NCAA - University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

U. of Illinois Board of Trustees to Vote on Chief Retirement

Board of Trustees to vote on Chief retirement

Anne Gleason
Staff writer

The University Board of Trustees may vote on a resolution proposing to retire University symbol Chief Illiniwek at the board meeting on Thursday.

The resolution asks that Chief Illiniwek be retired at a time and manner to be determined based on what students, faculty members, staff and alumni at the Urbana campus want.

If passed, the Chief will be removed as a symbol, but the Board will continue to support the Fighting Illini name.

Several board members said Trustee Frances Carroll was a supporter of the resolution.

Carroll's phone line was busy last night and she was not available for comment.

Trustee Marjorie Sodemann said she had spoken to both Carroll and Student Trustee Nate Allen about the resolution, and said both were "wanting it to happen." However, Sodemann didn't think it was the right time to be voting on the Chief.

"I would prefer it to not have been on the agenda ... It came very suddenly," she said. "I oppose it, and I will vote to retain the Chief."

Allen said he believed it's in the best interest of the University to retire the Chief and plans to vote for the resolution on Thursday.

Trustee Robert Sperling said he had not yet made a decision on the issue.

The Board last discussed the fate of the Chief in 2002 when former trustee Roger Plummer presented his report, which said there can be no compromise on the Chief issue -- it should either stay as the University symbol or be removed.

Stephen Kaufman, a University professor who represented faculty members against the Chief during the Chief Illiniwek dialogues, said he will be attending the meeting Thursday and has asked for an opportunity to speak. He said the action would be positive if "the board is going to act on that resolution."

Chief supporters also plan to attend the meeting. Both Dan Bolin of Students for Chief Illiniwek and Roger Huddleston of the Honor the Chief Society said they would attend the meeting to support the Chief.

Bolin said Students for Chief Illiniwek declared this week Chief Week and plan to hold a rally on the Quad this Thursday. The group had planned Chief Week before they found out about the resolution, he said.

Huddleston said he was looking forward to hearing the decision of the board.

"I would certainly hope that integrity wins that day," he said. "I think the University and the people that support the University are going to be the big winners."

Demian Kogan, president of the Progressive Action/Resource Cooperative, which opposes the Chief, said PRC was encouraged to see a board member acting to eliminate the Chief. However, he said PRC would also like the University to eliminate the name Fighting Illini.

"This is a huge positive first step in the right direction," Kogan said.

This article was taken from www.dailyillini.com.  All rights reserved.