The Daily Illini Vol. 150 Issue 46 April 5 by The Daily Illini

MONDAY April 5, 2021

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Vol. 150 Issue 46

CU community protests anti-Asian sentiments BY VIVIAN LA ASSISTANT DAYTIME EDITOR

Angered by the recent rise in Asian violence across the country, the ChampaignUrbana community gathered in downtown Champaign last Tuesday to rally against racism and hate. Dozens of people — ranging from families and children, to students and individuals — showed up to express support for the Asian American Pacific Islander, or AAPI, community. People met on the corner of Walnut Street and University Avenue holding posters and chanting “No hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here,” while passing cars occasionally honked in support. “I think things like this, rallies, are an important gesture in the fabric of our country to show our displeasure to utilize our right to petition,” said Aaron Chun, Champaign resident and high school psychologist. The rally was organized by the Champaign-Urbana chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of social issues to the local community. Emily Chen, senior in LAS, said she attended the rally because it’s important to do more than post about these issues on social media.

She said the shootings in Atlanta, Georgia. that left eight people dead, including six Asian women, left her feeling very emotional, but not completely shocked. The nationwide and community support she’s seen since then is welcome, Chen said, but there needs to be more, especially when it comes to understanding AAPI history. “There really isn’t going to be any change in America unless something extreme happens,” Chen said. “It’s really important to learn about the history beyond just the past couple of years, or COVID, or whatever the past president has said.” Ham Gadel, 20 year-old Savoy resident, had similar thoughts. Gadel said it’s great to see this support but wonders where it was in the past. “We’ve been facing these kinds of issues for years and years, but it seems like it’s just never been talked about on a national scale until now,” Gadel said. Gadel said this issue particularly affects them as someone in the AAPI community and that they have general fear these days because of the rise in hate crimes. “It’s just that uncertainty that’s very scary,” Gadel said. “Every time someone is unnecessarily rude or just

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

A little boy walks across North Walnut Street at the #StopAsianHate rally on Tuesday. The Champaign-Urbana community recently gathered in downtown Champaign to protest against the increase in hate crimes against Asians.

treats me different from my white colleagues, it makes you stop and think ‘Oh, did they have a problem with me as an Asian person?’” Chun said recent violence makes him think about the murder of Yingying Zhang, a Chinese scholar visiting

the University in 2017. “I can’t help but think that her race and how Asian women are portrayed in our society, I can’t help but think that was a factor in why this man killed her and why he chose her specifically,” Chun said, referring to

stereotypes of Asian women as passive targets. Yaguang Lian, research engineer at the University and president of Chinese American Association of Central Illinois, said there hasn’t been much Asiantargeted violence in the C-U

community. But Lian said he has still heard of stories about verbal attacks in grocery stores. Ashley Cho, counselor at Urbana High School, said recent violence has awakSEE SENTIMENTS | 3A

UI expands saliva tests to local community University cancels study BY ALEX CHANG STAFF WRITER

The University has announced the offering of saliva-based COVID-19 testing to families of the University and schools in the C-U area under the new SHIELD CU program, expanding testing beyond just the University. Originally, testing was slated for rollout last Friday, according to University staff and the SHIELD CU website. However, a bug “preventing family members with Android devices from being able to enroll in the program” has now

caused the program to be delayed until a later date, according to a Massmail sent out Friday. According to a Massmail sent out on March 23, “all household and family members of faculty, staff and students who are eight years old or older are eligible” for the test. The initiative is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois and OSF HealthCare, with the University providing the expertise behind the testing procedure and OSF HealthCare providing aftertest care and information to those who test positive,

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

on the Safer Community app in a similar manner to the current Safer Illinois app. Schools which will receive the pilot program of SHIELD CU include Urbana High School and Stratton Academy of the Arts. For University family members, each SHIELD test will cost $10. However, students and faculty that attend schools enrolled in the pilot program will be able to test for free under a Rockefeller Foundation grant covering testing expenses for them until June, according to Neal Cohen, professor and Director of the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute at the University. A big question for the SHIELD CU program is equity issues in schools, according to Sullivan. “Who’s got access to a cell phone, a smartphone, these are all issues we have to consider,” Sullivan said. Equity issues and privacy issues stemming from the handling of data from minors means that schools will not be using Safer Community, Sullivan said. Instead, schools will obtain test results from the SHIELD CU program and will directly notify students of test results, including potential infection status. Currently, there are future plans to expand the program “to one or two schools in Rantoul as well,” Sullivan said.

abroad programs for fall

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The University announced on March 23 that all study abroad programs will be suspended through December due to health and safety uncertainties. “Despite positive developments in some areas, significant uncertainty remained with regard to the impact on health and safety for students and local communities, vaccine rollouts and travel requirements,” said Joy Phaphouvaninh, director

alexrc2@dailyillini.com

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of Illinois Abroad and Global Exchange team. In attempts to accommodate courses that were originally conducted abroad, the University has implemented virtual global experiences and global classroom courses in order to adapt to this online format. Students can sign up for either of these courses and programs in the upcoming fall semester since the University is still collaborating

BY ALIZA MAJID

G N T I HE V I

Jose Hernandez spits into his saliva sample tube in order to detect if he has COVID-19 on Feb. 1. The University of Illinois has been working on upgrading the saliva test to include family members.

according to the program’s website. A central component of the initiative is the rollout of the Safer Community app, an application built upon the same Rokwire platform that the current Illinois and Safer Illinois apps are built on. “Rokwire is this open source system that we released which would allow anyone to build an app for their community, and we are using our campus as a testbed to explore various services that could be put into the app,” said William Sullivan, professor and director of the Smart Healthy Community Initiative. “The Illinois app and Safer Illinois app are part of this platform.” People enrolled in the Safer Community program who are eligible due to University family status will have to link their Safer Community app to the UIN of a Universityaffiliated sponsor. After entering this information, sponsors have to authorize the Safer Community account as a linked account before they can get tested. State Farm Center is currently the only testing site available for SHIELD CU members. Additionally, only “select lines designated for SHIELD CU” may be used, according to the Massmail. A list of testing locations and times can be found on the SHIELD CU website. Once tests are processed, results will be displayed

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PHOTO COURTESY OF LESLEY NAVA

The booth that Lesley Nava and Anthony Erlinger, Pandemic Health Navigators, set up at Rantoul Foods on March 31 is pictured above. The goal was to inform immigrant workers about the COVID-19 vaccine and dispel myths.

CU groups educate public on vaccine efficacy BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA NEWS EDITOR

T wo C h a mp a ig n County organizations have received grants for conducting COVID-19 outreach and education to vulnerable communities. The Illinois Public Health Association awarded Pandemic Health Navigator grants of $200,000 to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People of Champaign County and $223,000 to Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana. ISCU will send in monthly reports of their expenses to the IPHA, for which ISCU will be reimbursed. ISCU is eligible for this grant through Oct. 31. To apply for the grant, ISCU had to write a letter of intent describing their

organization and interest in the grant and present a budget. Then, they had several Zoom sessions in which members of ISCU were interviewed. “It was an unusual process in some ways because sometimes you apply just online through an application — there’s no personal contact,” said Ben Mueller, executive director of ISCU. “But Illinois Public Health Association is a very personal kind of organization. They wanted to get to know us.” With the grant, ISCU has been able to start an outreach education program targeting immigrant communities. Lesley Nava, senior in AHS, and Anthony Erlinger, sophomore in LAS, are both Pandemic Health Navigators for ISCU.

Nava and Erlinger primarily help Guatemalan immigrants with referrals for various assistance programs, such as rental, food or medical assistance and help them with applications. Last Wednesday, Nava and Erlinger went to Rantoul Foods, a meat-processing plant which has a large immigrant workforce. Nava and Erlinger passed out flyers and resources regarding vaccine effectiveness, as well as phone numbers to make vaccine appointments. “They don’t trust the vaccine, and it was kind of our duty to make them feel comfortable and assure them that it’s OK to take,” Nava said. During the workers’ lunch break, Nava and Erlinger gave a presentation on the vaccine and

talked to workers about personal concerns they had with the vaccine. “They’re there to answer questions and provide assurances to the workers that this is something that’s safe and effective,” Mueller said. Erlinger says they were able to convince a few people to start searching for appointments. ISCU is also trying to disseminate vaccine information through local school districts, according to Erlinger. “You kind of have to play things by ear with the pandemic,” Erlinger said. “So we’re waiting to see what opportunities pop up, and then we’re gonna do our best to be able to spread as much information as we can.” abhatt52@dailyillini.com

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NEWS

B117 variant raises COVID-19 cases

FROM 1A

SENTIMENTS

Schrantz said. Jie Woo, pastor from Sidell, said she feels warm seeing all the support at events like these and that there is work to be done within the AAPI community as well. Woo said there are words in the Chinese language that refer to other people of color in a negative way and most are unaware, so educating people about stereotypes in her own community is important. “I think more understanding and communication needs to be in place, the different races need to have some events to understand each other,” Woo said. Above all, the rally attendees hope that this support continues on beyond the next couple of weeks. “Racism is something we talk about, racism is something we say is wrong and we make resolutions about it, but it really is time to put our money where our mouth is,” Chun said.

