The Daily Illini: Humans of C-U Spring 2022

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JULIA EVERSMANN & SYDNEY LAPUT THE DAILY ILLINI

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The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

The life of the Illini Union Starbucks manager

By Lilli Bresnahan Assistant News Editor

Angie Graham, born and raised in the Champaign-Urbana area, has worked at the University since 2014. Last September, she was promoted to store manager at the Illini Union Starbucks. Her favorite Starbucks drink is the mango dragon fruit with lemonade refresher.

“I’ve been wanting to be a store manager for several years, but apparently it wasn’t my turn yet,” she said.

Graham also worked at the Starbucks in the Illini Union Bookstore and helped open the Starbucks at the Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building.

“I’m still learning a lot with this new job as a store manager,” she said.

Graham attended college on and off between 1993-2006 at Parkland Community College and the Greenville College where she received her bachelor’s degree

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SYDNEY LAPUT THE DAILY ILLINI

Angie Graham is the store manager at the Illini Union Starbucks. Graham discusses jobs she has held, such as the assistant manager of the recreation room in the Illini Union.

in management while also working at the Provena Covenant Medical Center in Champaign, Illinois.

She then worked at Walgreens for eight years as an assistant manager, a position 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.

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that requires a bachelor’s degree.

“That’s when the University contacted me and … I heard the University was such a great place to work,” she said. “I chose to take a little bit of a pay cut to come to the University.”

When Graham began working at the Illini Union, she was the assistant manager of the bowling alley recreation room at the Illini Union where she worked for two and a half years before becoming the assistant manager at Starbucks for five years. She was then promoted to store manager in September.

“I really, really enjoy working with the students and getting to know all the students and where they’re from, and just helping them become better workers by managing them,” Graham said. “I kind of act like I’m young at heart, so we try to make it really fun around here.” lillakb2@dailyillini.com THE

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The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

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Painting her heritage with a brush of `vibrant colors'

By Vivian La Assistant News Editor

Alice Yumi is fascinated by the Japanese concept of “ma”— an artistic interpretation of negative space.

Yumi said “ma” is not about voids, but how negative spaces have their own unique power and energy.

As a Brazilian and Japanese artist and fashion designer, Yumi said she enjoys exploring the idea of balancing identity and body in her work.

“This concept, I think, has been sort of like a great tool for me to be able to maintain my diverse interests and try to find interesting ways of joining two things that might seem like they’re in different fields,” Yumi said.

One of her art series involves using images from magazines and reimagining them as imaginary landscapes meant to illustrate the relationship between bodies and the environment.

Yumi’s own cultural identity — half Brazilian and half Japanese — has influenced a lot of her artistic work.

She’s lived in Urbana with her husband since 2017 and is originally from Florianópolis, Brazil. Growing up in Brazil, Yumi explored interests in art and Japanese culture. She recalls taking a night class on architecture and design at age eight after begging her parents.

“The teacher let me stay for one night as a trial, and when my parents came to pick me up a couple of hours later, she was like, ‘yeah, she can stay,’” Yumi said. “Once a week, they had to pick me up at 9 p.m. at this place when I was an LOGAN HODSON THE DAILY ILLINI Artist Alice Yumi stands with one of her pieces of art at her studio on Friday. Yumi's art is eight year old.”

After completing her master’s degree inspired by her Brazilian and Japanese culture while incorporating themes of identity and body. in visual arts, Yumi moved to Urbana so her husband could complete a doctoral was with Sara Cofield — an artist who “That’s the thing about artists … they program at the University. In the U.S., routinely works with photography. are never just still. They’re evolving.”

