the chief

super super tired now. have had classes from 11 am to 8 pm and only managed to fall asleep at 6 plus am last night. ahhh and have a ton of work to do.. but nvm must get some things out of my system.

was really shocked that day when danielle asked me if my uni was the one in the news where they were retiring the chief illiniwek which has been our university's mascot forever.. and been very controversial for an extremely long time too. and i was going to yahoo to search for something and saw this news as the main headline. i had no idea it was that big news. well but ok.. to be fair.. brit spears freaking shaving her head was a headline too a few days ago.. but anyways. back to way more important things...

i think why the board suddenly took action and came to such a fast decision is because during winter break at the end of last year, we got a mass email from the chancellor (yes. the one who cancelled 2 days of school. he's the man.) about some party.. i honestly cant remember but something along the lines of some racist portrayal of native americans and all these controversial issues and feelings across campus for these millions of years just suddenly erupted and like.. they really had to make a decision. a little background on the chief.. some people feel he's racist and making fun of native americans whom have had a history of huge ostracism here at my uni some time back.. can read more about thishere.

there was a forum on this issue held on campus. i think i mentioned this before actually.. which i attended and huge huge droves of students turned up.. most of the speakers who spoke were native americans.. some from really far away.. but there was this one guy.. he's either stupid or really has guts. he spoke against this big fuss on racism.. and i think he had a point.. but the way he put it across was just.. not very bright and slightly illogical.. although i could see what he was getting at. something about him not being racist because he himself had family members who died in the holocaust (he's jewish) and something about how coca cola is damn good.. (yea that's another issue)... anyways i dont know. it was very emotional. and when i spoke to my friend later she said she was a little angry coz a forum is supposed to be an opportunity to hear from both sides.. but yet when that one guy spoke.. everyone booed him.. and the whole thing was very obviously a one-sided affair from start to end.

anyways the university made the decision a few days ago to retire the chief.. and i honestly dont think they really had any other option.. anything else and they would have been seen to be allowing "racism" to continue its long existance on campus. from what ive seen and heard.. i think there's actually a huge, huge majority that's pro chief.. and although i dont really want to say anything because.. it's such a touchy issue. and maybe im wrong. and i obviously dont know it feels like for american indians. racism is such a touchy issue.. that people can use it to their advantage sometimes.. you know what i mean? i dont mean all.. i mean some. just those very few.. that it kinda becomes some kinda empowerment in its shame. in a sense. i should have gotten tix to tonight's bball game where he's making his last dance.. it's a part of history man.





actually this WASNT what i wanted to blog about at all... but im seriously too tired now. maybe tmr. reminder to self

- why we fight
- american students
- us foreign policy
- Bush, Eisenhower, Cheney
- IR.. freaking officials.. career.. knowledge..
- US troops.. war.

til the next time.