Chief Illiniwek was officially retired in 2007. But as Chris Quintana of The Chronicle of Higher Education discovered, he never really went away. Chief's ongoing presence is something that's been covered before - but it remains a point of contention on campus. 

University of Illinois administrators want to see the Urbana campus move on without Chief Illiniwek. Through a series of public events, they’re seeking input from the community on how best to achieve that, but not everyone thinks it will succeed.

To some, Chief Illiniwek is an honored symbol of the University of Illinois that should be preserved. And to others, he’s a racist stereotype that had to go. The University of Illinois hosted the first of a series of “Critical Conversations” events, which aim to help the campus and community move forward more than a decade after the Chief was retired.