Jenna Crowe
Staff Writer
In the past, two landmarks have defined Red Hill: the Pillars, and the giant letter “I” that used to rest on the side of the hill. While the “I” was removed in the spring of 2014 due to erosion creating a safety hazard, a committee has been working towards replacing the historic letter.
This committee is composed of a variety of members, including alumni, faculty, staff, community members, students and ISU officials.
“The last five student ASISU presidents and vice presidents have served on the committee. There have also been a few ASISU senators, representatives from the 1901 student club and others,” said Ryan Sargent, associate director of alumni relations.
The 1901 Club was created with the goal of returning the “I” to Red Hill.
Collectively, the committee has considered a variety of possibilities to replace the letter. The committee, originally established by President Vailas, has proposed replacing the community symbol with another “I”.
Dr. James Mahar, a senior lecturer in the College of Science and Engineering, who served on that committee, suggested that students take the lead while developing this plan, according to Sargent. There are now two engineering senior design project teams working under the supervision of Dr. Mahar to develop a specific plan for restoring the letter.
This symbol of Bengal pride was not always the letter “I”, however. In 1916, the letter “T” was placed on Red Hill to show the college’s transition from the Academy of Idaho to the Idaho Technical Institute. A decade later, this letter was changed to the number four to express the student community’s desire for a four-year college. Once the Idaho Technical Institute became the University of Idaho Southern Branch a year later, the number four was changed to the iconic “I” that adorned Red Hill until 2014.
At this time, there is no timeline in place for this project to be finished, yet the surrounding community has been asking for this project to be complete since the “I” was originally torn down in 2014.
“The community has been agitating for the icon’s restoration since it was first announced the original would be removed,” Sargent said. “The ‘I’ is a symbol of Bengal pride for many, many alumni and supporters.”
