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November 17, 2021
The Photo Edition Our photography staff's favorite shots from the past year, plus new photo essays
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NEWS
The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Bookstore faces supply chain, submission issues By Ashley Gilbert Staff Writer
The University sent out a Massmail last Wednesday asking academic departments to submit their spring course materials to the Illini Union Bookstore, noting that submissions were due Oct. 7. According to Tod Petrie, director of the IUB, 42% of spring course materials have been submitted as of Friday. “It is not abnormal for what we normally get right now,” Petrie said. “We are just concerned about the supply chain.” The IUB requests course material from the University department three times a year — on April 7 for the fall, on Oct. 7 for the spring and on March 20 for summer classes. “We request those at that time for various reasons,” Petrie said. “But the main reason is so that we have the informa-
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tion in enough time to do the research to bring in the correct books and to make sure we are stocked.” Petrie noted that with the ongoing supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, if course materials are not submitted fast enough, they may not arrive in time. Accordingly, Petrie encourages departments to submit their course materials sooner than normal. “This is something that we’re concerned about because of the struggle in the whole supply chain from the lumber, to the pulp to make the paper, to the publishers not printing as much, to trucking and shipping,” Petrie said. Petrie hopes this will not negatively impact students. “Every year, there’s an impact on students when, for whatever reason, a faculty member changes a book,” he said. alg7@dailyillini.com The Daily Illini is the independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The newspaper is published by the Illini Media Co. The Daily Illini does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University of Illinois administration, faculty or students. All Illini Media Co. and/or The Daily Illini articles, photos and graphics are the property of Illini Media and may not be reproduced or published without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free; each additional copy is 50 cents.
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During ongoing supply chain complications, Tod Petrie shares his worries about spring course materials not arriving on time, with less than half of spring course instructors submitting their materials on the due date. Website dailyillini.com
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NEWS
The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
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Carle begins vaccine rollout for kids 5-11
Lower-dose Pfizer shot to minimize side effects By Weiyu Ding, Lilli Bresnahan and Willie Cui
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Ellie Guyette receives her first pediatric dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Nov. 6. Carle Health has begun to rollout COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11.
Carle Health held its first COVID-19 vaccination clinic for 5 to 11-year-old children on Nov. 6 after the ChampaignUrbana Public Health District announced that they are now eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. “I was really looking forward to this day,” said Ellie Guyette, a 10-year-old who received the vaccine. “I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. I’m hoping that I’m going to feel like I don’t have to be stressed anymore when going into crowded places.” Becca Guyette, Ellie’s mother, said her children know “there are always risks to things like this” and were not afraid to receive the vaccine. “They were aware that this would be extremely beneficial to them and, more importantly, to our entire community,” she said. Guyette recognizes that some parents may be hesitant to have their children receive the vaccine and recommends they do research. “The research is pretty clear that this is safe for our children,” Guyette said. “Any risk is far outweighed by the benefits of this vaccine.” Brent Reifsteck, pediatrician at Carle Foundation Hospital, said it is normal for parents to be hesitant over their children receiving the vaccine. Reifsteck suggests that parents make sure they’re getting accurate information and talk to their trusted medical providers about the vaccine. Reifsteck also noted that the pediatric version of the vaccine has a dosage of 10 micrograms, which is a third of the dosage of the adult vaccine. This lower dosage was decided on “to minimize side effects and adverse reactions while still getting the same efficacy” after clinical trials studied the effects of different dosages. Additionally, Kayla Banks, vice
