The following is the transcript of a Foellinger balcony narrative from April 14, 2000. It is an unedited excerpt from the original Chief dialogue document.

Because I worked my way through school, I attended no basketball and no football games during my undergraduate years. I was a waitress and waitresses know better than to ask for time off on game day. So I knew very little of Chief Illiniwek during my undergraduate years.

What I did know was from a roommate who did hurt from the mocking way people would go whoo, whoo, that is putting your palm over your hand and that little kids imitation war whoop. He hurt at the Native American mascot. He hurt at Chief Illiniwek. This was a black man who knew enough to feel that hurt and didn't mind letting me know that he didn't appreciate it.

Later I got to know Chief Illiniwek better after I met Charlene Teters. This was maybe 15 years after I had graduated. And after I read about her making an appearance at a meeting of the student government association, I called her up and expressed my appreciation for her bravery. And I wanted her to not feel so alone.

Chief Illiniwek then came to me in something more, actually soon after I met Char. Because I can remember a sign that I saw pasted, a handmade sign that was on the windshield of a car parked outside Memorial Stadium during a game. It said save the Chief, kill the Indian. It was just a sign, no one really killed Charlene, but she is a real person. Her children are real people. They have real feelings and they experience real alienation and hurt during this life here in Champaign-Urbana.

The other images that I know from campustown are these goofy dolls with the giant nose. These images of the stupid growling Indian with two feathers and a headdress. I know that Jean Edwards and Citizens for Chief Illiniwek are doing everything they can to police campustown merchandise. They want to present just the so-called dignified, honored symbol. But so long as we have free enterprise and creativity and I am a supporter of the First Amendment, we will continue to have these hurting knock-offs of Chief Illiniwek. Because we have these silly dolls and the signs, save the Chief, kill the Indian, the symbol has stopped to be the unifying force that is supposed to bring us together.

Primarily it is derisive, it hurts me that my school with my tax dollars are promoting that hurtful symbol. And I agree that we should have something like the prairie fire that can bring us together. Thank you very much for considering these.

See the U.I. Dialogue on Chief Illiniwek page for more transcripts and information.