Yumi said Champaign-Urbana has Yumi said her thoughts about identity Yumi and Cofield wanted to explore became a lot more prominent. In Brazil, the intersection of landscapes and the been very welcoming, and there are her Japanese identity was noticed more. body through their pop-up installation groups of people that make efforts to “I’ve realized that (being Japanese at the Lincoln Square Mall called “In share Brazilian culture with the larger is) much more than the descendants or Between, the Places We Meet.” community. the facial features or whatever since “I think since campustown, in genCofield and Yumi met because their it’s not something that’s that obvious husbands are both pursuing degrees eral, is so diverse and welcoming. It’s here,” she said. “I feel more Brazilian at the University, and that can make it really fun to see how even though it’s than ever living outside of Brazil. But, hard to initially get involved with the small, we’re able to share a culture and people get really excited about it,” Yumi I also have this really strong sense of art community, Cofield said. being connected to Japanese culture That has opened up collaboration said. in general.” between the two artists, which Cofield Part of Yumi’s community involveYumi said she tries to tie those ideas said has been personally and artistical- ment is through an Afro-Brazilian into her work by combining the vibrant ly rewarding because of their different drumming group known as Bloco colors of Brazil with the “aesthetic sen- backgrounds.

Gavião, which means “hawk block” in sibility” of Japanese culture. Mediums “It was really fun to be able to kind Portuguese. she works with include paint, collage of utilize each other’s skills and also be The percussion group is led by Mark and clothing. able to teach each other things that the Becker. Becker said Yumi plays an One of Yumi’s recent collaborations other hadn’t gotten before,” Cofield said. important role in the group as an inter-

LOGAN HODSON THE DAILY ILLINI

Yumi's home art studio is located in downtown Urbana. She has lived in Urbana with her husband since 2017 after moving from Brazil.

disciplinary artist. She leads routines and also sewed the group’s “beautifully made” banner.

“I see her just bringing a lot of creativity into basically everything she does,” Becker said. “She brings her artistry into the Bloco, both in terms of how she strengthens and emphasizes the Brazilian cultural aspect of the group and also with just with her side of her life experience.”

In terms of the arts community, Yumi said she’s trying to be more involved.

“I think part of being an artist or becoming an artist is putting yourself out there, and that can always be hard,” Yumi said.

Most recently, Yumi participated in this year’s Boneyard Arts Festival where she collaborated with the Japan House to paint kokeshi dolls. Her work was displayed throughout ChampaignUrbana and was part of an artist’s reception.

Yumi is hoping to get into a regular studio routine and continue growing as a visual artist.

“It’s more about a personal mindset than an outward thing,” Yumi said. “I started feeling more part of that community versus waiting to be included. It requires a little bit of courage, I think, and I’m still getting there.” vla2@dailyillini.com

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The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

The cook who brings Moroleon, Mexico, to Urbana

By Rebecca Oriza Contributing Writer

Like clockwork every morning, David Perez steps into Huaraches Moroleón — a Mexican restaurant nestled on the corner of Philo Road and Washington Street. He starts to make breakfast for his younger son while prepping the eatery for the day.

For Perez, family is at the center of everything, even in running his restaurant.

When Perez first learned how to cook, it was out of necessity as he had just moved to California from Moroleón, Mexico in his early 20s.

“When you move from Mexico to the U.S., you have to do it on your own,” Perez said. “You want to eat? You have to do everything. There’s no mom or dad with you, so do it yourself.”

Perez left Los Angeles for Urbana in 2001. Unlike LA, it was hard to find authentic Mexican food in Urbana. If Perez wanted any, he had to make it.

Perez’s longing for Mexican food led to a weekend side gig where he sold carnitas out of his garage. He later added huaraches to his menu, a popular dish from back home.

The community and Perez’s friends and family loved his dishes, and he want-

ed to do something more. In December 2012, Perez opened Huaraches Moroleón. The restaurant is named after his best-selling dish and also an homage to Perez’s hometown.

Looking back, Perez reflected on how hard it was in the beginning.

“It was just me and my wife, and sometimes we cried a little,” Perez said. “The first six months were hard. There was no business because people (in Urbana) didn’t try very much.”

Serving authentic Mexican food in the Midwest was a challenge. Perez said he had difficulties getting proper ingredients. He also had to hire and train staff who were unfamiliar cooking in the traditional Mexican style.

Despite the challenges, Perez said his hard work has paid off.

“When you like something or you feel like you want to do something better, you just have to make the decision on what you want to do, and do whatever it takes to keep going,” Perez said.

