THE DAILY ILLINI
THURSDAY February 8, 2018
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
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Vol. 147 Issue 39
LONGFORM: PART TWO
University students run for state government
They, them, theirs
The evolving process for LGBTQ students in University Housing
BY AARON NAVARRO ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Ben Chapman, junior in ACES, turns 21 on Feb. 17. This bodes well for him because the minimum age to be an Illinois state senator is 21. Chapman is currently campaigning for the 51st District state senate seat in November, though he still has to secure 1,000 supporters to write him in during the March Democratic primary. Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten said Democratic parties for the 51st District counties could still slate him as their candidate if that fails. Chapman would then need to get 1,000 signatures before June. If achieved, Chapman would be the only Democratic opposition to current 51st District Sen. Chapin Rose, who has run unopposed in four of his past five elections. “This is partly about making sure every person is opposed. It’s partly about providing options,” Chapman said. “But it’s also partly about the fact that I have ideas and I think that
A safe place
BY BROOKE EBERLE SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR
The concept of being non-binary is not widely accepted, or even considered, in today’s society, based on CJ Seymour’s experience on campus. Seymour, a junior in Media, is someone who does not follow the gender binary. They find it aggravating when people mess up their preferred pronouns: they, them, theirs. “If I were a he or she, it would be easier for people not to mess it up, because people are so used to that as a concept,” they said. On campus, Seymour has found both tolerance and intolerance. But there is one resource that hopes to facilitate an accepting environment for the LGBTQ community on campus.
The LGBT Resource Center is tucked away on the third floor of the Illini Union, at the end of a long hallway. Danny Mathews is the assistant director of the LGBT Resource Center at the University and an advocate for creating a safe space for the community through the center. Mathews and his colleagues realize that nearly everyone is walking around with a gender and a sexuality; these issues apply to every one of those people. Despite its hidden location, Mathews said there are still people who worry about visiting the center. Even if people need it, there is anxiety about the perception of being seen SEE HOUSING | 3A
SEE GOVERNMENT | 3A
Early voting to be Interactive Map shows campus changes limited this spring BY MADELYN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
BY GEORGE VASSILATOS STAFF WRITER
Activists are calling for more early-voting opportunities on campus; the 2018 state primary elections are during spring break on March 20. Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing voter turnout and promoting fair elections, released a statement expressing concerns that miscommunication between the Champaign County Clerk’s Office and the Illinois Student Government will prevent some students from voting in the state primaries. Earlier this year, ISG
passed a set of resolutions supported by Common Cause to increase voter turnout on campus. The resolutions requested administration send out Massmails about upcoming elections, provide voter registration materials and coordinate with the Champaign County Clerk’s office to increase early voting locations. Although the administration has been working with ISG to implement the resolutions, the Clerk’s office denied the request. “The Clerk (Gordy Hulten) has claimed that he simply does not have enough time SEE VOTING | 3A
INSIDE
Illini football finalizes recruiting class
Drag star Trinity Taylor sashays to C-U
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University faculty members have teamed up to develop “Mapping History at Illinois,” an online project using interactive maps to show changes in the University’s layout, that is now available to students. “Mapping History at Illinois” is intended to be a website people can use for years, said James Whitacre, geographic information system specialist for the project. “A story map is like a mini web application that brings in maps and other media, like images, videos and other webpages, in a narrative structure that gives geographic context to a story,” Whitacre said. There was no official plan for the University’s architecture or campus layout for decades after its founding in 1867. In “An Illini Place,” a book about building the campus by professor Lex Tate and writer and archivist John Franch, Stanley Ikenberry said the University has had more than its share of inconsistencies in building planning. “While every university campus has some variety in its architectural style, the Urbana-Champaign campus during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s had no unifying theme or character,” Ikenberry said in the foreword of “An Illini Place.” The University was made
PHOTO COURTESY OF UI COLLECTION
Artistic rendering of the South Quad is part of the Mapping History at UI collection from the University’s digital archives.
possible by the Morrill Act of 1862, signed by President Abraham Lincoln to incentivize the building of universities. The University began as a few acres on the site of the Beckman Institute, and University officials at the time did not give much thought to campus planning, according to Franch. It was not until the Blackall Plan of 1906 that the University began to become orga-
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nized in a rational way. “From the beginning, the University had a lot of land. Space wasn’t at a premium, so University officials could locate buildings wherever they wanted for whatever reason,” Franch said in an email. “The Blackall Plan kicked off a century-plus of U of I campus planning and established the framework for all future campus plans.” The Engineering campus has gone from a clut-
tered location to an impressive destination spot. Green Street has also gone from being a run-down street for local businesses to a vibrant college community with high-rises and upscale shops, he said. “Green Street also has undergone a massive facelift. It has a different look and feel to it, to say the least,” Franch said.
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