Expensive education: Value of degree may not justify the debt OPINIONS, 4A
Vaulting to victory Gymnast prepares for 4 events at NCAAs SPORTS, 1B
The Daily Illini
Monday April 16, 2012
www.DailyIllini.com
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 141 Issue 133
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Champaign Tea Party hosts 3rd Tax Day Rally Tea Party members still angry; Group to discuss taxation, roles for citizens in government, spending lowed up in silence.” Other notable names were The Champaign Tea Party held present at the rally, with speakits third annual Tax Day rally at ers Habeeb Habeeb, treasurer of Westside Park in Champaign on the Champaign County RepubliSunday. can Party, and Adam AndrzejewA small crowd of roughly 40 sup- ski, founder of the website Openporters sat in fold-out chairs and thebooks.com. Habeeb said he listened as speakers addressed the admired the job creation policies topics of taxation, deficit spend- of politicians like Gov. Mitch Daning and the role iels of Indiana, of citizens in govwho the Chamernment. The paign County small turnout is Republican Parin stark contrast ty will host at to the turnouts of its Lincoln Day the two previous Dinner. Tax Day rallies. Habeeb said Norman Davis, Illinois has the NORMAN DAVIS, founder of the founder of the Champaign Tea Party “dubious distinction” of being the Champaign Tea Party, said nearworst state of the ly 500 people have shown up to pre- nation due to fiscal irresponsibility. vious rallies they have held. Davis With his website Openthebooks. believes that the drop in turnout com, Andrzejewski has the chance is perhaps because of citizens’ to review some of those areas, such “inability to maintain anger.” But as pay and pension problems in Illinois. for Davis, the anger remains. “Liberals want to take your “We posted on Openthebooks. money and spend it on others,” he com the pay and the pensions said. “If we conservatives don’t for virtually every single public stand together against that kind of thinking, we will soon be swalSee TEA PARTY, Page 3A BY MATT RICE STAFF WRITER
“Liberals want to take your money and spend it on others.”
MELANIE CHALLBERG THE DAILY ILLINI
The Champaign Tea Party gathered in West Side Park for the party’s third annual Tax Day Rally. Party members showed further support on Sunday by wearing Tea Party merchandise, such as t-shirts and buttons.
Autism Walk raises awareness Annual fundraiser brings families dealing with disease together BY EMMA WEISSMANN STAFF WRITER
SARI LESK THE DAILY ILLINI
Participants in Relay for Life walk a silent lap around the luminaria-encircled track at the Armory. The luminaria bags honored people who have been affected by cancer. Relay for Life was held from 7 p.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday.
Relay for Life unites community for a cause Overnight event signifies how ‘cancer doesn’t sleep’ BY BRYNN TWAIT STAFF WRITER
Cancer survivors and supporters of the American Cancer Society gathered together at the Armory on Saturday night to raise money for the fight against cancer. Because of rainy weather, the University’s 11th annual Relay for Life was held inside the Armory instead of on the Outdoor Track. More than 120 teams and nearly 1,300 people participated in the relay, which went from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. “It’s an overnight event, signifying the fact that cancer doesn’t sleep, so neither do we,” said Amanda German, area coordinator for the American Cancer Society office in Champaign. All money raised from the event goes toward the American Cancer Society. German said the goal for this year was to raise $150,000. By the end of the night, $112,205 had been raised, but all donations made before August 31 will also count toward this year’s goal. Donations can be made at relayforlife.org/uofi .
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Relay for Life helps spread awareness about cancer, said Melanie Woerner, sophomore in ACES and team captain for the Sigma Delta Tau team. “It educates people about cancer, and it kind of unites them and helps them just fight the cause and realize how bad it is and how many people it affects and that something needs to be done to stop this disease from spreading,” Woerner said. She said one reason her chapter participates is that many of the members have been affected in some way by cancer. “My grandpa died of lung cancer before I was born, and recently, one of my teachers passed away from lung cancer,” Woerner said. “I’ve participated for them to fi nd a cure, so that other people don’t have to go through what my family went through.” The night started off with a survivor dinner, followed by the opening ceremony that honored survivors and their caretakers. Throughout the night, team members walked around the track as music was played from the speakers and a capella groups performed live. Around 10 p.m., a luminaria ceremo-
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Michael may not be able to speak directly to you, but he may want to shake your hand or reach out for a tickle. Michael Kelly, who was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism at the age of two, and his mother, Pam, of Brocton, Ill., were just two of about 800 people to attend the Champaign-Urbana Autism Network’s fourth annual Autism Walk at Hessel Park on Sunday. Participants made one lap around the park after registering and attending a resource, safety and fun fair. The fair featured a police SUV and ambulance, face painting, miniature horses and booths set up by local businesses informing participants of community resources that provide support to families affected by autism. There were also raffle baskets and special guest speakers including State Sen. Michael Frerichs, D-52, and Diane Ducey, broadcaster for 93.5 Connect-FM. Kelly said she decided to come to the walk to learn about community resources and to feel the accompanying
MELANIE CHALLBERG THE DAILY ILLINI
Friends and families gathered in Hessel Park on Sunday to participate in ChampaignUrbana Autism Network’s 4th annual Autism Walk. The event helps to raise autism awareness within the C-U community. sense of “camaraderie.” She said she normally participates in autism walks in Indiana through another organization and wanted to try something new. “I wanted to learn of more (resources), and that’s another reason to be going on this walk today,” Kelly said. “(And) meeting new people and seeing
what all is out there and just to show how proud we are of our son and his accomplishments.” Many University students were also in attendance, either as participants or volunteers through school or com-
See AUTISM WALK, Page 3A
Nationwide survey gathers info on undergrad life BY LAUREN ROHR STAFF WRITER
At the beginning of this semester, undergraduate students received an email from vice president and chancellor Phyllis Wise encouraging them to give their feedback in the National Survey of Student Engagement, or NSSE. This national survey, which also includes results from Canadian schools, was created to improve students’ undergraduate experiences based on the information they provide about their previous or current work environments and learning methods. Carol Livingstone, associate provost for management information and director of the division of management information, said the survey’s questions range from students’ workloads
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and relationships with their professors to extracurricular activities and student interaction. “(NSSE) is a study of how students are engaged in learning and, perhaps, being transformed by being here,” Livingstone said. “It’s a national survey — one executed on many other campuses — so we can compare our students’ responses to those at other schools.” Unlike the recent climate survey sent out by Wise, which is a Universitywide survey targeted at students, faculty and staff aimed at understanding the campus environment, NSSE is sent out to undergraduate students at over 590 universities in the U.S. and Canada. The results are available for universities to recognize “modes of student learning,” Livingstone said. They mea-
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sure how students perform in certain learning environments and what students do to further engage themselves in their education on campus. Livingstone said that NSSE also compares results from freshmen to results from seniors to see how students change over time and evaluate their growth. The data collected from students at the University will be analyzed and presented in an institutional report. The report includes a summary of the data from all students in the U.S. and Canada who participated in the survey to “generate an overall profile of the undergraduate student” for future research to improve undergraduate education, according to the NSSE website.
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