Two men personally affected by the portrayal of the University of Illinois’ mascot, Chief Illiniwek, will share their stories with Eastern’s campus Wednesday night.

Ben Crew, a Champaign businessman, and William “Dean” Cook, a self-employed Champaign construction laborer, will each tell Eastern students why they believe the university’s portrayal of a Native American chief is racially offensive. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the Kansas Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Cook was arrested at a U of I women’s basketball game in January. He was reported to have been yelling accusations that Chief Illiniwek is a racist symbol and then allegedly made obscene gestures at fans who asked him to stop.

Security was then called, and they asked Cook to leave. When he refused, police arrested him, later charging him with criminal trespass and resisting a police officer.

Cook said he became involved in the Chief Illiniwek cause in 1993 when he performed in the U of I’s Memorial Stadium in the color guard in his veterans’ organization.

“Actually, I was standing in a potty house when chief protesters came by me,” he said. “Something told me to join along with them.”

Cook wants to stress that he is not against the chief symbol.

“I’m not anti-chief; the chiefs I’ve met I liked,” he commented. “The mascot is anti-chief.”

Crew will discuss the situation surrounding his Native American adopted son, Wayne, who will turn 15 next month. Wayne was apparently harassed by students, as well as teachers and administrators, in the Champaign public school system when he chose to “embrace” his Native American way of life and the obligations entailed in doing so, a press release stated.

Cook said Tuesday that he saw the Crews’ situation as a “tragedy.”

“It’s such a tough situation,” Cook said. “It should have never came to that. Any time a family has to be broken apart is very sad.”

A report to trustees at the U of I recently said the board has two options regarding the mascot: vote to keep it or drop it.

Cook said he thinks a compromise could be achieved if both sides, the opposing and supporting of Chief Illiniwek, are “comfortable with the change.”

“In my mind, the Native American imagery needs to be removed from the mascot,” Cook said. “Keep his same halftime performance, but take the Native American imagery out.”

Cook hopes to raise awareness on the issue during Wednesday’s discussion.

“I always thought, ‘It’s only a mascot; what’s the big deal?’,” Cook mentioned. “I want to clean up some of the miseducation we’ve all received.”

Victoria Wade, a U of I graduate student with Seneca and Abnaki heritage, will also speak.

Admission is free and open to the public.