All recipes are his own and similar to his mom’s cooking growing up. They’re also inspired by cuisines he enjoys at other places.

“When I eat in a restaurant and there’s something I like, I’ll try to fix it up to my

style, and we’ll run it as a special for a year,” Perez said.

Like similar family-owned restaurants, the pandemic hit Huaraches Moroleón hard, but Perez persevered. Joined by his wife and son, Perez put in more hours at the restaurant. He said this was a blessing since he got to spend more time with his family.

“We lost all the waitstaff employees, and now we’re starting over, but we’re starting over with my family,” Perez said.

Perez said he couldn’t have done it without the Champaign-Urbana community.

He credits locals, his sons’ teachers, the police force and the fire department who continued to support his business over the years. Perez also praised his wife who has been there since the beginning.

While the business has grown significantly over the last decade, Perez has no intentions of opening a food truck or a second location. He takes pride in being able to serve everything from his cozy corner on Philo Road and Washington Street.

“We want to keep it small so everything could be in our control, the quality is the same, and (we) have good service,” Perez said. roriza2@dailyillini.com

MOHUL VARMA THE DAILY ILLINI

David Perez, owner of Huaraches Morole�n on Philo Road and Washington Street, brings a touch of Mexican authenticity to Urbana.

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The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

5

The world is Marjanovic's canvas

By Izzy Perpich Contributing Writer

Painting through the natural shapes of her carefully cultivated stencil and bringing life to a mesmerizing collage, Sarah Marjanovic participated in the “8 to Create” event at the Krannert Art Museum on March 26. During the event, the detail-oriented artist thoughtfully articulated the connection between science and nature from raw materials.

Marjanovic found painting conservation, nature and science-based art in multimedia an extremely significant part of her identity. Some of the mediums she uses include hand-crafted stencils, sewing processes, paints and natural dyes.

Marjanovic’s artwork is mainly about environmental awareness, and she advocates for the world since it cannot speak for itself. Her career as an illustrator and graphic designer for Living with Wildlife — Illinois combines her values and identity.

Marjanovic’s passion for creation and conservation began in early childhood.

“As soon as I could hold any utensil ... I had these stories in my head that I would want to illustrate,” Marjanovic said. “I could easily occupy myself with some paper, sketchbook, pencil or some clay.”

In rural southern Illinois, Marjanovic’s family owns a farm that is partially dedicated to habitat restoration.

Marjanovic said that part of her family’s farm is one of the most influential aspects of her artwork — a unique passion absent in most landowners.

“As a family, we are very passionate about conservation and land stewardship,” Marjanovic said. “We plant prairies, restore wetlands and it is a privilege that we get to do it on our own land. A lot of my artwork comes from working with my family to restore habitat.”

Alongside creation, time management is a challenge for any artist. Marjanovic commonly faces time management problems within her career as a graphic designer and illustrator for Living with Wildlife, an environmental outreach program.

“I’m also trying to push myself outside the box and see what in my process I can edit out,” Marjanovic said. “That must be part of the whole experimental process and how you’re figuring out what works best for you as an artist.”

Marjanovic said she experienced

ANGEL SALDIVAR THE DAILY ILLINI

Multimedia artist Sarah Marjanovic creates artwork inspired by nature and science. Marjanovic's passion for art began during her childhood and would lead her to participate in an event held at Krannert Art Museum called ª8 to Create.º transitional periods where she could have used her creative process as an outlet. But later, she found herself again through art.

“After grad school, I moved up here to Champaign ... there was a lot of uncertainty,” Marjanovic said. “It was a stressful time and probably a time that I should have leaned into making art. When I started making art again, I was finding a part of myself.”

With the uncertainties, frustrations and appreciative moments that accompany creation, Marjanovic said growth is often rooted in failure.

“You have to let yourself fail occasionally and know failure isn’t a bad thing,” Marjanovic said. “It’s a way of moving forward and a learning opportunity.”

Similar to the creative process, Marjanovic said life experiences and perceptions are ever changing. She stressed how keeping an open mind is

essential for finding oneself through an individually interpreted definition of success.