ened in herself and other second generation Asian Americans that microaggressions, insults and racism aren’t something they should stay quiet about anymore. “I wished there were more things like this or more conversations like this when I was younger,” Cho said. “I’m doing this to show up for my students and my younger self.” Ch said she hopes these types of events will help people in the AAPI community feel more comfortable in sharing their experiences with racism. Abby Schrantz, SURJ manager, said they like to organize these street corner events because “they can’t ignore us.” “Our whole point is then all the cars driving by, the people walking by, they can stop and really reflect on everything going on right now and what they can do about the situation to amplify all the vla2@dailyillini.com underrepresented voices,”

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

University student Bryce Tharp takes a COVID-19 test at the ARC on Feb. 1. The number of B.1.1.7 variant cases is rising in Champaign County. BY NESHMIA MALIK STAFF WRITER

Champaign County is seeing a steady increase in positive cases of the significantly more contagious strain of COVID-19, the B.1.1.7 variant. The contagion w ith multiple strains that originated in the United Kingdom is making up 50% of all positive cases, some days even more, according to Nigel Goldenfeld, professor in Engineering. Goldenfeld is a part of the team of scientists who have worked to create and analyze multiple COVID-19 pandemic models for the state of Illinois. Goldenfeld was one of the many scientists who, in light of the spread of COVID-19, joined the

COVID-19 task force to help evaluate transmission rates and containment efforts through data modeling. “There is a feature that we can exploit in the saliva test to see if cases are likely to be B.1.1.7, and so far, most of the cases are B.1.1.7 on campus and in the general community,” Goldenfeld said. National statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that there are 12,505 reported cases of the B.1.1.7 variant in comparison to other variants that have no more than 330 cases, making the B.1.1.7 variant more widespread and contagious. The state of Illinois has about 151 to 300

cases statewide, whereas now more than half of the Champaign County positive cases are of the B.1.1.7 strain. Goldenfeld also stated the likelihood of the B.1.1.7 variant becoming the dominant strain in the next coming weeks is very high. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District has been working with the University in anticipation of the spread of B.1.1.7, with about 200 cases detected on campus, as reported by epidemiologist and deputy administrator of CUPHD, Awais Vaid. “The prediction put out by the CDC that claims the B.1.1.7 variant will be the dominant variant by the end of March is catching up in the Champaign com-

munity,” Vaid said. Vaid said that because of the relaxed restrictions on campus and in the general Champaign-Urbana area, cases are steadily increasing. Also because of the heavily diversified population with students from all over the world on campus, the B.1.1.7 variant is most likely being carried from whoever catches the virus. “We know that COVID is not stopping and that the variant is much more contagious and spreads at a faster rate,” Vaid said. However, the increase in the vaccinated population is helping to slow the spread of the virus, according to Vaid. nmalik20@dailyillini.com

UI implements Common App for fall semester

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

A young boy holds a sign above his head during the #StopAsianHate rally on Tuesday.

FROM 1A

ABROAD

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITYOF ILLINOIS

The University of Illinois campus rests peacefully on a summer evening. Governor J.B. Pritzker recently announced that prospective college students will be using the Common App to keep more Illinoisans in-state. BY SOPHIE CASABURI STAFF WRITER

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced on March 19 that all Illinois public universities will implement the Common Application for Fall 2021 admissions. According to Andy Borst, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, the University will use the Common App, the Coalition and the myIllini applications beginning in Fall 2021. “The Governor’s Office has been talking to us about the Common App for well over a year,” Borst said via email. “We are currently discussing which components of the Common App we intend to use, including the essays. We have not made a final decision yet.” The purpose of this change is to keep more stu-

dents in Illinois for their higher education. “Time will tell if joining the Common App will have the desired impact of keeping more students instate,” Borst said via email. “Generating more applications is one thing, but we need additional state funding for higher education in order to make the cost reasonable for in-state students.” According to Borst, the University estimates that applications will increase between 10% and 30%. The University estimates that it will need approximately $250,000 annually to effectively manage the increased volume, especially for additional staff resources to respond to an expected increase in inquiries, applications and document processing.

Pritzker has proposed $1 million for all Illinois public universities to cover the cost of the Common App, but the Illinois legislature must approve it in any final state budget. Many students use multiple application portals when applying for college. Varun Bhargava, senior in Engineering, used the myIllini and Common App application portals. “(The Common App) was exhausting, to say the least,” Bhargava said. “I was doing the IB program at my school and … it was a bad time in terms of (all the) work, so (it’s) a little frivolous to be doing so much to be applying to college.” Bhargava said a major difference between the two applications were the essays required.

“I found the (myIllini) essay prompt to be the most no-frills prompt available,” Bhargava said. “It was important to me to be able to talk about my major and why I chose it, and I don’t think the Common Application generally gave me the opportunity to do such a thing.” Bhargava also appreciated the reduced costs of self-reporting of grades and test scores in the myIllini application. “The only thing we had to pay was the fee for the application,” Bhargava said. “You didn’t have to pay for transcripts to be sent over, you didn’t have to pay for anything else. I was in an international school, so no mail fees, no nothing.” sophiec4@dailyilllini.com

partners and expand upon existing courses. Carlos Molina-Vital is a professor who teaches the Quechua language and has created a Global Classroom course where his students will collaborate with students from the National University José María Arguedas in Andahuaylas, Peru. “The students in Peru are going to help us develop task activities that reflect the culture that they live in, and that they can interact more continuously with my students in this language, while at the same time learning how to develop these activities and how to evaluate them,” said Carlos Molina-Vital, a professor in LAS. Ken Salo, a professor in FAA, originally had a study abroad program where his students learned about race and social justice in Cape Town, South Africa and Fortaleza in norheastern Brazil. “I had what I call social justice walking tours,” Salo said. That means that through the two or three weeks we were there, we would have a community or resident-led social justice tours around questions on forced evictions, violence, all of those sorts of things.” Since his course is now a Global Classroom program, Salo has developed an online storytelling and story mapping-focused course to focus on tourism representation in various countries instead of the original study abroad course. The lack of an in-person visitation has affected the overall course, but instructors are adapting to the change hoping to return to these study abroad programs by Spring 2022.

with international faculty for a majority of these classes. “Virtual global experiences provide students with research-based or internship projects that students participate in,” Phaphouvaninh said. “Global classroom courses are Illinois courses taught by Illinois faculty, with part of the course learning goals focused on a collaborative online project that students will work on with students at an international partner faculty member’s course taught at that partner institution.” Many instructors who teach these study abroad courses have discussed how the pandemic has affected their academic plans and how they’ve had to adjust their schedules. “I mean for the field school, there’s just nothing we can do because that depends on being able to go into the field obviously,” said Kasia Szremski, associate director for the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. “We’re hopeful that for summer ‘22 we’ll be able to relaunch the course and adhere to additional health safety guidelines.” Szremski is teaching an introduction to Latin America course online in place of this field school study she usually spearheads in the spring semester. Overall, the online experience has encouraged her to create a relaxed and supportive environment for the students experiencing burnout during this time. The Global Classroom program is a new initiative created by the University in order to create opportunities between Illinois faculty and international alizam2@dailyillini.com

MONDAY April 5, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

LIFE & CULTURE

Rural couple builds local farm, community VIVIAN LA ASSISTANT DAYTIME EDITOR

Molly Oberg remembered her husband, Ben Oberg, giving her a call from their raspberry patch during their first summer as farm owners. He told her how there were a lot of raspberries and that he needed her help to pick them. Molly said she wasn’t as involved in the day-to-day farming at this point. Her husband taught her the basics of berry picking and encouraged her to try a berry. Molly, with a smile, said she will never forget the taste of the bright red berries she picked that day, a sweet memory that moved her to get into the farm business with her husband. Self-described soulmates, Ben and Molly Oberg, are coowners of Meyer Produce. It’s a small, family-run 25-acre fruit and vegetable farm in Villa Grove, Illinois that aims to educate the surrounding community, while sharing the values of family and humility. Despite the differences in their personalities, the Obergs said their unique relationship is part of what makes their small farm special. They said the importance of the stories behind locally-grown produce remain one of the core values of Meyer Produce. “A farmer’s life is so much more than the product that

they sell,” Molly said. “Each one is unique and has a story to tell,” Ben and Molly Oberg met in church as teenagers in the early 2000s and weren’t fond of each other, according to Molly. They started as unlikely friends and were in other relationships before they started dating in 2012. They married in 2013, went on a week-long honeymoon and then got to work on the farm. “We had a lot of growing up to do and our separate experiences allowed us to appreciate each other’s values,” Molly said. Their longtime friend Jeff Meyer offered them the farm and its business. “We jumped together (into the farming business) with both feet,” Molly said. “And the water was cold. But we haven’t stopped swimming.” The Obergs still see Meyer nearly every day and consider him family. They said they all get together for dinner once a week. Meyer helps around the farm still, but he has his own hobbies like woodworking and making maple syrup. “Ben’s a hard worker and Molly is a forward-thinker, especially with the social media stuff,” Meyer said. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a new challenge for the Obergs. They said they’ve

had to adapt to using social media to connect with customers, as well as educate the surrounding community. In their seventh growing season, Ben and Molly Oberg never had an online following — they connected with customers in person at the markets in Champaign-Urbana. They started developing their social media presence and sending a weekly newsletter to update customers on available produce. “When the pandemic hit, we needed a way to tell people ‘we’re still here,’” Ben said. “Molly’s really the one in charge of that — I’m not a fan of social media.” The photos they post on social media show off the produce from the year, with an occasional smiling photo of the Obergs and their dogs, Violet and Sheba. “People have no idea how hard we work to get this stuff here,” Molly said. “They’ll be like, ‘Oh did you pick this this morning?’ and I’m like, ‘We’ve been working for 36 hours to make this possible.’” The Obergs said in a time when small family farms are disappearing and big corporations are losing touch with customers, farms like theirs are needed to educate the next generation. “It could be as simple as a family sitting down together

