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THURSDAY November 5, 2020
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Jewish students file complaint against UI inated against on the basis of national origin, as their Jewish identity falls under the domain of “shared ancestral or ethnic characteristics,” according to Alyza Lewin, president of LDB. Brad Schneider, U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 10th Congressional District, says there has been a rise in antiSemitic incidents across the country and the University in particular. “In my mind, there’s no question that Jewish students are facing a greater number of anti-Semitic events on campus, and the University can do a better job at addressing them,” Schneider said. Multiple incidents of antiSemitism on campus dating back to 2015 are listed in a summary of the complaint. This includes the vice chancellor removing a Jewish student from the Campus Student Elections Commission during a discussion about divesting from Israeli companies and a debate
BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA STAFF WRITER
MARK CAPAPAS THE DAILY ILLINI
“I think just it’s something I’ve always felt is apart about being a mindful citizen and caring about something other than yourself. I wanna do my best to show up” said Kashara Bennett, junior in FAA.
Mail-in votes deadlock elections BY ETHAN SIMMONS AND MARK CAPAPAS NEWS EDITOR AND SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
On Election Day 2020, UI students flocked to the polls, helping Champaign County gear up to set a new turnout record. Students brought myriad issues to their ballots this year, from national policies to the highly personal. “A lot of my family are DACA members, and they can’t vote, so it’s important for their voices to be heard through me,” said Briana Perez, junior in ACES. UI was rife with first-time voters, eager to give political participation a shot at one of the campus’ three main voting locations. “It’s important because now that I have an option, I want to use my voice,” said Emilie Duquet, freshman in Engineering. “Not enough people vote and I want to help fix that.”
Some were compelled to vote through their civic duty. “I think just it’s something I’ve always felt is a part about being a mindful citizen and caring about something other than yourself,” said Kashara Bennett, junior in Fine and Applied Arts. “I wanna do my best to show up.” There were around 4,000 mail-in ballots yet to be returned in Champaign County on Wednesday morning, according to County Clerk Aaron Ammons. If they’re postmarked by Election Day, these ballots will be counted if returned by Nov. 17. In Champaign, the outstanding mail-in ballots could swing the balance of several local elections. According to Champaign County’s unofficial results, 92,463 votes have been cast, with 41,830 people voting early, 26,156 voting on Election Day and 24,507 voting by mail so far.
Locally, Democrats led most races, with Cassandra “CJ” Johnson winning Champaign County Treasurer over Republican Ted Myhre, and Democratic incumbent George Danos retaining his seat as Auditor. Other races, like county Coroner, Recorder of Deeds and Circuit Clerk, are far too close to call. Republican incumbent Duane Northrup leads by a little more than 2,400 votes, while Democratic Circuit Clerk Candidate Susan W. McGrath leads by just 52 votes. Joe Biden won Illinois’ 20 electoral votes for the presidential election, while Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin won reelection. Republican Rep. Rodney Davis of District 13 beat Democratic challenger Betsy Dirksen Londrigan a second time, winning 55% of the vote with 599 of 602 precincts reporting. The Fair Tax Amendment to change the Illinois Con-
stitution and allow for the implementation of a graduated income tax is unlikely to pass. With 98% of precincts reporting, 55% of counted Illinois voters said “no” to the proposal. Hopes for a national blue wave or landslide victory were mostly squashed by Tuesday evening, marked by a tight presidential race that will likely be decided by millions of mail-in ballots in key states. By Wednesday morning, the Associated Press had called all but seven states’ presidential picks, with the electoral vote total at 238 to 213 in favor of Democrat Joseph R. Biden after a win in Arizona. Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Pennsylvania hadn’t yet been called.
Jewish organizations have publicized a Title VI federal complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights against the University for inadequately addressing a hostile environment of antiSemitism on campus. The complaint, filed March 27, was publicly shared on Oct. 23 by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, a non-profit organization that engages in legal advocacy to combat anti-Semitism. Merriam-Webster defines anti-Semitism as “hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group.” Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin by educational institutions that receive federal funds. The complaint specifically alleges that Jewish and pro-Israel students on campus have been discrim-
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LONGFORM: PART 1 OF 2
Election week creates high-stakes atmosphere on campus vative justices before a potential transfer of power. “I don’t agree with the confirmation in the Supreme Court, mainly because of the precedent set in 2016,” said Amelia Chavez, freshman in LAS. “McConnell said that Obama couldn’t appoint a Supreme Court justice until after the election, and somehow that just doesn’t matter now.” It’s election week in Champaign, and you can feel it in the air. It’s difficult to walk around campus without a reminder of the election. Posters urging students to vote line the windows of Campustown businesses. A cluster of campaign signs sits on the northeast corner of the Main Quad, right in front of the Illini Union, where early voting has occurred since Oct. 19. Reminders of the election even extend to the digital world, where social media campaigns to get out and vote are at the top of every newsfeed. The constant reminder
BY MATT TROHER LONGFORM ASSISTANT EDITOR
Tuesday, Oct. 27: It’s a cold, overcast day in Champaign. It rained for a short while and the cold air still lingers, forcing students to turn on their heaters for the first time this school year. Perhaps Champaign’s weather is somehow influenced by another shift — albeit an ideological one, taking place some 680 miles away, in Washington, D.C., where judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as the most recent Justice of the Supreme Court. Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court has been the subject of much political debate, occurring just eight days before the election. Those on the right view Barrett’s confirmation as a win for conservative thought, specifically prolife advocates. Those on the left, however, view her confirmation as the result of an illegitimate push to pack the Supreme Court with conser-
coupled with the high stakes of the election can be felt across the student body. “I feel like a lot of people that I talk to are kind of walking on eggshells,” said Tyler Swanson, senior in ACES. “The general feeling I have is a feeling of tension and nervousness, and hopefully that goes away the day after the election’s over or the week after the election is over. But until then I think everybody’s on the edge of their seats watching to see what’s going to happen.” Swanson spends a lot of his time thinking about politics. He’s the president of the Political Discussion club (formerly the Political Science club prior to a name change), political director for the Illini Democrats, a senator in the Illinois Student Government and hosts a political podcast called “The Bi-Partisan” with three of his friends. The Daily Illini reached out to the Illini Republicans twice by email, but did not get a response for a comment.
RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI
Students stand in line to vote at the Illini Union polling place on Tuesday. Many students feel anxious about the election result in relation to future policy implications.
Understandably, the election weighs heavy on Swanson’s mind. But the election isn’t just something for politically-minded people to pay attention to. Even those who don’t regularly keep up with updates in the political world cannot look away. Jacob Berry, junior in Business, is not the most politically-minded person. Admittedly, he spends most of his time studying or hang-
ing out with friends instead of thinking about politics. Still, the magnitude of the presidential election is so farreaching, even the layman cannot escape being engaged. “I definitely think this election will make or break the next four years,” Berry said. “The social and economic impacts that are going to occur over the next four years, especially because of the recent Supreme Court
nomination that just took place will help define our nation, for better or for worse.” College campuses are known for being politically charged hotspots. The 2020 presidential election is perhaps the most consequential presidential election in students’s lifetimes. The vast majority of college students SEE ELECTION | 3A
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The University identified another 82 unique cases of COVID-19 after nearly 12,000 tests on Monday, the highest single-day total since Sept. 4. The spike comes two days after Halloween, where gatherings on and off campus likely contributed to virus spread. The virus has seen a resurgence on campus in October. The seven-day average of daily cases briefly dropped below 10 per day on Oct. 19. As of Monday, it’s up to 35 per day for the last week, including 74 new cases on Oct. 26. There are just two weeks remaining until fall break begins and tens of thousands of students pack up and head back to their homes for a winter of fully online classes. If students, faculty or
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• Mob action, battery and theft $500 and under were reported on the 1800 block of Philo Road around 1:44 p.m. on Sunday. According to the report, while the victim attempted to leave a party, several unknown offenders battered them. The unknown offenders stole property from the victim before fleeing the area. • Theft over $500 was reported on the 700 block of West California Avenue around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. According to the report, the victim claimed the offender stole a bicycle from them. The officer determined the dispute and transaction were civil. • Retail theft was reported on the 100 block of South High Cross Road around 5:52 p.m. on Friday. According to the report, the unknown offender passed all points of payment without purchasing their items. The reporting party stopped the offender, who then left the items at the store.