“Your idea of success is going to change as you move through your life,” Marjanovic said. “There are no rules. I really struggled with the idea of what was success was. It might look different, but it’ll be a great fit eventually.”

Pat Baron Monigold, artist and friend of Marjanovic, described her appreciation for Marjanovic’s vibrant intricacy she has while creating.

“She just has a singular talent for doing it with such delicacy,” Monigold said. “And then, of course, you’ve got the addition of stitching and the use of thread. It really was a revelation to see the work together.”

Monigold acknowledged the meaning of their shared love for gardening and highlighted another method of utilizing the Earth as a canvas to reconnect with nature.

“I think it’s the beginning of a very nice friendship,” Monigold said. “Even though there are many years that separate us, it really is promising.”

Heather Sandy, friend of Marjanovic for the past decade, explained Marjanovic’s great eye for detail.

“She is a person that as she’s walking around, just casually, with some of those invasive species, points out what you would normally walk past,” Sandy said. “She’s always on alert, and she has such a great eye for detail.”

Sandy said she is fascinated by Sarah’s use of natural dyes and mixed media.

“She’s into mixed media and can use so many different materials,” Sandy said. “She’s very open-minded, and she embraces lots of different materials.

She has an incredible background in figure drawing and representational painting.” perpich3@dailyillini.com

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OPINIONS

The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

SYDNEY LAPUT THE DAILY ILLINI

Riya Aulakh, freshman in LAS, expresses her concern with gun violence after being close to the shooting on Green Street at the start of the 2021 fall semester.

SYDNEY LAPUT THE DAILY ILLINI

Kirk Sanders, associate professor in LAS, says the local gun violence problem could be difficult to remedy: ªIf I knew how to solve it, I would be offering those suggestions to the city.º

What is your perspective on community gun violence?

TALIA DUFFY ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR

Every student at the University gets an Illini-Alert sent to their email when a crime is reported on campus. These little notifications are far from the big picture on crime and gun violence in the wider C-U community.

Data released by the Champaign Police Department reveals shooting incidents in 2021 were up 37% from 2020, a continuation of what appears to be a upward trend. Students new to the area are worried about this unexpected situation, while longtime residents of the area are witnessing this change before their eyes.

These humans of C-U, hailing from various positions in the community, give their perspectives on rising levels of gun violence and tackle the larger question of what can be done about it, if anything.

Charles Blatti, research scientist at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications “I do a lot of work with Habitat for Humanity, and a lot of the Habitat families that we’ve served over the last several decades are in areas where this gun violence is happening. And it’s just sad that they have an issue that they have to deal with

regularly.

“There’s a Habitat family who is a victim of the gun violence. And so, it’s very disheartening that she was left — she died early because of the issues that have been boiling up since the pandemic began … (But) I don’t want Habitat to be associated with gun violence.

“I think that it’s a very deep-rooted problem … There’s probably a lot of things that could be done, and I think that the community members where the issues are the strongest should be definitely involved in those discussions of what they would like to be done.

“I don’t have any concrete suggestions for curbing gun violence, other than encouraging people to value and respect the lives of others and hopefully offer opportunities so people who are involved in gun violence don’t feel like that’s their only choice.”

David Omana, senior in LAS “It’s pretty rampant now. I live by (Clark Street, close to Neil), and every night, every other night, I hear gunshots.

“I feel fine walking, I haven’t had any problems at all with that, but I hear it all the time around more of the campus area. Not gunshots, but things happening on campus, like people getting mugged or something or people getting stuck up with a gun, stuff like that.

“I do think that more gun control — background checks, those kinds of

things — will help a lot. It would stop people from getting guns, it would make it less acquirable.”

Julio Barros, student in the College of Law “(I’ve been) here for nearly six months … I personally have never experienced anything like that. But I receive emails from the University about gun violence in the community.

But I have never seen anything.

“I personally think that UrbanaChampaign is a peaceful and welcoming and warming environment, so I don’t think — I’m not worried about anything concerning the gun violence here because first, I’ve never (had) a personal experience with it, second, I never hear any news (of it) near the University.”