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEYER PRODUCE

Ben and Molly Oberg pose for a photo with their dog, Sheba. The couple co-owns a small 25acre fruit and vegetable farm called Meyer Produce in Villa Grove, Illinois.

to watch our Instagram stories or as involved as working with us on the farm or at a farmers market,” Molly Oberg said. The care Ben and Molly Oberg have for their farm and their relationship with the community around them has roots in family tradition, they said. Both come from closeknit families with an agricultural background and grew up in central Illinois. They both said their parents and siblings will help out with anything. The employees on their farm feel like a part of the

family too. They said Sophia Wegeng, sophomore in ACES started working for them in 2018 and said she loves every moment, whether it’s on the farm or at the market. “They’re role models for me,” Wegeng said. “I’ve always looked up to them and how they operate as a couple and as business owners.” The Obergs have goals for the future of their farm. One such goal is to be more sustainable in their farming practices. In 2019, they received state and federal incentives to implement a solar energy sys-

tem for the entire farm. Other goals are to open up a farmstand and have events or workshops for families to interact on the Meyer Produce farm. Above all, Ben and Molly Oberg said they want to support families and touch everyone’s lives through education of the importance of local farms. “There’s something about farming that brings people back down to Earth,” Molly said. vla2@dailyillini.com

Advocacy flows for period poverty relief, resources JULIA YOUMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Illinois is one of four states that requires schools with grades six through 12 to provide free menstrual products in bathrooms. But while students in high school and middle school have access to free tampons and pads, the same doesn’t go for students at public universities. “People who don’t bleed every month don’t see it as something that disrupts our daily lives,” Cici Teng, junior in Engineering, said. “But it would completely ruin my daily activity if I didn’t have access to the right products I needed.” The University is one of

many colleges in the state that has yet to offer free products. In 2016, the Illinois Student Senate passed a resolution pushing for free products through the McKinley Health Center, but so far, nothing has changed. While the center offers other free resources such as condoms and lube, it only offers free menstrual products to students who come in for pelvic exams. The only places where students can get free products are in buildings near the Main Quad. In fall 2019, Facilities and Services retrofitted some of the menstrual dispensers in bath-

rooms to eliminate the 50 cent fee. However, many remain unchanged, including the ones in the Union. So far, the financial burden has fallen on the Illinois Student Government. While Facilities and Services have agreed to fund future dispenser changes, all of the previous changes were fully funded by Illinois Student Government. “I feel like the people who are against having free products on campus or just easily accessible always have the argument ‘Oh where’s the money coming from?’” Teng said. In the fall, she founded CodeRedUIUC, a club

PHOTO COURTESY OF CODERED UIUC

CodeRed UIUC fights to have the University provide femine products. They work to empower and support women students.

aimed at improving period equity in the ChampaignUrbana area and educating students about menstruation. According to Teng, the problem isn’t that the school doesn’t have enough money for the programs, it’s that they don’t see menstruation as an important issue — a lot of the people in the administration don’t menstruate. “Bleeding between your legs just sucks,“ Teng said. “It gives you mood swings, it changes your hormones and a lot of things happen to your body.” While CodeRedUIUC is more aimed at advocacy, Teng has been trying to team up ISG’s Menstrual Progress task force to make products widely available on campus at no cost. The goal of the task force is to improve the mental and physical health of students by making products more accessible to those who can’t afford them or maybe don’t have change for the dispensers. “Not everyone has a quarter on them when they are in the middle of class and their period starts,” Cody Bainbridge, senior in Engineering and co-chair of the task force said. While the task force has been around for more than a year, it has faced leadership turnovers and maintains a low membership.

Bainbridge, who has been with the task force from the start, said that both COVID-19 and lack of funding have slowed their progress. “I started my talks with McKinley last spring and I’m just now getting a little bit of momentum going with it,” Bainbridge said. “It’s frustrating and I want to get it done before I graduate, but it doesn’t look like I’m going to.” Bainbridge has been working on implementing a pilot program in which students could get free menstrual cups through McKinley. However, while reusable menstrual cups are a more sustainable option, they cost roughly $30 per cup in comparison to a box of tampons which sells for around $7. This price is on the lower end compared to the rest of the country. The cost of the program has been a large reason as to why the school hasn’t offered free products in the past. “I think the biggest challenge is convincing certain people in the administration that there’s a need for this,” Bainbridge said. “And making the case for why this should exist and why it’s worth it.” Linzey Rosen, period activist and junior at Colby College, faced similar problems at her school. “People are advocating

for this, they just aren’t being listened to,” Rosen said. “It’s such a stigmatized thing, that people don’t take it seriously” When Rosen was a freshman at Brandeis University, she said that administrators tried to stop her from collecting menstrual products on campus, their reason being that tampons were too provocative and having them out in the open would make other students uncomfortable. Since then, Rosen realized that a lot of people are still uncomfortable with talking about menstruation and are largely unaware of the financial burden it has on many students all over the state. “People in power, for the most part, come from some kind of privilege,” Rosen said. “So this whole idea that students can’t afford period products is shocking to some administration.” In 2016, Illinois became the third state to remove the so-called ‘tampon tax,’ which is a luxury sales tax placed on menstrual products. Governor Rauner signed a bill that eliminated the 6.25% tax and reclassified tampons as a necessity. However, without the tax, the monthly cost of products can be a burden to women. jyouman2@dailyillini.com

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Monday, April 5, 2021

JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI

UI falls short in promoting body positivity GWYN SKILES FEATURES EDITOR

Phrases about weight such as “the freshman 15,” “sophomore slimming” and “postgrad pudge” are commonly passed around by college students. But what are the implications of these phrases? Experts say negative body image has run rampant and puts students at risk. Kate Donaldson, sexuality & peer education coordinator at the McKinley Health Center, said negative body image is one of the largest problems on campus. “I don’t have any data to support this, but I really do think body image, self worth and self esteem are probably one of the top three issues on campus,” Donaldson said. “It’s really an area of health and wellness that affects almost every student in some way shape or form.” When a person has a negative body image, Ian LeSueur, clinical counselor and chair of the eating disorders treatment and outreach team at the University Counseling Center, said thoughts can be harmful. “Shame is often at the core of disordered eating behaviors or negative body image,” LeSueur said. “If we cannot achieve an

‘ideal body image,’ then there can be feelings of shame that ‘Something is wrong with me’ or ‘I need to fix something.’” Support is needed more than ever because of the pandemic, according to Kayla Vargas, vice president of Illini CHA ARG. The RSO aims to create a supportive environment for female students to exercise. The American Psychological Association published survey results finding that three in five adults have struggled with weight during the pandemic. “(Body positivity) has definitely been challenged this year for most students, and I think even pulling in faculty and staff and other members of our community,” Donaldson said. “So many of us have never experienced a pandemic like this, so many of us have never spent this much time in virtual environments and so many of us are experiencing new challenges.” Over the past year, Vargas said Illini CHAARG has addressed the commonly phrased “quarantine 15” by switching its platform to encourage body positivity among members in addition to initiating exercise. “This year we have a lot of focus on mental health

and body positivity just due to us being virtual,” Vargas said. “We have found a really good balance of combining fitness along with mental health because being healthy isn’t just about how your body looks, it’s also how your brain feels.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines body positivity as “the fact of feeling good about your body and the way it looks.”