“I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. I’m hoping that I’m going to feel like I don’t have to be stressed anymore when going into crowded places.” 10-year-old Ellie Guyette
president of women’s and children’s services at Carle, said she is not concerned with pediatric vaccines disrupting the availability of booster shots and adult vaccines. According to Banks, the pediatric version of the Pfizer vaccine is “a different formulation from the Pfizer company” and comes in “a completely different vial that we receive in a completely different shipment.” “That’s sort of the nice thing compared to when we rolled out vaccines about a year ago with the adult doses,” Banks said. “The predictability of vaccine availability was still pretty tenuous.” Banks said that while there may be some minor side effects — she bought Tylenol in preparation for her daughter’s vaccination — she feels “very comfortable with getting my child vaccinated.” “Being a parent myself and kind of making that decision for myself and my family, I have full faith in the safety and the efficacy of the vaccine,” Banks said. weiyud2@dailyillini.com lillakb2@dailyillini.com williec2@dailyillini.com
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The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
LIFE & CULTURE
The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
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UI Housing coping with student labor shortage By Faith Angel Allendorf Contributing Writer
When Colette Pinkowski, junior in FAA, walked into the Ikenberry Dining Center one evening, she noticed that the plastic china, cups and metal silverware were replaced with paper and plastic alternatives. “I was surprised,” Pinkowski said. “It was out of the ordinary.” Some students excused the use of such alternatives by assuming the dishwasher was broken. However, as time went on, and paper and plastic products were still in use, Colette and other Ikenberry residents began to understand: It was the labor shortage. “I quickly realized why, and it sort of made me think about how bad the shortage of workers is,” Pinkowski said. “They can’t even wash the plates.” The United States economy is currently undergoing the worst labor shortage in history. According to an article by the Wall Street Journal, labor force participation is still 1.7% lower than February 2020, despite 10 million job openings. The University is no stranger to the effects of the labor shortage. Michelle Trame, director of Student Financial Aid, said students aren’t applying for University jobs. “We are seeing a drop in student employment compared to two years ago,” Trame said. Trame said in fall 2019, the University employed 8,165 students. In the current fall semester, there are 6,751 student workers — a decrease of 17.3%. Trame also said that since University Housing and Dining hires the most employees, they have been the most affected by the shortage. Mari Anne Brocker Curry, director of Housing Information and Marketing for University Housing, said they’re struggling. “The impact of the workforce that is being felt globally is very much being felt in University Housing,” Curry said. “We’re feeling staffing issues across our entire operation.” Housing staffing shortages have caused several closures and changes in the way University Dining operates. Mindy Leek, sophomore in LAS, works at the Ikenberry Dining Center and said the shortage has made her job difficult. She also explained that the use of disposable china is sometimes due to malfunctioning equipment. “But most of the time, it’s because we don’t have enough staff members,” Leek said.
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Two dining hall employees pack rice into bowls at the ISR dining hall on Aug. 27. University housing is struggling to hire workers because of the student labor shortage. The integration of disposable china into Ikenberry Dining Center is just a small portion of the effects. The Caffeinator in the Ikenberry Commons and the Florida Avenue Residence dining hall have been temporarily closed. Bailey Speer, freshman in LAS, said she is not eating dinner because the FAR dining hall is closed. “I normally don’t leave my dorm until it’s too late to eat anywhere else besides FAR,” Speer said. “I would like them to reopen so I could get the late-night dinner.” According to Curry, the decision to close FAR and The Caffeinator came down to low student usage and the need to staff higher student-concentrated locations. She also discussed how certain people are hired in only designated classifications and employees are often borrowed from one location to work in a short-staffed classification to another. “For example, there’s only certain people that can work in the dish room,” Curry said. “Sometimes we have to borrow from one area to another in the same job classification so we could provide a better experience. It was better to consolidate to fewer locations and then focus on the experience in the remaining locations.”