Kirk Sanders, associate professor in LAS “It’s concerning, both as a member of the community and as a parent. I have children in the high schools in Urbana, and yeah, it’s especially concerning … you can document the number of shootings. Certainly, it seems to increase — the number of times that we see shootings occur in the area.

“If I knew how to solve it, I would be offering those suggestions to the city.

I don’t know, it’s a delicate matter …

The root causes, presumably, are difficult to solve, so I don’t imagine that there are any quick fixes.”

Riya Aulakh, freshman in LAS “I had an interaction earlier, in the beginning of the year, where there was a shooting on Green Street and it was like 50 — some number — of rounds shot.

And it was just really scary because I was at a fraternity at the time, and they would put the fraternity on lockdown (...) it was two streets away from Green.

“For me to come from a suburb in Chicago, and then to experience this — where I’ve never experienced something like a lockdown this serious in my life — in my first two weeks of getting to the University was really shocking.

“I know that we have those emergency buttons, the big blue emergency buttons, but there’s not enough of them, and there should be a lot more … If someone was to actually attack you or to threaten you, you’d have to run a thousand feet before you find an emergency service button, which is definitely something that the school is lacking.”

People are working toward solutions each day: Research teams track shooting incidents and analyze the data for community access, reporters hold politicians accountable for action and the City of Champaign supports many programs to promote public safety.

But as Illini-Alerts continue to roll into students’ inboxes and gunshots continue to sound on the outskirts of campus, the community is left to wonder: Is it enough?

Talia is a freshman in Media. taliagd2@dailyillini.com

The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

7

Local plant store owner's business flourishes

By Olivia Wink Contributing Writer

J. Matthis Helmick has been the operator of Plant Mode since opening in 2014. His chattiness and upbeat demeanor cultivate a welcoming, warm environment, and his passion for plants and people is evident in his work.

Although he was born in Champaign, Helmick has lived all over the country, spending some time in Washington, Chicago and Boston.

After making the call to turn down a potential job in Hawaii, he moved back to Chicago before returning to Champaign, where he would then open his own plant store.

His dream of selling succulents and other goodies was sparked by his time working at Sprout Home, a plant store in Chicago.

“Working at Sprout Home, I started to love plants, and I kind of just nurtured the idea of ‘I want to do this.’ I honestly thought I’d work there forever,” Helmick said.

He explained that, in a weird way, he’d rather work for his old boss and not have to deal with as many of the hard parts that come with running a local business.

He said it was difficult to open the store during the pandemic. Dealing with mask resistance proved to be a hard aspect for him, along with tough customers.

“I’ve got maybe four one-star Yelp reviews,” he said. “I know two of them are for me just being a confident brown person talking to some … person who isn’t maybe used to (that) … That was always kind of, not my favorite stuff.”

Aside from the difficulties of dealing with unpleasant customers and the financial side of things, he explained that some of the best parts are when originally plant-shy people — who are hesitant about buying even just one — come back for more and more.

“My favorite part is when they come in on their own a few months later for plant number two,” he said.

Helmick also finds joy in discovering less-common plants and bringing them into his shop.

“I like sourcing,” he said. “I don’t like the word rare, but not-so-common plants.”

While not-so-common plants used to be harder to find, they have begun taking up more space in big-box stores.

This is partially due to the gained popularity of plants that seemed to

SYDNEY LAPUT THE DAILY ILLINI

J. Matthis Helmick, owner of Plant Mode, reorganizes his showcase of plants in his store on April 6. Helmick talks about his journey to running his shop in Champaign and creating an atmosphere that welcomes customers and expresses his personality. spark in the middle of the pandemic. This increased popularity has led to increasingly difficult competition with big businesses, such as Lowes and Home Depot, that have upped their plant game and offered lower costs.

Helmick predicts that in a couple of years, this competition will continue to get more and more difficult.

Despite the low costs of some intriguing plants at big-box stores, there is a warmth and personalization within Plant Mode that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Helmick’s own funky flair has a strong presence in the shop’s atmosphere.

“There’s a flavor in here that’s a little different,” he said.

