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Serving DeKalb County since 1879
Friday, July 19, 2013
GREATEST TEAMS: PART II
MISSION TRIP PREPARATIONS
’77 state title a highlight for G-K football Sports, B1
DeKalb youth director headed to Uganda Faith, C1
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Residence hall revival
High heat will last 1 more day Experts: Watch for heat stress By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com
Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
The newly renovated Gilbert Hall on Northern Illinois University’s campus in DeKalb, as seen July 10. The dormitory is intended for NIU upperclassmen and will be able to house 280 people in 142 rooms.
NIU’s renewed Gilbert Hall readies for debut By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com
D
eKALB – After opening a brand new dormitory complex to new students last year, Northern Illinois University will take another step forward with its dormitory overhaul with the August re-opening of Gilbert Hall. While the new residence hall – a place students and faculty refer to simply as “New Hall” – is marketed to new students, Gilbert Hall is tailored to NIU upperclassmen. “We didn’t have a space specifically designed for upperclass students,” said Michael Stang, executive director of NIU’s Housing and Dining. “This adds another option.” Gilbert Hall, which is on the east side of campus near the corner of Lucinda Avenue and Gilbert Drive, will have 280 beds in 142 rooms on three floors (excluding the first floor). The residents’ floors will have their own quiet lounge and open lounge. In
addition, the first floor will feature a recreation facility and Starbucks. “It’s really a state-of-the-art facility,” Stang said. Opened in 1952 as a men-only residence hall, Gilbert Hall was closed in 1995 as a residence hall. In the 18 years since, it has housed a number of offices, including the Office of Support and Advocacy and the Office of Publications. Stang noted that Gilbert Hall is close to a number of academic buildings that are destinations for students studying business, engineering and the performing arts. “We’re trying to offer options for all of our students, and that was one of the areas we knew we needed to shore up,” Stang said. Stang said Gilbert Hall is designed to have a more mature feel, which is something senior drawing major Sara Boehm would have appreciated when she first came to the university.
See GILBERT HALL, page A6
Photo provided by Northern Illinois University Media Services
Men sit in a dorm room in Gilbert Hall in 1968. Opened in 1952 as a men-only residence hall, Gilbert Hall was closed in 1995 as a housing space, although it was later used for university offices.
DeKALB – The week’s blistering heat is expected to continue today, as experts expect temperatures to hit the mid90s and the heat index to push into the triple digits. But an incoming cold front is expected to bring thunderstorms and lower temperatures this weekend and early next week, said Bill Nelson, an observational program leader at the National Weather Service in Chicago. “We should have more seasonable temperatures during the weekend and for the first part of next week,” he said, adding that seasonal temperatures are in the 80s. Despite the heat wave, northern Illinois is on track for having an average number of days higher than 90 degrees, Nelson said. Since Thursday, Rockford has experienced 10 days this year when temperatures rose above 90 degrees. DeKalb Assistant Fire Chief Jeff McMaster said paramedics haven’t responded to any heat-related emergencies recently. But he encouraged residents to remain vigilant for signs of heat stress, especially among children. “Kids don’t think about heat exhaustion,” McMaster said. “They’ll keep playing until they drop.” People affected by heat stress will be perspiring heavily, have bright red skin, be fatigued and experience general weakness. People with those symptoms should be moved to a cooler place, have their clothing loosened, and be sprayed with water or have cool, wet cloths applied. Heat exhaustion starts when people stop perspiring, turn pale, and have an altered level of consciousness, McMaster said. Call 911 if a person has those symptoms. Scott deOliveira, the director of DeKalb’s Hopkins Pool, said the park district has seen large crowds during the week. “Crowds extend well into the evening hours,” he said, “when we have heat like this.”
Today’s forecast Today will continue the hot and humid trend with a high of 95 and the heat index in the lower 100s. A cold front in the afternoon will bring rain and thunderstorms. See more weather details on PAGE A8.
Web poll How are you staying cool during the heat wave? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle.com.
Local cooling centers • Family Community Resource Center , 1629 Afton Road, Sycamore. • DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St., DeKalb. • DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St., DeKalb. • DeKalb Senior Activity Center, 330 Grove St., DeKalb • Sycamore Public Library, 103 E. State St., Sycamore. • Sycamore Police Department, 535 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore. • DeKalb Oasis, 2700 N. Crego Road, DeKalb.
Obama extols health care law amid public doubts By NEDRA PICKLER The Associated Press
AP photo
President Barack Obama speaks Thursday about health care reform at the White House.
WASHINGTON – Facing public doubts and embarrassing setbacks to his signature health care law, President Barack Obama stepped forward Thursday to extol the program’s benefits, emphasizing that some Americans already are receiving insurance rebates and lower premiums. Obama said the program is working the way it was supposed
Americans skeptical about reform law Gallup found 52 percent of Americans disapproved of the Affordable Care Act when asked about it in June. Forty-four percent approved. Gallup found 42 percent saying the law would affect their families’ situations in a negative way, 22 percent positive and 33 percent saying it won’t make a difference.
to with “better benefits, stronger protections, more bang for your buck.” The assertion was ridiculed by Republicans, with House Speaker John Boehner calling the Affordable Care Act
“a train wreck” that he will keep working to repeal. Obama dismissed the GOP’s so-far-futile votes – the House logged its 38th attempt to repeal or scale back the law Wednesday
– with an exasperated sigh and shake of his head during a White House speech. “What I’ve heard is just the same old song and dance,” Obama said of his critics. “We’re just going to blow through that stuff and just keep on doing the right thing for the American people.” While the fate of the health care law will play a major role in defining his legacy, Obama has
See HEALTH CARE, page A6
Inside today’s Daily Chronicle Lottery Local news Obituaries
A2 A3-4 A4
National and world news Opinions Sports
Weather A2, A6 A7 B1-4
Advice Comics Classified
C4 C5 D1-4
High:
95
Low:
70