The Daily Illini Volume 149 Issue 40

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THE DAILY ILLINI

MONDAY February 17, 2020

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Vol. 149 Issue 40

RSO exhibits black excellence BY LASZLO RICHARD TOTH STAFF WRITER

ETHAN SIMMONS THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois Student Government senator Ben Crane answers a question about the proposed amendment to Resolution 03.61 as the bill’s authors look on. The resolution passed through the student senate on Thursday at 12:30 a.m. in Illini Union Rooms B and C.

Decision sparks debate Divest resolution passes student senate, executive branch vetoes BY ETHAN SIMMONS SENIOR REPORTER

Hundreds of students attended Illinois Student Government’s lengthy meeting Wednesday to debate a controversial resolution. Resolut ion 03 .61 : “Violations of Human Rights in University Investments,” passed through the student senate with 20 in favor, nine against and seven abstentions at 12:30 a.m. Thursday after five and a half hours of public comment, amendment discussion and senate debate. The non-binding resolution calls for the University to divest from three leading defense companies: Elbit Systems, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon, all of which have supplied weapons or defense technology to Israel. It also mentions the companies’ supply of weapons to the Chinese, Brazilian, Chilean and Honduran governments — the latter three to resist civilian protests — as well as supplying surveillance technology to the Russian Ministry, U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement

ETHAN SIMMONS THE DAILY ILLINI

Pro-Israel students cheer on a speaker in Illini Union Rooms B and C. Representatives from Illini Hillel, Chabad Jewish Center and five Jewish Greek life organizations showed up to oppose ISG Resolution 03.61 on Wednesday.

and the Los Angeles County Jail. The resolution, authored by three Palestinian students from the UIUC Divest RSO, divided the audience down pro-Israel, pro-Palestine lines. Representatives from Illini Hillel, the Chabad Jewish Center and five Jewish Greek life organizations showed up to oppose the resolution. Some student organizations showed up in support, mainly the University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. The meeting opened with over two hours of

public comment. Of the 34 individual speakers, eight favored the resolution and 26 argued against it. Supporters focused on the violations at hand, framing its potential passing as one step closer to a more holistic divestment solution. Several supporters cited Jan. 14, 1987, when the University Board of Trustees voted to divest $3 million from South African companies as a suitable precedent for the resolution. Detractors argued the resolution’s five direct mentions of Israel were SEE RESOLUTION | 3A

INSIDE Student isolated at hospital after meningitis diagnosis Meningitis can be spread through saliva, coughing or kissing but can also be spread by lengthy close contact, such as living together. The University continues to work with McKinley Health Center as well as state and local health of f icia ls to prevent the potential spread of illnesses when incidents like this occur. Accord i ng to t he Massmail, students, staff and faculty will be notified if any new developments impacting their health and safety were to occur.

THE DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT

A University student has been diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and isolated at an area hospital, according to a Massmail sent to students, staff and faculty Friday evening. T he st udent w it h meningitis is a resident of off-campus housing, and authorities have contacted and treated anyone who has had close contact with the student, including hospital staff. Therefore, there is not a risk of the illness spreading at this time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and news@dailyillini.com Prevention, bacter ia l meningitis can be deadly, but most people recover from the illness.

Features: Students climb social media ladder through comedy PAGE 4A

Sports: Illini host wheelchair basketball tournament PAGE 1B

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Cotton Club Week, an annual celebration of black excellence on campus, took place last week for Black History Month. Cotton Club Week was presented by the Central Black Student Union, which is made up of individual black student associations in each one of the University’s residence halls. The name for the tradition is borrowed from a Harlem Renaissance era club in New York City where many black entertainers gained notoriety. The week consisted of events all over campus. Some of the events featured included a Soul Train karaoke night at Busey-Evans Residence Hall, a Gospel Explosion at the Student Dining and Residential Programs Building and a Soul Bowl at the Illini Union bowling alley. The Florida Avenue Residence Hall branch of the CBSU, Ewezo, hosted Spittin’ Figures on Monday, which informed residents about important African Americans in the arts using the spoken word. “It really means a lot to see the students here trying to educate other students about the importance of Black History Month and what Black History Month means to the African American community,” said DeWayne Anderson, resident director at FAR and adviser to Ewezo, who was present at Spittin’ Figures. Anderson noticed that Cotton Club Week gives many students of color a space to take pride in their identities. “I’m happy to help them, and help give them that space and kind of help create that space for them to express their blackness through Black History Month,” Anderson said. Closing out the week were the Cotton Club Fashion Show at the SDRP and the Cotton Club Variety Show at Foellinger Auditorium. The fashion show, which has been in preparation since October, featured student models in a variety of outfits performing choreo-

Opinions

graphed walks and various diversity in the wardrobes,” theatrics, including homag- said Niles Cusic, student in es to “The Fresh Prince of the AHS who attended the Bel-Air” and “Mean Girls.” “I liked it. It was a lot of SEE COTTON CLUB WEEK

County Market faces price complaints BY HEATHER ROBINSON AND JULIE KANG STAFF WRITER, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

At the end of January, a video of falsely discounted prices from the local County Market grocery store on Stoughton Street surfaced on Reddit. In the video, a shopper was looking at products with tags displaying “new low price.” The shopper then lifted up the updated label to reveal the products’ original costs, which were shown to be cheaper than the discounted prices tag. The post was titled “Careful shopping at County Market, these are some shady practices.” The subject gained popularity quickly among students, generating nearly 500 interactions on the site, including comments where various users voiced their opinions on the topic. Gerry Kettler, director of Consumer Affairs for Neimann Foods, Inc., the company that owns County Market, said this issue was just a result of human errors. “It was brought to our attention; the tags were changed,” Kettler said. “If anyone bought something, just bring a receipt, and we’ll refund their money ... simple as that.” Due to its convenient

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KEVIN GAO THE DAILY ILLINI

Above: A model checks his pocket and walks down the runway at the Cotton Club Fashion Show hosted by the Central Black Student Union at the Student Dining and Residential Programs Building on Friday. Cotton Club Week, a series of events intended to showcase and celebrate black excellence, took place on campus last week. Below: A model holds a stance while holding a bag during the Cotton Club Fashion Show hosted by the CBSU at the Student Dining and Residential Programs Building on Friday.

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KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

A price tag hangs beneath red plastic cups at County Market on Sunday. A video on Reddit accused the store of charging “discounted prices” that ended up being more expensive.

location near many campus apartments, County Market is a frequent shopping destination for students. Christopher Kim, sophomore in LAS, filmed and uploaded the video. Kim said shopping at County Market is more convenient in terms of location.

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On the day Kim found the prices, he was shopping at the store with friends when he noticed some sale tags. Out of habit, he checked underneath the discounted listing to see how much the savings totaled up to. SEE DISCOUNTS | 3A

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of stolen property, resisting • Forgery was reported in the 2500 arrest, threatening a public offiblock of Galen Drive around 1 cial and aggravated assault in p.m. Wednesday. According to the 600 block of East Springfield the report, an unknown offendAvenue around 9 p.m. Thursday. er cashed a forged check in the According to the report, police victim’s business name. were initially called by an Illini • An arrest was made on the Union security guard who reccharge of unlawful use of ID ognized the suspect who had in the 600 block of East Daniel previously been issued a noStreet around 10 a.m. Wednestrespassing notice for all Uniday. According to the report, a versity property. The suspect 20-year-old student attempted became aggressive, threatened to use a friend’s ID indicating to shoot the guard and attempthe was at a legal age to consume ed to flee when police arrived. alcohol to enter a bar. The susAfter the suspect was apprepect was issued a city NTA for hended and arrested, officers this offense. discovered a stolen purse in his • Burglary from a motor vehicle possession. was reported in the 2200 block • Theft and credit card fraud was of Glenoak Drive around 8 a.m. reported at State Farm CenWednesday. According to the ter, 1800 S. First St., on Frireport, an unknown offender day. According to the report, stole the victim’s wallet when it an unknown offender stole the was left in the victim’s unlocked victim’s wallet and attempted vehicle. to use the credit card inside for a transaction that was declined. University The wallet was returned to the • An arrest was made on the lost-and-found at the ARC on charges of trespassing on stateMonday but without the victim’s supported property, possession cash inside.

