headdress update

[muhoosier260]

sorry if this was already posted, but the marquette tribune ran an article on the issue. muscoop even gets mentioned. is that the first time muscoop has been mentioned in ink?! story linked below

http://media.www.marquettetribune.org/media/storage/paper1130/news/2007/03/06/News/Paying.Homage.To.Old.Nickname.Sparks.Debate-2758055.shtml

[SoCalwarrior]

Nice. 


Paying homage to old nickname sparks debate
Fan asked to keep headdress in dorm
Rincey Abraham
Posted: 3/6/07

Old habits die hard. The sixth member of his family to attend Marquette, Dan O'Connell, a College of Arts & Sciences freshman, has grown up with the Warrior mascot in his blood.

But on Friday, the university told O'Connell he would no longer be allowed to wear his homemade American Indian headdress - his homage to the school's former nickname - to basketball games.

O'Connell said he heard from his resident assistant that the university wanted to speak with him, but he did not know what it was about. He was told by Jim McMahon, dean of Residence Life, that if he wore the headdress to the basketball game on Saturday he would be ejected from the game and have the headdress confiscated.

He said he had never been contacted before about wearing the headdress, even though he has been wearing it in the front row of the student section for every men's home basketball game this season.

McMahon did not return calls for comment Monday. Neither did Steve Cottingham, the interim athletic director, nor did Mike Broeker, associate athletic director for marketing and communications.

Brigid O'Brien Miller, director of university communication, said the university was contacted about O'Connell wearing a headdress at the basketball games after someone observed him at the Feb. 24 game. She said he was contacted in order to discuss the issue and the university's position.

The board of trustees passed a resolution in September 2004 prohibiting American Indian references and imagery in athletic nicknames. It reads, "Marquette University shall consistently prohibit the use of Native American references and imagery in its athletics logo, nickname and mascot and shall consistently strive to avoid the use of images that diminish, limit, stereotype or are offensive to the character, history and culture of any ethnic heritage" and "Marquette University shall strive to educate its students, alumni and fans as to the objectionable nature of such references and imagery."

Patty O'Connell, Dan's mom and a 1980 alumna, said she was extremely angry after her son called and told her what had happened. No member of the O'Connell family who has gone to Marquette supported the change from the Warriors to the Golden Eagles, she said.

"I am still angry about the change from the Warriors," Patty said.

The story broke after Dan's father, John, a 1981 alumnus, posted on an MUScoop.com message board about the incident.

Dan said that since the regular season is now over, he does not know if the university would have enforced the policy for all of the basketball games or just for Saturday's nationally-televised game against Pittsburgh which was featured on ESPN College GameDay. However, he did say that if the team goes to the Final Four tournament, he will wear the headdress there.

Patty said she is unsure about what her son will end up doing about the situation, but she knows he does not want to make a statement and defy the university.

"He doesn't want to become a symbol of defiance," she said.

John Johannes, a freshman in the College of Engineering, created a Facebook group - "Let's Wear Headdresses" - in support of Dan and the situation. The group's description says, "Let's all wear Indian Headdresses to the PITT Game. ... Get some construction paper construction paper (sic) and some safety scissors and make your own!"

Johannes, however, said he did not end up making a headdress and said he only saw one other student with one at Saturday's game.

He also said the crowd was heard cheering "Let's Go Warriors" throughout the game. He said he believed it was started because when the cheerleaders began to cheer "Let's Go Marquette." The students overpowered them and yelled "Let's Go Warriors" instead.

"Our students and fans cheer for Marquette in a lot of different ways," said Miller in an e-mail sent on Monday. "We expect that they do so enthusiastically, but with respect."
© Copyright 2007 The Marquette Tribune

[DJO's Pump Fake]

I really wish he would have worn the head dress to the game

I dont see marquette getting mad at Bo Ellis for saying go warriors at halftime or shutting down all the warriors forever t-shirts

I would have loved to see them try and kick him out of the game and the huge uproar it would have caused

This ruling is just bull

[bartmiller#1]

There was a kid at the game and at Game Day in a headdress.

He wasn't kicked out.

[WashDCWarrior]

He wasn't given explicit warning not to wear it, so the university couldn't kick him out even if they would have wanted to.  It would have been interesting to see how the university would have handled it if Dan had shown up wearing his.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I'd say threatening to have him removed from the game qualifies as an "explicit warning." Don't forget, this is a teen-aged kid!

[WashDCWarrior]

I guess I didn't make that very clear.  The kid who actually wore the headdress didn't receive explicit warning.

[pitz]

I was disappointed that the reporter stated his father posted here.  I guess she couldn't believe a MOM would do posting on a basketball message board

[WashDCWarrior]

I'll admit to being guilty of the same assumption. 

[Avenue Commons]

The board of trustees passed a resolution in September 2004 prohibiting American Indian references and imagery in athletic nicknames. It reads, "Marquette University shall consistently prohibit the use of Native American references and imagery in its athletics logo, nickname and mascot and shall consistently strive to avoid the use of images that diminish, limit, stereotype or are offensive to the character, history and culture of any ethnic heritage" and "Marquette University shall strive to educate its students, alumni and fans as to the objectionable nature of such references and imagery."

Rules are rules. The University's position is pretty clear on this one. I'm pleased that the University handled this situation appropriately.

[mu_hilltopper]

I was disappointed that the reporter stated his father posted here.  I guess she couldn't believe a MOM would do posting on a basketball message board

Pitz .. I thought the same thing.  I saw it, and thought, ......wait a minute ... isn't Pitz the mom?   Don't they teach journalism at Marquette?