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THE DAILY ILLINI
MONDAY February 17, 2020
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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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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