Here at the University of Illinois, our school mascot is Chief Illiniwek. This has been the center of controversy for years, but this year it's getting intense. Every week there's new protests and demonstrations and whatnot on campus, both by pro-chiefers and anti-chiefers. It is an issue that, like gay marriage on the national spectrum, is completely dividing the campus. A little over half are staunchly pro-chief, and the rest are anti-chief. The chief does very not-racist-at-all things like dancing around on the football field at games and whatnot.
The student trustee attempted to bring up the issue for the April trustee meeting, but the meeting was cancelled because the administrators felt there wasn't anything important enough to hold a meeting for (you know, like debating whether or not to get rid of a devisive, racist mascot, or choosing the new President and Chancellor). Today was the day that meeting was supposed to occur, so a group of about 40 students got up early this morning and took over the administration building. They blockaded the doors and did not let anyone in (they let the few people who were already in leave). They are still sitting in right now, and one of them is providing very frequent updates from inside.
Their demands:
- Immediate elimination of Chief Illiniwek, the Chief's dance, the logo and the name
- A formal apology to American Indians
- Increased, stable and permanent funding for multicultural programs, including those focused on American Indian, Latino, black and Asian programs.
Go to the local newspaper's site
here to read more about it and vote in the poll on the right side of the page (Should the people conducting a sit in at the U of I's Swanlund Administration to protest Chief Illiniwek center be punished?). Right now, the vote stands at 59% of people saying these demonstrators should be punished for practicing their First Amendment Rights.
Go here for the blog I was telling you about.