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block of North Cunningham • Criminal sexual assault was Avenue around 6:40 p.m. on Frireported on the 200 block of day. According to the report, Chalmers Street around 1:32 police became aware of a plot to a.m. on Sunday. According to the exchange custody of a kidnapreport, EMS personnel brought ping victim for cash at a gas stathe female victim to OSF Heart of tion.The suspect arrived at the Mary Medical Center for intoxigas station in a van full of people, cation. Staff members at the hosincluding the kidnapping victim. pital believed the victim was sexThe police determined the other ually assaulted. people in the van were kidnap• Criminal damage to property ping victims as well. No one was was reported on the 1000 block injured and the investigation of South Mattis Avenue around remains ongoing. 1:14 a.m. on Sunday. According • An offender was issued a city of to the report, the victim’s winChampaign notice to appear in dow was broken out while she was court for hosting a nuisance party asleep. There is currently no susin the 200 block of South Third pect information. Street around 3:20 p.m. on Sat• Retail theft was reported on the urday. According to the report, 3000 block of West Bradley Avepolice were called to the fraternue around 5:33 p.m. on Saturday. nity house because of noise comAccording to the report, the susplaints from the party. Upon pect entered the Dollar General, arrival, officers noticed over 10 went behind the registers, broke people were in attendance, which a glass container to gain access to is a violation of a local health code. cigars and stole a pack of cigars. • Theft was reported on campus at an unknown location around University 4 p.m. on Saturday. According to • An arrest was made on the chargthe report, following the theft, the es of aggravated kidnapping and victim’s debit card was used at a forcible detention in the 1800 convenience store near campus.
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staff come into contact with the virus before then, they may not be able to go home on time, or at all. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District requires anyone who tests positive for the virus to isolate for 10 days. Anyone who comes in contact with a COVID-19-positive person must quarantine for
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two weeks after exposure, testing again on the fifth or sixth day of quarantine. A UI student who tests positive past Nov. 10 won’t be able to leave on time. Any UI student who comes into close contact with a COVID-19 positive person after Nov. 6 will face challenges as well. CUPHD doesn’t allow
close contacts to “test out” of quarantine, or end their quarantine periods after a few negative tests. The University has conducted 710,157 tests since its testing program kicked off on July 6, identifying 3,240 cases of COVID-19. @esimmsnews ecsimmon@dailyillini.com
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3A
THURSDAY November 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com
NEWS
Hybrid instruction set to continue in spring BY WILLIE CUI STAFF WRITER
As the fall semester comes to an end, the University is busy finalizing plans for the spring semester. With COVID-19 remaining a paramount concern, the University plans to continue its hybrid instruction format next semester. “It really was pretty clear that the spring semester is going to look a lot like the fall in terms of (having) some inperson instruction, and lots of online instruction,” said Kevin Pitts, the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, and co-chair of the University’s COVID-19 Academic Affairs Task Force. Efforts have been focused on improving the quality of hybrid education and addressing issues that came up this fall semester. Pitts states that there has been “a lot of general progress made” with hybrid instruction, as faculty share amongst themselves different tools and techniques they have successfully used to facilitate online or hybrid learning this semester. “We all understand that most students would really rather physically be in the classroom,” said Pitts.“But we’re doing the best we can in these difficult times.”
Additionally, the University has “learned some lessons” about how to handle cases where students and faculty are unable to be present for in-person classes. Pitts said that some faculty and course instructors are in high-risk groups for COVID-19 and thus must teach remotely. Additionally, many students, both on and off campus, are unable to attend classes in-person due to medical or safety reasons. To accommodate these circumstances, there have been instances of courses having a “blended model,” where some students attend class in-person while others are remote, which the University “is getting better at,” Pitts said. However, especially with the recent changes to the academic calendar, there have been some concerns about the current plan for instruction next semester. The current academic calendar calls for three “Day Off” days (where there are no classes) on Feb. 17, March 24 and April 13. These seemingly sporadic breaks from instruction have led to concerns of academic disruption especially for courses with a rotating schedule, as well as concerns over potential burn-out that
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Three students sit socially distanced during professor Peter Abbamonte’s hybrid class on Monday. Abbamonte teaches his class both in person and through Zoom at the same time.
faculty and students may experience. Bruce Rosenstock, a professor in Religion and member of the University Senate, attempted to remove these “Day Off” days from the proposed academic calendar during a University Senate meeting. Instead, Rosenstock proposed that the University Senate allow for instructors
to designate up to three class periods as non-instructional “reading periods.” “(The proposed academic calendar) does not consider the negative impacts on faculty and students of a no-break pace of instruction mitigated only by oncea-month ‘Days Off’ that may or may not correspond to a teaching day in a given class,” said Rosenstock in a
University Senate meeting on Oct. 19. While adopting the new academic calendar, the University knew about the potential for academic disruptions, which the faculty are currently planning to work around. “We recognize that they’re not the same as a full week of spring break, but they’re a whole heck of
a lot better than nothing,” Pitts said. Regardless, the University believes that the three “Day Off” days are crucial to mental health and wellness. “We would all prefer to have spring break this year,” said Pitts. “But the modifications were to try to maximize health and safety.” williec2@dailyillini.com
In-person attendance drops, students struggle with mental health Professor says Zoom creates ‘illusion of engagement’ BY CHIEH HSU STAFF WRITER
In the Fall 2020 semester, most classes at the University are instructed completely online due to safety reasons concerning COVID-19. However, in the physics department, one professor chose to do the opposite: teaching his 90-person physics class in-person. Yet student mental health struggles seem to have led to a sharp decline in in-person attendance. Peter Abbamonte, professor in Engineering, is currently teaching Physics 435: Advanced Electromagnetism I this semester. Instead of offering the class explicitly online, he chose to deliver his lecture in-person in Gregory Hall and simultaneously
FROM 1A
ELECTION are voting in a presidential election for the first time; we can’t hug our friends; protests have swept the streets of our country since June; the President has said he will refuse to leave office if he loses, citing the perceived illegitimacy of mail-in ballots that are crucial for so many of our immunocompromised citizens to exercise their right to vote. Election week is upon Champaign-Urbana, and it is certain to be a long one. Thursday, Oct. 29. The cold front has yet to leave Champaign, and a gust of wind has joined forces to make the weather all the more disagreeable. With a minimal amount of classes taking place in person, the Main Quad is emptier than usual. No more than 15 students walk its length at a given time. Those who do are bundled up in as much fall apparel as they own, delaying the donning of their winter coats for as long as possible. Despite the unpleasant weather, a group of students station themselves on the walkways dividing the Main Quad. These students are members of Students for Environmental Concerns, an RSO dedicated to environmental activism. The group of roughly eight students spread them-
broadcast it over Zoom. At the beginning of the semester, there were around 30 students who chose to attend the class in-person, but gradually the number declined to just five students. Mental health seems to play a big part for students to decide whether to come to class physically, according to Abbamonte. “I actually sent out a survey to my class this week,” Abbamonte said. “I asked them: ‘Why don’t you come to class?’ and a lot of them said ‘I want to go, but I’m just too depressed to get myself out of bed.’” A great disadvantage of not having students coming in person is the lack of feedback during the lecture. “It’s harder on the professors because there is just dead time,” said Mark Bernhardt, professor in economics and finance. “You’re not really sure if something is sinking in because you don’t have the visual cues.” According to Jon Willits, Assistant Professor in the
Department of Psychology, teaching via Zoom feels like “competing with YouTube videos.” “I think what Zoom has done is to create the illusion of engagement,” Abbamonte said. “You really think you are in class, but you are really just watching TV. It’s sort of like learning to be a doctor by just watching Grey’s Anatomy. I don’t really think it’s working.” To protect professors and students who decide to come to class in-person, the University installed various safety protocols, including new airflow systems in the building, requiring everyone in the room to spread out and wear a mask, and restrict entry to the building if the person does not have building access on the Safer Illinois app. “Having gone through this, I really feel like teaching in-person is safe,” Abbamonte said. On the survey that Abbamonte sent out recently, the five students who come to
selves across the Main Quad, armed with pastel chalk, and began etching various quotes from President Donald Trump about the environment. Shallon Malfeo, sophomore in LAS, took part in the chalking to raise awareness about the disparity between the two candidates’ plans regarding the environment. “I don’t think Trump even believes that (climate change is) a human-caused issue,” Malfeo said. “That in itself is problematic. Biden, on the other hand, does have a comprehensive plan to combat climate change. He’s planning on investing about $2 trillion into climate action. I think that’s a big step forward, and hopefully, it will get the ball rolling in the right direction.” Stationed on the southwest portion of the Main Quad just in front of Lincoln Hall, Malfeo braved the weather to spread her message. With pink, purple and white chalk, she scrolled a quote from Donald Trump taken from an interview with Fox and Friends. Bluntly stating his views on climate change, the quote read: “I am not a believer in man-made climate change.” Despite the cold weather approaching Champaign dredging up not-all-that-distant memories of a sweltering summer, this year may very well be the coolest year for the foreseeable future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stat-
ed: “Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal,” with the effects of climate change beginning to be felt from wildfires in Australia and California, to droughts plaguing the Southwest United States. Although there remains overwhelming evidence that man-made climate change exists, the two candidates’ attitudes toward climate change cannot be more different. Biden’s campaign has pledged to push the United States towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, while Trump plans to continue rolling back Democratic environmental regulations. With climate change rapidly increasing in recent years, coupled with limited time to act before it’s too late, has made the climate a priority issue for many voters this election. mtroher2@dailyillini.com To read the rest of the story, scan the QR code below or go to longform.dailyillini.com
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Professor Peter Abbamonte checks to see if he’s in frame for his students who choose to attend his Zoom lecture on Monday. Many students cite poor mental health when asked why they do not attend in-person classes.