A big contributor to curating that aura is music, another area that he has dabbled in. The mid-’90s hip-hop and heavy stoner rock enthusiast spent a few years being a DJ. “I like to look around and see who’s in, play music for both myself and the plants,” he said.

Unlocking the shop each day requires the immediate burning of

Super Hit incense and playing some loud jazz music, which has become a morning ritual for Helmick.

Helmick has also dabbled in the thrift business and window display work during his time as a manager at Dandelion in Champaign.

“I can work a dress mannequin,” he said.

While there are no dress mannequins in Plant Mode, the extensive array of plants is impressive and reflective of his display skills.

When customers inquire about a plant that isn’t available, Helmick does a little investigative work on his own with various wholesalers to get the desired plant in at a reasonable cost.

The personalization of the shop is unique to Plant Mode and makes it an easy place to be drawn into.

Helmick’s array of skills and humor blend together smoothly within the atmosphere of Plant Mode.

The “glued-together” look of the shop and various pieces of local art from friends create cohesiveness within the shop that works well. That,

in addition to Helmick’s own friendly attitude, brings customers in and keeps them coming back.

“I think (of myself as) a nonsalesman, just lowkey kind of thing. I think people appreciate that,” he said. “I just like to talk to people, you know. I like to greet everyone and let people know they’re welcome.”

If he had unlimited funds, there would be used vinyl for sale, and he would get in on the thrift scene.

“I’m toying around with the idea of using this whole little corner, using the bathroom as a dressing room or something,” he said.

Regardless, plants are in his future.

Whatever the future of Plant Mode may hold, Helmick’s personalization skills and the comfort that he brings to his shop suggest that it will be a hit among the community no matter what.

“I don’t know, I’m kind of a weirdo.

I think people like that, (but) there’s a small percentage of people who are put off by that and that’s fine, they can go elsewhere,” he said. owink2@readbuzz.com

8

The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Local musician embraces C-U charm Nectar founder Kamila Glowacki credits area scene for its support

By Sydney Wood buzz Editor

For artist and musician Kamila Glowacki, Champaign-Urbana is where she decided ‘home’ is to her.

After growing up in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Glowacki moved to C-U when she began her freshman year at the University.

She obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University — in 2013 and 2018 respectively — and started working at the Krannert Art Museum in 2014 as the interim manager of education.

In her time at the museum, Glowacki said she’s most proud of starting Art Remastered, a program that invites local musicians to write songs inspired by the artwork on display and perform them in the galleries.

“It’s been really fulfilling to use my role in the museum to support musicians and create a space for them to expand their songwriting process in a way that I think is out of the ordinary,” Glowacki said.

Aside from her work at the museum, Glowacki also founded Nectar, a Champaign-based indie punk band that will release its sophomore album, JAMES HOECK THE DAILY ILLINI “No Shadow,” on May 13.

Kamila Glowacki, founder of the band Nectar and University alum, plays her guitar by Oregon Glowacki is the lead vocalist, song- Street and Goodwin Avenue on April 5. writer and guitarist of the group, which formed shortly after she ing to embrace that and share that in elementary school, called “Bye Bye earned her bachelor’s. through Nectar.”

Butterfly,” and began learning guitar Other members of the group include Glowacki painted the album art for and bass in middle school. bassist Isabel Skidmore, Aaron Shults “No Shadow” using oil paints. She She credits the local music scene and drummer Jake Mott. chose oil paints to challenge her- for helping her find her own way in Nectar’s latest music video for its self and reflect the album’s creation C-U. song “Routine” features local busi- process.

“Coming to (the University) for nesses like Plant Mode, Corson Music “It wasn’t something I could just school was really what made the and Common Ground Food Co-op. whip out in one night,” she said. “I had music scene accessible to me and Glowacki said the video was a “love to spend months painting it, and I feel meeting people that played in other letter to all the local businesses I love like that really reflected the process bands and going to shows and how here and the weird spots that are spe- of recording the record. So, I wanted supportive people were,” she said. cial to me.” the artwork to carry the same kind “That’s what really spurred me to move forward with writing my own “I think there’s just a weird charm of intention and time.” to Champaign-Urbana,” she said.