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• Battery was reported in the intersection of Kerr and Geraldine avenues around 8 a.m. Thursday. According to the report, the victim was sprayed by mace, punched and kicked by two unknown offenders who have not yet been located. • An arrest was made on the charges of no rabies tag for a dog and cat in the 1900 block of North Lincoln Avenue around 11 a.m. Thursday. According to the report, the suspect was issued an NTA after a welfare check on the residence’s animals found they were not current on rabies vaccinations. • Animal cruelty and no rabies tag for a cat was reported in the 400 block of East Green Street around 8 a.m. Thursday. According to the report, the offender surrendered her cat, who had been living in her van since Thanksgiving. The cat was then transferred to the Champaign County Humane Society. news@dailyillini.com

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UI System to refund independent college program BY SAMANTHA BOYLE NEWS EDITOR

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The Independent Colleges Capital Program gave John Marshall School of Law a $3.27 million grant in 2012 for renovations. However, its merge with the University’s Chicago campus in 2019 called for a refund of the rest of the grant from the UI System, according to a press release from State Senator Chapin Rose. After the University tried to get the refund forgiven, Senator Rose thought it should be paid for by only the Chicago campus. On Friday afternoon, the UI System agreed the money to repay ICCAP would come from the Chicago campus. Before resolving the issue, Senate Bill 2282 was filed in the Illinois legislature, which, if passed, would for-

give the entire amount owed back to ICCAP by the UI System, which is $934,013.79. If that were to have happened, the money would then be deprived from other independent colleges throughout the state, such as Millikin University or IllinoisWesleyan University. The refund was asked for because, after John Marshall merged with the Chicago campus, it no longer was an independent college. Therefore, Senator Rose filed a legislation, SB 3170, that would require the refund to be paid by the Chicago campus only, “so that the refund does not negatively impact the operations of the other campuses within the U of I system and will also ensure that these funds are available for use by independent colleges throughout Illinois.”

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John Marshall Law School and the Library-State/ Van Buren transit station along the L, Chicago Transit Authority in Chicago, Illinois, on Dec. 6, 2008. After merging John Marshall with the Chicago campus, the UI System owed money to the Independent Capital Colleges Program.

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February 17, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

NEWS

UI introduces computer science-plus-animal sciences major BY MICHAEL CARUSO STAFF WRITER

The University is introducing a new computer science plus animal sciences major for the fall 2020 semester. This will be the eleventh CS+X major available at the University and the second degree program for CS+X in the College of ACES. However, this is the first program that will combine animal sciences with computer science in the entire country, said Rodney Johnson, head of the Department of Animal Sciences. John Wang, computer science student, said he thinks the program will be beneficial for students who are in majors that are currently less focused on technology. “I think CS+X majors do get some extra skills because I think that regular majors do lots of things that are repetitive,” Wang said. “Adding a CS part to a major would improve that. I think more of these majors would be good, and I want to see what they come up with.”

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“disproportionate,” and the document was a veiled attempt at reviving the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which they called anti-Semitic. BDS advocates for the cutting of economic ties to Israel until the state ends occupation of the West Bank and grants equal rights — and right of return to Israel — for Palestinians and their descendants. Several labeled the resolution as a continued silencing of Jewish voices on campus after October’s controversial ISG Resolution 3.29, “Condemning Ignorance of Racism and Equating Anti-Zionism with AntiSemitism.” Others pointed out merits of the mentioned companies, as well as the difficulty of ditching the index funds that the University uses to invest in them. The public comment phase was rife with interruptions and exclamations from audience members. Nina Raab, freshman in LAS, referenced a previous confrontation from the passing of Resolution 3.29 while voicing her opposition to the current resolution. “When I walked into the room, I was confronted by a huge sign held up by SJP that said ‘F— Nazis.’ They called us Nazis!” Raab said. “They’re right!” one student in the audience said. The clip of the confrontation has since circulated on Facebook to over 3,000 views. According to ISG senator Sudarshana Rao and SJP, authors of the resolution and other members of SJP met with the student afterward to condemn the statement. “This comment was made by someone that is unknown to SJP and its allies. Once we were made aware of who this person was, we demanded for them to apologize to the

According to a proposal approved by the University Senate last year, the new program is intended to address a growing need within the industry for students who are skilled in both animal sciences and computer science. “All of agriculture is undergoing a digital transformation, and that’s very true with animal agriculture,” Johnson said. “By combining computer science and animal sciences, our goal is to help a graduate to work in the world of big data.” Johnson said sensor technology in companion animals and in animal agriculture is one major application of this new program. The curriculum will combine coursework in animal sciences and computer science, with students primarily taking typical computer science courses for the first two years and integrating a variety of animal sciences classes as well. “Students will have to be admissible to both programs in animal scienc-

Computer Science + Animal Sciences contributes to growth

would never have a problem adding more than fifteen students after we get started.” The admissions process will initially focus on admitting rising sophThe CS + Animal Sciences Major is contributing to a future need for omores for the first year before opening up to new graduates in Agriculture and Animal Sciences who have a incoming freshmen. technological background. In addition to the new major, the Animal Sciences department has hired a new assistant professor in preThere are 60,000 new jobs in the agriculture industry each year cision animal management, Isabella Condotta, who specializes in image analysis and machine learning There are 35,000 students who graduate from Agriculture and to detect signs of lameness in animals. Her other work Animal Sciences Programs each year nationwide uses machine learning to weigh pigs using only an overhead camera, showcasing the growing impor15 is the maximum number of students accepted into CS + tance of computer science within animal sciences. Animal Sciences in the first year “This is an area that campus is investing in by establishing the Center for DigSource: University Senate ital Agriculture, and our CASSIDY BRANDT THE DAILY ILLINI department is investing in this area by adding more es and computer science,” animal sciences. “We’re from there we’ll see how technology to what we do,” said Katelyn Jones-Ham- hoping to have somewhere that works (and) how those Johnson said. low, the freshman and in the neighborhood of 15 students are going through sophomore adviser for students in the degree, and the curriculum, and we mcaruso4@dailyillini.com

“While we do support fighting against human rights violations and we do support divesting from human rights violators, we do not support at all the disproportionate amount of times Israel as a country ... has been targeted.” IAN KATSNELSON ILLINOIS STUDENT GOVERNMENT SENATOR

affected parties,” SJP said on their Facebook page. After the public comment phase, the authors weighed in on the resolution, focusing on the justification for mentioning Israel. “Even with a historical and material basis on the murder of Palestinians, the opposition has decided to dehumanize Palestinians,” said Buthaina Hattab, co-author of the resolution. “Three Palestinian women who authored the bill, including me, mentioned Israel because our experiences, our lived experiences, bring us to the forefront in the struggle against apartheid.”

Proposed amendments

An early amendment by student senators Cody Bainbridge and Fawaz Tirmizi corrected a few citations and figures in the original resolution and passed through the Senate 36-1-0. Two Jewish student senators, Ian Katsnelson and Ben Crane, led the Senate opposition. Katsnelson presented his case via slide deck “that the true intent of the resolution” was to continue BDS. “While we do support fighting against human rights violations and we do support divesting from human rights violators, we do not support at all the disproportionate amount of times Israel as a country — in particular for my group — has been targeted,” Katsnelson said. Katsnelson pointed out language similarities in the resolution to 13 other

universities’ student government resolutions that were touted as “BDS victories” by the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. He also compared several identical citations in the resolution to other divestment campaigns. Katsnelson proposed an amendment that would remove all references to countries and “named entities that are overly specific” from the resolution. He sent out a draft of his revisions to the student senate. Many student senators, and the authors themselves, reacted harshly to the proposed amendment. “If this amendment passes, I am not an author anymore,” said co-author Dunia Ghanimah, senior in LAS. “If you take out Israel’s name, then you are literally delegitimizing everything that we were talking about today.” Several senators criticized the removal of the ICE from the amendment, and the lack of advance notice given for an amendment that would significantly change the resolution. “ It wou ld be counterproductive to remove countries that are committing human rights abuses that we want to divest from, especially removing the countries that are targeted by them too,” said student senator and sophomore in LAS James Kosmopoulos. “It gives me a kind of sentiment similar to ‘All Lives Matter.’” Casey Griffin, student

senator and senior in FAA, called it a “toothless” version of the original resolution, and “incredibly disrespectful” to the authors and senate body. After 20 minutes of senator debate, the amendment was voted down 11-22-6. Katsnelson acknowledged his presentation was prepared “last minute,” and that he did not consult the authors of the original resolution prior to presenting.

Aftermath

Once the resolution was passed, Illini Union Rooms B and C broke into cheers and applause from supporters, while several Jewish students shouted “veto” in hopes that the executive branch would stop the bill. On Sunday, their calls were answered. ISG president Connor Josellis vetoed Resolution 03.61 at his cabinet meeting, condemning all remarks that “have made students feel unsafe and have fostered climate of hate on this campus.” “One of my primary obligations as student body president is to make sure that all students are able to participate in a campus environment where all feel safe to learn and be themselves,” Josellis said Sunday. “Approving a resolution that hundreds of students have said will do the opposite would not be doing my job.” Illinois Student Affairs put out an online statement after Wednesday’s meeting, reiterating the non-binding nature of ISG resolutions, adding the University has “no plans to act on this one.” “ I l l i noi s St udent Government … provides students the opportunity to engage in discourse on issues such as this one that have been debated around the world for centuries, but does not represent the university administration,” Student Affairs said in the statement.

KEVIN GAO THE DAILY ILLINI

A model walks down to the end of the runway and spins a cape during the Cotton Club Fashion Show on Friday.

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is extremely important, because we do have a great percentage of Black students who attend the University,” Anderson said. “So just making sure that they have a space to actually celebrate Black History Month … it means a lot to me, it really does.”

show. “I liked that they had a lot of choreography to it.” All in all, Cotton Club Week provides an opportunity for Black students on campus to celebrate their heritage. “(Cotton Club Week) ltoth2@dailyillini.com

ecsimmon@dailyillini.com KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

Patrons of County Market look through the store’s selections Sunday.