class in-person all reported they are doing as well as they would in a normal semester. “If we can get people to come I think we can make a big difference,” Abbamonte said. In order to improve class-
room engagement next semester, Abbamonte said he wants to introduce “some kind of incentive.” “One thing I was thinking of doing was having a wakeup call,” Abbamonte said. “I’ll have people give me
their cell phone number, and when I’m walking to class, I’ll just call them and wake them up. I figure I can call about 30-45 people during that walk.”
FROM 1A
“They mistakenly think that anti-Semitism is just anti-Semitism that looks like the Holocaust,” Lewin said. In addition to “traditional” anti-Semitism, such as swastikas, Lewin says that anti-Zionist rhetoric — “opposition to the establishment or support of the state of Israel,” according to Merriam-Webster — is also anti-Semitic. “Zionism is a key, integral part for many Jews of what it means to be Jewish,” Lewin said. According to Lewin, anti-Zionist rhetoric marginalizes Jewish students because it implies one must shed their ethnic pride and ancient connection to the Jewish homeland to be accepted. One complaint alleges that in April of last year, members of Students for Justice in Palestine, an anti-Zionist organization advocating for Palestinian rights, spat and yelled: “Nazi” and “white supremacist” at a member of the Illini Public Affairs Committee, which is a pro-Israel student organization. Abby Fogarty, a secondyear masters student in Information Sciences and member of SJP, says this did not happen. “We believe in standing up and fighting for the rights of all marginalized and oppressed groups … we
don’t believe in bringing anybody else down in such a way,” Fogarty said. Forgarty says Zionism is a political ideology with no religious context. “The Israeli state was formed on the exodus, the forced removal of Palestinians from their homelands,” Fogarty said. “The fact that we are here just fighting for Palestinians to exist should not be labeled as anti-Semitic.” “(Zionism) does not diminish or deny the Palestinians’ aspiration for a homeland of their own,” Schneider said. According to Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs, the University has not been contacted by the OCR regarding any official complaint. “We remain optimistic that we can work with members of the Jewish community to identify a path forward to address these issues together,” Kaler wrote in an email. An investigation has not been formally opened as of Oct. 28, but Lewin anticipates that the OCR will open an investigation. The complaint filed was “unusual in its length, its detail, its complexity, so it’s not surprising that it’s taking the Office of Civil Rights some time to go through it,” Lewin said.
COMPLAINT
over an Illinois Student Government resolution condemning the conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, in which some students held up signs labeled “Free Palestine, F--Zionists,” and “F--- Nazis, support Palestinians.” The complaint also details multiple instances of rocks being thrown through windows of Jewish fraternities, swastikas drawn around campus and vandalization of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life menorah. “Jewish and pro-Israel students are peppered with swastikas by white supremacists on the extreme right while being labeled white supremacists by the extreme left,” the complaint reads. Ian Katsnelson, junior in LAS, says he has been labeled as a white supremacist, genocide supporter and a “neo-colonialist” during his time on campus because he is Jewish. During his time as a senator for ISG, Katsnelson says he was “consistently excluded” from collaborative work on legislation such as racial justice because he is Jewish. Lewin says a problem is that many people don’t understand the various forms anti-Semitism can take today.
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4A Thursday, November 5, 2020
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Thursday, November 5, 2020
5A
Students petition for return of credit/no credit classes BY ALEXANDRA GERGOVA STAFF WRITER
Following the mandatory transition toward majority online courses, many students, in addition to having limited access to on-campus resources, have indicated increased levels of stress and anxiety. As a result, Nathan Jenni and Kushal Amilineni, seniors in Engineering, composed and published a petition on Oct. 25 calling for the University to implement a credit/no credit option for Fall 2020. Entitled “UIUC CR/NC (Pass/Fail) Option, Fall 2020” on Change.org, the petition has been circulated on social media platforms like Facebook, Reddit and Instagram. As of Monday, it has obtained around 4,700 signatures and amassed a multitude of comments indicating enthusiastic support from students, parents, graduates and some teaching assistants. The petition cites both the administration’s previous choice to implement CR/NC for Spring 2020 when the pandemic was less severe and the increased levels of stress and depression as the most critical factors that influenced its creation. “It doesn’t really make sense why they would give it to us in the spring semester when there were only a few thousand cases around the United States, but not now when there are around 8 million or something like that,” Jenni said. “We also thought it didn’t make sense that we should be graded more harshly now compared to back in March when the situation wasn’t nearly as bad because now pretty much every person knows at least one other person personally suffering from the virus.” While the University has focused extensively on maintaining the physical wellbeing of its students amidst the COVID-19 pan-
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Schoolwork has become difficult to manage and is not the greatest priority for many students.
Adopting CR/NC would alleviate students’ mental health concerns
The national unemployment rate is 7.9%, so students are worried about ensuring academic competitiveness as reflected by their GPA. The CR/NC option was offered in Spring 2020 when COVID-19 cases were less severe.
Students list reasons for CR/NC in fall semester Source: change.org
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Other universities across the U.S. have implemented CR/NC for Fall 2020
Access to academic resources is limited.
Lots of struggles, like a weak internet connection and a distracting home environment, make studying remotely difficult.