The closures won’t last. In a massemail sent Sunday, University Housing announced they plan on reopening FAR dining hall and The Caffeinator in the upcoming spring semester. However, the Wall Street Journal reports that many economists expect the labor shortage to last years. Trame and Curry reflected on the shortage’s continuation and what the University could do to hire more employees. Trame said she believes that federal government emergency grants given to students have alleviated some of the costs needed to supplement their livelihoods that otherwise would’ve been earned through student employment. She also said she thinks students are getting acclimated to being back on campus and may not want to work right away. Trame hopes that the coming increase in minimum wage will encourage more students to work. Curry believes the labor shortages may have been magnified by COVID-19. “There are folks that are changing how, where and when they work,” Curry said. “There are people who used to work in the restaurant and food service industry who have decided to do
something different. “Our vendor has issues too. They’re trying to fill all their truck driving and delivery positions and this impacts when we get our products.” She also mentioned that the hiring process for dining is extensive and it often takes a long time before students are hired. “We’ve been working really closely with the HR department to expedite hiring wherever we can, so it doesn’t take so long,” Curry said. Curry and University Housing plan to investigate why students are or are not choosing to work with them and why they’re quitting. Regarding wage, Curry said University Housing is trying to make sure that they provide a competitive wage as the minimum wage continues to rise. “We are always looking to improve,” Curry said. “We’re working to provide developmental opportunities for staff once they work with us. We want to know how we can support and take care of them so that they want to stay. We’re constantly looking at ways in which we can do that better.” faithaa2@dailyillini.com
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LIFE & CULTURE
The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Students debate attending festivals after Astroworld By Azucena Gama Contributing Writer
It’s one of the first shows since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lights go out, and the crowd goes crazy. At first, the excited energy boosts the crowds spirits. But then, excitement turns to chaos, and the concert becomes a nightmare. This was the unfortunate situation for those who attended rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld in Houston, Texas on Nov. 5. The two-day music festival was canceled after the first day because of nine reported deaths and hundreds of hospitalizations. Reopenings, unruly crowds and COVID-19 exposures pose a danger for concertgoers, and students are concerned. Thomas Cheng, junior in LAS, said the Astroworld events made him question the safety of crowds. “After the Astroworld situation, the safety of participants has become my biggest concern because the tragic event showed me that some artists are reckless and do not think about the consequences,” Cheng said. “The venue can underestimate the crowd that they don’t have enough security to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.” Tabeeb Khandaker, freshman in Engineering, attended his first concert this summer at Lollapalooza in Chicago. He said the crowds made him nervous. “We were all vaccinated, but it was worrying about being around that many people,” Khandaker said. Cheng said he was concerned about contracting the
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Concert-goers attend Megan Thee Stallions' set at Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 30. Students are wary of going to concerts after the deaths at Travis Scott's Astroworld festival and potential exposure to COVID-19.
coronavirus in crowds. “In the past year, my biggest concern was the COVID-19 situation because participating in a concert is an activity that you basically cannot avoid skin-to-skin contact, and people are more likely to catch COVID that way,” Cheng said. Lollapalooza took place from July 29 to Aug. 1 and included headliners such as Miley Cyrus, Tyler, the Creator, Post Malone and Foo Fighters. It brought in a little more than 385,000 people to Grant Park. Khandaker said that although he was nervous, he was happy to be in a concert atmosphere once again.
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“People were excited,” Khandaker said. “I saw Playboi Carti. His crowd was crazy. It was fun to be around that kind of atmosphere.” To enter the festival, concertgoers needed to show a physical copy of their vaccine card or a negative test within 72 hours of entry. These protocols are similar to Shadow of the City Fest’s, another music festival that took place on Sept. 11, in Asbury Park, New Jersey. This festival also required a recent negative test or a COVID-19 vaccination card. Isabella Ramos, junior in LAS, attended Shadow of the City Fest. She said people were excited to hear live music once again. “People were just happy to be there, happy to have some sort of normalcy since COVID,” Ramos said. “As it got closer to when the Bleachers were going to play, it got chaotic and loud — the energy was high. It was body to body. We were right at the gate to be right near the stage, and there were some people who were trying to push up who got there later than we did. It was also really hot. I think it was like maybe 80 (degrees) out, but with all the people around us, probably more.” Students said the size of crowds and the events that occurred at Astroworld are factors they’ll take into consideration when they decide whether or not they’ll attend a concert. “It would have to depend on the size of the venue and the guidelines of the venue,” Ramos said. “I wouldn’t go to a big fest like Lolla until a couple of years from now.” gama3@dailyillini.com
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The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
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Photo staff's top picks of 2020-2021
Top: An Illinois student sits atop Alma Mater as Illini basketball fans celebrate the Big Ten Championship win on March 14. (Cameron Krasucki) Left: A young boy holds a sign at the #StopAsianHate Rally on March 30. (Cameron Krasucki) Above: Megan Thee Stallion points to the crowd as she performs as Lollapalooza on July 31. (Cameron Krasucki)
Top: George Edward Smock Jr., aka Brother Jed, pauses to wipe his eyes as he preaches on the Main Quad on Sept. 8. (Cameron Krasucki) Bottom: Redshirt sophomore Benjamin BosmansVerdonk pushes into a defender during the game against St. Francis on Oct. 23. (Ryan Ash)
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The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
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Shred the town: Skateboarders request light system Story and photos by Cameron Krasucki Photo editor
Royal Small, a San Bernardino native who now lives in Rantoul, slides down a rail at the Spalding Skate Park on Nov. 6.
