Chief Illiniwek returns for weekend performance

The University of Illinois' banished mascot, Chief Illiniwek, will make a rare appearance this weekend after almost two years of silence.

Illiniwek, portrayed by Logan Ponce of St. Charles, is scheduled to perform Saturday for the first time since the university banned the 80-year-old tradition, citing cultural insensitivity, in February 2007.

The unofficial mascot is being featured in a presentation at the university's Assembly Hall in after a football game against Ohio State University. The Students for Chief Illiniwek, a registered student group, is sponsoring the event. The organization is renting Assembly Hall from the university for $4,500, plus expenses, university spokesman Tom Hardy said. General admission is free for students and $5 for the general public.

"They're a registered student organization and they have certain rights and privileges to be able to use university facilities - and that's the case here," Hardy said Thursday. "The university does not support the event."

Organizers could not be reached for comment Thursday.

For more information, visit honorthechief.com.