CASSIDY BRANDT THE DAILY ILLINI
demic, the efforts should also extend towards protecting mental health, Amilineni said. “Our thought process behind it was that the University has put so many things in place for our physical wellbeing in terms of COVID, so why can’t they help us with an infrastructure that helps us with our mental health by giving us a CR/NC option?” Amilineni said. “It’s not unheard of. A lot of other universities are doing it.” According to the petition, universities like University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Colorado Boulder, Princeton, Stanford, University of California Irvine and University of Southern California have already adopted the CR/NC option for Fall 2020. The spike in exacerbated states of mental health was
specifically noticed by Jenni on the r/UIUC subreddit, which is a common place for students to vent about their struggles. “(While it’s normal for students to vent about their weeks on the subreddit), we just thought that the rate at which we saw posts about stress this semester was really concerning,” Jenni said. “And also we’ve seen several posts with photos of some graffiti around campus, and it wasn’t just some regular graffiti. It had some element of anxiety, stress and mental health, and it made it clear that mental health was an issue.” These reportedly high levels of stress and anxiety are attributed to the transition toward online courses while having to simultaneously balance the effects of a pandemic. Because classes are so difficult and different, the CR/NC option is helpful in enabling students
to have a say in how these classes are affecting their GPA, according to Fildaus Umutoniwase, sophomore in Social Work and proponent of this petition. “Classes this semester have been extraordinarily hard, and everything is different — the way we are taking classes especially,” Umutoniwase said. “A lot of the time, we are teaching ourselves a lot of the stuff, which makes it even harder. It gives you the opportunity to get credit for a class that you passed, which is a good thing because if it’s not a possibility, you can get a B and it’ll go on your transcript and affect your GPA.” However, despite the support from the University community, the work has not yet been completed. Amilineni and Jenni have now focused their efforts toward locating organizations that will endorse the petition and other univer-
sities that have officially implemented CR/NC for Fall 2020. “Now we are working with the (Illinois Student Government) Senate and trying to get more fraternities, sororities and social organizations on campus to endorse the petition because it gives us a kind of credibility,” Amilineni said. “We also want to research more to add to the petition and to our discussions with the University, saying, ‘Hey, these are the universities which took it up, and this is how it looks from last semester.’” While the petition has not officially been brought to the ISG Senate yet, it is currently in a stage where a resolution is being drafted, according to Dana Yun, junior in Engineering and ISG Senator. “We’re in the research and development phase where we’re looking at what
other schools are doing and trying to gauge student interest, which is one of the things that the provision can provide, giving students voices in this situation,” Yun said. “It hasn’t been back to the Senate yet because we want to give a solid resolution with strong stories and facts behind it in order to support the case.” Although both Jenni and Amilineni are not certain whether the proposal will pass, they are for now simply hoping to work alongside the University. “I in particular don’t know what the odds are, and I don’t really want to think about it yet because it’s not a win or a loss,” Amilineni said. “We’re just putting forward an idea which we want to work with the University with to tell them, ‘Hey, this is how you can help us. What do you think?’” gergova2@dailyillini.com
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6A
THURSDAY November 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com
LIFE & CULTURE
Run for Fun promotes community, health BY JACQUI NGUYEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With the ongoing pandemic halting many of the in-person events around campus, students have had to find a way to work around not gathering in large numbers. One recurring event that has done this is the Run for Fun: Virtual Run. Fitness Health Educator at McKinley Health Center Felicia Fordyce leads this virtual running group every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by providing resources for runners of all levels to build endurance, increase stamina and stay healthy. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Fordyce was in charge of organizing the Couch to 5k program. Participants of this program would typically meet in front of the McKinley Health Center and run together as a group every spring. With the COVID-19 outbreak though, the Couch to 5k program was cut short. However, Fordyce wanted to continue providing her runners with resources to stay active and still participate in some way. “I was looking for ways we could incorporate the same ideas, so I decided to
put together a virtual running group where I still provide the workouts and give tips and tricks on how to properly warm up and cool down,” she said. To accommodate for the virtual nature of events this year, the group has created a GroupMe chat where runners can send daily updates of the runs that they go on or the workouts they do. Some send selfies during their workout while others send screenshots of their running distances. “People can post a picture of their run or a screenshot of how far they went or just anything to show that they went out today, and I think it helps us relate to each other on that level,” Fordyce said. Even with this initiative taking place virtually this semester, runners still follow the same running schedule. To begin their workouts, runners warm up with a brisk walk and then transition into their workout for the day. Usually, the workouts consist of interval runs where runners jog for a set amount of time then walk for another set of time. According to Fordyce, this allows participants to slowly build up their endurance.
However, having the Run for Fun events virtually has presented some challenges. Since runners are unable to run together this year, it has become more difficult to build a team environment. Around this time in the season, runners are finding their mile times by tracking how far they can run in nine-minute intervals. “If we were in person, we would be doing this together,” Fordyce said. “I think it’s always easier running or working out with a partner because you can push each other a little further.” Without people to run with, it has become more challenging for some people to push themselves further. Fordyce utilizes GroupMe to help runners stay engaged in their runs and feel more connected to other runners. “It’s been a lot harder to engage with people in general with not being in person, so I’m trying to encourage people to participate as much as they feel comfortable doing to build morale and keep everyone connected as well,” Fordyce said. Despite the challenges of transitioning to a virtual environment, the Run for
KAITLIN MIKRUT THE DAILY ILLINI
Fun still offers runners a community of people who are passionate about running and maintaining their health. Fordyce continues to foster connections with-
in this group. “You get a group of peers who, like you, enjoy running or want to get into running,” she said. “It’s a supportive communi-
ty where everyone builds each other up and pushes each other to do a little better and go a little further.” jnguye75@dailyillini.com
Peace Corps moves, shapes alumni lives BY KAYLA MISH STAFF WRITER
Nicole Musumeci knew from a young age she wanted to become a Peace Corps volunteer. Her high school teacher’s stories of volunteering abroad, along with her mom’s emphasis on language, culture and travel, helped develop this interest. Musumeci g raduated from the University in 2005. After this, she was selected to serve in Zambia from 2006 to 2008. She has been back twice to visit since due to the amazing friendships and connections she formed. “I really wanted to have an adventure,” Musumeci said. “I wanted to have an experience that most people in America don’t have, and to me, that was a much bigger driving factor than trying to dive into that workforce right away.” During her two years abroad, she worked with the community’s farmers, taught an English class to adults, educated people about HIV and even helped establish a public library. One of her favorite memories of Zambia was the sunset each day. Around dusk, people throughout the village returned from the farms, lit fires and pre-
“What I didn’t consider was how beneficial it was to me to step outside of my own culture for a while.” JULEE MURO DE GEROME PEACE CORPS RECRUITER
pared dinner while the kids danced and played. “There was a serenity and a peace that I’ve never felt before that I felt every day at dusk. It was just a really beautiful, peaceful time,” Musumeci said. Another thing Musumeci mentioned was the impact the Zambian people had on her. “They welcomed me like I was family; they took care of me, and where I thought I was going to a place to educate and work alongside the Zambian people, they educated me in a technical way and also in terms of life,” Musumeci said. “That is something I feel I can never repay them for. It was a truly profound experience.” Nick Melrose, graduate student in Labor and Employment Relations and a strategic campus recruiter, volunteered in the Peace Corps in Thailand from January 2018 to February
2020. His main duty was teaching, but in his free time, one of his favorite activities was helping with the bicycle club. “Once a week, I would meet up with the students, and I would teach them how to ride their bikes if they didn’t know,” Melrose said. “We would also teach them about ‘bike health,’ like taking care of your bike.” Julee Muro de Gerome’s experience with the Peace Corps came later in life. She decided to join mid-career, after a long-time dream to live abroad and really make a difference through volunteering. She served in the Dominican Republic from 2016 to 2018 in the education sector. Now she works as a recruiter for the Peace Corps, finding other individuals like her who have a passion for volunteerism. In the Dominica n Republic, she spent her
PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK MELROSE
Nick Melrose teaches an adult English education class in Thailand. Melrose and other University of Illinois alumni discuss the life-changing experiences the Peace Corps awarded them.
days teaching and help- ties for the children in the and maybe learn about ing out in the classroom. community. environmental issues and When school wasn’t in ses“We would get in the sion, she planned activi- shade under a mango tree SEE PEACE CORPS | 7A
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7A
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Resident advisers cope with COVID-19 BY MATT TROHER ASSISTANT LONGFORM EDITOR
Thomas Ballard, junior in LAS, said he enjoys being a resident adviser. He just finished making the rounds for his floor, making sure students didn’t have any unauthorized guests or illicit materials in their rooms. A piece of paper fell off his bulletin board and he stopped to reattach it. On the way back to his room, Ballard saw one of his residents wearing their masks below their chin. Enforcing COVID-19 guidelines, Ballard stopped his resident and reminded them to wear their mask properly when not in their room. RAs play a vital role in keeping University Housing safe and clean during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are the first line of defense, ensuring their residents follow social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines. However, the added stress of being an RA during a pandemic on top of their regular duties has made this semester especially strenuous for them. “This semester has really fluctuated in terms of how the RAs are mentally doing, and how I’m mentally doing,” Ballard said. “Being an RA can be kind of tough in the way, a lot of times we might have to deal with stuff when we’re totally not ready to deal with it. It can kind of make you feel clogged up
FROM 6A
PEACE CORPS
sometimes.” Ballard is an RA on the second floor of Scott Hall. He became an RA during the spring semester of last year before leaving campus in March due to the pandemic. This is Ballard’s first full semester as an RA, forcing him to adapt to a completely new living situation. In addition to enforcing COVID-19 guidelines, RAs are also tasked with community building, which has been made more difficult due to the inability to meet in person. Last week, Ballard hosted a Zoom discussion about that week’s bulletin board theme: wellness. An avid fan of philosophy, he incorporated the philosophy behind Bruce Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger, two popular culture figures associated with wellness, in an attempt to boost turnout. Six people came to Ballard’s Zoom call, a larger turnout than he expected. “Community events are a lot harder to do during COVID,” Ballard said. “It’s hard to think of fun things to do with people, and it’s a lot harder to get people to come to events. You have to do something they really want to come to or else they’re not going to come, even if they’re residents that really like you, so it’s harder to have events.” In addition to RAs, other University Housing staff works to keep University
Housing safe. The number of safety precautions taken by University Housing has had a part in why there has not been a large outbreak of cases there. “We’ve been very quick to get students into isolation,” said Trish Anton, director of residential life for University Housing. “That is our priority. We have everything from card swipes to security cameras, we know where people are for the most part, so we can enforce that isolation and quarantine, where apartments off campus, there’s really no mechanism to do that. So that’s why you see a higher spike off campus or in the surrounding campus community.” Every year in October, University Housing sends out a survey to all residents to gather feedback on four areas: academic success, community engagement, personal growth and social justice exploration. Anton expected a significant drop in positive feedback due to the unique situation faced by University Housing. To her surprise, the drop in positive feedback was much smaller than she expected. One statement rated in this survey is “My RA is visible, available, engaged and attentive to residents.” From 2016 to 2019, 94% of students responded they either “agree” or “strongly agree,” each year. This year, the amount who answered
es shows RAs are still performing well under the current circumstances. Despite the added stress of working during a pandemic, Ballard still loves his position as an RA. “It’s really nice to be a visible leader in the community and be able to provide some guidance for students who might need it from an upperclassman,” Ballard said.
