Daily Egyptian MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2016
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ATO denies making racist video that calls for lynchings TYLER DAVIS | @TDavis_DE
A YouTube video spouting racist views of black people at SIU is making the rounds on social media, increasing the conversation about racism on campus. The 2-minute, 5-second video posted Thursday by YouTube account “ATO AZO” calls black people the N-word while using footage from the Disney movie “A Bug’s Life.” An anonymous speaker ends the video by attributing the message to the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity at SIU and calling for black students to be beaten and lynched on May 2. May 2 is also the date of protests against student loan debt. Nolan McConnell, president of SIU’s ATO, said no one in his fraternity made the video, which is titled “SIUC White is Right.” “Obviously there’s been stuff going on with us since that Facebook video was posted a few weeks ago,” McConnell said in response to a viral video accusing ATO members of making racist comments against blacks and Latinos. “I’m assuming it’s just a retaliation because those people were most likely silenced and it kind
of died down. I think they’re trying to re-hype what was going on.” SIUC interim Chancellor William Bradley Colwell responded to the video in an email sent to students, requesting it be removed. He urged students to stop sharing the video, which has nearly 2,500 views, and said disciplinary action could be taken against the publisher. “Those who choose to disrupt the campus or threaten others will be held accountable via laws and policies that are in place to protect our community,” he said. Kendall Crayton, a member of the Black Affairs Council, said the video is probably not the ATO’s doing. Crayton, a senior from Peoria studying mining engineering, said recent graffiti at Faner Hall about student loan debt has inspired people to anonymously speak about issues on campus. “It’s just a bunch of keyboard warriors that are just taking advantage of the situation that happened with the spray painting of the walls of Faner [Hall],” he said. “We shouldn’t feed in to this. They’re just trying to rile everybody up.” Please see RACIST | 4
Lentz’s head chef dies at 48 BREY MONG-DELANE @BreyMongDE
James Gilmore, the head chef at Lentz Dining Hall who was better known by students as “Chef Jim,” died Saturday. He worked at Lentz for eight years and was 48. “James touched my life in a very profound way,” said Cory Rowley, a childhood friend of Gilmore. “He was always there when I needed a friend, a ride or just to get out and go adventuring. He gave of himself so freely.” Jon Shaffer, director of University Housing, said James had a great personality and loved working with the students. “Whenever, wherever I saw Jim, he was happy and bubbly,” Shaffer said. Rowley, 36, of Union County, said Gilmore loved most things
outdoors, especially birds and more specifically bald eagles. Sharon Spence, who works at Lentz, recalled how Gilmore would cook a special Brazilian cuisine for the students at the dining hall. She remembers how Gilmore would “often come up with new ways and meals to serve to the students.” Gilmore was not married, but had three dogs he loved very much, Rowley said. He said because of a traumatic brain injury, Gilmore was placed on leave about two years ago. It is unclear how he died. “It crushed him to leave a job he loved so much,” Rowley said. Brey Mong-Delane can be reached at bdelane@dailyegyptian.com or 618-536-3325.
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VOL. 100 ISSUE 82
Fun, food and fundrasing for Flint
Autumn Suyko | @AutumnSuyko_DE Kamaal Najieb, a senior from Chicago studying microbiology, grills chicken wings Saturday during the “SIUC for Flint” fundraising event at the Phi Kappa Tau House. Najieb said the goal of the barbecue was to raise between $2,000 and $3,000 to support the water crisis in Flint, Mich. “I was like to my roommate [Kendall Crayton], ‘Man, this issue in Flint really bothers me, we should do something about it,’” Najieb said. “We didn’t want it to be just a him and I thing, we wanted it to be a southern Illinois thing.” Najieb and Crayton, a senior from Peoria studying mining engineering, got Golden Corral, 17th Street Barbecue, Saluki Bar N’ Grill and a local community service building to donate food and supplies. “One thing that makes me so happy is that knowing one day I will leave a mark on this youth who is being affected... and the cycle will keep on going where people will continue to give.”
State funding on the horizon CORY RAY | @CoryRay_DE
The state may soon money provide colleges and universities with money for the first time since the budget impasse began in July. State lawmakers approved a measure Friday that would give the governor spending authority to provide $600 million for public higher education and low-income student grant aid. The SIU system would receive nearly $58 million for operational costs — 30 percent of the money the university was supposed to receive this fiscal year. The legislation marked the first sign of bipartisan support for a higher education funding measure since the state’s budget impasse began in July, passing the House 106-2 and in the Senate 55-0. The bill is a stopgap measure designed to fill the hole in funding for a short amount of time. “It buys everybody some time,” said SIU President Randy Dunn. “We now have to turn around, go
back and continue to seek the full amount of fiscal year 2016 state support that we would typically anticipate getting for a year.” Dunn said if the bill is signed, SIUC will see about 60 percent of the $58 million. The bill also provides almost $170 million for the state’s Monetary Award Program, a lowincome grant given to college students statewide. The program received $373 million in fiscal year 2015, which is a difference of $203 million or 54 percent. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has yet to sign the bill, but is expected to do so following amendments made in the House. Rauner’s press secretary Catherine Kelly said Thursday the General Assembly should “move the agreement to the Governor’s desk without delay.” House Speaker Michael Madigan rallied the rank-and-file Democrats to pass the measure Friday with hope the emergency
relief would be a benchmark in a continued push toward a more comprehensive funding. “I am hopeful the governor sees the funding in this higher education package not as a solution, but as emergency assistance to those most in need,” House Speaker Michael Madigan said. All local legislators in the districts that encompass SIU voted to approve the measure and begin a cash-flow for the university. “We can only hope to stop the bleeding with this ‘band aid,’” said Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville. “There are no real winners with today’s budget bill, only a sliver of relief is being provided.” Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, said he voted for the measure because SIU is in a “crisis situation.” “Jobs are at stake, our young people’s education is at stake, and I will not stand by and let this happen,” Forby said. “State schools need state funding. Period.” Please see FUNDING | 4