Skateboarders around Champaign-Urbana said the community represents a makeshift family. Brought together by their admiration for skating, the skaters say they remain close despite their age gaps and varying levels of expertise. Spalding Park Skatepark contains a mixture of ramps, bowls, handrails and a small pump track. It resembles a graffiti-filled playground where the skateboarders can assess and develop their skills. From dawn until dusk, passersby can hear scratches and bangs of the boards hitting the concrete and laughter as skaters share jokes. Natalie DeClerck, an alumna from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the Spalding Park Skatepark, located at 799 N. Elm St. in Champaign, is one of the most popular locations around town. “Spalding has a great community,” DeClerck said in a text message. “I think it’s like a second home for a lot of people. Skating’s hard, and hard on your body, so having people to do it with just makes it better.” However, daylight saving time has added some challenges to the skating community. With the sun now setting at 4:35 p.m., the skateboarders have no choice but to get up and make the trek home. The Spalding Park Skatepark doesn’t have a
lighting system in place. The skateboarders say it’s unsafe to skate in the dark because they’re more likely to fall and hurt themselves. While they said they want to continue to do drop-ins, ollies and kickflips, the darkness forces the group to pack up and go. The skateboarders said the city of Champaign has ignored multiple requests for the insertion of a lighting system. They said they feel betrayed by Champaign’s inaction because they’re unable to do what they’re most passionate about. Skaters like DeClerck expressed their concerns about not having a lighting system. “Without an indoor skating park nearby, people go to parking garages or lighted street spots where there is always the risk of getting kicked out,” DeClerck said. “People just want a designated spot to skate after sunset. Spalding Park already has the infrastructure, but the park district hasn’t been responsive about it.” DeClerck said she wants the city board to know it is imperative for Spalding Park Skatepark to receive proper lighting and providing such would be a worthy investment for residents. To counter the setbacks, DeClerck said the skating community helps each other out. Some skateboarders, including founder Brian Dunn, started a program called No Board Left Behind, which makes skating more accessible by repairing gear and providing new gear to those in need. ckrasu2@dailyillini.com
Natalie Declerck performs a "frontside 180" at the Spalding Skate Park on Nov. 6.
Top left: Josh Dudson glides around the bowl at the Spalding Skate Park on Nov. 6. Top right: James Scherer grills for his fellow skateboarders on Nov. 6. Bottom left: Joel Melchi flies through the air after coming off a ramp on Nov. 6. Bottom right: Three skateboarders watch Dudson land a jump on Nov. 6.