“You’re going to have to deal with real stuff, you’re going to have to enforce some rules when you don’t want to, you’re going to encounter situations that might be awkward that might require you to speak out and a step up in leadership. It’s a very real and fulfilling job. It just feels good to help people.” mtroher2@dailyillini.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE MUSUMECI
University alumna Nicole Musumeci helps shelve textbooks at the Chadiza Basic Library near her host village, Robi, in Zambia.
IF THEY CAN DO IT,
SO CAN YOU!
WEAR a MASK DAILY ILLINI
positively only dropped to 92%. Another question asked for residents’ opinions on the statement: “My RA assists fostering and maintaining a clean, safe and welcoming environment.” The majority of residents, 94%, responded positively, compared to 96% who responded the same the previous three years. The low drop in positive respons-
decisions were based on cultural values I was surrounded with,” she said. Peace Corps volunteers come out of their service with an advantage when applying to federal work positions, graduate school benefits, the ability to defer student loans and opportunities for career advancement all at no cost to the volunteer besides their valuable time and work for these communities. “It isn’t for everybody,” Musumeci said. “It is a unique, challenging experience. When I was in the Peace Corps, the tagline was ‘It’s the hardest job you’ll ever love,’ and that is really true. It is one of the hardest things you will do, but it is also one of the things you will love the most out of your life.”
then go around and pick up the plastic bottles around the community or maybe plant trees that produce food for the community,” she said. Being integrated into the community was also something Muro de Gerome said she remembered fondly. Since so many people always stopped to talk to her in the morning, she had to make sure to leave extra early before school. T hese i nterac t ions helped Muro de Gerome gain the perspective of a culture she was previously unfamiliar with. “What I didn’t consider was how beneficial it was to me to step outside of my own culture for a while and to really understand that some of my reasoning and kmish2@dailyillini.com
THE
THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
Two I-Guides assist a new student by pushing a cart loaded with their items during movein day on Aug. 22, 2019. University Housing staff has been taking efforts to perform their responsibilities safely during the pandemic.
NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Grand in scale 5 Potentially offensive 9 Let the air out of 14 Prefix meaning onebillionth 15 ___ Lum, a.k.a. actress/comedian Awkwafina 16 Go deep 17 Stage a coup 19 Meat scraps 20 “The way” 21 Reinforces 22 Titular “married lady” in a “Funny Girl” song 25 Burns a bit 27 Steadfast 28 Pick a spread, say 31 Emma Stone’s character in “La La Land” 32 Word after Scotch or duck 33 Sport in which rikishi wear mawashi 34 Fearsome beasts 37 Products since the 1960s … on which you can see five “key” things depicted in this puzzle 41 Wire holder 42 “Law & Order: SVU” actor 43 Spot for a napkin 44 Born 45 Voting no 46 Coral island nation north of Fiji 47 Oft-repeated slogan 50 Cooped up like pigs 51 Coupon clipper, e.g. 52 Genre of “The Big Sleep” and “Kiss Me Deadly” 56 Instant 57 Fifth grader, often
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PUZZLE BY ADAM FROMM
61 Mineral in some geodes 62 Waterfall sound 63 Thick and clumpy 64 First name of a famous Mongol ruler 65 Addenda 66 “Twittering Machine” artist
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1 Grade school subj. 2 Course objective 3 Bisected 4 Playground “germ” 5 “For ___ whomsoever much is given …”: Luke 12:48 6 “Me neither” 7 Athletes first allowed in the Olympics in 1988 8 Mollifies
9 Band with the 1970 #1 hit “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” 10 French daily founded in 1826 11 Oscar nominee Woodard 12 Some paid spots 13 Fish whose blood is toxic to humans 18 “Uh-uh!,” in Edinburgh 22 “Never mind, it’s fine” 23 City of the Peloponnese 24 Discovered, as a shady past 26 “Throw it here!” 28 The usual suspect 29 Mopey and ultraintrospective 30 Vodka mixer 33 Substitutes for feet 35 Zhou in Chinese history
36 Co-founder of the Black Panthers 38 Classic checkerdropping game 39 Green prefix 40 Tater 46 Cassette tape predecessor 47 Aunt ___, despised relative of Harry Potter 48 Like rails and stilts 49 Thespian org. 50 Covetousness, for one 51 ___ beetle 53 Shout of victory 54 Material in automobile batteries 55 Dr. J’s team 58 Many a hoedown participant 59 Scrape (by) 60 Manhattan ingredient
The crossword solution is in the Classified section.
