CHIEF.
Buy your Chief gear now, because you're not going to be able to find it anymore. Why? Because the University of Illinois has decided to retire the mascot. I wonder what mascot the school will adopt now? The Illinois Corn has a nice ring to it. I mean, you wouldn't want anything offensive like Yellow Corn, for fear of discriminating against any White Corn, Indian Corn (*gasp!*) or White and Yellow Corn out there.
I have never understood why people can't be proud and enthusiastic about something that speaks of school tradition, and is in no way intended to offend any group of people. I understand that just because "that's the way we've always done it" doesn't necessarily mean it's right, but it's not as if the Chief goes out during half time and scalps people, or dies of disease, or is killed by europeans.
If you disagree with the dance, or the outfit, or the image it portrays, why don't you do something positive to fix it? Teach the mascot a real Illini tribal dance, dress him in a real costume. Better yet, form a Native American history department. Make a class part of the curriculum to graduate. Become the country's cultural center for Native American history (Cripes, if NIU can be the premier cultural center of the world in southeast asian studies, I think U of I, which boasts in its dumbass commercials to be one of the country's premier universities, should be able to pull off creating a Native American studies program.) Be proud of Illinois' plains Indians' heritage. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water just because you find some part of something as harmless as a mascot offensive.
All I have to say is CHIEF.
I have never understood why people can't be proud and enthusiastic about something that speaks of school tradition, and is in no way intended to offend any group of people. I understand that just because "that's the way we've always done it" doesn't necessarily mean it's right, but it's not as if the Chief goes out during half time and scalps people, or dies of disease, or is killed by europeans.
If you disagree with the dance, or the outfit, or the image it portrays, why don't you do something positive to fix it? Teach the mascot a real Illini tribal dance, dress him in a real costume. Better yet, form a Native American history department. Make a class part of the curriculum to graduate. Become the country's cultural center for Native American history (Cripes, if NIU can be the premier cultural center of the world in southeast asian studies, I think U of I, which boasts in its dumbass commercials to be one of the country's premier universities, should be able to pull off creating a Native American studies program.) Be proud of Illinois' plains Indians' heritage. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water just because you find some part of something as harmless as a mascot offensive.
All I have to say is CHIEF.