“An average-looking white girl can get a lot farther than an average-looking Black girl and so I think that also contributed to my body language.” KENNEDY FREEMAN ILLINOIS STUDENT

Race, gender, sexuality, ability and other identities all intersect with body positivity, Donaldson said. “I think it ’s tough because if you look at the history of the body positivity movement it really focused on the sizes of bodies,” Donaldson said. “I think the one good thing that maybe has come in the last year alongside the pandemic is that we’re starting to look at body acceptance

and body positivity more than just size.” Kennedy Freeman, freshman in FAA, said her Black identity has influenced her body image from a young age. “I grew up playing sports and all the girls were skinny white girls, and I was a little chubby growing up so it was just hard when I thought of myself,” Freeman said. “I thought I was so ugly for so long.” In terms of relationships, Freeman said all the boys she knew would go for white girls. “I think a lot of Black girls get overlooked in terms of boys,” Freeman said. “An average looking white girl can get a lot farther than an average looking Black girl and so I think that also contributed to my body image.” Freeman also said that a lot of people of color tend to be in food deserts where there aren’t many healthy options. “I just noticed that a lot of people of color around me have more curvy features,” Freeman said. Many think the University doesn’t provide enough resources to help promote body positivity and combat negative body image. “ We’ve noticed an increased desire for more

resources and education regarding positive body image and disordered eating,” LeSueur said. “The University could help these efforts by supporting outreach efforts that are able to reach more students and are inclusive of other campus and community members.” LeSueur said the current resources available to students include eating disorder assessments, individual time-limited psychotherapy, a weekly disordered eating and body image therapy group and workshops, all of which are provided via telehealth for all students, on campus or remote. In addition to medical appointments, McKinley hosts workshops, initiates discussions about the intersection of body positivity with sexuality and provides resources such as appointments with dietitians and fitness instructors. Body positivity is also a social movement, and LeSueur said that in addition to seeking professional help, students should support one another. “If you overhear someone criticizing someone else’s body, let them know that these messages are harmful,” LeSueur said. “Avoid commenting on someone’s weight or what they are

eating.” Redirecting focus onto health instead of weight and identifying your strengths and what you appreciate about your body is another strategy LeSueur said is helpful. Va r ga s sa id I l l ini CHA ARG promotes encouragement through social media. “Just a simple comment on somebody’s post or liking or sharing a post I think really helps someone struggling with body positivity just so that they feel some type of positive encouragement from somebody else,” Vargas said. Howe ver, D on a ldson said it’s important to be cautious when using social media. Although it can be a tool, social media also creates impossible beauty standards with editing features. “I think manipulation of photos and videos is totally possible and something we sometimes forget,” Donaldson said. “Filtering and posing, blurring and editing — there’s total manipulation of some people’s content and when we’re comparing ourselves to something that’s not real, it can be really harmful and hurtful for us as individuals.” gskiles2@dailyillini.com

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ACROSS

1 Unruly throng 4Houston team 10 Sound heard in a long hallway, maybe 14 “___ Father who art in heaven …” 15 Engages in thievery 16 Emotional state 17 Baton Rouge sch. 18 Seattle, 1962 20 “And you?,” to Caesar 22 Queries 23 Photos at the dentist’s 24 Happen next 26 Pigs’ digs 27 Paris, 1889 31 Partook of a meal 34 Wake others up while you sleep, perhaps 35 Ostensible 37 100% 38 Theme park with an “Imagination!” pavilion 40Mont Blanc and Matterhorn 41 “Why didn’t I think of that!” 43 Laudable Lauder 44Salt Lake City athlete 45 Chicago, 1893 48 “___ appétit!” 49 More recent 50 Word before shell or mail 53 Rock band that electrifies audiences? 55 Dull-colored 58 Events for which the answers to the three italicized clues were built 61 Jack Nicholson’s weapon in “The Shining” 62 Burn soother 63 The “P” in UPS

21 24

35 38

40 43 46

48 51

19 22

PUZZLE BY MICHAEL LIEBERMAN

64 “___ get you!” 65 Wanders (about) 66 Like some college bros 67 After tax

DOWN

1 Undercover operative 2 Remove from power 3 Inelegant problemsolving technique 4 Nincompoop 5 One of the Twin Cities 6 Cups, saucers, pot, etc. 7 Eight lamb chops, typically, or a frame for 15 pool balls 8 Cheers at a fútbol match 9 Nine-digit government ID

10 11 12 13 19

Manicurist’s board Musical finale Sacred Lyric poems Like a 10th or 11th inning, in baseball 21 Not at liberty 25 Visualize 26 Sunni or Shia, in Islam 27 TV channel for college sports 28 Arctic native 29 ___ the Grouch 30 Ply with chocolates and roses, say 31 Kind of vehicle to take off-road 32 Shelter that might be made of buffalo skin 33 ’50s Ford flop 36 Made a verbal attack, with “out” 38 Garden of earthly delights

39 Pay-___-view 42 Words spoken after a big raise? 43 “Yu-u-uck!” 46 Charge with a crime 47 Hush-hush 48 Gymnast Simone 50 Promotional goodies handed out at an event 51 The Big Easy, in brief 52 Three-time A.L. M.V.P. (2003, 2005 and 2007), informally 53 Miles away 54 Sweetheart, in Salerno 56 One of several on a tractor-trailer 57 Pants holder-upper 59 Tanning lotion stat 60 Sneaky

The crossword solution is in the Classified section.

OPINIONS

MONDAY April 5, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

Human bias threatens artificial intelligence Google Photos’ experimental machine learning algorithm was found to be misCOLUMNIST identifying black people as gorillas. While Google was quick he turn of the century to respond and correct the has solidified comput- issue, it uncovered a major er science as the preflaw in the field of machine mier scientific field, with learning — the sources strides being made in it used to compile training every single day and relatdata express a lack of divered fields such as math, log- sity and thus the data is ic, physics, psychology and inherently biased. philosophy. Christian’s comparison As time goes on and demonstrates that inhertechnology continues to ent bias is ingrained in advance, the fearful sentitechnological systems. ment regarding artificial Shirley cards were not intelligence, or AI, among made for non-white peothe general public remains ple because Kodak chose largely the same. not to work with models of Popular figures like Elon color. Musk fear monger about Similarly, facial recoghumanity’s technological nition software was not creations turning against made for non-white people it, but experts in the field because technology manare quick to solidify the ufacturers have failed to fact that AI is actually not compile enough training quite as intelligent as pop data containing people of culture paints it to be. color. AI is severely limited not When technologies are only by the physical capabuilt by small niches of a bilities computers face try- multicultural society, the ing to store large amounts result is an inaccurate picof data but also by the lack ture of society as a whole. of technical ability of com- The world is not getting the puters to work exactly like advanced technology it was a human brain. promised and people were In reality, society so worried about. needn’t worry about AI As a result of biased syslike Sophia the Robot taktems, people of color are ing over any more than it consistently left out in the should be worried about cold and lost to the societal humanity running itself discrimination of technolinto the ground — an argu- ogies designed to keep the ment that computer scien- dominant niches on top. tist and philosopher Brian In the same way, Shirley Christian poses. Cards were instrumental Explained succinctly in in creating a racist founhis book, “The Alignment dation for photo imaging, Problem,” Christian illustraining data sets continue trates the issue with AI and to fall victim to racist founmachine learning. Hint: dations in an increasingly the problem is not AI, the diverse community. These problem is humans. algorithms do nothing He describes the Alignbut reflect what humanment Problem as a major ity presents to it — a biased issue that computer syssociety. tems face — their lack of Discriminatory facial a moral compass means recognition technology is computers will never be representative of the ever able to perform at the level so pervasive racism that of human beings. has been ingrained in sociChristian parallels ety since the Age of ExploGoogle Photos’ facial recration. As a reflection of ognition software to that society itself, computer of the mid-1950s’ “Shiralgorithms cannot simply ley Cards.” These Shirley be “fixed” with the tweak Kodak Cards were based of a line of code. on prints from models with Computer systems only porcelain skin, baby blue give back what humans eyes and no one else. As provide them. Correcta result, Kodak film was ing the outputs of artificial unable to properly capture intelligence and machine images of people of color. learning software means That period of history is correcting the inputs of in the rearview — howevsociety. er, history repeats itself in new ways. A similar issue Andrea is a junior in LAS. presented itself again when amart249@dailyillini.com ANDREA MARTINEZ

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE

Actors Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie speak at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con International for “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Columnist Micky Horstman has enjoyed recent Marvel TV series.

Marvel TV series inspires everyone MICKY HORSTMAN COLUMNIST

he Disney+ streaming service has done marvels for TV viewers needing a momentary distraction from current trying times. The episodeby-episode release model has created more compelling content which fleshes out character development from movie franchises like Marvel and Star Wars. Under Disney, these media giants are allowed to venture beyond their traditional two-hour story, which has resulted in TV magic. “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” is no exception. Parrot Analytics ranks the show in the 97th percentile of all Action and Adventure titles, with many expecting it to rise to meet the rankings of Marvel’s recently concluded “WandaVision” as the show continues its sixweek run. “WandaVision” followed Elizabeth Olsen’s “Scarlet Witch” through the five stages of grief. While there were still many comedic moments and action-packed sequences that audiences have grown to expect from the Marvel Cinematic Universe — MCU. This show marked a change in how Marvel is presenting conflicts in their stories. “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” follows this new format, as it tells the stories of two underutilized heroes in the Marvel Cinematic

Universe: Sam Wilson — The Falcon, portrayed by Anthony Mackie and Bucky Barnes — The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan. Similar to Marvel stories in the past, the show is full of heart, comedy and explosions. The main difference, however, is the type of conflict the protagonists have to overcome. Racial inequality and mental health are at the forefront of Marvel’s latest television series installment. Sam struggles to balance the racial stereotypes he endures as a black man with the level of responsibility and fame he has achieved as a hero. Bucky, a lifelong soldier, adjusts to his life as a civilian, but is plagued with guilt from his past actions while being treated for PTSD. These issues are tangible, timely and far more relatable than alien invasions, magical phenomenons or evil robots. It’s a refreshing and important reminder that issues affecting normal people can also plague heroes. Social media erupted after the release of the second episode, with specific attention given to a scene where Baltimore police officers stop and surround the heroes after they engage in a verbal altercation. The officers — with hands on holsters — ask Sam for his identification and urge him to remain calm and proceed to ask Bucky if he is alright and repeatedly ask if Sam was bothering him. The racial incident

resolves when officers realize who the heroes are, but Bucky is arrested for missing his court-mandated trauma therapy. This instance wasn’t the first time in the show either character was emotionally affected by their respective issues. Bucky is forced to make amends with people in his past, which resurfaces troves of old trauma. Sam deals with racial undertones in conversations throughout the whole show, whether they be about obtaining a loan, correcting kids on the Baltimore street or why he doesn’t feel he’s able to take up the mantle of Captain America. These examples are not the first time racial inequality has been a spotlight issue for Marvel — 2018’s “Black Panther” highlighted the income gap between predominantly black communities and how it has created conflict between wealthy and impoverished people of color. “Black Panther” was a smash hit, and for many it was the first time they saw a superhero with their own skin tone. However, this success came ten years after the launch of the MCU; prior to “Black Panther’s” release, Marvel faced many accusations of pampering toward white audiences — the MCU had an image problem. The first six Avengers were white and the first twelve solo films were led by white men, while black characters were used as sidekicks or covered in prosthetics. Since the conclusion of