8A
THURSDAY November 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com
OPINIONS Film advocates for feminism, equality
rics such as countries’ World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index, PolitiCOLUMNIST cal Empowerment Index and World Values Survey, among others. acha Baron Cohen The conclusion? Author introduced the world of the study, Northwestto the Kazakh jourern University Professor nalist Borat in the 2006 Paula Sapienza put it most film of the same name. straightforward. Fourteen years have “The so-called gender passed and the sequel gap in math skills seems to to the cultural hit came be at least partially relatto the Amazon Prime ed to environmental facstreaming platform at tors. The gap doesn’t exist a busy time in Cohen’s in countries in which men career. Another film, “The and women have access Trial of the Chicago Sevto similar resources and en,” in which Cohen stars opportunities,” Sapienza was released a week earsaid. lier on Netflix. While the global average Beyond that, 2018 puts girls comparativemarked the first season of ly underachieving by 10.5 Cohen’s successful Showpoints, in the most equitime program “Who is table countries — Sweden, CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI America,” widely known Norway, Iceland — the A student in Peter Abbamonte’s class responds to a question on Monday. Columnist Marykate gives tips on how to avoid burnout for filming elected offigirls slightly outperform this semester. cials voluntarily perform- the boys. The worst acaing ridiculous acts. Cohen demic gender gaps occur undeniably has one skill in countries with histories that shines above the rest: and presents of female the ability to persuade disempowerment and the individuals to admit to gaps inversely scale with absurd notions most view- equality in “resources and 20 minutes. the time, is to remember to your mood and, conseers would categorize as opportunities.” MARYKATE Many have testified this drink water. I know we all quently, your grades. ignorant at best. The historical and culGREEN method greatly improves forget and wonder why we Going out for lunch with Not many journalists, tural precedent of females COLUMNIST their focus and productivhave a headache at 6 p.m. your friends or watching let alone satirists, could not receiving comparable ity. I recently tried this tac- before we remember the a movie with your parents persuade former Vice educations continue to tic and was pleasantly suronly thing we had to drink can give you a much-needPresident Dick Cheney have lasting impacts. The ith the passing prised to find it made me that day was iced coffee or ed break from staring at a to sign a waterboarding assumption that boys are of midterms, it’s feel so much less exhausted pop. screen and get you outside kit or groups of concertbetter in mathematics and easy to feel overand so much more accomI used to frequently find for some fresh air. goers to sing along to lyrgirls are better at readwhelmed and burnt out. plished at the end of each myself going three days Last but certainly not ics advocating for “choping creates self-fulfilling After midterms, it seems day. without water and I knew least, small acts of self care ping ( journalists) up like prophecies. some professors start To best start off your I needed to change that. can help even the busiest of the Saudis do.” While Starting in grammar sprinting toward the end, day and get into producWhat finally helped me was students. Things like doing Cohen’s original “Borat” school, American teachers assigning more hometive mode, sleep is a great to set one alarm for 11 a.m. face masks before bed, framed itself as a comiare more likely to call on work and reminding you tool. As Lawrence Epstein, and one for 4 p.m. remindpainting your nails, eatcal attempt to expose an boys to answer math questo remember information medical director of Sleep ing me to drink water. I ing that doughnut you’ve underbelly of hatred and tions in class. Boys receive for the final exam. If you’re Health Centers and proalso purchased a half galbeen wanting, watching racism in America, this more attention and anything like me, you need fessor at Harvard Medical lon water bottle from Ama- your favorite comfort mov- subsequent film applies resources because they to remember these imporSchool states: “After two zon that had time markers ie, putting on your favorite the same satirical rigor to are expected to achieve tant tips to avoid a midweeks of sleeping six hours of how much water I should music, baking sweets and the topic of women’s place comparatively more in the semester breakdown. or less a night, students feel have drank by that time. watching something funny in society. subject, therefore creatThe most important as bad and perform as poorThis device is helpful to get you laughing. The film follows Borat’s ing an environment that thing to make sure you do ly as someone who has gone because it helps me realThese options are effecsecond journey to Ameriartificially increases their to help with this feeling is without sleep for 48 hours.” ize how little I drink and tive yet inexpensive, perfect ca, this time accompanied math abilities to the dettake plenty of breaks. You I can’t believe sacrificing how much more I should be for a college student that by his daughter, 15-yearriment of their female don’t want to push your two hours of sleep for two drinking. Now that I drink just needs something small old Tutar. The movie’s classmates. brain and overexert your more hours to study during water regularly, my headto brighten up their day. My comedy and commenThe study also found focus. Your work and menthe week would be as detaches have decreased and personal favorite thing to tary are revealed chiefly inequality in global readtal state will suffer if you rimental as pulling two all- my skin is clearer, which is do is put on “Good Boy” and in the parallel mistreating scores. The gender ignore the necessity of rest. nighters before an exam. a bonus. bake some homemade sugar ment of Tutar through reading gap between the You can take regular Next time, I’ll be making An uncommon tip I cookies. Soon enough, I feel obviously regressive fichigher-achieving girls small breaks, such as the sure to get my eight hours would suggest is to make a little less burnt out, and so titious Kazakh customs and lesser-achieving Pomodoro method: 25 min- every night during exam time to socialize with your will you. and very real American boys in Iceland is twice utes of work followed by week. family or friends. Spendphenomena. the global gap. Girls acafive-minute breaks and One habit I recommend, ing too much time on the Marykate is a junior in While Borat may cage demically achieve more repeat; every four of these, not just during midterm or computer and alone in your Media. his daughter, train her in both mathematics take a longer break of 15 to final exam weeks, but all of room can negatively affect mg22@dailyillini.com with a clicker and treats and reading in the most and walk her on a leash, equitable countries. Yet, American doctors readily all too often, females prepare the teen for rhino- are assumed to be the plasty and breast implants less academically viaas a Debutante coach ble sex due to a history of attempts to civilize her. disempowerment. The same arguments One heartfelt moment Borat makes alleging, of “Borat Subsequent “The strings in (a womMoviefilm” arises as a ust as a government New RSOs face chalan’s) brain might break if woman gives a speech to provides stimulus aid lenges of even greater sigyou try to teach her” are Tutar before the girl plans to struggling business- nificance than the orgaeerily similar to those to undergo plastic surgery. es in times of depression, nizations that existed historically used to keep “You shouldn’t want to the campus administration pre-coronavirus; startwomen out of education be anyone else, but yourmust offer continual advice ing from scratch with little in developing countries self ... I don’t see anything and aid to RSOs continupower of word-of-mouth today and in 19th century on your body or on your ing to struggle in a socialrecruitment and referrals, America. face that needs to change. ly distanced, occasionthese infant organizations With the film being so I want you to be happy ally quarantined campus may end before they truly absurd and overzealously ... Think about going to environment. begin. shocking at times, its fem- school. Use your brain, At the beginning of the The University should inist message could simbecause your daddy is a semester, the University provide guidance on RSO ply be brushed aside with liar ... You got a big brain was kind enough to sched- meetings. Currently, many accusations of cheap edit- up there, so use it.” ule a virtual Quad Day. RSOs struggle to convene ing tricks and anecdotal The American fixaAccording to RSO feedwhen the only available evidence. tion on most other facets back, Virtual Quad Day venues are Zoom, where “Borat” is first and fore- of women’s lives downwas not well-received communication is low-risk, most a comedy, but if the plays the value of equalby attendees. In fact, so albeit infamously awkfilm decided to put forth a ity of education and leads many students still felt lost ward and impersonal, and thesis on social issues, it to these statistics. Amerregarding RSO engagement the great outdoors, where could use some additional ica’s gender math gap is that a sequel to Virtual in-person interactions quantitative evidence. 10 points — barely above Quad Day was planned by are still possible (weather CLAIRE HULEN THE DAILY ILLINI A landmark 2008 study the global average. Other students. permitting). measured mathematics countries have figured out RSOs represent an Furthermore, a lack of prove critical to recruitored traditions, experienc- and reading performance how to make theirs zero. essential component of the publicity for Virtual Quad ment and thus ensuring es and group culture that in over a quarter million Train teachers on their campus experience; proper Day led many freshmen the future efficacy of their could otherwise have been students across 40 counstatistically significant guidance from the adminto realize weeks into the houses. passed down from veteran tries to determine a biounconscious bias. Push for istration would preclude semester, “Wait, I can still Some RSOs are athletmembers to newbies. logical or cultural root for more girls-in-STEM orgamany of these organizajoin an RSO this year?” ic, and with limited gym Obviously, RSOs must the well documented glob- nizations. Create recruittions from disappearing Consequently, many of access and restrictions assert creative tactics to al gender performance gap ing pipelines for female due to poor recruitment these students may avoid on gathering, it is difficult recruit, retain and train in math. students in industries that this year. initiating contact with to imagine some of these their members. However, The global pattern historically existed as Previously established these organizations for organizations persisting with an aggressive crackshows girls performing, boys clubs. This cultural RSOs depend on relifear of having “missed the through COVID-19. down on assembly limits, on average, 10.5 points probem is a solvable; it is able channels of returnboat,” so to speak. One might wonder why the University adminislower than their male astounding America must ing student involvement to This help could extend to all RSOs don’t “start over” tration could have orchesclassmates. The research- learn this lesson from recruit, and poor recruitGreek Life organizations. after the pandemic passtrated more than just Virers examined the socio“Borat.” ment due to COVID-19 may Many have continued to es, but without consistual Quad Day to mitigate cultural factors that could create a leadership vacuum host parties that, although tency, the organization harm to the extracurricuimpact a country’s test Sam is a junior in LAS. in the future. violating state guidelines, will lose the time-honlar community. scores — a handful of met- srahma37@dailyillini.com SAMUEL RAHMAN
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Avoid mid-semester burnout W
THE DAILY ILLINI EDITORIAL
University administration must aid RSOs
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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.
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THURSDAY November 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com
SPORTS
FOOTBALL
MEN’S TENNIS
Rajeev Ram talks travel, competition experience BY JACKSON JANES ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
COVID-19 impacts championships globally
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM ANDERSON/FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS
Head coach Lovie Smith instructs his team during practice on Oct. 1. After two losses to start the season, the Illini are counting on a strong performance this Saturday.