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ETHAN SIMMONS THE DAILY ILLINI

Pro-Israel students hold up a string of 690 paperclips during Orli Elovic’s public comment at Wednesday’s Illinois Student Government meeting in Illini Union Rooms B and C. The 690 paperclips symbolized the number of rockets Hamas fired at Israel last May, while Elovic was riding a bus to her apartment in the region..

post, many students chimed in to share their thoughts on the store, with some labeling it “overpriced” and calling out the store for its “false advertising.” Caleb Cole, sophomore in Engineering, also said he is a frequent shopper at the market because it is the closest option. “Prior to seeing the post, I already knew that County Market was overpriced,” Cole said. “I (can’t) wait to start shopping elsewhere when something else opens.” With the new Target opening later this year on Green Street, students will have access to more supermarket selections, possibly affecting the business at County Market.

“A lot of times they will take away the secondary or original tag … I was just amazed that they left it like that,” Kim said. “Then I did take a video and send it to a couple of friends and decided to post it on Reddit later.” Following the discovery of the prices, Kim and his friends decided to look around afterwards and discovered more. “On the ones that I found, the sale tag said that it was more than the original item,” Kim said. “But the ones that we found after said they were on sale, but it was actually for the same original price.” In the comments on the hrr4@dailyillini.com

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February 17, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

LIFE

CULTURE

KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

(From left to right) John Koulentes, Sam Fourlas and Ayal Zipris, freshmen in LAS, pose with the wet floor sign and closet door from their most viral Tik Toks. The video featuring the wet floor sign is at 3.3 million views, and the closet door video is closely following at 3.2 million views.

Students steal TikTok show, go viral

Bromley residents create comedy skits BY JARED EBANKS STAFF WRITER

When the now-viral video sharing app TikTok launched in 2017, social media users gravitated to the new platform because it was relatively untouched and had unique content and features. TikTok burst onto the scene in late 2018 when the company merged with startup Musical. ly. The apps shared similar features for users, the ability to post 3-15 second lip-sync or comedy clips, similar to the former app service Vine. Just three years since its launch, TikTok has garnered a mass amount of attention. The app has created social media influencers and famous content creators among younger generations. Celebrities such as Will Smith and the Jonas Brothers have joined the app and have gained millions of followers. Users on the application go viral every day based on the content they create. Some of these viral content creators even attend the University. Jett Koulentes, Sammy Fourlas and Ayal Zipris, all freshmen in LAS, moved into Bromley Hall together at the beginning of the fall 2019 semester. At that same time, they created an account on TikTok and started creating videos in their dorm. “We really like incorporating stuff that happens in college dorms with kind of that ‘The Office’ vibe because that’s our environment, that’s where we’re living at,” Koulentes said. All three are fans of the television show “The Office,” and they emulate the same humor from the show and incorporate the different camera angles into the con-

tent they produce. TikTok has two separate pages where you can view videos. The “Followers” page shows recent videos of accounts that a user follows while the “For You” page suggests videos to the user based on what other users find popular and interesting by liking it. The group uses the #fyp as a way to increase the number of users who see the post. “I like how you can get their comedy as well as TikTok comedy combined with all of the filters,” Zipris said. On Feb. 4, the friends posted their first viral TikTok. Since then, the video has received 520,000 views and over 94,000 likes. The group later produced two other videos that have since surpassed their first viral video and helped contribute to their now 13,200 followers. “I stole a wet floor sign from Bromley, and I was like, ‘we should totally do something with that because college students steal floor signs,’” Koulentes said. In the video, Fourlas pretends to be the group’s Resident Advisor, confronting Koulentes over the wet floor sign he stole. Fourlas badgers Koulentes in the video, saying they have him on video taking the sign as Koulentes admirably pleads his innocence. Then the camera pans to the wet floor sign sitting atop Koulente’s closet door. The video has garnered 3.2 million views and over 570,000 likes. Koulentes was on his way back from a conference at the University of Cincinnati when he received a text from Fourlas with the news. The video has blown up. “My mouth just dropped,” he said. “That was a crazy feeling. I couldn’t believe people loved the video, and that it got out there for everyone to see.”

Check out the “y’all think he did it” video on Tik Tok. Rowan Morgan, senior in FAA, joined TikTok in March 2019. Her younger siblings were on the app and constantly talking about it, so Morgan wanted to see what all of the hype was about. “The younger kids, they like to do dances and things, but my sister who is 18, she is more there for the funny, kind of Vine aspect,” Morgan said. While the app was fun to have as entertainment, Morgan wondered how she could make her own mark on the new social media platform while incorporating her interests. It was simple: music. “I’ve always been a musician in some way,” Morgan said. “Whether it be piano lessons in second grade, I knew I loved to sing in elementary school. That’s when it started.” Morgan quickly found fame on the app. It came when she posted a singing tutorial for the lower harmony of “Tonight You Belong to Me” by Eddie Vedder, which was viral at the time. Over 1 million people have viewed the video since Morgan posted it, and it has been liked over 300,000 times. From there, Morgan grew into creating relatable choir meme content. She currently has 83,700 followers. The app has attracted a fair amount of criticism — not necessarily from outside perspectives but rather its

KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

Sam Fourlas writes a caption and adds hashtags to their most recent video captioned “Ay, whodunnit?”

own users. There existed a period of time when TikTok was becoming popular and younger users seemed to look down upon users who were college-aged and older for being a part of the community. Older generations were viewed by young users as cringy, embarrassing and too old for the app. “I remember thinking to myself when we were debating making this TikTok account, ‘I was like no, there’s no way I’ll be on TikTok. That’s for tweens and stuff like that,’” Koulentes said. “Now everyone’s like, ‘that’s the funniest thing ever.’” The freshman group was aware of the possible criticism they would receive from their college peers; however, the app served as a unique platform for the three to produce comedy. “Kids know what it’s like to be within this age,” Fourlas said. “There’s the funny sides

of it. There’re skits that are so outlandish, but we all grew up on that same age of comedy.” Becky Jacobson, freshman in DGS, was exposed to the app in high school. Her best friend at the time had over 100,000 followers on the app. This creative outlet piqued Jacobson’s interest, and she downloaded the app. “I like dad jokes. I like pickup lines,” she said. “So I was like, I’m going to go knock on people’s doors and then say a pickup line and just get their reaction.” One of the videos in the series received 1.6 million views and over 475,000 likes. Her followers continued to beg for more content. Jacobson has had an opportunity on TikTok few users receive: the ability to make money from the videos and content she posts. Once a user reaches 1,000 followers, they are allowed to live stream on their profile to their followers. “It was a grind,” Jacobson

said. “I had a really committed following, and I would post every day. I’d post a really bad dad joke, and I was posting dad jokes until I could go live.” Followers have the option to give gifts to the content creators while they are live streaming. Half of the gift goes to TikTok, half goes to the creator. Jacobson has made $150 from the app so far. After posting videos for a little under a year, Jacobson’s views toward creating videos and worrying about the perception of them has changed. She worries less about the number of views or likes she gets and more about creating content she finds funny and just hopes others do, too. “For the most part, I’m just trying to have fun,” Jacobson said. “I’m trying to bring a smile to people’s faces at the same time.” jaredde2@dailyillini.com

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5A

Monday, February 17, 2020

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BLINDCAST

Colleen Brunton (left) and Madison Freeland (right) pose for their comedy podcast, “The Blindcast.” They use this platform to talk about sex and dating.

Alumnae bring first dates on to comedy podcast Two women discuss sex and relationships BY NANDIKA CHATTERJEE STAFF WRITER

When it comes to looking for your next special someone or the someone who definitely is not special, Madison Freeland and Colleen Brunton have something to say. In their dating podcast, “The Blindcast,” they exchange first date stories off dating apps. The two hosts invite men off of dating apps to have their first date be a podcast interview. Nowadays, a simple swipe left or, more importantly, a swipe right can change lives. Freeland graduated from the University in May with a BFA in Acting. She lives in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood with Brunton. When not acting, she works in the fitness industry and as a photographer. She also does stunt work. Colleen also graduated from the University this past Spring with a BMA in Lyric Theatre. Her “survival job” is working at a wine-tasting bar in

the city. She also frequently auditions and was most recently on a TV show on Showtime called “Work in Progress.” While both of these University graduates have set out to mold their lives in impressive and creative styles, simplicities of life like using dating apps remain the same. In fact, the idea for this podcast occurred to Brunton right out of college. “Right after we moved, Colleen called me into her room at 9 a.m.,” Freeland said. “We had just moved, so we had zero friends and just started our ‘survival (meaning non-performance) jobs.’” According to Freeland, Brunton was the one who presented the idea of creating their own content through either a YouTube channel or a podcast. “We laid in her bed, blasted music and came up with the idea of starting a podcast,” Freeland said. “With moving to Chicago, there was so much changing and not a ton of time to audition, but I wanted to be creating something,” Brunton said. “I knew Madison was probably feeling the same way, so instead of complain-