Freshman finds home in Marching Illini Color Guard By The Daily Illini Photo Staff
The Marching Illini Color Guard practice together at Memorial Stadium on Thursday. (Jacob Wargo)
Avery Ahrendt spins her flag during Marching Band practice on Wednesday. (Brigida Dockus)
Although freshman Avery Ahrendt performed in marching band all four years of high school, when she began practicing with the Marching Illini Color Guard over the summer, a whole new world awaited her. “Marching Illini is absolutely fantastic,” Ahrendt said. “It’s definitely a new experience for me compared to what I experienced in high school because that was more of a competitive version of marching band. Obviously, we performed for football games and parades, but it was never taken seriously and was never appreciated on the level it is in college.” One of the biggest differences for Ahrednt was the higher expectations and shortened turnaround time for learning choreography. “It’s also different in the aspect that we learn a new show for every single football game,” Ahrendt said. “It took a little bit getting used to for me, having to learn so many different shows in such a short amount of time. We’re pretty much able to learn a show in one practice.” Although the strict schedule is certainly
tough, Ahrendt is appreciative of the people she met through the organization. “The community in the Marching Illini is just absolutely fantastic,” she said. “I’ve never experienced anything like it in any other group I’ve been a part of. Everyone is so welcoming and supportive and willing to help you if you’re struggling … I look forward to our practices that we have every single evening.” Ahrendt credits the marching band for jump-starting her social life at the University. “Even though it does get tiring sometimes, obviously, it’s really the people that make it worth doing,” she said. Marching Illini events are a way to get to know new people, which in turn make going to college so much easier, she said. Above all else, she enjoys Color Guard as a way of self-expression. “Color Guard is a very big way to express myself, more so through movement,” she said. “I’m a very creative person and Color Guard gives me that opportunity to be creative,” she said. photoarchive@dailyillini.com
Avery Ahrendt throws her rifle during practice on Thursday. (Brigida Dockus)
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The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Joe Burton of The Brat Pack performs at Homecoming in Grange Grove outside Memorial Stadium on Oct. 9. (Cameron Krasucki)
A violinist performs at the grand opening of the Siebel Center for Design on Oct. 8. (Sydney Laput)
Members of the group Dance2XS UIUC perform onstage at the URBANITE Dance Showcase on May 1. (Cameron Krasucki)
C-U community members climb the steps of Memorial Stadium to commemorate the first responders during 9/11. (Cameron Krasucki)
Top: An Illinois student receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the IHotel & Conference Center on Feb. 11. (Ryan Ash) Bottom: Neal Francis performs at The Canopy Club on Nov. 6. (Sydney Laput)
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The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
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Top: Running back Chase Brown gets tackled during the Homecoming game against Wisconsin on Oct. 9. (Ryan Ash) Middle Left: Ric Johnson of the Illini Flyers flips through the air on the Main Quad for passersby during Quad Day on Aug. 22. (Cameron Krasucki) Middle Right: A COVID-19 testing worker hands a vile and funnel to a student at the ARC on Feb. 1. (Cameron Krasucki) Bottom: A young boy plays with bubbles after the C-U Pride Parade on Sept. 25. (Jacob Wargo)
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OPINIONS
The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Western media has a problem portraying Islam CHIARA AWATRAMANI COLUMNIST Islam continues to stand as one of the world’s largest religions. Currently, 1.2 billion people follow Islam — around three and a half million of those Muslims live in America. However, in Western media, this peaceful religion is seen as oppressive and dangerous. Islam, like any other religion, deserves to have an accurate and fair representation. The rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in America arrived after 9/11. Many Americans turned their backs to anyone with a Muslim name or brown skin. In Europe, anti-Muslim sentiment traces back to wars, refugees crises and African immigrant influxes on the border of Western Europe. Many Europeans in recent years despise and fear Muslims due to the attacks in Belgium and various other countries, a completely irrational and racist fear. These vicious anti-Muslim sentiments have leaked into Western film and media. In the Spanish show “Elite,” a Muslim girl named Nadia is portrayed as
PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB
Mina El Hamman plays a Muslim character, Nadia Shanaa, in the Netflix series "Elite." oppressed by her strict Muslim family — symbolized by Nadia’s hijab. A particularly problematic scene shows Nadia removing her hijab for her love interest Guzman — presenting Islam as a barrier in her love life. This sends the message to millions of
viewers that for Nadia and many other hijabis to be happy and find love, they can’t wear the head covering. Evidently, since the hijab is a defining feature of Islam for many, portraying it as negative and oppressive devalues and disrespects it. With shows like
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Chiara is a sophomore in LAS. cawatr2@dailyillini.com
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“Elite” perpetuating this stereotype that a hijab signifies oppression, many are taught Islam is oppressive — that Muslim women are oppressed and forced to wear hijabs, niqabs or burquas. Many other movies, such as “The Siege” starring Denzel Washington, “Hotel Mumbai” starring Armie Hammer and Dev Patel and another Netflix show called “Grand Army,” portray Muslims as terrorists without any Muslim perspective on the events that occurred. Because Muslims are a minority in America and Europe, an image of Muslims that is correct — not filled with negative stereotypes — is a crucial step in decreasing Islamophobia and increasing love and acceptance towards Muslims. With movies that portray Islam in a positive light, the Western public can gain a more accurate understanding of Islam and the people who follow it. In this way, negative stereotypes — such as the association of hijabis being oppressed and Muslim men being terrorists — can recede and be replaced with a full picture of Islamic values.