Saturday’s game becomes must-win BY CARSON GOURDIE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
What does Nov. 9, 2019, mean to you? For the Illinois and Minnesota football programs, it meant success and excitement for the future. Illinois knocked off Michigan State in East Lansing, storming back from a 28-3 deficit to win 37-34. The signature win clinched head coach Lovie Smith his first bowl game, which provided assurance he was the man for the job at the time. Minnesota, playing in front of a sold-out crowd, outplayed No. 4 Penn State, winning the game 31-26. Behind quarterback Tanner Morgan’s three touchdowns, Minnesota improved to 8-0 and became a serious college football playoff contender, and head coach P.J. Fleck was considered one of the best young coaches in the country. Both of these teams returned top players and were each prepared to make 2020 their best seasons in recent memory. Flash forward to November 2020: Both teams are 0-2, and since Nov. 9, the Illini are 0-5 and the Golden Gophers are 2-4. After this week’s game in Champaign, someone is going to be 0-3, and their program’s trajectory will go down with them.
“It’s a game we need to win,” Lovie said. “We’re going to do everything possible to win.” While Illinois wasn’t considered a contender in the Big Ten West division, Minnesota was. Starting the season ranked No. 21, back-to-back losses to Michigan and Maryland ended their Indianapolis hopes almost immediately. But how can these two programs turn their seasons around? Well, playing defense would be a good start. Illinois has given up 76 points already, while Minnesota has surrendered 94. “If you look at what they’ve done offensively both games, they really played really good offense,” Lovie said. “Haven’t played as well defensively, but offensively continue to move the ball on everyone.” No matter how well Morgan can sling the ball, giving up 45 points to a Maryland team, who scored a mere field goal against Northwestern, is unacceptable. Slowly but surely, Minnesota’s lack of defense is wasting the offensive talent Fleck has collected. But as the old phrase goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and the Illini have an opportunity to be productive, despite having to start a fourth-string
quarterback. While the Illini suffered a big blow last Saturday when it was reported senior quarterback Brandon Peters will be out for 21 days due to COVID-19, sophomore quarterback Coran Taylor stepped up big, finishing with over 300 total yards of offense and a couple of scores. “I’m super proud of his preparation,” said offensive coordinator Rod Smith. “I’m super proud of him right now. We just got to continue to keep working throughout the week and get him prepared.” The confident Taylor is ready to lead his team again, but turnovers were his undoing last week. Three of his turnovers led to 21 Boilermaker points. “I think we just need to hone in on the decision-making,” Rod said. “Hone in and make sure his eye discipline is correct, his eyes and his thoughts and his decisions are in the right area where it needs to be.” While fourth-strings don’t usually have to worry about playing time, Taylor’s situation is unique. He has been tasked to save a season — and a program. Going into the year, this was considered to be Lovie’s most talented team yet. Fans believed they could clinch
back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2011. A loss this Saturday, though, would lead the Illini to a 0-3 start and all but end bowl hopes with a challenging schedule still on deck. Of course, Peters is out. But what’s the excuse with the defense? Graham Mertz and Aidan O’Connell completed 49 out of 56 passes against Lovie’s defense. While the defense improved during the Purdue game, they came up short when they needed a stop the most. While Minnesota is disappointed, Fleck is going nowhere. The title of being an annual Big Ten contender will just have to wait another season. But if Year 5 of the Lovie Smith project isn’t successful, when will it ever be? The team is set to lose a good amount of talent next season, and recruiting under the former Chicago Bears head coach has been less than stellar. Last season, Lovie’s seat was steaming. Then he knocked off Wisconsin, sparking the most exciting stretch of Illinois football since 2007. This Saturday, he’ll have a chance to recreate that magic. @gourdiereport gourdie2@dailyillini.com
CHEERLEADING
Program remains left out of game days Illini teams lack positivity from their number one supporters BY GABBY HAJDUK SPORTS EDITOR
At Illinois football’s home opener on Saturday, Memorial Stadium was close to empty. Photographers, videographers and players’ families made up the near 1,000-person crowd in the stands. Athletes and select staff from Illinois and Purdue lined the sidelines. But the group that builds the gameday atmosphere was missing — the Illini cheer team. “That very start when we run the team out, when the team goes through the tunnel and you see that first helmet and then we run the flags; that’s the best feeling,” said junior cheer captain Cam Conklin. “The crowd is going crazy, the music is going. It’s such an adrenaline rush.” That moment of hype on Saturday was replaced with pumped-in crowd noise, faint cheers from the football players and pre-recorded videos on the jumbotron. With only their cardboard cutouts in the stands, the cheer team watched Illinois fall in its home opener from their college dorms or apartments.
Open facilities in New York City, Ram played his first events overseas since February. Despite needing to fly across the ocean, there were no added fears when traveling, Ram said. “It didn’t scare me anymore to fly internationally than it did to fly domestically,” Ram said. “I felt like all the airports pose the same risk. It did worry me at the start a little bit, but I feel like a lot of planes are somewhat empty these days, and you have to be careful in the airports so you’re not trying to get too close to anybody. But as it’s gone on, I felt better and better about how it’s been.” Every venue has different testing protocols, though all events require competitors to test immediately after arriving, quarantine until they get their result and test every four days. Once a negative diagnosis is received, players are allowed to go to the courts. Other countries are in a much different place with the pandemic, which means some events allow fans to attend while practicing social distancing and wearing masks; the French Open in Paris, France, and the Vienna Open in Vienna, Austria, both allow up to 1,000 fans on the main court each day. Despite not having as many fans in attendance, Ram doesn’t have an issue with the atmosphere, as he has played in many empty stadiums earlier in his career. Though only 1,000 fans can attend certain events, it is still nice to have people watching you compete, Ram said. “It’s definitely different; there’s no way it’s gonna be the same as when there (are) 20,000 fans or whatever is normal in these places,” Ram said. “But, it’s still something, it’s still so nice to play in front of people, it’s nice to think that they would come and enjoy themselves as long as they’re being safe.” Ram admits the hardest part about playing during a pandemic is the restrictions, as most events do not allow players to leave the hotel or other facilities. Despite these unusual circumstances, Ram has found ways to stay positive. “I think it’s important to regenerate when you can, given the protocol that we have to follow,” Ram said. “Just in general with the whole pandemic, for me, personally, so many people have it so much worse; so many people are furloughed or fired indefinitely. You know, I have to look at it sort of as a whole and the fact that everyone has to deal with it together. “I think when you think about it in the bigger picture, it lets you realize how being positive is really important during a time like this. … We’ll see how long this continues but I think this is going to be the new normal for us for a while.”
Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, life as we once knew it has yet to return back to normal. After pausing for over four months, sports are one of the many facets of life that have been impacted by the coronavirus, though many new protocols have been put in place to ensure a safe return. Tennis is one of many sports affected, and former Illini Rajeev Ram has first-hand experience with these changes. Ram, a former NCAA champion and Olympic silver medalist, has competed in seven competitions since his sport returned, including World TeamTennis, the U.S. Open and the French Open. World TeamTennis (WTT) is a team competition similar to collegiate tennis where teams square off head-tohead and accrue points if they win singles or double matches. Ram competed for the Chicago Smash in its inaugural season, though he has played for the San Diego Aviators in the past. Despite a pandemic plaguing nations across the globe, WTT never considered canceling its event, though vast adjustments were made to hold the competition in a safe manner, Ram said. “They never actually canceled Team Tennis; they just adjusted it,” Ram said. “Normally, you travel around to these different places like Chicago, we would travel to D.C. and then maybe New York and they would come to us; it’s like home and away matches, much more like a regular sports league, I guess. “Then, they figured out they could have it in just one place called The Greenbrier in West Virginia.” Next on Ram’s platter was the U.S. Open, an event he has participated in annually since 2001. The competition has always been tough for Ram, though 2020 saw him eliminated in the semifinals, his best finish since 2014 when he was knocked out by the Bryan brothers. When he first learned tennis would be played in August, Ram expressed some initial safety concerns, especially since the U.S. Open was one of the first events he competed in since February. “We bring in people from all around the world and whoever they come with, so you don’t know how that’s gonna work,” Ram said. “The U.S. Open really did a nice job with setting the standard. It’s become normal a little bit to play tournaments like this, where you can’t really go anywhere or you have to wear masks all the time. I guess it’s kind of normal in all parts of life.” @JacksonJanes3 After leaving the U.S. janes6@dailyillini.com
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
The Illinois cheer team performs at the basketball game against Iowa on March 3. This season, the team isn’t allowed to perform at home football games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a first for me,” said Illini cheerleading coach Stephanie Record. “This is my first time in 27 years I haven’t been at the home opener coaching. It was pretty surreal. I’ve never seen anything like it.” While the cheer team won’t be attending football or basketball games for the foreseeable future, their training has only been limited, but not stopped.
