Mascot for University of Illinois?

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#51      

Illinois88

Illinois88
United States
Illinois88
Franklin Delano Bluth said:
I kind of get the fact that people didn't like a white student in full native american costume (is that word offensive??) dancing during halftime... but the chief logo itself was a pretty darn respectful image, up there with the Highly Revered Chicago Blackhawks logo.

I'm ok with the university looking into new symbols/logos/mascots (The block I is nice, but incredibly boring) I think that the doughboy/ soldier makes the most sense, and my hope (as unlikely as it is) is that the university keeps the Block I as its primary logo, but uses the chief and a soldier as its secondary logos, both of whom honor the brave warriors that came from the state of illinois - which is where the nickname comes from anyway.

I also did like that bird idea. Birds are cool.
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If anything, to play it "safe", maybe the dance and the The Chief's dress should've been re-done in order to appease the Native American Council. What's interesting is that if they didn't want an American student without Native American blood a scholarship should've been made, full-tuition, to any entering freshmen who is Native American to act as The Chief. They would learn the dance and perform during sporting events. It that sense it would be a greater effort to show that respect in is mind.

I preface this by saying that I am a big Chief supporter. I thought the campaign against him was ridiculous.

That said, it's been nine years. Next year's incoming freshman were 7 when the Chief was eliminated. They have no memory of him, and to them our halftime shows and other peripheral events around our sports teams don't come off as protests against the Chief's removal, but just seem odd and empty. Other sports programs have some sort of symbol or icon associated with them. Illinois has a big, orange "I".

At this point, the "Chief or bust" stance has diminishing value, as fewer and fewer students have any association with the symbol.
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That's the byproduct of cutting out tradition. There will be remnants of it but for the most part newbies will be wondering "Are they talking about when the say, 'The Chief'?" What you're left with is a sea of nothingness. This goes with traditions in other cultures as well. If you don't carry whatever tradition down it'll cease to exist, or it will have less value to future generations.
 
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#52      

Snyder005

S
Snyder005
I just feel bad for the poor sap who has to get in whatever ill-advised mascot they come up with and has to run out in front of the SFC crowd.
 
#53      

Illinijose

I
Illinijose
BWBW said:
I've reconsidered. Let's put a big head on somebody, dress the person in an orange shirt and blue slacks and tell him to run around the stadium during football games and SFC during basketball games.

We'll call him "Illinois Idiot."
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Might be insulting to the true idiots on the faculty and student activist groups who eliminated the chief. Ancestry.com DNA testing shows I'm 35% percent native american yet I'm not remotely offended. I think it is much sadder to lose the Native American culture.
 
#54      

dsboyce

dsboyce
Golden, IL
dsboyce
GameOfThrows said:
U of I Pioneers - double entendre

U of I Wolves - indigenous and the natural predator of Wildcats.

I have always been a fan of Chief as a symbol for our University. I have never really liked "Fighting Illini" I would prefer to change our nickname to a unique name that can have a mascot attached. Mascots are great for the kids - future fans.
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The great thing about Fighting Illini is that it's unique. Why add another Pioneer or Wolf to the mix. No thanks.
 
#55      

KrushCow31

KrushCow31
Former Krush Cow
Chicago, IL
KrushCow31
The student senate does not actually voice the opinions of the student body. It's been that way for a while. They took a poll my sophomore year and it was like Chief 85%, no chief 15%. Then my senior year(coming up on 3 years ago) they hardcore pushed that new mascot thing and set up the search committee and had students draw mascots. There was a huge student push back and we made them add "None" to the options. After much pomp and circumstance, the top 3 was this:
1. None
2. None of the above.
3. Chef.

Just give up. The student body has made their opinions known. Multiple times.
 
#56      

NScale

N
NScale
Should not be a doughboy soldier, because for those who put forth that kids no longer remember the chief, who remembers WWI? Besides, U of I has Naval ROTC. The most revered symbol of the university is Alma Mater. But not very good for a student dressing in flowing robes with arms outstretched on the 50 yard line. So what does that leave? The U of I doesn't represent Chicago, take a look anywhere past campus boundaries. Corn and soybean farmers in their tractors and combines. Ag school. The Illinois farmer is a true hero, especially if you have worked alongside them for any length of time.
 
#57      

Joel Goodson

Joel Goodson
respect my decision™
Joel Goodson
Am thinking invertebrates, specifically those without exoskeletons.
 
