Fighting Illini. It is the name that defines this University. We no longer have the Chief, we don’t have a new mascot, and the only thing we have to fall back on is those two words.

Since the name’s inception to honor drafted Illinoisans during World War I, the name stuck, and it will stick. We are Illini. For some that means nothing and for others it means a lot more because it’s more of an identity than it is a name. For student body President Brock Gebhardt it’s a name he wants to remain at this University, forever. 

Gebhardt announced in a press release and at last week’s Illinois Student Senate meeting that he was introducing legislation that would ensure this school would be named Fighting Illini forever.

The announcement follows a Jan. 9 email to students and faculty from Gebhardt introducing a campuswide mascot contest. With ISS’s help, the RSO Campus Spirit Revival would initiate the conversation of moving past the Chief — a symbol to represent the identity — and begin the process of selecting a new mascot for this campus.

But ISS is contradicting itself by searching for a new mascot to represent our school, while maintaining the Fighting Illini namesake and identity. If this University would one day be named the Owls or Lions, then would it be the Fighting Illini Owls? No, that just sounds silly. 

Last night Gebhardt held a press conference addressing the legislation and said it was not a very debatable issue. He also recognized the conflict of a new mascot and the Fighting Illini name, saying that this collision of mascot and name would be addressed in his legislation’s amended form next week.

Frankly, this is a confusing message. Trying to retain the Fighting Illini name while simultaneously trying to have the campus move toward selecting a new mascot is hypocritical.

It seems incredibly unnecessary to try to keep the name Fighting Illini — it’s not going anywhere, legislation or not. That is what we are called. The Fighting Illini name has no Native-American relation. Back in the 1800’s, The Daily Illini introduced the “Illini” term as it switched its original name from The Student to The Illini to its eventual name today.

The only thing that might remove Fighting Illini from this University is if the University instituted a new mascot, a goal spearheaded by ISS.

Despite what Gebhardt says, this conversation is very debatable because the name is a part of our identity. Fighting Illini is ubiquitous with the Chief. He was named Chief Illiniwek, and though Illini is not derived from that, it is one of the few remnants left of his existence.

If the student body votes to have a new mascot, then they vote to completely do away with the Chief. If the student body chooses no mascot, then Fighting Illini will stay. It’s a non-conversation.

We hope that Gebhardt and ISS recognize that we can only be the Fighting Illini or we can be something entirely different.

The Fighting Illini are going nowhere, so where are we going with this hunt for a new mascot or this unnecessary legislation? 

Because, honestly, we are not sure.