“Avengers Endgame,” Marvel Studios has announced many new TV shows and movies that feature a much more diverse cast. Beyond expanding the universe to contain more heroes with different cultural and racial backgrounds, upcoming projects are also set to feature more female heroes, heroes who belong to the LGBTQ+ community and heroes with disabilities. This new direction Marvel has taken is both groundbreaking and fantastic to watch. “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” already has a compelling story with tremendous depth — viewers rightfully cannot wait to see how it concludes. Marvel’s stories have been made richer by including hardships and struggles that mirror reality. It’s especially important for younger generations to be able to watch a superhero movie and see themselves in the main character. Kids who aren’t merely straight, white and male should be able to look at a poster on their wall and see a hero they can relate to — not only to their complexion, but their personalities, insecurities and everyday problems. Everyone wants to be a hero. When heroes are made to be fallible, they also become relatable — and Marvel’s concentrated effort to humanize their heroes inspires every viewer to emulate those exceptional traits. Micky is a sophomore in LAS. mah10@dailyillini.com

Public transportation exceeds laborious driving be used with caution. Public transportation, on the other hand, causes much COLUMNIST fewer deaths and crashes. FVF Law claims that “For instance, the accident fatalyoung adults, most ity rate for buses is about 45 college students deaths per 100,000 accihave learned how to dents, while the rate for pridrive. To some students, cars vate vehicle accidents is 251.” are a sign of status or are With these statistics, we can simply the fastest mode of also see how using public transportation. Others enjoy transportation is much safer the act of driving or the inde- than driving cars. That’s a lot pendence it comes with. more deaths caused by cars With such a large variety — a huge con for cars and pro of cars on the road, it’s also for public transportation. easy to see how people enjoy Are you willing to risk your the aesthetic of cars: racy life every time you drive reds, burning blues and wild your car? whites on old and new cars However, that’s not the alike. Nowadays, in response only negative. Cars emit gasto worry about climate ses that damage our envichange, electric cars zoom ronment at a greater rate per the streets — some compassenger than public transpletely noiseless. portation vehicles. Without a doubt, cars are With public transporbeneficial but, in my opinion, tation, a large number of the positives are greatly out- people can be transportweighed by the negatives. In ed to the same place using other words, cars cost. a lower amount of gas per Deadly crashes are a daily person — therefore harmoccurrence. According to ing the environment less. Driver Knowledge, the aver- As we have started creating age number of car crashes in electric cars, electric busses the United States per year is and trains could dramaticalsix million and out of these ly reduce the amount of gas crashes, an average of 32,850 emissions from these large people die. Clearly, cars must vehicles — throwing gas cars CHIARA AWATRAMANI

ANGELINA CHAN THE DAILY ILLINI

out of the eco-friendly race. Why damage the environment more than we already do? Here in Urbana, it’s convenient having a car to go see family and friends via the interstate or to get to work on time. In congested cities like Chicago or New York, cars can sit through minutes, or even hours, of traffic — making it more difficult to get to a destination on time. Public transportation circumvents this traffic. Train tracks have no stoplights, no angry drivers in Dodges cutting you off because they almost missed their exit and no honking Hondas. Trains provide only a peaceful, rocking ride ahead. Why sit still on a highway wasting money, time and gas when you could be zipping off to work?

Using public transportation creates time for an individual to catch up on work. Such a commute can be spent reading through documents, replying to those hundreds of emails or anything else one desires. With the burden of paying attention to the road lifted off your shoulders, the world is your oyster. Do you really want to throw one hour down the drain by driving? Clearly, public transportation benefits both individuals and the planet at large. While some need cars, others may consider these tremendous advantages of using buses, trains and subways to get from place to place. The question is, which will you choose? Chiara is a freshman in LAS. cawatr2@dailyillini.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN MCCARTHY/WEB SUMMIT

Sophia The Female Robot is presented during a press conference during day two of Web Summit 2019 at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. Columnist Andrea Martinez argues humans must be cautious when training artificial intelligences.

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.

MONDAY April 5, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

SPORTS

COLUMN

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Women’s basketball head coach Nancy Fahey talks to her team during a timeout in a game against Valparaiso on Dec. 2. The NCAA has failed to equally support women’s sports compared to men’s sports.

NCAA, member schools fail to support women’s sports BY CLAIRE O’BRIEN SPORTS VIDEO EDITOR

Sports often mirror society. The wage gap persists, and according to the Center for American Progress, for every dollar a white man makes, Asian women make 90 cents, white women make 79 cents, Black women make 62 cents, Native American women make 57 cents and Hispanic/Latinx women make 54 cents. Guess what - this shows up in sports, too. In professional sports, the U.S. women’s soccer team’s fight for equal pay has been well-documented, but they aren’t the only athletes receiving unequal pay

for equal work. Women’s National Basketball Association players make a fraction of what some of the lowest-paid National Basketball Association players make. NBA players often earn one million dollars or more, while the highest-paid WNBA players don’t even make a quarter of that. The lowest-paid NBA player in 2020, according to ESPN, was Jimmer Fredette, who made $208,500. The highest-paid WNBA player made $215,000 in 2020, according to Insider. And that’s after a $100,000 increase following a collective bargaining agreement.

Read that again. The highest-paid WNBA player made $6,500 more than the lowest-paid NBA player, who, for the record, hasn’t been in the NBA for almost two years. Take a moment to let that sink in. It’s not just professional sports. Many of the same systemic issues evident in professional sports trickle down and exist at the collegiate level. Student athletes are not even compensated for their work, and despite a pending Supreme Court case on the issue, women have largely been excluded from the conversation during this process. The gender disparity is

so systemic in sports, even something as simple as trying to find information about the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments reflects the bias. Google “NCAA tournament.” What are the search results that appear? It almost certainly shows information about the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. And that’s neither accidental nor coincidental. Women’s basketball does not get the attention it deserves, particularly during the month of March. The gender discrepancy has been highlighted on social media in recent weeks, with

the men’s teams getting better tournament swag, fitness room equipment and access to COVID-19 testing. The women’s tournament is using antigen testing, which is referred to as “rapid testing” and results are less reliable, while the men’s tournament uses polymerase chain reaction testing, which is widely considered the “gold standard” of COVID-19 testing and much more accurate. Experts prefer PCR testing, per USA Today. Even the official Twitter pages aren’t equal. The men’s Twitter name is “NCAA March Madness” with the handle @marchmadness,

while the women’s name is “NCAA Women’s Basketball” with the handle @ncaawbb. The two Twitter accounts hardly scratch the surface when it comes to these gender discrepancies. NCAA schools simply don’t invest equally in women’s sports. And the NCAA has to clean its own mess before it tells anyone else how to spend their money; it’s admitted it spends twice as much on the men’s tournament as it does on the women’s. The NCAA also announced it is hiring a law firm to investigate gender discrepancies in SEE NCAA | 2B

BASKETBALL

Illinois basketball teams play active role in transfer portal BY THE DAILY ILLINI SPORTS STAFF

Women’s basketball

The Illinois women’s basketball team is undergoing major personnel changes, with four former players currently in the transfer portal and two seniors — Nancy Panagiotopoulou Andritsopoulou and Lyric Robins — potentially departing after they graduate in May. Sophomore Kennedi Myles has already found a new home at Marquette after announcing her decision to transfer ten days ago. Myles started all 23 games for the Illini and was the team’s third-highest scorer and leading rebounder last season, averaging 8.7 points and eight points per game. The Cincinnati native joins the Golden Eagles, who finished second in the Big East behind powerhouse Connecticut and made the NCAA tournament as a 10-seed. Sophomore Jea nae Terry also announced her desire to leave Champaign March 26. Terry made a big jump following her freshman season and was one of the team’s most consistent players this year, starting every game while ranking second in both points and rebounds, going for 10.7 and 7.8, respectively, per game. The Detroit native led the team in both steals and assists and notched a team-high seven doubledoubles. Terry has not yet announced her plans for next season, though she will likely take on a prominent role wherever she ends up next season. T wo ot her Il l i n i announced their respective transfer departures: junior J-Naya Ephraim

a nd freshma n A a liyah McQueen. Ephraim started 12 of the team’s opening 13 games and finished the season with the third-most assists with 37 while averaging 4.3 points per game. McQueen didn’t make any starts in her first year at Illinois, though she averaged two points and 2.6 rebounds across 19 games played. Illinois currently has eight players returning next season, including leading scorer Jada Peebles, who averaged 11.6 points per game; Aaliyah Nye, who had an impressive freshman season with 10 starts and 8.1 points per game and Eva Rubin, who started 20 games and averaged 7.3 points per game after transferring to Illinois from Arizona State. There is still hope for head coach Nancy Fahey and the Illini, as it is bringing in three recruits: Adalia McKenzie, a four-star Minnesota native who is considered one of the state’s top players; Jayla Oden, a three-star Baltimore native who is one of the top high school point guards in Maryland; and Keanna Rembert, a Raleigh, North Carolina native, who played with Ephraim and Peebles a NC Zoom. Terry, Ephraim and McQueen have yet to choose their new schools, but expect announcements from these players over the next few weeks.