ing about it, I called her into my room for our first meeting and told her we weren’t leaving until we came up with an idea for a podcast.” Freeland explained how she was a frequent user of dating apps at the time. She recalled her idea, saying it “seemed equal parts chaotic and insightful.” With time, these two aspiring artists had a concrete idea for what their motivations behind such a podcast were. “I wanted to create a space to talk about (dating) and to be honest and real about it,” Brunton said. “So I would say one of my main goals was authenticity in talking about dating and the many different ways it is being approached today.” “I will say that women need to have a louder voice in relationships, sex and the internet, ” Freeland said. “I love comedy, so I knew I wanted the vibe of the podcast to be funny and casual. I also wanted to have a strong platform where dating apps’ reputations can improve. The internet dominates everything now.” Hence, balancing both of their ideas, they came

up with the best version of their goals in the form of “The Blindcast.” Something Freeland brings up in the first episode that links to her goals is the stigma sometimes associated with dating apps. “A lot of the apps have reputations: Tinder for hookups, Hinge for relationships .... (it) comes down to how the apps brand themselves,” she said. “I know people who have met their significant other on the apps, but have lied to their family about how they’ve met,” Brunton said. “That doesn’t make any sense to me, because the relationship isn’t any less legitimate just because you’ve met over an app.” That being said, there are always two sides to a coin. They talked about how while dating apps have a certain convenience factor, there may be some drawbacks and added pressures of meeting someone you have only seen in pictures. “They are both equally confusing and cool,” Freeland said. “I think I have more respect for dating apps, because (they have) connected us with some very cool

guys. It also restored my faith in humanity. Strangers trust us and want to get together to create some interesting, sexy, weird content.” “Before hosting this podcast, I never used dating apps,” Brunton said. “Meeting these guys has been so fun, and seeing how genuinely cool and kind they are is heartwarming.” Since both Brunton and Freeland have different experiences, their natural dynamic proves to be enjoyable to listen to. “I would say that because I generally take the back seat on talking, I am able to fully process what the guests are saying and get them to be able to dive even deeper into some of what they are sharing on the show, whether it gets included in the episode or not,” Brunton said. Allie Wessel, former BFA Theatre undergraduate at the University, is a close friend of Brunton and Freeland and a podcast guest. “Madison and Colleen are personable, funny, but still kind and down to earth, and I think that reads very well over the podcast,” Wessel said.

Another close friend and podcast guest, Lindsay Vallance, went to Butler University and studied theatre and arts administration. “I think it’s the most genuine podcast created by women in their 20s right now, and I’m not just saying that because they’re my roommates,” Vallance said. “Both Colleen and Madison have started this podcast from the ground up and I really think that goes to show how dedicated they are to the success of this podcast.” “They are creating their own work, which, as an artist, can be so scary but so rewarding,” Wessel said. nandika2@dailyillini.com

Listen to the “The Blindcast” on Spotify.

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ACROSS 1 Suitable for sinking one’s teeth into 6 Mountain lion 10 Speaker’s platform 14 Letter before beta 15 401(k) alternatives 16 Latch ___ (grip) 17 Plumber’s tool 19 Dermatological sac 20 One catching morays 21 Three-time AllStar pitcher Robb ___ 23 Cry from a crib 24 Vacation relaxation destination 26 Reaches adulthood 29 Apportion 32 Moo goo ___ pan (Chinese chicken dish) 33 Check for fit 34 KLM is a “royal” one 37 Overdid it onstage 38 Defeated 42 Too much on one’s plate 46 Instrument for Billy Joel 49 Snake in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” 50 Zeus : Greek :: Jupiter : ___ 51 “Oops, missed the deadline” 54 Big name in ice cream 55 Statute 56 D.C. insider 57 Small, like Santa’s helpers 60 Bread spread 62 Cramped spot for a plane passenger … or a hint to something hidden in 17-, 26-, 34-, 42- and 51-Across 66 Where a cashier puts money

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PUZZLE BY ALAN ARBESFELD

67 Mani-___ (salon combo) 68 Cow in classic Borden ads 69 Two-for-one event 70 Yemeni port 71 Car company with so-called “Gigafactories”

9 Contents of a funerary receptacle 10 Disney dwarf with the shortest name 11 “Nevertheless …” 12 “The deal went through!” 13 Storyteller’s segue 18 ___ room (game site) 22 Far DOWN 1 Treasure hunter’s 24 One-named aid hitmaker born in Nigeria 2 ___ Lilly & Co. 3 Draw interest from 25 Desirable, as a job 27 Spoil 4 “With this ring, I ___ wed” 28 San Joaquin Valley city 5 Two-masted sailing vessel 30 One-eighth portion 6 Polish dumpling 31 Business district in downtown Chicago 7 Funerary receptacle 35 Commotion 8 Newsman Robert, 36 Company behind former PBS partner the Watson project of Jim Lehrer 39 Docility

40 “Omigosh!” 41 Gainsay 43 Added up, as a score 44 Passengerscreening org. 45 Chose to join 46 Their prospects are up in the air 47 Home of Milano and Firenze 48 In addition 52 ___-Loompa (Willy Wonka worker) 53 Building wing 58 Pedal pushers 59 ___ of Capri 61 World Cup cheer 63 1950s presidential monogram 64 Be under the weather 65 Wimbledon service?

The crossword solution is in the Classified section.

6A

OPINIONS

MONDAY

February 17, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

STATE OF ILLINOIS FIREARM OWNER’S IDENTIFICATION CARD Expires: 03/09/2025 FOID#: 1234567890

YouTube Red has more potential than Spotify

Issued: 03/09/25

Doe John Q

2A

MAII RASHED COLUMNIST

S

ince I mooch off my brother’s Spotify account, I really have no room to complain since I’m getting off scot-free from having to pay for music streaming. But due to all the 000 lbs UNK Eyes UNK Hair ads that get shoved down my throat every time I’m on YouTube, I decided a few summers ago to finally download a free trial of YouTube Red (because there’s no way I’m actually going to start paying to listen to melancholia at 4 a.m. when I could just do it for free). After a few short weeks of using it, I realized I liked BRIAN NGUYEN THE DAILY ILINI the application far more than Spotify. I’ve never had a very long attention span, so I often switch songs onethird of the way through. I have also never been very musically adventurous and defend their own rights could apply and receive a of self-defense.” tend to just listen to the and those of other citiFOID. District of Columbia same 20 songs I’ve been MATTHEW zens,” Federalist No. 29 What criminal is going v. Heller (2008) was also listening to since middle KRAUTER said. “This appears to me to go through the process cited because it found school. COLUMNIST the only substitute that of obtaining a FOID card, “the inherent right of selfYouTube Red, while havcan be devised for a stand- paying the fee and waiting defense has been central ing playlists like the Top ing army; the best possithe processing time before to the Second Amendment 100, recommends new songs un laws in Illinois are ble security against it, if it obtaining a firearm? None. and the home is where the while you’re already listenamong the worst of should exist.” It’s a thinly veiled, arbineed for defense … is most ing to one rather than havany state in the counIllinois seems to have trary infringement on law- acute.” ing to manually do it yourtry. The arbitrary regulaforgotten the importance abiding citizens’ rights. One would be remiss to self. I really like this since it tions in place are unconof the right to bear arms. Imagine if you had to not recognize the ratioallows me to be exposed to stitutional and do more to Illinois requires residents pay a $10 fee every time nale that many of my new music easier without infringe upon the rights of to obtain a Firearms Own- you wanted to exercise friends on the left hold having to listen to the same law-abiding citizens than ers Identification card your freedom of speech. for gun control. They fear songs that play on repeat stop criminals. issued by the State Police Or maybe getting a license further gun violence like over the radio. For those The Second Amendment to purchase or possess any to choose not to consent to the numerous tragic mass who suffer from similar guarantees the right that ammunition of firearms. unwarranted searches and shootings in our schools attention issues, browsing “a well-regulated miliThe Firearms Ownseizures. Constitutional and public places. They see through songs while listentia, being necessary to the ers Identification Card law does not become void restricting firearm access ing to one may help relieve security of a free State, the Act details the requirewhen laws, such as requir- as the only solution to this the constant need to change right of the people to keep ments for obtaining a ing a FOID card, conflict epidemic. the tune. and bear arms, will not be FOID card. with it. Combating these acts of If one chooses to subinfringed.” Applicants must be 21 Rightly, the constituevil is a valiant goal, we all scribe, the ability to exit and This integral liberty to years old unless a legal tionality of the FOID card agree, but such a solution re-enter the app whenever self-protection was guarguardian eligible for a is being challenged in the is inappropriate. Disarmone pleases while being able anteed as a check against FOID signs an affidavit court system. Currenting the good guys is not the to watch where the video a future threat of tyrangiving consent, a federal ly pending in the Illinois most effective way to stop left off is a benefit for whatny. The Founding Fathers background check is done, Supreme Court is the case, the bad ones. ever the cost may be. knew better than anyone the Illinois Department of The People of the State of One may refer once Since I don’t have a subthe impact an armed pop- Human Services database Illinois v. Brown. again to the wisdom of scription to YouTube Red, ulace could have, especial- is searched to ensure the The ­Circuit Court of Hamilton in Federalist No. I can’t use it while being on ly after defeating Britain applicant has no mental White County, from which 29, “Where in the name other applications and also and declaring indepenillnesses and several ques- the case was appealed, of common sense are our have to endure mandatory dence the nation now tions are asked. held the Illinois FOID card fears to end if we may not ads. However, I never really enjoys. Applicants must also requirement for possesstrust our sons, our brothtend to care about ads when Though the Bill of submit a photo ID and pay ing a firearm in a home for ers, our neighbors, our I’m able to benefit from the Rights had yet been draft- a $10 service fee. The Illiself-defense unconstitufellow-citizens?” features I deem necessary ed at the time, Alexannois State Police are then tional for the case of the Illinois should encourwhen listening to music: a der Hamilton argued for required to process the defendant. age responsible gun owncool video and a cluster of a militia comprised of the application within 30 days. The rationale of the ership and protect the similarly-themed artists people in Federalist No. There is a reason only Court referenced the rights of its citizens, and nearby. So what’s a 30-sec29. He believed a militia three other states have a Second and Fourteenth doing away with the FOID ond ad or two when the of the people was the best comparable license to the Amendments. McDonald v. card would be a great entertainment is four times means for protecting libFOID card. It’s unconstiCity of Chicago (2010) was start. as long? erty from a potentially tutional and rather silly. cited as precedent, as the One thing that bothers me oppressive government. Note the FOID has “Second Amendment pro- Matthew is a sophomore in about Spotify is their rec“A large body of citino age minimum. With tects the right to keep and LAS. ommended playlists. I have zens … who stand ready to parental consent, a toddler bear arms for the purpose krauter3@dailyillini.com never scrolled through a playlist that Spotify recom-