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SPORTS
The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
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Heuser prepares to step up in debut season By James Kim Staff Writer
With the fall preseason now complete, the Illinois women’s tennis team looks ahead to the start of the regular season in the spring. Competition is nothing new for freshman Megan Heuser, whose passion for the sport began when she was only three years old. “(Tennis) was never a sport that ran in the family,” Heuser said. “But my dad got me interested, and I really loved it from there.” Heuser’s tennis journey would only get more impressive. During her playing career at Lakes Community High School, Heuser earned four-time Northern Lake County Conference All-Conference, a four-time All-State selection, four-time sectional champion as an individual and two-time sectional champion as a team. To top it all off, she became the 2019 Illinois state champion and achieved an incredible 122-3 record over the course of her four-year high school career. When the time came to look at colleges, Heuser initially began the recruiting process not wanting to attend an in-state school. This, however, changed on her visit to Champaign.
“I just loved the coaches, I loved the atmosphere here and I loved how everyone was supporting Illinois instead of other college teams around,” Heuser said. “Everyone was an Illini fan here, and honestly the whole campus just feels like a family and I love that part of it.” The fall preseason provided valuable experience for Heuser, who felt it gave her a good glimpse into what to expect for the spring. Heuser soon realized that the level of talent in college is far greater than in high school. There is less of a skill disparity between opponents, as “everyone’s at the same level” when it comes to collegiate play. Therefore, winning tennis matches comes down to “who can be better at the smaller things.” The on-court differences between high school and college tennis were not the only disparities Heuser noticed, but the amount of heckling from fans and noise in general was something not common in high school matches. “Tennis is such an etiquette sport,” she said. “When we played back in Juniors, nobody was talking. Now, when you go into college, teammates are cheering for you; you’re cheering for them. It was such a different atmosphere, and it honestly
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT HAUFE/ILLINI ATHLETICS
Megan Heuser competes at the ITA Midwest Regional on Sept. 24.
makes it more fun.” College tennis takes a much larger focus on the team aspect of the sport than professional tennis does. There are many positives Heuser feels she will bring to the Illini in the spring. “I’m confident in myself to be a pretty big contributor to doubles specifically,” Heuser said. “I also tend to be more on the louder side of things in supporting the team and bringing out the best in people.
Butm I think my strength right now is for sure doubles. My game is really suited for doubles.” Heuser had a strong doubles performance at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional back in September. She went 3-0 while competing with junior Ashley Yeah. Heuser also went 3-0 in singles play during the same event. Being a freshman, this year is just the first of four for Heuser. She aims to become an All-American and an NCAA champion before her time as an Illini is up. When looking ahead to the start of her first official season in the spring, Heuser named Ohio State and Northwestern as the two opponents she looks forward to competing against the most. But, above all, Heuser is most eager for the season to finally get underway. “I’m just excited to play our first home match in front of all the fans,” Heuser said. “And being around my team, as we’re all best friends. We’re all so close and being able to play and support one another is just so much bigger than I ever realized. I’m playing for my school, and I think that’s amazing.” @james_kim15 jamessk4@dailyillini.com
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SPORTS
The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
COLUMN
Improved defense carries inconsistent offense By Carson Gourdie Staff Writer
Brandon Peters only threw nine passes against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He completed seven of them. If your quarterback completes 77.8% of passes, why would you stop? You can make the argument that Illinois wants to play smash mouth football, and given the way the defense played against Minnesota, it was the smart decision to handcuff Peters. But the way Illinois’ defense plays doesn’t mean the offense should continue its overly conservative offense. Offensive coordinator Tony Petersen hasbeen driving me nuts. Against UTSA, he called a draw play with no timeouts when Illinois was trying to score a game-tying touchdown. That call wasted 20 seconds for Illinois and halted all momentum it was gaining with the passing game. In the Penn State and Minnesota games, instead of having former quarterback Isaiah Williams throw the ball, he chose Casey Washington and Caleb Griffin to throw passes on trick plays. But the bigger problem is how conservative the offense has been.
