Recently, I attended the University of Illinois’ Men’s Basketball game at Assembly Hall against rival Indiana. While there were some signs with vulgarity not appropriate for this blog, I saw a sign that a student was holding that really caught my eye. Everyone knows about the controversy surrounding Chief Illiniwek and the schools adopted symbol, but most people don’t know that the school is still trying to bring back the mascot. During halftime of the game, the students did their normal cheering and clapping to the song that Chief Illiniwek used to dance to during the intermission. But because of the ban placed on the chief, he is no longer allowed to perform at halftime. I glanced across the court to see a student holding this sign:


This sign immediately caught my eye because of some of the hidden elements of persuasion. For example, the I in chief is the University of Illinois’ symbol. It incorporates the idea that the chief is a part of the University. If you take the I out of chief, you no longer have the same word, just like if you took out the I in Illinois, it wouldn’t be the same school. The sign was to the point and in the schools color, orange. It had the chief’s logo so that you know what chief the sign was talking about. The sign was very effective because even my friend that was visiting from Illinois State asked me if the chief is close to coming back. While this sign didn’t need to persuade me because I didn’t want the chief to go, others might not have known the compassion the students have for Chief. I want to find a place to buy this sign and hang it in my dorm room window, where everyone will be aware that Chief Illiniwek will hopefully be back.

-Thomas Callahan