Your letters about the Chief *UPDATE*
Since the DI first started reporting that Chief Illiniwek is going to be retired, I’ve received dozens of letters. This is not surprising and frankly, I was expecting it. The Opinions page normally prints around 2000 words a day so quite obviously I will not have space for everything.
That being said, I intend to publish as many letters about the Chief issue as I possibly can. I don’t know how many that will end up being and I don’t know when I will be able to get the physical space in the newspaper. Until then though, I just want to let you readers know that I am reading *all* of your letters. If you would like to send a letter to me, please adhere to the policy below.
Letters Policy
Letters to the editor may be sent via e-mail to opinions@dailyillini.com with the subject “Letter to the Editor” or via mail to Opinions, The Daily Illini, 512 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820.Any letter submitted via regular mail must be typed, and all letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number to allow for verification. University students must note their year in school and which college they are in.
No letter may exceed 300 words during the regular school year and 200 words during the summer, and The Daily Illini reserves the right to edit or reject any contributions.
UPDATE: Look for almost 20 letters to appear in the DI tomorrow regarding Chief Illiniwek. Keep sending them in and they will either appear in the print or online edition. There’s a distinct possibility that I will use this blog for overflow in the coming days as “CHIEF ILLINIWEEK” unfolds.
February 18th, 2007 at 9:54 am
LET’S ADMIT IT: CHIEF ILLINIWEK IS NOT BEING “RETIRED”; HE HAS BEEN EXPELLED BECAUSE OF MALICIOUS LIES AND RUMORS. THIS HONORED SYMBOL (NOT A “MASCOT̶
HAS BEEN DEFAMED BY WELL INTENTIONED, BUT NARROW MINDED, PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CAPABLE OF GRASPING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ANIMATED CHARACTER RUNNING AROUND THE SIDELINES THROUGHOUT A GAME, AND THE RE-CREATION OF A SOLEMN CEREMONY BY A PERSON WHO APPEARS ONCE AT A GAME, HONORING OUR ILLINOIS NATIVE HERITAGE.
TOM MATYAS ‘79
February 19th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Has anyone thought about how upsetting this must be for the women’s basketball fans? The people who attend those games are some of the most loyal athletic supporters on campus. Don’t they deserve to see the Chief finish out the women’s home basketball season? Seems like this unequal treatment of women’s athletics must be in violation of something…
February 19th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Absolutely. The Administration is being extremely sexist in their refusal to let the Chief perform at at least one more women’s game
February 19th, 2007 at 11:59 am
[…] The University of Illinois has finally buried their minstrel show mascot symbol, Chief Illiniwek, and people are weighing in on all sides. Letters to the editor are pouring in for both the local and student paper, The Daily Illini. […]
February 19th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Anonymous -
I think you are right…Doesn’t it fall under Title IX?
February 19th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
My husband and I are both alumni of U of I. We are proud to presently have a daughter who is a freshman at U of I. Most of my husband’s family still lives in Central Illinois and come from a Native American heritage. His family has always taken great pride in their heritage. Likely they have always looked at the Chief with esteem and have never been offended by him. On the contrary they are proud to have their heritage remembered and I have heard my husband comment that this is all the result of political correctness at its silliest. He is disappointed in the whole matter.
February 20th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
The one issue that no one has mentioned is the way the Board is now appointed. As alums we have no way of holding them accountable. Maybe it is time to return to a general election of the Board of Trustees, that way we can vote for true alumni and do away with the appointed, could care less, non alum, political appointees that we are stuck with now.
In the end, the Gov. Blago should be held responsible for appointing non Illinois alumni to the Baord.