Sure, the product on the field is a lot better, and the Illini aren’t getting blown out like they did under Lovie Smith. But, it’s also fair to say that these Big Ten offenses are very poor in quality compared to other years. The Penn State, Rutgers and Minnesota games are pretty much identical. The offense tried to run the ball, and the defense played well. But the reason why Rutgers won was because of smaller variations. Rutgers had a full week to prepare for Illinois, with Greg Schiano preparing a good game plan to slow down the running game. Rutgers did a good job of catching Illinois off guard with the quarterback option plays, which allowed the Scarlet Knights to move the chains on third downs. Somehow, Rutgers is actually a worse matchup for Illinois than Minnesota was. Minnesota and Penn State were literally the same games. Both of those ranked programs had their offenses compromised by injuries, and Illinois did a great job of applying consistent pressure on both of the quarterbacks. If Illinois had to face the 2019 Minnesota Golden Gophers, who had a 30-touchdown season from Tanner
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Morgan and multiple NFL wide receivers, it would get crushed. But, in 2021, Minnesota is suffering from missing its top three running backs while losing key wideouts to the league, so the offense can hide behind the defense. If Penn State's Sean Clifford is healthy and plays like how he did against Ohio State, Illinois doesn’t defeat Penn State. If Illinois has to win a shootout — or even score 24 points against a power-five program — it will lose. The Illini wouldn’t be able to run the ball every play if they want to stay neck-and-neck with a team that can actually score. As Penn State and Minnesota showed you, even if you can run the ball, you will need to eventually pass to take the drive to the next level. In fact, Illinois punted on its last seven possessions against Minnesota, as it continued to just run the ball with very little success. There is absolutely no reason Minnesota should’ve had a prayer of winning against Illinois that day. The defense played terrific with six sacks and two interceptions, not to mention slowing down a running game that had gained over 600 yards in the past two games. But Petersen continually took his foot off the gas when all Illinois needed was a field goal to put the game away. Illinois is sitting at 4-6, and you could make the argument that Maryland, Purdue and Rutgers should’ve been victories. But, why? When an offense is only averaging 17.2 points per game — which ranked 122nd out of 130 in the FBS — you really shouldn’t be anywhere near bowl eligibility. I don’t care how good the defense has been playing, the path to victory for Illinois isn’t sustainable. Even when Illinois is effective on the ground, it could only score one touchdown against Penn State.
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Running back Chase Brown sprints with the ball during the game against Rutgers Oct. 30.
