a new T-shirt that read, "Support University Athletics, Not the Chief."
"We want to show students you can support the teams, but you don't necessarily have to support the mascot," said Angie Naquayouma, Native American House program coordinator, who helped the students organize the event. "And I feel like some students maybe think that they're intertwined and can't necessarily separate that."
Below: "Tim Homeier, a sohphomore in LAS, walks past a booth trading Chief shirts for anti-Chief shirts during a shirt exchange near the Illini Union on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Homeier did not exchange his shirt because, 'it's part of the University's culture.'" (Michael Stein/The Daily Illini)
No offense Rob, but you find something to complain about in almost anything and everything. I think it's stupid to make a big deal about school mascots of all things, which have almost no effect on our daily lives except for yours. First you complain about Indians being wrongly portrayed in something, then you complain about them not being in something else. There's just no pleasing you, is there?
ReplyDeleteRegarding school mascots, would you prefer that the memory of there ever being Indians just be erased? That they not be acknowledged in some way? How about it we erase the Vikings' existence from the Vikings team, because that must be offensive to Swedes?
As an Illinois native, I hate what they're doing to school mascots. I find Indian mascots more unique than your usual one. When I see an Indian chief mascot I don't see a 'stereotypical' Indian; I see a symbol of a strong team. I think it's masculine and represents strength.
Since evidentally you're so difficult to please, would you rather the teams be called 'The Pink Ponies' or something? That surely couldn't offend somebody. But knowing you, you'd find something to offend you anyway.
I only hope you will calm down someday. I peruse your blog and you look so tense...the world's not out to get you. Indians are a part of America, and very much a part of our culture.
Cheers.