Men’s basketball

Freshman guard Adam Miller has entered the transfer portal, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported Thursday afternoon. Miller, a four-star prospect rated No. 33 in the class by 247 Sports, was the fourth highest-rated recruit in Illinois history. He was

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Kennedi Myles calls for the ball from J-Naya Ephraim Dec. 2 when Illinois faced Valparaiso. Both players have chosen to play elsewhere next season, with Myles already announcing her decision to transfer to Marquette.

expected to take over the reigns as the lead scoring guard last year, but when Ayo Dosunmu returned for his junior season, Miller’s role was reduced. After a blazing start in non-conference play, Miller struggled with inconsistent shooting the rest of the way. He shot 34% in conference and 32% from three, averaging just 7.2 points per game in league play. Still, Miller showed flashes at times of being capable of filling Dosunmu’s shoes in the future. He

and fellow freshman guard Andre Curbelo were supposed to be the star players moving forward. “Adam was a big part of our success this season, starting every game as a freshman and contributing not just on offense but defensively as well,” said head coach Brad Underwood in a statement Thursday. “He has a very bright future ahead, and we wish him all the best.” Miller’s top six schools in high school included Illinois, Arizona, Arizona

State, Kansas, Louisville and Wake Forest. Michigan also jumped in late. Despite his inconsistent season, Miller should have plenty of suitors. A f ter M i l ler opted to leave Cha mpaign Thursday, Illinois brought in a transfer of its own, landing former Florida forward Omar Payne, he announced Saturday morning via Twitter. The Kissimmee, Florida, native averaged 3.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last year for the Gators while

also making eight starts. Most recently, Payne scored four points and grabbed two boards in Florida’s upset loss to 15-seed Oral Roberts in the second round of the NCAA tournament. A former four-star recruit, Payne should see decent minutes in Champaign next season regardless of whether sophomore Kofi Cockburn opts to return, as he will help fill in as a solid frontcourt option.

2B Monday, April 5, 2021 FROM 1B

NCAA

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Twitter is maybe the most subtle indicator of where things stand in the Illinois basketball realm. The team handles are perhaps the most egalitarian thing here: The men’s team’s handle is @illinimbb and the women’s team is @illiniwbb. However, the names quietly reflect the gender bias that permeates the basketball world: The men’s name is “Illinois Basketball” and the women’s name is “Illinois W Basketball.” While Twitter is superficial, a deeper dive into the University’s own data indicates that the men’s basketball team’s expenses are significantly higher than the women’s. The Illinois men’s basketball program has a lot more at its disposal to build and maintain a competitive program. The recruiting budget for men’s basketball was $545,660, according to Illinois’ 2020 NCAA report, yet that same report indicated recruiting was $190,925 for the women’s team. Put another way, the men’s team got 2.85

times as much money to spend on recruiting than the women’s team did. This skewed investing shows up on the court. The women’s team last made it to the NCAA tournament in 2003. The men’s team last played in the tournament two weeks ago. And it’s not like the University is trying that hard to promote women’s basketball. The “Fund Raising, Marketing and Promotion” section of the NCAA report paints perhaps the most stark contrast of all. $53,007 for the men, yet $977 for the women. In total, Illinois spent almost $7 million more per year on men’s basketball in 2020. Total expenses for the men’s team: $11,607,632. The women? $4,692,867. For those who think revenues or some other flimsy excuse justifies this lack of investment, that doesn’t fly. The NCAA and its member schools are simply going to have to open their pocketbooks and make the investments needed to get people to

support women’s basketball. They don’t seem to spare an expense for men’s basketball. The NCAA, of course, plays a role in Illinois’ lopsided revenues. Its distributions, according to Illinois’ NCAA report, were $894,568 for the men’s basketball team. The women’s team got $0. And no, that isn’t a typo. The rest of the budget continues to show how the revenues aren’t equal. The men’s team got $10,379,642 in media rights last year. The women? $46,000. And just for reference, the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data shows the median household income in Illinois is almost $66,000. The women’s basketball media rights were almost $20,000 less than the median household income of the state it represents. Often, the men’s games air on Big Ten Network, which is fairly easy to access, and the games are on at times when people can easily tune in. Oftentimes, the women’s basketball games air on Big

Ten Network+, which, away from campus wifi, requires a subscription and isn’t as easy to access as the main Big Ten Network channels. The games also air at times when a lot of people have work or class or otherwise can’t tune in. It’s hard to build a following when fans have a hard time watching games. Don’t get me wrong, Underwood has done a phenomenal job at Illinois, and it costs a pretty penny to have a strong program. But if Illinois athletics officials want Fahey to see similar success, they’re going to have to open their wallet the same way they’ve opened it for Underwood. Women’s sports can be lucrative, but they just need visibility and resources. Our women’s basketball team can and should be just as successful as the men, but it’s going to take equal investment, both in terms of money and resources, to make that happen. While Illinois has its own issues, NCAA president Mark Emmert has done nothing to elevate women’s sports. And

while he’s out here giving insincere apologies and making excuses, his actions indicate he isn’t interested in bettering women’s sports. Because he is unwilling to elevate women’s sports, the best thing Emmert can do to strengthen women’s sports is to hand in his resignation, and the NCAA must appoint someone willing to champion women, transgender and non-binary people in sports. He truly isn’t willing to listen to student athletes, who the NCAA refuses to compensate, and give them the space and opportunity to voice their concerns and advocate for much needed change, so the NCAA needs to find someone who will. The NCAA needs to stop preaching equality and start working towards it. The world is watching. The ball is in its court. Its next moves will determine whether that ball drops.

I’d say that’s a good move, but the problems are so painfully evident at this point that hiring a law firm seems to be solely for show. NCAA members follow their leadership’s example and don’t equally invest in women’s sports. They might claim to support women’s sports, and Title IX requires them to provide equal opportunity. So while the schools may superficially fulfill their Title IX requirements through the number of teams they field, their finances tell a different story. Among the most obvious ways schools show their apathy toward women’s sports is with coaches’ salaries. This year, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Baylor went to the Elite Eight, yet the coaches’ compensation was very different. According to USA Today, men’s basketball coach Scott Drew was com@obrien_clairee pensated $3,350,634, while claireo3@dailyillini.com Mulkey’s compensation was well below that. It’s far from the first time coaches’ salaries have been inequitable. In 2017, the South Carolina men’s basketball team went to the Final Four, while the women’s basketball team won its tournament. Dawn Staley, the women’s coach, made $1.1 million for the 2015-2016 season, while men’s head coach Frank Martin was paid $2.1 million during the same time frame, the year before both teams went to the Final Four. This issue extends far beyond the NCAA. And it hits much closer to home than Columbia, South Carolina. The inequities in men’s and women’s basketball also exist right here at Illinois. Head women’s basketball coach Nancy Fahey was paid $573,000 this year. Brad Underwood, the men’s basketball head coach, was paid $3,408,000. For the folks doing the math at home, Underwood’s salary is nearly six times higher than Fahey’s CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI despite the fact that they have been here the same amount Men’s basketball head coach Brad Underwood yells at his team against Wisconsin on Feb. 6. Underwood makes six times more than Fahey, the women’s lead coach. of time.

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Monday, April 5, 2021

FOOTBALL

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Junior Daniel Barker runs drills during practice on Tuesday morning. Barker, as well as senior Luke Ford, will be important pieces for Bielema’s offense next season.