Illinois can’t count on playing a Minnesota team with no running backs. Illinois can’t count on playing an injured Clifford. Every little thing has to go perfect for Illinois to win a game, which means no penalties that stall drives and perfect field position so they can pin opposing offenses back deep. Illinois fans aren’t being fair to themselves into thinking that scoring 14 points against Minnesota is acceptable, especially considering the fact that they didn’t score five seconds after the second quarter started. Illinois only scored 14 points against Rutgers, and fans weren’t happy. Just because the defense played better against Minnesota than Rutgers doesn’t mean Petersen did a good job. @GourdieReport gourdie2@dailyillini.com
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The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021
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Taylor Swift revisits heartbreak in ‘Red (Taylor's Version)' By Olivia Rosenberg Assistant buzz Editor
On Thursday, Taylor Swift single-handedly brought back one of the most iconic musical eras in her career. Swift released “Red (Taylor’s Version)” Friday, complete with 30 tracks as well as a short film, “All Too Well: The Short Film.” The original album, “Red,” was released in 2012; nearly 10 years later, Swift and fans alike are revisiting the album. “Red (Taylor’s Version)” was created as an expansion of Swift’s collection of re-recordings, which were done so she could own her music. In 2019, record executive Scooter Braun gained ownership of Swift's first six studio albums despite her opposition. After promising Swift she would one day own her music when she first entered the industry, Braun sold Swift's masters to a private equity company in 2020 for $300 million. In order to regain the ownership of her original music, Swift began to re-record her first six albums; “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” came first in April, and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is the latest addition. Despite only featuring nine new songs of the 30 on the album,“Red (Taylor's Version)” broke the record for the most streamed album produced by a woman in a day by a female, and Swift broke the record for the most streamed female in a day in Spotify history. Fans who grew up with the album are reliving the same nostalgia and emotions from 2012 with both new and old content from the time period. “Red (Taylor’s Version)” adds 9 new tracks ‘from the vault’, many of which went unheard until now, to the preexisting 169 from the original album. It is filled with features from returning artists like
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Taylor Swift's new album "Red (Taylor's Version)" is shown above. The album was released on Nov. 11 and has had many fans excited about revisiting the album.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSHUA GUNTER/TNS
Taylor Swift opens the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Induction ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio on Oct. 31. Ed Sheeran and Gary Lightbody as well as newcomers like Phoebe Bridgers and Chris Stapleton. The most standout track on the album is one that fans have been speculating about since the initial release in 2012. “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” is the original version of Swift’s iconic track that has become a fan favorite despite never being promoted as a single. Swift pens an explicit continuation of the heartbreaking story, speculated to be about one of her ex-boyfriends, Jake Gyllenhaal. The lengthy track plays out like a novel with images and emotions painted by Swift’s skilled lyricism. In addition to the speculated original version of “All Too Well” finally getting released, a short film featuring said song premiered on Friday. Written and directed by Swift, “All Too Well: The Short Film” stars Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien as Her and Him, respectively. The music video sends viewers into the autumnal story world of a fiery relationship that is bound to burn. The performances perfectly accent the intensity of the words sung by Swift underneath the visuals. Fans were quick to notice the age difference between Sink and O’Brien being oddly similar to that of Gyllenhaal and Swift at the time of their relationship. There are plenty of other Easter eggs in the film, which fuel the speculation that Gyllenhaal was the muse of Swift’s heartbreaking ballad. Another majorly anticipated track did not disappoint in its execution. When it was announced that Bridgers would be joining Swift on “Nothing New,”
many were concerned Bridger’s accompaniment would be just background vocals because in her recent work, Swift has a pattern of only featuring female artists as background singers in collaborations. However, fans were pleasantly surprised to hear Bridgers’ solo verses on the track. “Nothing New” is a bittersweet song about feeling burnt out and unwanted after being in the spotlight for so long. The track is stripped of excessive production as it allows the vocals and lyrics to pull at the heartstrings of listeners. Between “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version),” fans have enjoyed dissecting well-known songs for even the slightest vocal and instrumental variations. Popular, upbeat tracks like “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble” have a new maturity to their carefree messages, while tracks like “The Moment I Knew” and “Come Back...Be Here” still pack the same painful gut punch 10 years later. It's been refreshing to hear Swift’s mature, aged vocals on iconic tracks that were landmarks of crucial times in her younger years. There is a sense of wisdom detected in Swift’s voice as if showing that while she was lost during that point in her life, she knows today it all turned out for the best. A hopeful twinge on each track brings meaning to “Red” and the themes it contains. Swift continues the legacy of “Red,” but this time, it’s on her terms. ogr3@readbuzz.com
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The DI · Wednesday, November 17, 2021