123 Anyplace Street Apt #1 Somewhere, IL 00000 DOB: 01/01/0001 0’0” MALE

FOID violates Second Amendment G

mended and seen anything of even mild interest to me. I recognize this has to do with the fact there are no images that go along with the songs they display. I always liked how on YouTube you could see the thumbnail of the video. YouTube Red does the same thing, where they show you a thumbnail of a song without having to click on the song individually like I have to do with Spotify. YouTube Red, while showing you the thumbnails, allows you to watch the videos while they play, just like YouTube. I really like this since, again, I have a really short attention span and can rarely make it through a single song without something to visually occupy me. I never really hear people talking about YouTube Red, however, other than to insult or call it inferior to other music applications. This is completely fair since I know certain platforms advertise and tend to the needs of certain demographics. Spotify is usually the fan favorite, while Apple music comes in second (probably due to the mandatory U2 album they forcefully applied on their users’ iTunes accounts). Overall, my preference is due to convenience alone. I still use Spotify and reap the rewards of my brother’s subscription by listening to things like podcasts not readily available on other platforms. But for music alone, I would encourage a dip into YouTube Red for those of you seeking the euphoria of exposure to a whole new way of music streaming. Maii is a freshman in LAS. mrashe5@dailyillini.com

BEN TSCHETTER THE DAILY ILLINI

Konrad Kroczynski, junior in Engineering, studies in the Undergraduate Library on Dec. 12, 2017. Columnist Maii thinks YouTube Red sets the perfect tone for studying.

Televised political spectacles unnecessarily glorify election, campaign processes DYLAN GRAY COLUMNIST

P

residential election season is upon us once again, and with it comes the inevitable debates, discussions, primaries, caucuses and polls, all of which broadcast on national television for our entertainment. And it is just that: entertainment. But this begs the question, should it be? Late media critic and social theorist Neil Postman posed the following conundrum in his 1985 book, “Entertaining Ourselves to Death” Is television an appropriate means for political discourse? As we increasingly visualize and commodify political events, they become more of a spectacle and less of an exchange of ideas. In the years since Postman’s hypothesis, and in the years since his death, he has been vindicated in this belief. A key component of Postman’s theory was Aldous

entertainment has led us to mutilate political discourse into a spectacle of its own. This discourse is the lynchpin of the democratic process and should be held to a higher standard than that of cheap “politertainment.” But as long as our desire for something to gawk at supersedes our desire to be aware of the situation controlling PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE us, Postman will continue Democratic presidential candidates stand on stage before to be proven right. the Democratic Presidential Primary Debate in the Sullivan This is not to say politics Arena at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N. H., on Feb. 7. is incapable of being enterColumnist Dylan believes debates unnecessarily dramatize the taining in its own right. overall election system. Often life is more absurd than fiction, and politics is Huxley’s idea of a dystofore likely to win, they wish an excellent reflection of pia, where pleasure rules to find a candidate they this. The issue arises, howus, was in fact accurate. believe will win and force ever, when politics is no The state’s ability to dilute the people to like them. This longer a vehicle for dissemipolitics which we, at least inductive way of thinking nating information that is ostensibly, have control only hurts them in the long sometimes entertaining over and has control over us run and disenfranchises and becomes a vehicle for into a mere game in which voters. The inductive meth- providing entertainment the red team fights the blue od—starting with a goal and that sometimes contains a team, has made politics forcing the situation to fit semblance of fact. into a spectacle and form of it—is terrible for democraOf course, many things entertainment. cy and echoes many deeply are holding back political The Democratic Parseeded issues that have been discourse, not simply the ty’s approach to choosing manifesting for years now, people viewing it. In fact, a presidential candidate most notably the oligarchiconsumers are likely one of is reflective of this. Rathcal and ineffective nature of the least culpable groups for er than finding a candidate the Democratic Party. this phenomenon. In realthat is well-liked and thereOur hedonistic desire for ity, mass media companies,

such as Fox, CNN, MSNBC, etc., are encouraging this to sell prime ad space and gain more attention. A simple platform public service announcement that clearly and concisely gives each candidate’s stance on different issues would be far more practical, though far less entertaining and, therefore, less profitable. The other force pushing against this is politicians themselves. There is no easier policy to sell than none at all, as long as your population is relatively complacent within their material conditions. For this reason, politicians will happily be hucksters, showmen and jesters for our amusement. Insofar as platforms are concerned, a circus stage has much less pressure than a political podium. As long as we’re too busy being amused and enraptured to ask what they really intend to do, politicians will keep us laughing all the way to the(ir) bank. Politics are a crucial part of life, and there is absolutely no reason to abstain from them. But to con-

sume “political” material designed to defang, sedate and distract you is not much different from avoiding politics altogether. Politics can be scary, politics can be uncomfortable and politics will be divisive. There is a political element to every facet of life, and one cannot stick their head in the proverbial sand and expect anything positive to occur. The white noise of political entertainment must be drowned out for the cause of political awakening. There’s no reason not to look up the candidates’ real stances on each individual issue. Plenty of sites, including OnTheIssues.org, offer comprehensive looks at every candidate’s stances and how they’ve changed. Politics can be entertaining, but, above all, it should be informative. So remember next time you tune in to a “political” program where more riffs and jokes are being made than policy proposals, the last laugh is really on us. Dylan is a junior in Media. kdg2@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.

1B

MONDAY

February 17, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

SPORTS BASEBALL

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL

Weber leads team to opening-day victory BY RICH EBERWEIN STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF CRAIG PESSMAN

Gabe DenBraber shoots during the game against Southwest Minnesota State. Illinois defeated Auburn 54-44 and lost to Southwest Minnesota State, 65-43, Friday.

Illini shine in home tournament BY CLAIRE O’BRIEN STAFF WRITER

The Illinois wheelchair basketball team played its only home tournament of the season at the ARC Friday and Saturday. Since the team seldom plays in Champaign, they cherished a weekend of playing in front of friends and family. “It was really heartwarming (because) most of the time we’re on the road and we don’t get to see a lot of our fans,” said women’s wheelchair basketball player Riley Ljungdahl. “To have everyone come out, it means so much and shows that our sport really does affect the community.” The women’s team played the University of WisconsinWhitewater twice Friday. In the first game, the Illini won 68-44. Friday’s second matchup against UWWhitewater was the team’s Women in Sports game. National Women and Girls in Sports day was last week,

Illinois opened their 141st baseball season on Friday afternoon in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, when they edged out the University of WisconsinMilwaukee Panthers, 3-2, to win their fourth-straight season opener. Strong pitching from both teams brought the game down to the last pitch on Friday, as three runs were just enough to get the win for senior Ty Weber, who threw six innings and struck out just as many while surrendering a run on an RBI single in the third. Senior Ryan Schmitt came out of the bullpen in relief to toss two innings and gave up the Panthers’ second run after an RBI double play following a triple. Senior Garrett Acton, who is coming off a stellar season where he broke the Big Ten single-season saves record (19), pitched the final inning and set down three of the four men he faced.

