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News :: Protest Activity |
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Anti-"Chief" Organization Plans Actions Around Upcoming Meeting |
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by Kurt Hilgendorf
Email: hilgendo (nospam) shout.net (verified)
Phone: (217) 352-6076
Address: 607 W. Healey #9 |
10 Nov 2002
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The University of Illinois Board of Trustees has faced increasing criticism over the past few years for their lack of democracy and action on a wide variety of issues at UI. The Board was even investigated for criminal violations of the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Yet the Board continues to refuse to decide on possibly the most visible controversy on campus: "Chief Illiniwek," the University's mascot. The "Chief" issue will be prominent at the Board's upcoming meeting on November 13th and 14th.
In response to the Board's inaction, one local organization is planning two events around the Board's upcoming meeting in Champaign-Urbana on November 13th and 14th, the trustees' only meeting at the main UI campus this semester. The Progressive/Resource Action Cooperative (PRC) will be holding a public forum on the "Chief" on November 12th and its members will have strong presence at the Board's public comment session on November 14th to demand the Board eliminates the "Chief." According to Lian Alan, PRC co-coordinator, "The '"Chief" issue has somehow disappeared from the Board's agenda. With these actions, the PRC and supporters of the anti-"Chief" movement hope to put the issue back in front of the Board." |
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees has faced increasing criticism over the past few years for their lack of democracy and action on a wide variety of issues at UI. The Board was even investigated for criminal violations of the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Yet the Board continues to refuse to decide on possibly the most visible controversy on campus: "Chief Illiniwek," the University's mascot. The "Chief" issue will be prominent at the Board's upcoming meeting on November 13th and 14th.
After two years of formal discussion initiated by the North Central Association (the governing body of university and college accreditation for the Midwest), it appeared as if the Board may actually take some action on the issue. A committee was to be appointed to further study the issue and make recommendations. In a move that became known as the "Committee of One," Trustee Roger Plummer was the sole appointee to this committee. He released his results last spring; either retire the "Chief" or maintain it. Rumors swirled that the Board would formally vote on the mascot's status at its March 2002 meeting. In the end the Board did not vote and word later emerged publicly that Governor George Ryan intervened to prevent trustees from deciding on the issue.
In response to the Board's inaction, one local organization is planning two events around the Board's upcoming meeting in Champaign-Urbana on November 13th and 14th, the trustees' only meeting at the main UI campus this semester. The Progressive/Resource Action Cooperative (PRC) will be holding a public forum on the "Chief" on November 12th and its members will have strong presence at the Board's public comment session on November 14th to demand the Board eliminates the "Chief." According to Lian Alan, PRC co-coordinator, "The '"Chief" issue has somehow disappeared from the Board's agenda. With these actions, the PRC and supporters of the anti-"Chief" movement hope to put the issue back in front of the Board."
Tuesday night's forum is intended to draw campus and community members together to draft a resolution against the "Chief" that will be presented to the Board of Trustees later in the week. PRC's goal for the meeting is to create a strong anti-"Chief" statement that includes input from a diversity of groups and people and is representative of popular sentiment. Co-sponsors of the forum include fraternities, religious organizations, and a wide variety of student organizations. The forum is scheduled to begin at 7pm and will take place in 151 Everitt Lab, at the northeast corner of Green and Wright in Urbana.
The resolution will then be presented to the Board at 9am on Thursday the 14th during the public comment session. This meeting will take place at the student union in Illini rooms A and B.
Karin Lange, another of the PRC's co-coordinators, stressed that "This is the Board's only official meeting this semester at this campus. It's especially important for supporters of the anti-"Chief" movement to come out and show their commitment to ridding the University of its racist mascot. The Board refuses to meet or speak with us. As many people as possible need to show the Board that we'll directly confront them."
PRC welcomes and strongly encourages all anti-"Chief" supporters to attend both events. |
