The Daily Illini’s Annabeth Carlson takes on her fears this Halloween PAGE 6A TUESDAY October 27, 2015
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
59˚ | 52˚
Vol. 145 Issue 39
|
FREE
SATURDAY MORNING TRADITIONS Memorial Stadium versus Campustown Bars
Editor’s note: This story is about the history of Block, an Illinois game day tradition. It’s the first in a series of three stories. Tomorrow’s story is about a fraternity trying to bring Block to Memorial Stadium. BY ALEX ROUX STAFF WRITER
Eric Meyer remembers when the football gameday atmosphere at the University of Illinois was vastly different from what it is today. Meyer, who owns KAM’S bar in Champaign, said he’s missed just five home football games in the last 44 years. That includes when he was a student at U of I in the early 1980s. When he was an undergrad, Meyer’s Sigma Chi fraternity would buy hundreds of tickets, pair with
a sorority and go to the game every weekend. Even back then, football gameday tradition was known as “Block.” “That was back when they were drawing upwards of 15,000 students to a football game,” Meyer recalled while sitting inside KAM’S on an early October morning. “Now they’re lucky if they get 3,000 students to a football game, which is really a shame.” Of course, as Meyer is quick to point out, the Illini football program was much better then. In the years since head coach Mike White had a winning team during the mid1980s, Illinois football has been plagued by inconsistent play. Fan support has wavered and at times cratered, and
ILLUSTRATION BY TOREY BUTNER
the student body has gradually become more disengaged from football as a whole. The gameday tradition
attend games in droves, but they had reserved tailgating spots near Memorial Stadium as well. In 1982, the Universi-
“Now, they’re lucky if they get 3,000 students to a football game, which is really a shame.” ERIC MEYER OWNER OF KAM’S
of Block still exists at Illinois, though it has evolved since Meyer and his classmates walked the campus. Not only did fraternities and sororities used to
ty began partnering with local businesses to incentivize a tailgating atmosphere around Memorial Stadium on game days. The tradition was known as “TailGreat,”
and Greek life at Illinois was heavily involved as they partied on game days in tents near the stadium. Eventually, TailGreat died out. “At some point, the University kind of took a more aggressive role supervising some of those tailgating tents,” Meyer said. “And at some point they pretty much went out and banned the fraternities having tents out there. When that happened, a lot of students migrated away from going to the games.” Today, Block takes place almost exclusively at campus bars. Fraternities sign agreements with either KAM’S, Joe’s or The Red Lion, paying and pledging their gameday patronage in exchange for free entry and drink deals. Frats pair
up with sororities, and the result is a daytime party that often begins in the early hours of the morning. Meyer estimates that the current iteration of Block rose to extreme popularity in the last five years. “It’s just like an exchange or any other (Greek) event,” said Scott Cochrane, owner of The Red Lion, Firehaus, The Clyborne and several other campus properties. “It’s a way for fraternities and sororities to get together and have a good time.” Nowhere is Block currently more successful than at Lion, which has two huge outdoor beer gardens and a interior TV setup surrounding the main bar. With student support for football dwindling and a viable
SEE BLOCK | 3A
University to conduct campus climate survey participating in the survey will not receive the email. “It’s going to ask ‘have you ever been a victim of sexual assault on campus?’ But it’s also going to ask, ‘do you feel the University provides enough resources? Do you feel you have access to resources? Do you know where to get those resources?’” Hill said. “It really measures all the different factors in
BY ABIGALE SVOBODA NEWS EDITOR
The University will conduct its fi rst campus climate survey on sexual assault this fall. Matt Hill, Illinois Student Senate vice president-external, said Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Renee Romano organized the survey and it will be sent to students via email. Hill said students who indicated they would not be interested in
DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
Illini wheelchair racers participate in The Chicago Marathon in 2007.
Funds allocated for DRES 3-D printer BY LILLY MASHAYEK STAFF WRITER
Arielle Rausin, an Illinois Student Senator and member of the wheelchair track team, helped fulfill a need for wheelchair racers through her involvement with the student senate. The Illinois Student Sen-
ate, ISS, passed a resolution to allocate funds for a new 3-D printer for the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services, DRES. The printer will initially be used to print gloves for University wheelchair athletes to help reduce injuries
»
and improve the efficiency of the athletes. In the future, the printer may be used for modifications to wheelchairs too. Rausin, senior in Business, drafted the original proposal. She said she hopes the 3-D printer will help students with athletics as well
SEE SURVEY | 3A
Prevalence of sexual assault and harassment on college campuses across the U.S. 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted while in college
1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college
» » » » » » Page 4A: The Daily Illini editorial board wieghs in.
as in their everyday lives. Rausin said she thinks more interest will be generated once the printer is
SEE 3-D PRINTER | 3A
Wilson, Killeen address concerns » » at»meeting » » » »
More than 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault.
CHRISTIN WATKINS STAFF WRITER
It was the annual meeting of the faculty, but President Timothy Killeen made sure to reiterate the importance he places on students at the University. “What comes first is the student experience,” he said. Killeen and Interim Chan-
cellor Barbara Wilson hosted the meeting Monday to address University issues and allow for an open discussion of concerns the University faculty have expressed about the administration. In addition to highlighting high notes for the University — including more diversity in the student body and overall increased enroll-
ican Association of University Professors. “Another goal I have is to try to work toward a renewed sense of community on this campus,” she said. “I feel as if we need to do a little bit of restoration of trust, and I’m not sure exactly what that means.” The censure is especially relevant to the humanities, said Erik McDuffie, associate professor in African
SEE FACULTY | 3A
LIFE & CULTURE
NEWS
63.3% of men at one university who self-reported acts qualifying as rape or attempted rape admitted to committing repeat rapes.
70% of aggravated assualt in the area occurred on campus 74% domestic violence in the area occurred on campus
GREEN STREET
FOURTH STREET
Annual faculty meeting sheds light on censure, Salaita, inclusion
ment — Killeen said he hopes to repair the reduced confidence students and faculty have with the University administration. “We need to rebuild some trust with our governing structures,” he said. “There is a huge amount of work to be done.” Wilson also emphasized the need to rebuild trust in the administration and to move forward on resolving the censure placed on the University from the Amer-
Main Quad
75% rape in the area occurred on campus SOURCE: National Sexual Violence Resource Center and University 2015 Annual Fire and Safety Report GREGORY DRIVE
TOREY BUTNER THE DAILY ILLINI
SPORTS
US energy systems at risk Criminal minds
Illini football
UI will use a $28.1 million grant to begin a 5-year intiative to prevent cyber atacks.
University students participate in a one-of-a-kind academy.
Cubit changes his approach in face of injury overload.
PAGE 3A
PAGE 6A
PAGE 1B
DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS
INSIDE
@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS
THEDAILYILLINI
@THEDAILYILLINI
THEDAILYILLINI
Police 2A | Opinions 4A | Letters 4A | Crossword 5A | Comics 5A | Life & Culture 6A | Sports 1B | Classifieds 4B | Sudoku 4B