Tight ends become more involved, gain importance BY GABBY HAJDUK STAFF WRITER

While Illinois football might be a little thin at the wide receiver position this year, Bret Bielema inherited two talented veteran tight ends to incorporate into his new system: Daniel Barker and Luke Ford. Under Lovie Smith, the Illini tight ends weren’t always utilized as primary offensive weapons. Bielema and tight ends coach Ben Miller intend to change that. “I think we’re going to use a lot of tight ends,” Miller said. “You’re going to see guys rotate in and out. You’re going to play inside receiver, outside receiver, unit tight end. We’re going to be in the backfield. We’re going to be doing a bunch of different things that just correlate to being a great blocker, being a great receiver, getting you into open space into green grass against a

smaller defender that we can use your talents. “I’m really excited about what the tight end position is becoming in our offense as we go through this thing together.” Last season, Barker finished with the second-most receiving yards on the team with 268, right behind former wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe. Barker also added two touchdowns in 2020 and was second on the team with four touchdowns in 2019. Bielema and Miller have both been impressed by Barker’s physical gifts as a 6-foot-4, 250-pound athlete, and because of the potential Bielema sees in the senior, he has pushed Barker even harder through the first couple weeks of practice. “He’s obviously got talent,” Bielema said. “He’s a big kid who can run; he’s athletic. We had a few moments

there last week, but he made a few plays on Tuesday blocking in the run game that really got me excited. We know he can catch the ball, but he doesn’t catch them all. If you’re going to preach about being a dynamic receiving tight end, well, let’s be the dynamic receiving tight end. Let’s not talk about it, let’s be about it. I’ve probably been as aggressive on DJ as anybody on the roster. He’s responded very, very well. I think the two of us can continue to grow, and he can grow in this offense.” Ford, on the other hand, started just twice last season — his first season of eligibility with the Illini — and caught just two passes for 15 yards. With Ford being a former four-star recruit, many expected him to be a major producer for Illinois in 2020 after transferring from Georgia . While that wasn’t the case

under Smith, Bielema has a special history with Ford that will likely change how the tight end is used this season. When Bielema was the head coach at Arkansas, Ford verbally committed to play for the Razorbacks in 2017 but later pulled his commitment in favor of the Bulldogs program, where he spent just one semester. So, when Bielema took a dive into the Illinois roster after an initial conversation about the job with athletic director Josh Whitman, he saw Ford’s name and gave a chuckle, thinking about the possibility of finally coaching Ford. “I was kind of shocked when I went to the Penn State game (last December), and I didn’t see him on the field all that much,” Bielema said. “I think there are a variety of different reasons why that may or may not have happened, so

he and I had a good conversation. I think the guy who maybe has impressed me the most from Saturday to Tuesday when we put the pads on truly might be Luke. He’s straining. He’s competing. He made a couple great catches. “He’ll be the first to tell you I had a couple coaching moments the other day. But I’m going to tell you, physically, height, weight, ability, more than intelligent enough, more than capable of making something really special happen. I really, really hope it happens. He’s got great parents, great people, obviously a local kid that hasn’t been able to achieve the success that everybody thought he would at some point, but I’m betting on the kid. I think he’s really got a bright future hopefully.” Bielema said. Ford and Barker will likely be the primary tight ends this year, but Miller

also gave a nod to walk-on Tip Reiman, complimenting his attitude and size. As far as backups, Miller will also have redshirt sophomore Griffin Moore and Michigan State transfer Max Rosenthal, who won’t be on campus until the summer. While Miller and Bielema see great potential at the tight end position long term, Miller has been focused on the new learning experience with his current guys. “Those guys are moving around a lot,” Miller said. “We’re getting them a lot of different looks, and those guys have to be smart players rather than just memorizers. They’ve gotta be physical, be good receivers. It’s been a lot of fun coaching them and getting through the initial ins and outs of the playbook.” @gabby_h11 ghajduk2@dailyillini.com

MEN’S BASKETBALL

To leave or not to leave: Dosunmu, Cockburn ponder future BY BRANDON SIMBERG STAFF WRITER

Once the final buzzer sounded at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Illinois’ magical season came to a close, a dark reality set in for Illinois fans. That may have been the last time Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn put on an Illinois jersey. After impressive seasons resulted in a multitude of accolades, both Cockburn and Dosunmu have decisions to make about their futures. Dosunmu’s path is much clearer. He was a projected second-round pick this time a year ago, and many assumed he would turn pro. Dosunmu, surprisingly, elected to return for his junior season for unfinished business, and he’s done everything in his power to turn himself into a potential first-round pick. His scoring took a leap, averaging over 20 points per game on a career-high 48.8% shooting from the field and 39% from deep, a noticeable improvement from the previous season. Dosunmu also showed progress as a passer, getting up to over five assists per game and making some impressive reads as a lead ball handler. Between four mainstream boards — ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report and The Athletic — Dosunmu’s average draft position is 29, putting him squarely in the first round discussion. Brad Underwood knows as much and truly believes Dosunmu’s time in Champaign is over. “Ayo needs to go to the draft,” Underwood said in late February. “There’s nothing else he needs to accomplish in college bas-

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Sophomore Kofi Cockburn and junior Ayo Dosunmu prepare for an embrace during the game against Wisconsin on Feb. 6. Both Cockburn and Dosunmu must soon decide whether to declare for the NBA draft or return to Illinois for another season.

ketball that I’m going to do for him. He’s turned himself into that guy.” Cockburn’s decision, meanwhile, appears murky. After testing the waters last off-season, Cockburn returned for his sophomore year and was wildly productive, scoring 17.7 points per game on 65% shooting. Despite the productivity, Cockburn is not seen as a bonafide NBA player. He’s unranked on every mainstream board, except The Athletic’s, which has him at No. 87. While Cockburn showed

he can score inside, there are still holes to his game holding him back from the next level. His passing was subpar, having just five assists on the season to 54 turnovers. His free-throw shooting declined, showing no inclination he’ll ever be a passable shooter. While he made improvements defensively, he still had lapses against more dynamic offenses that ran actions at him, like Baylor and Loyola. With limited NBA interest, it appears returning would be in his best interest. But there’s certainly a

case to leave. The fact that he tested the waters last year is a good indicator he has the next level on his mind. If he does return, it may be hard to improve on the production from this season without Dosunmu drawing so much defensive attention. Even if he is more productive, he’d have to improve those areas of weakness, which may not be as fixable, and his stock could stagnate. He’s also already the age of a junior and may just want to start collecting paychecks, even if it is a two-way or G-League contract.

The case for returning is also clear. Cockburn would easily be a preseason AllAmerican and potentially the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year. If he can go for over 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game, while also improving his passing and free-throw shooting, then that sheer production may be hard for NBA teams to overlook. With Adam Miller entering the transfer portal, Cockburn’s decision becomes even more important to the success of Illinois next season. With him, it’s

likely Underwood will have a ranked team in the preseason again. Without him, the ceiling of this team is lowered significantly. While there are capable starting bigs in the transfer portal, none are at Cockburn’s level. Ultimately, Cockburn’s decision is his own, and whatever he deems best for himself is probably the correct decision. Until then, Illinois fans will have to sit and wait like they did last summer. @BrandonSimberg simberg2@dailyillini.com

4B Monday, April 5, 2021

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Monday, April 5, 2021

Podcast offers filmmaking tips BY CAILEIGH ALEXANDER

buzz calendar

STAFF WRITER

On March 2, MCS Media released the first episode of their podcast “MAKE COOL SH!T.” As a frequent podcast listener, “MAKE COOL SH!T” is one of the most experimental and honest podcasts I have listened to in a long time. “MAKE COOL SH!T,” narrated by actor, comedian and director Aaron Kheifets, follows the making of the movie Scare Me, directed by CollegeHumor alum Josh Ruben. “We were interested in how things got made. There are no process-focused podcasts,” Kheifest said. The podcast translucently depicts the obstacles, successes and details of what goes into making a movie. “We wanted to show the step-by-step process of making a movie, warts and all,” Kheifets said. The podcast begins by giving an overview of Josh Ruben and his path before making this movie. Kheifets described Josh’s story as “very inspiring.” The podcast describes Ruben’s time as a frontrunner in the internet comedy group CollegeHumor, his time auditioning for “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” and how he decided to make it in the industry. He had to make something for himself and that led to his 2020 movie “Scare Me,” where Ruben was a writer, director and actor. Life in entertainment is always glamorized. We never really think about what actually goes into the process, and I was hesitant upon beginning the podcast. I was prepared to listen to another campy story about a group of people who, against all odds and despite all the obstacles thrown at them, released a beautiful film and lived happily ever after. I was pleasantly surprised when this was not the case. “The Filmmak-

BY RUKAYAH HUSSEIN 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, APRIL 5TH PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON KHEIFETS

Aaron Kheifets poses for a professional headshot. Kheifets hosted the first episode of the the “MAKE COOL SH!T” podcast.

er’s handbook”, a guide to everything about making a movie, is referenced frequently throughout the podcast. Although the book is a step-by-step guide to directing, producing, editing and everything else in the movie-making process, like most things, nothing can go completely by the book. According to Kheifets, the podcast dives into “what the textbook tells you to do and what you actually have to do when things go wrong.” The podcast is stressful at times. There were multiple times where I genuinely didn’t know how the cast and crew were going to deal with some of the setbacks, such as budget problems and relentless snowstorms. Despite all the problems of filming a movie in the middle of January and Mother Nature constantly working against them, the story never feels hopeless. I am always inspired by people who, even in the harshest conditions, can come together and get the job done. The process is never sugar-coated. The podcast is mixed with narration and interviews with the cast and crew. We hear, many times, a lot of the people working on the movie being quite negative about the process, espe-

cially when they are talking about below zero temperatures. However, the authenticity only adds to the experience and makes it inspiring to not only people trying to make it in the comedy or film industry, but also to anyone. “MAKE COOL SH!T” is an exciting new podcast that many people can enjoy. It is an authentic journey about what it takes to not only make a movie, but what it takes to be successful in the industry. According to Aaron, to make it in the industry you have to “do it. Do it poorly and do it often. It’s not going to be good at first.” That’s why I think everyone will enjoy this podcast. It’s honest, it’s authentic and it’s funny and heartwarming. It shows that some of the best things come from an ugly start. “MAKE COOL SH!T” is on the sixth episode of its first season, but Kheifets says there’s more to come. “We want to also dive into different media for further seasons, like the process of making an album,” Kheifets said. You can find “MAKE COOL SH!T” on all podcast platforms. cda8@readbuzz.com

KAM Council Art Sparks: “Word Play” and Wosene Worke Kosrof’s Migrations II

 Noon-1 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by Krannert Art Museum  Free This month, author, artist and archaeologist Sarah Wisseman and Krannert Art Museum Council President Sharon Williams spark a great conversation of Migrations II by Wosene Worke Kosrof, on view in Encounters: the Arts of Africa. Art Sparks will take place over Zoom, and RSVP is required to attend. Please email Sharon Williams to participate.

