The Mascot Debate

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Chief Illiniwek, the recently banned mascot of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was allowed back for their homecoming celebrations this weekend in what the university described as in accordance with their belief of free speech. Their chancellor described the use of the mascot as a representation of personal expression, yet this mascot has an obvious connection to the university's collective history. During the 1960's, many athletic programs on campuses across the country began erasing American Indian nicknames and by the turn of this century, only a minority remained. For the rest of the article, click here.

It is unfortunate that the University of Illinois reversed the ban in the name of "free speech" despite the racist origins of the mascot, and the fact that it represents the entire university, not simply the students who choose to use it in the homecoming celebrations. One can't really be surprised by this move, when just this month one of the teams playing in the American League Division Series was the Cleveland Indians. It's easy to ignore the problem of such mascots when we have become so desensitized that we hardly realize their existence. We can only hope that more people will wake up.