The Daily Illini: Volume 147 Issue 27

Page 4

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OPINIONS

MONDAY

December 4, 2017 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

THE DAILY ILLINI

EDITORIAL

Person of the Year

Diverse nominees make Grammys better than #OscarsSoWhite

THE DAILY ILLINI Sexual assault survivors

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ime magazine’s annual awarding of the “Person of the Year,” or the person or group of people who had the most influence on the news throughout the year, has recently sparked a bit of debate. President Donald Trump took to Twitter to proclaim that he would not accept Time’s terms for being named “person of the year,” and Time retorted that Trump had the process all wrong. Since then, Time has released a poll filled with numerous groups and names of people who have the potential to be named. The polling list is filled with a wide range of individuals, from Taylor Swift to Pope Francis. While Time’s “Person of the Year” is still pending, The Daily Illini Editorial Board has reached a verdict. Our “person of the year” is every single survivor of sexual assault. It’s clear to see why we made this choice. The #MeToo campaign has rippled across social media for months, raising more awareness than arguably ever before about the pervasiveness of sexual assault in our society. Survivors are finally feeling the support of main-

stream society that had once overlooked their assaults. No one else this year, certainly not Trump (He was already the 2016 winner, after all), deserves this title more than survivors of sexual assault. It is campaigns such as #MeToo that instigate crucial and necessary steps toward a society where sexual assault is identified as a problem and not just a part of everyday life that we must accept and move past. These survivors are the key to creating an environment that is safer for everyone to live and thrive in — the very essence of a healthy society. Included in our nomination is every survivor who is not encapsulated fully by the #MeToo campaign, including those who have not come forward and those who do not feel that the #MeToo campaign represents them. This includes survivors who are minorities, who are not always fully supported or believed by a society that marginalizes them further. While The Daily Illini Editorial Board “Person of the Year” title may not hold quite as much weight as Time’s, we felt it necessary to raise our voices about who we believe is making the most change in this coun-

try. While Time’s nomination goes toward the group or person who was most represented in the news, our nomination goes toward the group who has had the largest hand in making this country, and world, a better place. No, not politicians who fill our heads with empty promises. No, not celebrities who have achieved some artistic feat. No, not a dictator (yes, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin both made Time’s poll list, and Putin even won once). We choose to nominate the survivors who are closer than you might think: your family members, coworkers, friends, professors and even some of the staff writers who have contributed to this editorial. Support is crucial. It makes survivors brave enough to continue pushing forward day by day. This year has seen political turmoil, destruction, tears and heartbreak. But survivors of sexual assault have been able to provide hope to those who thought all hope was lost, and that is more rewarding of any title we could choose to bestow on them. All we can wish now is that our support offers any of this hope back to these survivors.

ISAIAH REYNOLDS COLUMNIST

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he Recording Academy defines the Grammys as “the only peer-presented award to honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position.” With heavy controversy in the past years surrounding other awards shows and their tendencies to exclude many diverse bodies of work in nominations, this year’s Grammy nominees are some of the most diverse ever. They’re no #OscarsSoWhite. The Album of the Year category has no white male nominees for the first time since 1999. Also, the vastly popular hit “Despacito” by Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi is the first song sung mostly in Spanish to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since “Macarena” in 1996. Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times suggests the influx of the “number of artists of color and women may be a response to the current political climate in which many in those groups feel both threatened and moved to speak out.” The Recording Academy’s recognition vindicates many of these artists’ efforts to effectively assert their presence and experience in an environment that would otherwise ignore them. Encapsulating a wide range of different artists, the upcoming Grammys acknowledged some of the most well-deserved

and distinctive hip-hop and rhythm and blues artists and music from the past year. Best New Artist nominee SZA’s “Ctrl” establishes a new and unique sound that was unheard of within mainstream music. Both “Flower Boy” and “Awaken, My Love!” almost entirely redefine the expectations from Tyler the Creator and Childish Gambino, respectively. “Awaken, My Love!” plays on 1960s funk and the use of countless other genres makes it well worth its nomination. The provocative “4:44” not only showcases Jay-Z’s mastery in music production, but the topics addressed are of both societal and individual significance. Although some victims of overplay have killed most of my personal interest, including Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.,” Childish Gambino’s “Redbone” and anything from Bruno Mars, I fully intend to continue to listen to some of the most trending songs of the year well into retirement. These arguably timeless classics include GoldLink’s “Crew,” Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” and Daniel Caesar featuring Kali Uchis’ “Get You.” The increased recognition of these works acts as an invitation for more individuals to share their stories and feel welcomed despite the cultural climate. The significance of recognizing these bodies of work and all those who contribute to them lays the foundation for a greater range of creative forms of expression and a much more colorful future in music. Isaiah is a sophomore in Media. idr2@dailyillini.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERICE THE DAILY ILLINI

Kendrick Lamar speaks at the 2016 Grammys. Lamar holds seven nominations for this year’s award show.

A generation’s voice hangs in the balance of net neutrality decision SAKETH VASEMSETTI COLUMNIST

On

Dec. 14, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to dismantle the net neutrality rules that protect all internet users. Established in 2015, net neutrality preserves free speech over the internet, and the plan to dissolve it will give cable and phone companies the power to control what we see and do. Internet service providers will be able to cash

in on companies paying them to boost internet exposure or on charging internet users for the usage of specific websites, or even both. Pai’s proposal is gaining leverage due to the lack of knowledge regarding what is happening. Many are simply unaware of net neutrality and its importance. College students in particular should be paying attention to what’s going on, given how much the internet influences our everyday activities. Net neutrality gives us the control and right to express ourselves to an enormous community of people. This community plays a crucial role

in the development of our opinions and ideals while allowing conversations to form about various topics. That freedom is something that will be difficult to live without. But a repeal of Title II of the Communications Act that provides those internet protections would lead to a suppression of the largest and fastest-growing source of communication. However, with less than a month left before the vote, there is still time to voice opinions. Several petitions have been formed to force the repeal of net neutrality out of a vote by allowing people from all over the country to record state-

ments or sign traditional petitions. While net neutrality will affect people of all ages, it’s most importantly going to affect the future people in professions — engineers, teachers, lawyers and more. College students are the next chapter in our society and quite possibly the most impactful generation of people. The internet without net neutrality is barely the internet at all, and with a grim future ahead, college students hold the most important voice in this vote. Not only does net neutrality help protect our communication, it also supports millions of peo-

ple’s careers. Small businesses and organizations thrive on the amount of internet exposure they gain, yet without net neutrality, they face an obstacle of having to give internet service providers partial control of their businesses. Not only business owners, but aspiring musicians may also face the risk of losing their jobs. Artists like Chance the Rapper paved the way for independent musicians to succeed without relying on record labels, but if they aren’t allowed the freedom to share their music within their own control, they’ll have no choice but to turn to cash-

grabbing companies. Dec. 14 has a lot at stake for the United States and is growing into a larger problem with every passing day. Net neutrality provides countless benefits in today’s internet environment, and taking it away indirectly suppresses our ability to communicate with one another It takes a collective voice to change opinions into actions, and there is no better to way to voice our opinions about losing the freedom of the internet than by using the internet itself. Saketh is a sophomore in LAS. ssv2@dailyillini.com

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS | opinions@dailyillini.com with the subject “Letter to the Editor.” The Daily Illini reserves the right to edit for length, libel, grammar and spelling errors, and Daily Illini style or to reject any contributions. Letters must be limited to 300 words. Contributions must be typed and include the author’s name, address and phone number. University students must include their year in school and college.


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