TUESDAY, APRIL 6TH

Finding Yingying Film Screening and Discussion

 5 p.m.-7 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by Spurlock Museum  Free, registration required The virtual screening of the film Finding Yingying will take place from April 2 at 5 p.m. to April 9 at 8 p.m. After registering for the online conversation with Jiayan “Jenny” Shi (director, producer, cinematographer), Brent E. Huffman (producer) and Shilin Sun (co-producer, cinematographer), you will receive a link to the film in the Zoom registration confirmation email.

and Monticello Area Art Council. Take inspiration from the beauty and sculptural simplicity of a single dried leaf. Local artist Belinda Beccue will instruct participants as we explore form, line, texture and tonal scale of a leaf chosen by each student.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7TH

Connecting You with Nature

 Noon-1 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by Urbana Park District  Free Join staff from the Anita Purves Nature Center during these virtual hikes though district natural areas. Explore the plants, animals and unique natural history of each unique and beautiful preserve. These programs are a great way to learn about nearby nature before visiting on your own. To watch, find the Anita Purves Nature Center on Facebook.

Lunchtime Live Storytelling

 1:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by Spurlock Museum  Free Take a soothing lunch break and join Kim Sheahan Sanford, our assistant director of education and resident storyteller, for family-friendly stories from around the world.

Virtual! Art & Soul at Allerton

 7 p.m.-8 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by Allerton Park Retreat Center and Monticello Area Art Council  Free, registration required Join us via webinar from the Allerton Mansion for our first Art & Soul Workshop; a series of classes brought to you by the Allerton Park Retreat Center

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buzz

Q&A: ‘Cosmodread’ immerses players in virtual reality BY AIDAN FINN STAFF WRITER

I’ve always felt space sci-fi horror was a subgenre that would never top its conception. 1979 saw the release of “Alien,” a groundbreaking masterpiece that’s so timeless that it could be released now and still cause a shockwave in culture, although such is unimaginable given how much Ridley Scott’s film inspired the film medium for years to come. “Alien” completely demolished the rubber-suited, cardboard monster flicks of prior, and it delivered a strong atmosphere of dread that virtually all imitators have tried extensively to replicate. We’ve gotten “Dead Space 2,” “SOMA,” “Alien: Isolation,” which is just a straightup Alien game and, case in point, “Cosmodread,” a fantastic new sci-fi horror title gracing the virtual reality medium. I had the pleasure of speaking with Sergio Hidalgo, the main developer of Cosmodread and director at White Door Games, to discuss the newly released game. buzz: How would you describe “Cosmodread” to someone unfamiliar with it? Sergio Hidalgo: I call “Cosmodread” a “VR survival horror roguelike.” It’s a game about being trapped in a derelict spaceship and having to survive and find a way to escape. It’s an immersive and creepy experience where you’ll need to explore and navigate your way around the dark environments of the ship in search of valuable items and ammo and fight off creatures and other enemies (or avoid them because ammo is scarce!) It also features a roguelike structure, meaning that when you die you must try again from the beginning. But each try will have you play in a new level layout with new positions for enemies, items and goals, which helps make

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEAM

Virtual reality gameplay from the video game “Cosmodread” is pictured above. The game was released on March 25.

the game fresh, as you’ll never be able to anticipate what’s in the next room. buzz: How long was the development cycle of “Cosmodread” from the first idea for the game to the release of the final product? SH: I made the first prototypes about four years ago, but back then I was just playing with different ideas, and the game was very, very different. For example, I wasn’t sure of what setting to use, and the initial prototypes went from being set in a modern-day house to an underwater base and eventually to the sci-fi spaceship of the final game. It started taking a more recognizable shape about three years ago when I introduced this new environment and

some of the key mechanics that are still present in the final product. And about two years ago we started production properly, making 3D assets, music, creatures, etc. buzz: Having experience with the medium the likes of “Dreadhalls,” what do you see for the future of VR? SH: A few years ago, many of us working in VR were certain that, by this point, the technology would have reached a massive reach, all but replacing traditional games. And nowadays, many see VR as a niche technology, cool but very limited in how many users it can reach. It’s always risky to make predictions, but I see the future as somewhere in the middle. I don’t believe VR will replace

traditional games anytime soon or get to the point where most people will have VR goggles like they have a TV or a cell phone. At least, not until we have revolutionary AR technology. But if VR manages to keep reducing its adoption friction with improvements in ergonomy, price, less complex setup, etc. ... I believe we can keep growing to the point that VR has a very big and healthy user base in the millions like consoles do. And that would enable the same kind of high profile productions that we see in those markets and that tempt even more players to jump in. buzz: What is some advice you would give college students aspiring to become game developers? SH: Don’t! It can be a very

intense career choice, not for the faint of heart. But if you’re like me, that’s not going to stop you. So some tips would be to know yourself first, know what you like to do and enjoy working on. Do you prefer coding, designing, art ... ? Some degree of cross-discipline is always great, but finding your specialty is key since that will allow you to better focus your efforts. Other than that, make games! This is still a very artisanal field, and hands-on experience is critical. buzz: “Event Horizon” or “Alien”? (Hint: The correct answer is “Dead Space 2”) SH: Don’t forget about John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” too! The truth is that both “Alien” and “Event Horizon”

are great movies, and I love how both put their own spin on space horror and take it in a slightly different direction. “Alien,” with its xenomorph and playing cat and mouse with a deadly, unstoppable creature (who can forget about that motion tracker?!), and “Event Horizon,” with its more psychological approach and how it’s essentially a haunted house movie set in space. But if I absolutely had to choose one of them, I’d probably go for “Alien,” just because of how deeply it impacted popular culture and how many other great works were inspired by its designs and aesthetics. “Cosmodread” is available on PC and Oculus Quest. aidanf3@readbuzz.com

‘Love and Monsters’ depicts character growth in apocalyptic world BY AMANDA LEONARTO STAFF WRITER

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen an abundance of movies abandon the traditional theatrical release and skip straight to streaming via different platforms.

“Love and Monsters” is one of those movies, and though cheesy at some points, this movie still has a good amount of action and cliché to entertain viewers. “Love and Monsters” is a post-apocalyptic movie

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB

Dylan O’Brien and Ariana Greenblatt star in “Love and Monsters.” The action movie was released on Oct. 16.

that starts with the end of humanity. This movie was supposed to be released in theaters last month, but due to the pandemic, the movie was released last October via Video on Demand. After his memorable performance in “The Maze Runner,” Dylan O’Brien is back and playing the role of a hopeless fighter, Joel Dawson, a good minestrone chef who embarks on a journey to reach his old love. The movie starts with Joel Dawson (Dylan O’Brien) narrating what happened to the current condition on Earth. Humans used to easily kill animals in the past, but suddenly it takes a tremendous amount of power to kill animals or precisely a monster. Joel is portrayed as a loser who cannot shoot his bow, but he is a good chef and a

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talented artist. He lives in a bunker with his fellow colonies and reaches his old love through radio. Because he felt that he was not contributing anything, he decided to go find his long-lost sevenyear love at a different colony. His fellow colonies were worried because they didn’t think he would make it, but he had nothing to lose, so he left. In the movie, Joel’s journey is pretty interesting with all the creatures and monsters that he encounters. There are a few comedic jokes that viewers may like because of Joel’s clumsiness and foolish act, but when he starts learning how to protect himself he becomes much different. Then, his heart is crushed when he learns his old crush no longer has feelings for

him, making the journey meaningless to him. However, it was not meaningless because he had to protect people that he loves from danger. We see Joel heroically fighting giant crab monsters and his new journey with his colony to the north at the movie’s end. The movie’s concept is nice. Although it may seem like a teen movie with a cliché love story, the apocalypse disturbs the plot. It’s refreshing to see O’Brien’s comedic act and the creatures, which makes you giggle a bit and then become bewitched by the amazing computer graphics. The movie touches on Joel’s transformation into a hero because it takes courage for someone to be able to move forward to reach

their goal. O’Brien’s performance was very entertaining, and the visual effects are very uplifting, which creates a good balance to the movie. Other than that, the cinematography is filled with pretty landscapes and beach views. I would honestly rate this movie five out of five. Why? The overall story is nice and has lots of visual effects that make you feel amazed. The ending may seem like a cliffhanger, making viewers expect a sequel. Although we are still unsure about the return of the new sequel, “Love and Monsters” has a lot of potential for a sequel because the movie is also doing quite well on sales. amandal7@readbuzz.com

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