University English instructor and alumna Carol Spindel thought the day she had hoped for had finally arrived last month when the University Board of Trustees was expected to vote on whether or not to retire the Chief.

But Spindel, the author of a book on the controversy over American Indian mascots, said it was unfortunate that Trustee Frances Carroll's resolution had to be withdrawn, because she lacked the votes to pass it. She said keeping the Chief is not in the best interest of the University.

"It's unfortunate; the resolution that Trustee Carroll introduced was a simple and dignified solution," Spindel said. "I wished the trustees had voted yes. No public administrator at the University has come out for the Chief since 1990. He is something left over from an earlier time, the world of 1926 when the Chief was created as a role model."

Spindel participates in anti-Chief rallies and debates and has written letters against the Chief since writing her book, "Dancing at Halftime: Sports and the Controversy over American Indian Mascots," which was published in 1999. The book takes a look at both sides of the Chief debate. She said before writing the book she was neutral on the issue, and even leaned to the pro-Chief side.

"When I thought about (the Chief), I identified with the marching band as a writer because they had invented a fictional character and they were being criticized for it," Spindel said. "And as a writer that concerned me."

Now she says she is in favor of retiring the Chief.

"The Chief divides the students," Spindel said. "You come here and you have to take sides."

Spindel is also the co-director of the Illinois chapter of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media.

Spindel said her motivation for writing the book was her Rhetoric 199 students, who wrote papers with contradicting facts.

"When I first heard about the Chief, I was not against the Chief," Spindel said. "I heard about it for a long time, but I ignored it until my students wanted to write about it. Every paper had different facts. The papers contradicted each other."

The book looks at both sides of the Chief issue and discusses the history of the controversial mascot.

"In 1926, when (Chief Illiniwek) was created, the Native Americans could not dance their own dances on their own reservations," Spindel said. "They had no religious freedom until 1934."

The University of Illinois Press was originally going to publish "Dancing at Halftime" but backed out because of concern the book would offend the University trustees, Spindel said.

She said listening to Native Americans changed her opinion about the Chief.

"Again and again I watched as (Native Americans) were dismissed and their concerns were ignored," Spindel said. "So even though all these people claim to love the Chief, they wouldn't listen to or take seriously these real native people that were standing in front of them."

Illini Pride President and junior in business Joshua Warley said although Illini Pride has a neutral stance on the Chief, he would be sad if the Chief was retired.

"I would hate to see the Chief go," Warley said. "It's a great tradition and the center of pride for the University. I don't agree with (those people who are against the Chief). Most of the people fighting against the Chief are not Native Americans."

Spindel's husband, Thomas Bassett, is a University geography professor. He said his wife is a great writer.

"(Dancing at Halftime) is the best thing out there on mascots and Native Americans," Bassett said. "Anyone who wants a balanced treatment of Indian mascots in sports should read the book."

Bassett agrees with his wife that the Chief is a problem that divides the campus and detracts from the University's reputation.

"People outside of Champaign-Urbana see the Chief as racist," Bassett said. "That brings us to the question, why does this mascot still exist?"

Spindel said growing up Jewish in Memphis, Tenn., has made her more sensitive to issues of race.

"I grew up in the South during the era of civil rights, and I never heard white people say 'I'm for discrimination,'" Spindel said. "Instead they said things like African-American students wouldn't feel comfortable in our schools, or we don't like these northerners coming down here telling us what to do."

Although Spindel also enjoys gardening and dancing, she said her passion is writing.

"I've been writing all my life; I've always wanted to be a writer," she said.

Spindel's first book, "In the Shadow of the Sacred Grove," was about Spindel's experience living in West Africa. The book was published in 1989 and was named a notable book by the New York Times. Spindel is now finishing up her memoir on taking care of her father as he died of cancer.

Although she is no longer writing books about the Chief, Spindel said she is still very concerned about the issue and thinks it's inevitable the Chief will be retired soon.

"The Trustees painted themselves into this corner and they will have to retire it," she said.