Offensively, the Illini struck first in the second, when junior transfer outfielder Nathan Aide took Panthers pitcher Jack Mahoney deep for a two-run shot in his first at-bat as an Illini. The third run came in the form of a double off the bat of junior utilityman Alex Steinbach, who led the team in home runs (10), RBIs (50), batting average (.343) and slugging percentage (.686) last season. “It’s a solid opening-night win,” said head coach Dan Hartleb. “Very good composure up and down the lineup and very good composure on the mound. A good team win.” The success was shortlived, however, when Illinois got pummeled at the hands of the Seton Hall Pirates to the tune of a 10-2 final score. Sophomore Ty Rybarczyk started the game and held an Illinois lead for five innings and gave up just two infield singles and one SEE WEBER | 3B

PHOTO COURTESY OF CRAIG PESSMAN

Katy Dandeneau shoots a basket Friday. Illini won all three games Friday..

but the Illini celebrated it Friday. “Sporting opportunities for girls and women with disabilities are pretty small,” said women’s head coach Stephanie Wheeler.

“We also wanted to honor all of the trailblazers that came before us here at the University. We have a really long history of women in sports on our campus.” The Illini won the second

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

game Friday 70-51. Saturday’s game was the third matchup between the Illini and the Warhawks of the THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO weekend. The game was a Illinois shortstop Branden Comia (20) snags a ground ball during the game against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament

SEE TOURNAMENT | 3B at TD Ameritrade Park on, May 22, 2019. The Illini lost 6-2.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Illinois drops fourth-straight BY MILES POWERS-HUANG STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF ILLINI ATHLETICS

Senior Jonathan Wells clears the bar in high jump Friday. The team will head to Southbend, Indiana, to compete in the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame on Saturday.

Wells dominates jumping events BY SAVAUGHN ANDERSON STAFF WRITER

The Illini men’s track and field team traveled to Nashville Friday and Saturday to compete in the Music City Challenge hosted by Vanderbilt. The Music City Challenge took place at Vanderbilt’s Multipurpose Facility. The challenge was split up in two days with the Illini starting strong the first day with a performance from redshirt senior Jonathan Wells leading the squad. Wells won both the high jump and the long jump event for the Illini with distances of 2.18-meters and 7.66-meters, respectively. Coming off back-to-back event titles in Nashville, this marks the second consecutive meet where Wells has won both events. Wells tied his season-best with his win in the long jump while also clearing his season’s best in the high jump. Redshirt junior Cooper Jazo also had a notable performance for the Illini, placing second in the pole vault. Jazo had also earned a new personal best by clearing 5.20 meters. The Illini also earned two

top 10 finishes on the first day of the invitational. Sophomore Declan Rutsay placed fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.72 seconds and junior Jason Shannon finished eighth clocking in at 21.80 seconds. Colin Yandel closed out the invitational for the Illini in the men’s 5K race. Yandel finished in 10th place with a time of 14:47.00 to wrap the first day of the Music City Challenge. The second day of the challenge started in the 60-meter hurdles where five Illini athletes placed. Leading the way for the Illini was sophomore Bret Dannis who placed second with a time of 7.97 seconds. Wells came in 10th clocking in at 8.30 seconds. Freshmen Robert Williams, Aiden Ouimet and Alex Babbington all clocked in less than 10 minutes to finish for the Illini. Four Illini athletes clocked in the 60-meter dash with sophomore Declan Rutsay leading the Illini with a time of 6.95 seconds. Junior Jason Shannon and Dannis, both placed 10th and 13th, clocking in at 6.96 and 6.97, respectively. Sophomore Connor

Artman came in 32nd with a time of 7.50 seconds to wrap up competition for the Illini. Junior Thomas Saggau and sophomore Reed Marshall, placed eighth and 10th for the Illini in the triple jump. Saggau placed at a mark of 14.37-meter with Marshall at 13.92-meters. In the shot put redshirt freshman William Rezny, lead the way for the Illini placing in at 15th with a distance of 16.11-meters. Redshirt freshman Billy Matzek and redshirt sophomore Vince Shields came in 16th and 21st, respectively. Matzek stood at 16.05-meter with Shields at 15.23-meter. Freshman Ed Siuda was the only Illini athlete to compete in the one-mile run. Siuda finished 15th at a time of 4:16.35. Freshmen Jason Thormo, Alex Babbington and Mason Barr all competed in the 400-meter dash. Thormo leads the way for the Illini freshman in seventh place at a time of 48.20 seconds. Redshirt freshman Kashief King also participated in the 400-meter dash as SEE MUSIC CITY | 3B

Without star sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu, No. 22 Illinois faded down the stretch and fell, 72-57, at Rutgers, potentially ending the team’s five-week run in the Associated Press Top-25 rankings. The forced change of senior Andrés Feliz for Dosunmu wasn’t the only modification in the lineup for head coach Brad Underwood, as he elected to bring sophomore forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili off the bench for the first time all season, favoring sophomore Alan Griffin and going small. Bezhanishvili has struggled as of late, registering just two points and no rebounds on 1-for-7 shooting in Tuesday’s 70-69 loss to Michigan State. The teams traded baskets early on, but it was abundantly clear from the tip that Illinois was going to have a problem containing Rutgers’ Ron Harper Jr., as the sophomore went for 15 points in the first half on the way to a 27 point performance. The last time the two teams met, neither team could buy a bucket, as Illinois shot its lowest percentage in a win in 40 years. On Saturday, the Illini again couldn’t get anything to go in, but this time, the Scarlet Knights executed on offense. Though Harper Jr. was the catalyst of the attack, standout junior guard Geo Baker put up 12 points and seven assists, while senior Akwasi Yeboah added 12 points and six rebounds. Rutgers superb defense allowed the Scarlet Knights to open up an eight-point lead with 10 minutes to go, and from then on, they

PHOTO COURTESY OF ILLINI ATHLETICS

Senior guard Andrés Feliz calls a play at Rutgers on Saturday. Illinois will take on Penn State Tuesday night.

lulled the Illini to sleep, holding them to just 15 points from that point until the end of the game. Without Dosunmu, Illinois needed more production from junior backcourt mate Trent Frazier. But the Wellington, Fla., native was woeful, shooting 2-for13 from the floor including 1-for-9 from deep, scoring just nine points. Griffin led the way for the Illini with 14 points, and Feliz and freshman center Kofi Cockburn each joined him in double

figures. But aside from that trio, the Illini were woeful. Sophomore Tevian Jones, who has earned a greater role as of late, took several ill-advised three-point shots early in the shot clock, shooting 2-for-7 and finishing with six points. It’s hard to know what to take away from Saturday’s game because Dosunmu’s injury, along with Rutgers’ strong home form, was certainly working against IlliSEE RUTGERS | 3B

2B Monday, February 17, 2020

THE DAILY ILLINI  |  WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

SOFTBALL

Illinois handed first losses of season at Big Ten-ACC Challenge BY CARSON GOURDIE STAFF WRITER

After the remarkable play and a 4-0 start last weekend at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Classic, the Illinois softball team traveled down to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the Big Ten-ACC Challenge riding the momentum from its flawless start. Illinois faced Notre Dame and North Carolina State but was torched due to subpar pitching and continued struggling at the plate, dropping to 5-3 on the season after a 4-0 start. In the first game of the challenge on Friday night, the Illini sent out their ace sophomore pitcher Sidney Sickels, who pitched 15 and 2/3 scoreless innings in the NFCA. Sickels took on Notre Dame’s ace pitcher Alexis Holloway, who threw over 18 innings in the same tournament. After a 1-2-3 opening inning from Holloway, the Irish got on Sickels quick, with an infield single followed by a stolen base to put the Irish in scoring position. After settling down with a groundout and a strikeout, Sickels gave up a two-out single to fellow sophomore outfielder Emma Clark, which drove in a run to put the Irish up 1-0. The game turned into a complete pitchers duel with Holloway taking the lead. While Sickels started to show off her potential, holding the Irish scoreless for the rest of the game, Holloway and the Irish defense didn’t give the Illini a lot of chances to get back in the game. In the fifth inning, the Illini started to show signs of life, but miscues ended it quickly. After recording a leadoff hit, their first hit since the first inning, sophomore pinch-runner Zaria Dunlap was caught stealing second. The Illini had a second chance to tie the game after sophomore outfielder Danielle Davis walked and stole second. Still, that opportunity was thwarted

when junior infielder Maddison Demers was caught looking on the third strike to end the inning. Illinois recorded one more hit in the final inning, but Holloway locked in after and secured a 1-0 victory for Notre Dame. In Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader, the Irish again got out to a quick start with a run to take a 1-0 lead after the first inning. After 10 scoreless innings to start the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, the Illini got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with sophomore utilty player Avrey Steiner, who doubled to start the inning, scoring on a fielder’s choice to tie the game at 1-1. Notre Dame pitcher Payton Tidd settled down and stopped the bleeding to head into the fifth inning tied. Illinois’ momentum quickly vanished, however, with Notre Dame blitzing Illinois starting pitcher Addy Jarvis with three base runners in three at-bats. Facing Notre Dame senior infielder Katie Marino with the bases loaded with no outs, the worst possible outcome occurred for Jarvis – a grand slam. As Marino rounded the bases, the Irish skated out to a commanding 5-1 lead. With Tidd holding the Illini bats in check for the rest of the game and the Irish tacking on another four runs in the seventh inning, Notre Dame walked away with an impressive 10-1 victory to complete the sweep over Illinois. The Illini got right back a couple of hours later Saturday to face a new ACC foe, the Wolfpack of North Carolina State, who just completed a series sweep over the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Illini bats started hot in the opening frame, with freshman utility player Delaney Rummell connecting for a solo shot home run to give the Illini a quick 1-0 lead. With Sickels on the mound despite having

