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II. "SYMBOL" vs. "MASCOT"
Although the various arguments on each side are discussed separately in Section VIII of this report, there is one issue that the speakers and writers have spent a great deal of time discussing and analyzing and should be addressed at this time.
While the Chief is not a true mascot in that he does not participate in the usual cheerleading activities of mascots of other schools, neither is he a true symbol of the University tradition. If he truly represented that tradition, his appearance would not be limited to athletic events. Chief Illiniwek is not an individual. Rather, "he" is a performance consisting of music, dance and costume performed at athletic events for the past 74 years. What began as a clever diversion for halftime at a football game has evolved into a tradition of its own.
As halftime entertainment to crowds of up to 70,000 people, he is perceived subjectively in many different ways. By attaching a label which identifies the performance as symbol or mascot based on subjective individual reaction or perception begs the question and adds nothing to the debate as to whether the performance should be retained. This report will avoid either designation.
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