Pro-Chief Billboard Placed Near U. Of Illinois Campus

CHAMPAIGN, IL — More than a decade after The University of Illinois retired the school's Native American mascot, Chief Illiniwek, it's evident that some haven't moved on from the decision. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that someone put up a message on a billboard near campus that celebrates the retired mascot reading, "The Chief, yesterday, today, forever." The cultural debate over the mascot has gone on for years, but got even more heated after the university retired it in the wake of pressure from the NCAA, the news report says.

The latest salvo in the war to reinstate Chief Illiniwek is a pro-chief billboard near campus that reads, in large letters: "The Chief, yesterday, today, forever." https://t.co/tw5blIaLIM
— The Chronicle of Higher Education (@chronicle) June 7, 2018

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Stephen Kaufman, a professor emeritus of molecular and cellular biology, spotted the billboard, and as a critic of the mascot, compared the display to infamous quote by George Wallace, the 20th-century Alabama governor, who said, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever." Kaufman emailed his thoughts to Robert J. Jones, the university's chancellor.

According to the news report, it's not clear at this time who paid for the billboard.

U Of I Professor Accused Of Filming In Bathroom Placed On Leave

The news of this highly controversial billboard comes just months after other Illiniwek-related news, as Patch reported back in January that U of I professor, Jay Rosenstein, was placed on administrative leave by the university after reports say he was caught filming a former graduate student and Chief Illiniwek portrayer in the bathroom of the State Farm Center. Rosenstein was arrested in Champaign County but was released from jail without facing any charges.

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