Glowacki said she has always been music and starting my own band.”

“And more and more, I’ve been try- a songwriter. She wrote her first one Glowacki chose to stay in C-U

“Coming to (the University) for school was really what made the music scene accessible to me and meeting people that played in other bands and going to shows and how supportive people were. That’s what really spurred me to move forward with writing my own music and starting my own band.”

Kamila Glowacki because it’s “such a nice place to come home to” and because it’s also the first place where she lived on her own and decided what ‘home’ meant to her.

“I appreciate the communities here,” she said. “All my neighbors are so sweet, and then the music scene is great, and I kind of like how small it is.”

Glowacki said Nectar played a role in her decision to stay in C-U because of the friendship and opportunities for collaboration that it’s given her.

“We’ve been able to connect with each other in really powerful ways through the songs, so I didn’t want to lose some of that by moving,” she said. “Trying to find people that I connected with in that way would have been difficult.”

As Nectar prepares to release “No Shadow,” Glowacki said the band is working together as a unit in a way that it hasn’t achieved before.

“I think there is this mutual love and appreciation to play whenever we can because there was the absence of those opportunities in the past,” she said. “It just makes it that much more special when we are able to get together to practice or play shows.” smwood2@readbuzz.com

The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

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The woman who finds refugees a home in C-U

By Jacqui Nguyen Staff Writer

Lisa Wilson, director of the East Central Illinois Refugee Center in Champaign, moves tables and gives directions to a group of staff members in the lower level of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District building. She is setting up for a welcome event, and in a few days, the room will be packed with individuals from the community who are seeking refuge in America.

Growing up in a family of Sicilian immigrants, Wilson is familiar with the process many people face when coming to the U.S. Wilson pointed out that getting to America is half the battle.

“They’re the lucky ones,” Wilson said.

“They found family, friends and eventually jobs and education.”

She saw how her father not only faced the many struggles immigrants face but also how he was able to get an education despite his situation. He attended the University and eventually the University of Chicago Law School.

Wilson followed a similar path as her father and graduated from the University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and later, a law degree. Fol-

lowing the 2016 election, Wilson was even more motivated to advocate for the rights of immigrants and refugees. She sent postcards and phone calls to elected representatives but saw she could help in an even more tangible way through her work at the Refugee Center.

“I realized in 2016 that the odds were being stacked evermore against immigrants, and I felt a real need to advocate,” Wilson said.

The Refugee Center was first established in 1980 to provide community services to local Vietnamese refugees.

Ever since, it has been assisting immigrants, refugees and political asylees regardless of their country of origin.

The center offers translation and interpretation services, public benefits assistance and connections to various other organizations around the community.

“We collaborate with other community organizations to work toward having a healthier community and having people in lower-income categories become more self-sustaining and successful,” Wilson said.

For Wilson and her staff, the most notable experience in recent years has been providing aid to Afghan evacuees who arrived in the Champaign-Urba-

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na area. The Refugee Center resettled 57 Afghan immigrants into the area with the help of the Champaign-Urbana Afghan community.

Wilson says she owes the success of the center to her dedicated staff members.

“They’ve gone above and beyond in making sure that the needs of the Afghan community have been taken care of,” Wilson said.

The Refugee Center continues to break down a variety of barriers refugees and immigrants face when coming to the Champaign-Urbana area. For Wilson, working with clients has opened her eyes even more to the often overlooked barriers they face while trying to go about their daily lives. The language barrier is one of the biggest obstacles refugees and immigrants face.

“That’s something we’re working with other organizations toward right now is having a language access plan for Champaign County,” Wilson said. “The immigrant population is about 12% now, and there are many organizations that offer materials in Spanish but not much else.” jnguye75@dailyillini.com

BRIGIDA DOCKUS THE DAILY ILLINI

Lisa Wilson stepped up as the Director of the East Central Illinois Refugee Center in Champaign after becoming motivated to promote the rights of immigrants and refugees.

