By Holli L. Rapp
The most recognizable, and probably most controversial, mascot in Illinois is U of I’s Chief Illiniwek.
No more than a year ago, a proposal to get rid of the Chief sparked a heated debate on the U of I campus. A March 4, 1998 issue of the Illini reported that several speakers tried unsuccessfully to convince the U of I Senate to replace the Chief.
The anti-Chief groups included People Against Racism, the Muslim Student Association and the Undergraduate Association of Student Anthropologists. In the past, former U. S. Senator Paul Simon has campaigned to change the university’s mascot.
Despite the pleas, the U of I Senate voted to keep the Chief.
A March 9, 1998 issue of the Illini also reported that the U of I Board is not interested in replacing the Chief because Native Americans do not object to him as a symbol of the university.
April 8, 1999 the Apache