MARK CAPAPAS THE DAILY ILLINI

Sophomore outfielder Zaria Dunlap speaks with a team member on April 3. The team will travel down to Waco, Texas, for the Baylor Invitational Friday.

no days of rest, the Wolfpack pounced quickly on her, answering back with a home run to tie the game at 1-1. The Wolfpack wasn’t done, though, with senior outfielder Tatyana Forbes scoring on a double by junior infielder Randi Farricker double to take the 2-1 lead heading into the second inning. After going scoreless to

start the second inning, Sickels gave up another walk and RBI double, and North Carolina State extended its lead to 3-1. The Illini bats started to wake up in the fourth inning with back-to-back singles with only one out. The rally was short-lived, however, with Wolfpack pitcher Sydney Nester forcing a fielder’s choice and

strikeout to get out of the jam. In the next half-inning, the wheels fell off for the Illini. The Wolfpack broke the game open with four unearned runs, capped off by a three-run double, to take a 7-1 lead and regain momentum. The Illini cut the lead to five with another solo home run from Rummel.

Still, Wolfpack freshman closer Sam Gress took care of business in the seventh inning to end any chance of an Illini comeback, capping off a 7-2 victory to open the series. On Sunday, Illinois beat NC State 7-3 off of the save by Sickels. @gourdiereport gourdie2@dailyillini.com

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Monday, February 17, 2020

3B

MEN’S TENNIS

Illinois sweeps Chicago State, Notre Dame BY LUCA RIPANI

TOURNAMENT close contest, with the Illini down by two points at the half. But late in the game, the Illini pulled away and won, 60-50. “We play Whitewater fairly often,” said basketball player Kady Dandeneau. “It gives us a chance to work on some things, and we know their threats pretty well, so it gives us a chance to work on different ways to defend and different offensive plays.” The men’s team defeated Auburn 54-44 and lost to Southwest Minnesota State 65-43 Friday. Saturday, the men defeated Edinboro, 64-36, to start the second day of the tourna-

STAFF WRITER

The Illinois men’s tennis team saw success this Saturday in meets against Chicago State and Notre Dame. The team collected wins in singles and doubles in both meets, including a comeback stretch against Notre Dame highlighted by Illini junior Alex Brown beating the No. 5-ranked singles player Richard Ciamarra. First up, the Illini faced the Chicago State Cougars of the Western Athletic Conference. Illinois dominated from the first set, with the team picking up consecutive doubles wins as Illini redshirt freshman Alex Bancila and junior Fletcher Scott defeated CSU freshman Pedja Kolaric and senior Cody Wurzelbacher 6-3. Illinois redshirt freshman Lucas Horve and senior Zeke Clark followed suit, winning their doubles matchup against Chicago State sophomores Jakub Zamorski and Javier Sanchez Pradillo, 6-4. The last doubles match was left unfinished as the Illini clinched the doubles point with the previous win. The Illini continued to see success in singles competition. Clark completed a total sweep of his singles opponent Javier Sanchez Pradillo, winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0. This was followed by another Illini victory as Bancila again faced Kolaric, where Bancila also won in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2. Last up was Fletcher Scott, who faced Jakub Zamorski, with Scott succeeding in consecutive sets, 6-1, 6-0. This point clinched the meet for the Illini, and the remaining matches went unfinished with a final score of 4-0, Illinois. The Illini didn’t have a lot of time to rest as they faced the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of the Atlantic Coast Conference hours after the first meet. The Illini saw a more challenging matchup in

FROM 1B

FROM 1B

WEBER KEVIN GAO THE DAILY ILLINI

Senor Aleks Kovacevic returns in a match against Notre Dame at the Atkins Tennis Center on Saturday. The Illini will face the Baylor Bears at home on Feb. 29.

the Irish, with Notre Dame junior A xel Nefve and senior Tristan McCormick defeating Brown and senior Aleks Kovacevic 6-3. However, the Illini responded with a tense 7-6 (7-4) victory coming from Horve and Clark, while they defeated Notre Dame senior Guillermo Cabrera and junior Paul Gota. The comeback was not complete, however, as the Illini ground out yet another close victory at the hands of redshirt junior Gui Gomes and sophomore Siphosothando Montsi, where they defeated Notre Dame’s Ciamarra and senior Matt Gamble in a nail-biting 7-6 (14-12) win, which gave the doubles point to the Illini. Head coach Brad Dancer said he was proud of Illinois’ comeback. “Gui and (Siphosothando) did just a phenomenal job of fighting back, fighting back,” Dancer said, per Illinois Athletics. “They saved two match points in the one game and came back to save a couple more

in the tiebreaker. Lucas and Zeke, we made a small tactical adjustment that helped them get back in their match, so good composure from them to make that adjustment.” The Illini continued their strong performance into singles play as the home team saw a 4-2 victory in singles competition, leaving the final results of the meet at 5-2. The comeback saw Brown’s matchclinching victory over Ciamarra, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Dancer commended the players on both teams following the match. “We had three First Team All-Big Ten guys who went out and did the job today,” Dancer said. “That was awesome for them to step up against great competition. Notre Dame, we’ve got a ton of respect for those guys.” The Illini look forward to a short hiatus, next facing the Baylor Bears at home on Feb. 29. lripani2@dailyillini.com

ment. The Illini honored military veterans Saturday night before their game against UW-Whitewater. TheIlliniandtheWarhawks have played each other several times this season and will play again in two weeks. Head coach Matt Buchi said that while no veterans are currently on the Illini roster, veterans were instrumental in beginning the program. In the game, Illinois went down early 18-4 and never gained the lead. The Illini were down 35-18 at the half and lost 67-50. “It’s difficult to play against somebody that knows so much of your tendencies,” Buchi said. “The Whitewater-Illinois rivalry has been a rivalry with each other for decades. It’s that (rivalry that) we know the

Whitewater guys and Illinois guys (get along) with each other, but they battle each other every time.” Despite the loss, Buchi enjoys having a tournament at home, especially with the band and cheerleaders in attendance. “Playing at home is always great,” Buchi said. “They’ve been so amazing, to try to come into the ARC and make a real Illini experience for us. And I don’t know if the athletes fully understand the impact of what it feels like until they leave, and that’s what I really try to push on them is, ‘enjoy this, because this is something that’s really rare.’”

lead the rest of the game and tacked on four more insurance runs in the ninth. The Illinois runs were scored on an RBI groundout from sophomore catcher Kellen Sarver in the first and a run-scoring single by freshman Brody Harding in the second. The Illini return to action on Sunday when they take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at 2 p.m. Hartleb looks to return the Big Ten championship to Illinois after a third-place finish in the division and 36 wins last season. The Illini have four NCAA tournament appearances and two Big Ten championships in 2011 and 2015 since Hartleb took the reins in 2006.

FROM 1B

walk while setting down five via strikeout. “I thought Ty Rybarczyk did a great job,” Hartleb said. “He was the highlight of the day. He pounded the bottom of the zone.” The big blow of the game came in the top of the eighth when sophomore reliever Ryan Kutt, who missed last season while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, was a strike away from escaping a bases-loaded jam when Pirate third baseman Connor Hood delivered a gut-wrenching three-run double to center field. A home run followed and Kutt ended the day with six earned runs charged to @ebs_rich him. The Pirates kept the rse3@dailyillini.com

FROM 1B

RUTGERS

made the trip out east, as he was seen cheering on his teammates in sweats Saturday afternoon. Only time will tell whether or not the Illini can right the ship, but the schedule doesn’t get easier for Illinois, as they stay out east and will take on Penn State Tuesday night, with the Nittany Lions, playing arguably the best basketball in the conference this season.

nois, but the Illini were lethargic offensively, and Bezhanishvili’s confidence can’t be all that high after a benching and another game in single figures. One thing Saturday’s game made clear is that this team needs Dosunmu on the floor to be successful, but that’s hardly breaking news at this point. It’s an encour- @MilesP_H aging sign the sophomore milesp2@dailyillini.com

@claire_obrien43 claireo3@dailyillini.com

MUSIC CITY well. King, Babbington and Barr all finished within 50 seconds with Babbington at 22nd, King 23rd and Barr in 24th. Sophomore Phil Hall and freshmen Will O’Brien and Grant Jensen competed in the 800-meter run with Hall on Friday, leading the way with a time of 1:54.43. O’Brien and Jensen came in 16th and 27th with times of 155.03 and 1:58.76. In the 3000-meter run, redshirt junior Jonathan Davis came 14th for the Illini at 8:19.43 with redshirt sophomore Irwin Loud in 19th at 8:23.09 and freshman Logan Hall in 38th with a time of 8:42.37. The last event for the Men’s Music City Challenge was the 4x400-meter relay. Illinois placed third in heat one clocking in at 3:18.11. Illinois’ field consisted of redshirt freshmen Kashief King, Logan Hall, freshmen Aiden Ouimet and Mason Barr. The next destination for Illinois is South Bend, Indiana, where the men’s team will compete in the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame on Saturday. @savaughnanders1 sande20@dailyillini.com

