The Regiment

I grew up in a town with Chief Illiniwek plastered everywhere. The perspectives Elizabeth captures are so similar to the debates I remembered from the UIUC mascot controversies when I was a kid. Maybe it’s something about being surrounded by cornfields, but folks get very attached to mascots and it’s incredible to hear another story about how people have such difficulty understanding why others might understand a mascot differently.

Elizabeth does a great job telling this story and bringing in different perspectives. It is so interesting to hear why this Northern Indiana town chose a Rebel soldier as their mascot in the 1960s and decided to fly the confederate flag with it. I agree with the other reviewer that I love how she warmly invites people to share and still asks tough questions that push thinking. I cannot wait to hear how this story continues!

Fascinating deep dive into why a town in northern Indiana chose its mascot to be a confederate rebel in the 1960’s, and are trying to decide if it’s time to change it. I like how she investigates the issue by building bridges and not creating more division.