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The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

THE DAILY ILLINI PRESENTS

Housing Fair 2022

Monday, April 18 • 11am-3pm FEATURING: American Campus Communities • 309 Green • Campustown Rentals • Lofts 54 • The Suites at Third • The Tower at Third • Bankier Apartments • Burnham 310 • Campus Circle Apartments • Capstone Quarters Condominiums • Green Street Realty • Latitude • One Illinois Apartments • Roland Realty • Seven07 • Smile Student Living • South 3rd Lofts • Yugo Urbana • The Village at Colbert Park • West Quad • Plus many more!

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The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022

11

`Chaaaarlie': The hard-carry for `Valorant' Blue

By Drew Friberg Sports Editor

The grind it takes to be a professional in the esports scene is a daunting task.

Charlie Tang, senior in LAS known in game as ‘Chaaaarlie,’ is not put off by this grind, but is encouraged by it. As a current member of the Illini Esports Valorant Blue team, Chaaaarlie’s dreams reach further than a collegiate esports career.

“My goal is to play Valorant professionally,” Tang said. “For the time being, I’m young and I can do stuff like that.”

The story of Chaaaarlie began far before the launch of Valorant in June 2020. His journey began in the late 2000s, when his older brother introduced him to the popular Valve title, “Team Fortress 2.” From here, Tang’s journey in esports began in the TF2 competitive scene at the young age of 14.

His life in the esports scene has been a continuous one. After his brief stint in the TF2 competitive scene, he quickly switched to another popular Valve-made first person shooter title called “Counter Strike: Global Offensive.” “CS:GO’s” necessity to grind the game and train aim prepared Tang for his future in another FPS title: “Valorant.”

“I had a lot of fun playing (Team Fortress 2),” Tang said. “I tried playing in leagues. I competed in one of the lowest leagues in Team Fortress 2 when I was maybe 14 years old? Then I switched to Counter Strike. Eventually ‘Valorant’ got released, and I played that and joined the team last semester.”

“Valorant’s” drop came at the perfect time for Tang, who was living through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in America at the time. 2020’s release of the game allowed Tang time to grind “Valorant,” propelling him to the top nearly instantly with his previous game experience. “CS:GO” is similar in nature to “Valorant,” so Tang’s aim and mechanics transferred smoothly.

Part of the reason why “Valorant” is so appealing to Tang is because of how easy it is to grind the game. Despite having already logged thousands of hours into the title, Tang still has fun playing, even after all of this time.

“It’s something I can always come back to,” Tang said. “And I just know I’ll get something out of it. Personally, I feel good playing the game, I feel good practicing the game and just getting better. Seeing my improvement, even if it’s just a little bit, feels great.”

Although Tang’s esports career is his current priority, he still sets time

Charlie `Chaaaarlie' Tang, senior in LAS, is a competitive esports gamer who plays for the University's ªValorantº team. aside to pursue what he loves. With dreams of potentially being a doctor after a “Valorant” career, the senior’s integrative biology classes are not taking a backseat to gaming. A normal day for Tang isn’t complete without also grinding coursework and on-the-job clinic experience.

“I’m trying to stay just a well-rounded person,” Tang said. “I wake up, take a shower, go to my classes if I have classes that day, or go to work.

I work at an off-campus clinic. Then I come back, get homework done and just grind ‘Valorant’ for the rest of the night.”

“Valorant” and school take up the majority of Tang’s time and leave him with very little time to do other things he enjoys. Before the heavy courseload began and the nights of grinding “Valorant” started, Tang pursued music as a creative outlet. His passion for playing music persists despite his inability to spend as much time on it.

“I love music,” Tang said. “I played in the orchestra in high school. I like playing piano and singing, even though I’m not that good at it.”

Music and coursework can be put off if Tang continues his current trend.

Placing top 2,500 in the North America region for the past two seasons and currently being ranked around 4,000th, Tang aims to reach even higher by the end of this current season, with the eventual goal of playing professionally at the forefront of his will to achieve better placements.

“This season is about three fourths of the way through,” Tang said. “I’m currently 4,000th, but by the end I want to be top 2,000 or 1,000.” @DrewFriberg9 friberg3@dailyillini.com

JAMES HOECK THE DAILY ILLINI

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The DI · Wednesday, April 13, 2022