Terraka Garner
Staff Writer
A committee that focused on deciding whether or not it was plausible to replace the “I” icon on Idaho State University’s Red Hill has recently determined that replacing the “I” is the most desirable option.
Staff members, faculty members, students, community members and ISU officials within the committee put in a recommendation to ISU officials asking for the replacement of the “I” on Red Hill.
Members invited to the committee included former ASISU President Matt Bloxham, former ASISU President Kyle Son, current ASISU President Taylor Tingey, Alumni Director K.C. Felt, Director of Marketing and Communications Adrienne King, faculty member James Mahar, Associate Vice President for Facilities Phil Moessner, Vice President for Advancement Kent Tingey, Associate Vice President of the ISU Foundation Scott Turner, community member Valarie Watkins, Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad, President of the 1901 Club Tynan O’Neil and Committee Chair Ryan Sargent.
“I think that it’s important for the history of ISU,” said Sargent. “It’s a recognizable icon that many of us who are alumni, students or community members can recognize as part of ISU. It’s representative of our community. I think that’s why the committee recommended replacing the “I,” for those reasons.”
The letter “I” was originally a letter “T” in 1916 in honor of what was previously named the Idaho Technical Institute.
According to Sargent, the committee discovered in its research that a student assembly was held to raise the necessary funds in order to construct the letter “T” and in less than 20 minutes, the funds were collected.
That same afternoon students and faculty gathered picks, shovels and hoes and proceeded up Red Hill.
In 1926 the letter “T” was changed to a number “4” to show eagerness for a four-year school. In 1927 the number “4” was changed to the letter “I.”
In the 1960s, according to Sargent, students and staff had to deal with erosion on Red Hill and discussed moving the “I” to a new location. Architecture students eventually came up with ways to do this but funds were limited. Students and staff raised private funds and asked for volunteers to help clean up the area on Red Hill.
After raising the proper funds, students molded the “I” with chicken wire and spray concrete onto Red Hill.
In February of 2014 ISU announced the removal of the “I” for safety purposes. In that same month a committee was formed to discuss replacing the icon. The “I” was removed in the spring of 2014.
“Well, I was sad that it happened, but in all honesty it was going to happen anyway because that whole hill side is just kind of eroding,” said ISU student Peter Davis. “If they put something new up there wrong, it’s not going to stay long.”
February of 2015 is when the committee recommended the replacement of the “I” to ISU. ISU officials accepted the recommendation and are currently working on determining the logistics of the new icon. The icon will be placed in a new spot on Red Hill. The location will be decided upon once a series of soil tests have been completed.
“It will definitely be on a different spot on the hill because the spot where the I was is not secure, which is why it had to be taken down. The committee’s recommendation was to keep it on this side of Red Hill, the west side, and most likely from what I understand the “I” will probably be further south, basically lined up right in the center of Davis Field,” said Sargent. “If you’re watching a soccer game on Davis Field and you look up I think it’s going to be approximately right in the middle of the soccer field.”
ISU student Chris Cardona said, “[The “I” removal] needed to be done because it was in such bad shape and in such disrepair and obviously they thought it was a hazard. I do hope they do something with it and get something put up there because it is a point of pride for the university.”
