Arkansas State panel pondering Indians nickname

[star2city]

A couple of stories from Arkansas State:

Arkansas newspaper article posted on SunBelt Board

In May 2003, ASU President Les Wyatt ignored a recommendation by the university

[Chief Illiniwek Supporter]

Two quotes, one from each article:

Athletic Director Dean Lee pointed out that the mascot issue is not only significant in the Athletic Department but affects the entire university, including the student body, alumni and fans and supporters.

The Mascot Review Committee - comprising ASU faculty and staff, along with Jonesboro civic leaders - is expected to make its recommendation next month to ASU Chancellor Robert Potts. The chancellor will forward the proposal to the ASU board of trustees.

Anyone else notice that the students are affected, but are not represented?

I do have to wonder how often these decisions are made by committees instead of A) the Chancellor or B) the Board of Trustees. At Illinois, the decision was solely the responsibilty of the Trustees.

Do we have a committee on raises? On budgets? Or is it just on hot button issues, the ones the Trustees want political cover for?

Many former Indians and Indian fans will be angry; they will not understand.

However, it is the goal of committee members to educate the ASU community as well as Northeast Arkansas about the controversy.

(Emphasis added.)

Yes, thanks for another shining example of unbiased journalism.

but at the same time ASU can move forward with a new and diverse logo, brand or mascot.

Bingo! Magic word. End of debate. If you claim to have diversity on your side, you automatically win.

[siouxforeverbaby]

Two quotes, one from each article:

Anyone else notice that the students are affected, but are not represented?

I do have to wonder how often these decisions are made by committees instead of A) the Chancellor or B) the Board of Trustees. At Illinois, the decision was solely the responsibilty of the Trustees.

Do we have a committee on raises? On budgets? Or is it just on hot button issues, the ones the Trustees want political cover for?

while I see your point that the Chancellor or the Board should make the decision, based on what I know of Potts from ND, you wouldn't want him to have the sole responsibility of deciding. But that is personal feelings. I didn't noticed that the students weren't represented, but that doesn't really surprise me.

[KEH]

while I see your point that the Chancellor or the Board should make the decision, based on what I know of Potts from ND, you wouldn't want him to have the sole responsibility of deciding. But that is personal feelings. I didn't noticed that the students weren't represented, but that doesn't really surprise me.

No Student in my opinion would want to be part of an university if they didn't have a say in major decisions like this......I think people forget that the university is supposed to work for the students....The students aren't supposed to work for the university!

[Chief Illiniwek Supporter]

No Student in my opinion would want to be part of an university if they didn't have a say in major decisions like this......I think people forget that the university is supposed to work for the students....The students aren't supposed to work for the university!

And that's another part of the problem. Once you start delegating (or perhaps asking for cover) so-called "major" decisions down to various ad-hoc committees, then you have to define/justify exactly what these "major" decisions are/are not: and then you live and die with the next committee's decision.

And the public soon learns that these whitewashing committees are useless; so every once in a while you have to appoint one with real authority and autonomy.

And then you need to start factoring in THOSE additional costs into the "oh look at UND, they're spending all that money and we're saving it" blather.

Oh what a tangled web we weave......

[GeauxSioux]

COLLEGE NICKNAMES: Arkansas State looks at options

A fan of Arkansas State's Indians athletic teams offered Monday to donate money for a suit challenging an NCAA rule barring schools from using American Indian nicknames, mascots and images at its championship events, while an ASU student wondered who would pay for the changes that would be needed if the school drops the Indian nickname and mascot.

[Sioux-cia]

The NC$$ has said that a namesake tribe's approval is key in keeping an Indian name, logo and, in some cases, mascot. Initially, I thought ASU was screwed because there is no namesake tribe (Indians) to approve their use of the name Indians. BUT, having thought is over some more, I realize that there already is approval for the use of their name, Indians. The Seminoles, Utes, and Chippewas have approved the use of their tribes' names being used as a sports teams name. They're Indians. Therefore, ASU has their approval for the use of Inidans.

Seems logical to me.

[Goon]

The NC$$ has said that a namesake tribe's approval is key in keeping an Indian name, logo and, in some cases, mascot. Initially, I thought ASU was screwed because there is no namesake tribe (Indians) to approve their use of the name Indians. BUT, having thought is over some more, I realize that there already is approval for the use of their name, Indians. The Seminoles, Utes, and Chippewas have approved the use of their tribes' names being used as a sports teams name. They're Indians. Therefore, ASU has their approval for the use of Inidans.

Seems logical to me.

Now that makes sense to me as well...

[star2city]

KAIT - Jonesboro - Ark St U's Mascot Review Committee To Recommend Changes

June 18, 2007 03:01 PM CDT

JONESBORO, AR - Arkansas State University's Mascot Review Committee is meeting today, and in this morning's session passed a resolution to recommend a mascot and nickname change to the university's board of trustees.

The committee also passed a resolution to recommend to the board that a national marketing firm to assist in finding a new mascot and nickname for ASU's athletic teams.

ASU is under pressure from the NCAA to change the "Indians" team mascot and nicknames to a more politically correct moniker.

[MafiaMan]

Bingo! Magic word. End of debate. If you claim to have diversity on your side, you automatically win.

That's all that's needed, my friend! It's just like getting into a good political discussion. To win, you just blurt out "well you're a racist" to the other party and automatically, everything they say after that becomes null and void.

Good-bye Indians, hello Arkansas State SwampDogs, SkyHawks, or SunBirds.

[GeauxSioux]

I had more accurate writing skills when I was in 4th grade.

Arkansas State Mascot 'Indians' Must Go, Committee Says

The NCAA's ban, which forces schools with Native American mascots to cover up uniform emblems and hide their nicknames during post-season events such as the March Madness basketball tourney or college bowl games, has forced several schools to reconsider the use of Native American imagery at sporting events, including the University of North Dakota which is currently fighting the ban in court.

Arkansas State is the last school on the NCAA's original list of 19 schools with "hostile or abusive" nicknames to take formal action toward changing their status.

One school on that list - Florida State University - successfully appealed the ban by touting its close relationship with the Seminole tribe of Florida. FSU will be allowed to use the "Seminoles" nickname and imagery even during the post-season. Illinois University can keep its "Fighting Illini" nickname but will have to cease using some of its imagery, including its popular "Chief Illiniwek" mascot.

[GeauxSioux]

Farewell mascot, you will be missed

For example, the NCAA decision affected 18 different schools like The University of Illinois, which was known for its "Chief Illiniwek" mascot. This university got to keep their name of "the fighting Illini," but the chief had to go.

Also, The University of North Carolina-Pembroke's mascot is the Braves, and it was not banned, but The University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux mascot was banned.

UND has a mascot??

[darell1976]

Farewell mascot, you will be missedUND has a mascot??

We did... in 1993, remember Thunder the Bleacher Creature.

[Sioux-cia]

We did... in 1993, remember Thunder the Bleacher Creature.

Shutter!!