#59      

AutoPoster 3000

AutoPoster 3000
AutoPoster 3000
Mascots? Ugh. The University of Denver Pioneers had a mascot named "Denver Boone" that was just a pioneer type guy with a beard and a coonskin cap and even that got banned as hostile and offensive -- apparently because it invoked images of ... um ... I guess, the people that originally founded the university ... ???

That said, if we're forced to have one at gunpoint, then I think it's obvious that the only reasonable choice is HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
 
#61      

Umgawa1

Umgawa1
Umgawa1
idoc13 said:
I had never heard of this squirrel before. Speechless.

http://www.dailyillini.com/article/2015/03/admissions-denies-the-squirrel-as-new-mascot
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"Doug Burgett, creative director for Enrollment Management, said “Oskee” was an already established name of a squirrel figure on campus, but Admissions wanted to explore other names because some may think the name references the former mascot, Chief Illiniwek."

Unbelievable. Our fight song is "Oskee-Wow-Wow." The song was written in 1911. Absolutely no references to anything Native American. The "some may think" people need to just stick it.
 
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#62      

Tevo

Tevo
Wilmette, IL
Tevo
We're already the Fighting Illini. You add an animal of some kind, or even a soldier, and suddenly we'll be referred to as the "Fighting Soliders" or the "Fighting Minutemen" or whatever. No mascot. None.

But if we HAVE to have one, how about a guy in all grey and white classic football gear, with white makeup, as the Galloping Ghost? But he never speaks, does no dances, and only appears without announcements, and only for a short time. Make it an EVENT when you encounter him or see him, make it COOL to see the Ghost at a game or event or around campus.
 
#63      

Lafong

L
Lafong
Thunderbird, like the Piasa legend from Alton.

Unique and is locally relevant.
 
#64      

audie

A
The Great Northwest
audie
How about the (galloping) GHOST
...and we never see him?
 
#66      

Umgawa1

Umgawa1
Umgawa1
Umgawa1 said:
"Doug Burgett, creative director for Enrollment Management, said “Oskee” was an already established name of a squirrel figure on campus, but Admissions wanted to explore other names because some may think the name references the former mascot, Chief Illiniwek."

Unbelievable. Our fight song is "Oskee-Wow-Wow." The song was written in 1911. Absolutely no references to anything Native American. The "some may think" people need to just stick it.
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Let's face it - every current Illini tradition, no matter how old or revered, is at risk because "some may think" it's connected to the Chief.
 
#67      

ritster

R
Wheaton, IL
ritster
World War I era soldier. That's where the Fighting Illini name came from
 
#68      

ILL_INI

ILL_INI
ILL_INI
KrushCow31 said:
. After much pomp and circumstance, the top 3 was this:
1. None
2. None of the above.
3. Chef.
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I'm not in favor of a mascot, but a chef mascot could have the broad appeal they're looking for. Who doesn't like food? Maybe he could cook something with feathers to help bring in the alienated segment.
 
#69      

PostersLastStand

P
Wayne County, IL
PostersLastStand
How about the Abe Linkedin's? If we could get money for it, like State Farm,
To improve faucilities, help with lack of State funding.
 
#71      

Hoppy2105

H
Little Rock, Arkansas
Hoppy2105
We don't need a mascot. The Alabama Crimson Tide have that elephant but never reference it in their name. We need to stay the "Fighting Illini" and that is it. If they want to add a random mascot/symbol/whatever that runs around like Alabama's elephant, then I'd prefer the Chief, then maybe a soldier, then maybe a phantom or something (connection to the galloping ghost). But like S&C said, it has to come naturally. No vote.
 
#72      

robertgoulet

robertgoulet
IL Board Resident Crooner
Austin, TX
robertgoulet
Benny The Bull is available now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#73      

laillini

L
Los Angeles
laillini
Illini Nellie - Mascot

Here is Illini Nellie from 1937 . She would be better than a squirrel.

This picture is from the school's archives page.
 

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#75      

Second and Chalmers

S
Second and Chalmers
AutoPoster 3000 said:
That said, if we're forced to have one at gunpoint, then I think it's obvious that the only reasonable choice is HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
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Urbana native. That would be great. Big game at the SFC, Illini hit a three, timeout other team, crowd going wild, ESPN just cuts to this as they go to commercial:

hal9000.jpg
 
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