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FROM 6B

RAGNAROK

like powers these characters possess. Due to this being a Norwegian show from Netflix, the production quality is probably different; nonetheless, it does provide elements to the season that make it a standout from foreign films that are released on Netflix. Arguably, one of the best scenes is at Edda’s high school dance, where Laurits takes it upon himself to start playing death metal, which attracts the attention of Fjor. Fjor then joins Laurits and plugs his phone into the aux, playing a mythical Norse song that seemed to activate his powers and his sisters. Together, they dance almost incestuously until Laurits joins, all three strangely jerking their bodies in random positions until the song ends. No one in the scene questions what happened after the dance, which I interpreted as comic relief from the intensity of the previous scene. The biggest flaw in “Ragnarok” is the ferocity that is

Monday, February 17, 2020

supposed to be portrayed in Magne when he is in his Thor form. When he sees his warrior self, the special effects almost look like a Snapchat filter, especially with his beard and the proportions. I feel as though the plot would be more interesting and interactive if the show physically made their characters portray the mythology instead of relying on CGI, even when the Jutuls are triggered by Old Norse. Their eyes become an offputting orange-red color that bulge when they are about to kill, which sells the Snapchat filter association. Isolde’s death and Magne’s relationship to the investigation is another flaw in the plot. He clearly sees her death, yet his statement isn’t taken seriously, the police having told everyone she hit the side of a mountain. I was confused as to why the police lied about where they found her, because she was not in the mountains when she crashed. The police do not trust Magne, believing he’s going overboard with figuring out how Isolde was killed, despite the police mak-

ing the investigation shady in the first place. It is very contradictory at some points, but it isn’t extremely distracting from the focus on Norse mythology. At the end of the season, Magne and Vidar have a battle, but it is then that Magne discovers his true powers as Thor. Magne summons blue lightning from the sky, violently splitting the two fighters apart. The final frame depicts Magne’s fingers twitching, hinting that he is alive and there is possibly more to the story. I recommend everyone consider watching “Ragnarok,” even if you’re not into foreign films and shows. However, if you’re a fan of Netflix’s foreign section, you’ll love it. It’s full of Norse history, and the Norwegian language is beautiful to listen to, not to mention the scenery that accompanies it. Every character has something interesting about their own life, making each character more relatable to the viewer. rlb4@readbuzz.com

buzz calendar BY LIAM DWYER BUZZ CALENDAR EDITOR

The buzz calendar is a compilation of events happening in the Champaign-Urbana area. Follow our top picks in Monday’s and Thursday’s papers for ideas on what to do on any night of the week, from where to eat to what to watch. Want to submit an event? Email calendar@readbuzz.com.

MONDAY, FEB. 17

Mirabelle Jones at Allen Hall

 7 p.m.  1005 W. Gregory Dr., Urbana  Free How do we use art as a vehicle for enacting social change? Mirabelle will share their personal journey as it pertains to raising awareness of gender-based violence including viral performances, wearables that react to street harassment and Art Against Assault, the organization they started to unite artists who are speaking out about sexual assault and domestic violence. We’ll also discuss some other artists/activists creating radical work. Trigger warning: Harassment and assault will be discussed as subjects, although not in detail.

TUESDAY, FEB. 18

Live in the Lounge

 5:30-7:30 p.m.  Houlihan’s, 1900 S. First St., Champaign  No cover The 40th Annual Chris Cringle Arts & Crafts Show features over 60 vendors all on one level as one of the largest shows in Central Illinois. Goodie bags go to the first 100 attendees each day.

Anna Deavere Smith

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB

Magne Seier, played by David Stakston, demonstrates his superhuman abilities in Ragnarok (2020).

 7:30-9:30 p.m.  Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana  $45 standard, $10, UI student Playwright, actor and educator Anna Deavere Smith uses her singular brand of theatre to explore issues of community, character and diversity in America. The MacArthur Foundation honored Smith with the “Genius” Fellowship for creating “a new form of theatre — a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism and intimate reverie.” Best known for crafting more than 15 onewoman shows based on hundreds of

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5B

conversations, Smith turns her interviews into scripts, transforming herself into an astonishing number of characters. Smith is probably most recognizable in popular culture as the hospital administrator on Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie” and the national security adviser on NBC’s “The West Wing.” Her films include “The American President”, “Rachel Getting Married” and “Philadelphia.” Smith’s presentation will be woven with theatrical elements as she presents living portraits of both legendary and everyday people who illustrate and illuminate her topics.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19

Writer’s Workshop: Where to Begin

 6:30-8 p.m.  Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green St., Champaign  Free Learn the basics of how to plan out and start writing a short story with author and professor Corey Van Landingham.

Heart Healthy Cooking Class & Wine Tasting

 6:30-8 p.m.  Grovestone, 1707 W. Kirby Ave., Champaign  See website for listing In this class you will enjoy a cooking demonstration by Registered Dietician Kristina Adams Smith and wine samplings. Each class teaches tasty techniques and food preparation along with providing a tasting of each dish prepared. We will also provide wine tastings with selected dishes. Participants must be 21 years of age for the wine tasting.

6B

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February 17, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

buzz

Local bands perform at 29th annual Great Cover Up BY BUZZ STAFF

The 29th annual Great Cover Up took place at the Champaign City Center over the weekends of February 7 and 15. At this annual event, local bands, many of whom have been featured at the event for years, perform sets from iconic national acts of a wide range of genres. Videos from each performance at this year’s event are available on YouTube and more information about the history of the event is available on readbuzz.com. MGMT, Garbage and the Smashing Pumpkins were among the acts that imitated over the weekend. Top 4D covered the Chainsmokers. buzz@readbuzz.com

JEFFERY HSU THE DAILY ILLINI

Solo artist Top 4D (formerly SPRK) performs at the Great Cover Up at Champaign City Center on Saturday. Bands from the area performed cover songs from national acts.

‘Ragnarok’ provides insight into Norwegian television BY BECCA BERTRAM STAFF WRITER

buzz factor: When someone hears the word Ragnarok, they might think of the popular Marvel movie “Thor: Ragnarok”; where Thor finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk. The Netflix original show, “Ragnarok” focuses on a teenage Magne Seier (David Stakston) and his mother and younger brother Laurits Seier (Jonas Strand Gravli) moving back to the Norwegian town of Edda after years of absence due to the death of his father. On their way into town, Magne performs a good deed causing a mysterious woman to activate his underlying power of a Norse god. This results in Magne developing better vision, confidence, superhuman strength and more. It’s revealed that Edda is experiencing climate change and heavy pollution in its water. The town “freak” and Magne’s first friend, Isolde, is trying to bring attention to the climate issues; however, the town’s power family, the Jutuls, run the town through Jutul Industries, a shady power plant. Edda starts experiencing warm winters, and vio-

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB

David Stakston acts on the set of “Ragnarok”(2020). The Norweigian series is available to watch on Netflix.

lent downpours seem to be headed for another Ragnarok — the cataclysmic destruction of the cosmos and everything in it, even the gods in Norse mythology. The Jutuls are also Norse giants, mythological creatures that humans used to worship and sacrifice to until Norse

gods came along. The Jutuls consist of Vidar Jutul (Gísli Örn Garðarsson), Ran Jutul (Synnøve Macody Lund), Saxa Jutul (Theresa Frostad Eggesbø) and Fjor Jutul (Herman Tømmeraas). All four possess the power of Norse giants and have a lot of disgust and hatred for humans, even though they

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have lived amongst them for centuries. Vidar is worried that they’ve become too humanized and orders them to cut contact with humans; however, Fjor is already in love with a human girl, Gry (Emma Bones). Isolde invites Magne to climb up the mountains,

despite it technically being owned by the Jutuls. There, Magne and Isolde split up due to a concerning text from Laurits, leading Isolde to a melting glacier that exposed a tunnel. Vidar finds out and kills her, sending her paragliding down the mountain — causing her to be hit by lightning

and a power line. An interesting part of the show is that it makes Isolde and Magne’s friendship very deep very fast, making the audience root for them. At the end of episode one, Isolde dies a violent death, Magne being there for her the whole time and being the one to hold her after she falls to the ground. Magne is seen shaking her and crying, repeatedly saying “no, no, no’’ as she showed him that she actually wanted to be his friend on the way up the mountain. The police write it off as an accident, but Magne does not buy it, vowing to expose the Jutuls on behalf of his now-deceased friend. Through exposing the Jutuls, the Jutuls notice his supernatural ability and make Magne drink mead, a reflection of a Norse mythological story. Through this, Magne discovers that he is Thor after he sees his warrior self in his reflection. This takes place after Ran revealed her identity to Magne. This finally allows Magne to start understanding his role with the demise of the Jutuls. Overall, the special effects are a bit cheesy and did not fully convince me of the godSEE RAGNAROK | 5B

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