Students clad in Chief Illiniwek attire showed their support Monday night, rallying on the Quad with the hope of preventing the University symbol from being retired.

The rally, first introduced last week as a Facebook event, drew about 200 students. A few words in support of the Chief were offered by Paul Schmitt, sophomore in LAS and external vice president for Students for Chief Illiniwek; Dan Maloney, graduate student and portrayer of the Chief; and Tim Schwaegler, freshman in LAS who helped organize the event.

“The Chief is not dead until the first football game in the fall,” Maloney said. “We have that much time to show the University, the Board of Trustees and the community how much this tradition means to us.”

The rally closed with students singing the “Alma Mater” closely followed by chants of “save the Chief.”