In a typical year, the team holds three-hour practices three times a week and team workouts twice a week starting in July up until basketball season starts when they move to twice-weekly practices. This year, after ending all activities in March when the COVID-19 pandemic surged, Record couldn’t bring her 34-person team back together until Sept. 29. And the team can only hold one three-hour
practice per week while workouts have to be completed independently. “In the past, it was multiple practices and lifting and we were always together, especially right now in November when we’d be doing football and basketball,” said senior captain Maddie Bolser. “However, I think that does make it more exciting to actually get SEE PROGRAM | 2B
PHOTO COURTESY OF SI.ROBI/WIKIPEDIA
Illinois alum Rajeev Ram competes at the French Open on May 31, 2018. Ram shared his experience playing during COVID-19.
2B Thursday, November 5, 2020
THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
FOOTBALL
Positive tests cause uncertainty for upcoming games Wisconsin cancels game against Nebraska, two Illinois players test positive BY JACKSON JANES ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Wisconsin’s dominant 45-7 win over Illinois should have been the storyline of the opening weekend of Big Ten football’s return. After Wisconsin’s starting quarterback Jack Coan suffered a foot injury prior to the game, redshirt freshman Graham Mertz stepped in and dominated, throwing five touchdowns in the victory. The win sent shock waves through the Big Ten, and Wisconsin jumped five spots in the AP poll to No. 9. Two days later, the pro-
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE GLASGOW/FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS
Illinois team members stand in Camp Randall stadium while wearing masks before the game against Wisconsin on Oct. 23. The Illini fell 45-7 in the season opener.
gram came tumbling down for COVID-19, alongside Three days later, head after news broke that Mertz backup quarterback Chase coach Paul Chryst testreportedly tested positive Wolf. ed positive, one of 12 total cases within the Wisconsin football program, and the team was forced to cancel their week two matchup with Nebraska. As of Tuesday, there are now 27 total active cases within the Wisconsin program, including 15 studentathletes and 12 staff members. The team canceled its game for the second week in a row, forcing 2-0 Purdue to lose its steam and momentum and take the week off. Those cancellations may PHOTO COURTESY OF QUENTIN SHAW not directly affect the IlliCardboard fans line the seats of Memorial Stadium during the game against Purdue on Saturday. ni’s schedule, but three
positive cases within the program, along with many others who have been sidelined due to contact tracing, could potentially cause uncertainty if the number of positive diagnoses continues to rise. The two confirmed cases are senior quarterback Brandon Peters and redshirt freshman tight end Griffin Moore, though head coach Lovie Smith says both players have “no symptoms really.” One player tested positive prior to Peters and Moore, though this player remains unknown. Smith also announced the team would continue
to be short-handed for this weekend’s game against Minnesota, as all players who test positive must sit out for 21 days. “We don’t have a whole lot of positives, but we have enough through contact tracing to wound our team a little bit,” Smith said. “The guys who were out this past week will be out this week also.” As of now, Illinois’ game against Minnesota will take place on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. @JacksonJanes3 janes6@dailyillini.com
MEN’S GOLF
Illini aim to compete in spring after 2020 season cancellation BY CHRISTIAN JONES CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In the absence of a fall season, the Illinois men’s golf team has been forced to adapt to stay on track to compete in 2021. The Illini have achieved sustained success as a program, reaching 12 straight NCAA championships, just one shy of the record held by Texas. After a strong start in the spring, Illinois had a good shot at tying the record until the season was canceled early in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. “Having that season canceled and then having an extra year of availability was a massive change of events for us,” senior Giovanni Tadiotto said. “I had to change my whole plan of my senior year.” Tadiotto planned to turn professional this year and return home to Europe. Instead, he and fellow senior Michael Feagles decided to accept the fifth year of eligibility the NCA A offered to spring sport seniors. In the spring, Tadiotto recorded three consecutive top-five finishes, the closest he has come to a win since his freshman year at Illinois. Despite these challenges, Tadiotto has remained positive. “Lots of doors closed,
like invites to professional tours, but a lot of other doors opened for me,” Tadiotto said. “Like playing one more year with this team, improving my game and learning.” Since the season was canceled in March, the team has been doing more individual work than normal. Though golf is an individual sport, the team environment is important for the players’ development. “It’s put a cramp in our ability to develop and grow,” head coach Mike Small said. Indiv idua l practice may be viable for upperclassmen like Feagles and Tadiotto, but less experienced golfers on the team still need time to “absorb the culture, embrace the culture and keep it going,” Small said. Feagles, who recorded the lowest stroke average on the team last year, wasted no time getting back to work after the cancellation. Less strict pandemic protocols in his home state of Arizona allowed him to practice more than he would have been able to in Illinois, where many golf courses closed during the state lockdown. “I basically just got right back to work, worked hard all late last spring and into
PHOTO COURTESY OF FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS
Senior Giovanni Tadiotto watches as his ball sails through the air after a swing during competition. With plans to turn pro after the 2020 season, Tadiotto changed his path to accept the offer to stay another season with the Illini.
the summer,” Feagles said. “I played a lot with a bunch of professionals down there and just tried to keep my game sharp.” Small has not lowered expectations for the
team. He expects to tie Texas’ record 13 consecutive NCAA championship appearances this spring. “We’ve had this streak because we’re not focused on peaking,” Small said.
“We’re focused on establishing a high standard and hitting that standard.” Small lived up to that standard himself this fall when he won the Illinois PGA Championship for
the 13th time. He cited the increased free time with the team split up as the main reason for his victory.
FROM 1B
vating thing for sure,” Record said. “It’s easier to do something hard when you’re in a group of people doing it together.” While the Big Ten’s decision to not allow cheer or band in the football stadiums on game day was made across the board, the conference has left it up to individual programs to determine practice capabilities. With the pandemic not slowing down and testing not widely-available at most Big Ten universities, the majority of programs in the conference aren’t meeting or practicing at all. Record said she feels blessed Illinois’ athletic department has placed such a high value on her program. “We’re just really thankful because Illinois is letting us, as a cheer team, do so much more than other Big Ten schools,” Bolser said. “Even when I kind of start to get a little down that we aren’t out there cheering on game day, at least we’re getting to do some-
thing and I’m really grateful for that.” While getting to cheer at any games in 2020 seems unlikely, Record said the team’s continued training will have them ready whenever the green light comes. Until then, the Illini football and basketball teams will continue to be without their number one supporters. “Our sports teams have had their ups and downs, but one thing cheer brings is we’re there from start to finish,” Record said. “We’re definitely there to lead the crowd and cheer with the crowd and get them yelling and doing things, but if we’re not winning, the crowd’s not doing that. So, we’re the ones who kind of step up and support regardless. “I think unconditional support for our athletes is huge, and I think they appreciate it.”
PROGRAM
THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
The Illinois cheer team performs at the basketball game against Miami on Dec. 2.
to go into practice and finally be around each other. It just makes you a lot more appreciative of when we do get to be together. “It kind of made me realize how much stuff I did take for granted when everything was normal.” In-practice protocols have also made it difficult for the team to bond. After going through temperature checks and a wellness screening reviewed by a team trainer, the athletes break off into four groups of six to 10 people, spread out in the gym of Huff Hall. But, that one chance a week the group gets to be together has been enough to keep Record’s team staying motivated and positive. “We’re limited on what we can do, but keeping them connected and building those relationships has been a moti-
ctjones3@dailyillini.com
@gabby_h11 ghajduk2@dailyillini.com
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THURSDAY November 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com
COVID-19
COVID-19 effects hinder Engineering students BY ROHIT JAMMU ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
The University of Illinois is ranked 10th in the country for its engineering program with over 20% of all its student body in the College of Engineering as of fall 2019. For this year’s incoming class, college was meant to be a new experience just like it was for all the students before. As of spring 2020, though, all their plans were altered drastically with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing the world to a standstill. Most engineering courses — ranging from the most basic classes like PHYS 211: University Physics Mechanics and CHEM 102: General Chemistry I to some of the most specific and advanced courses like ME 370 Mechanical Design I and ECE 391: Computer Systems Engineering — require students to take a lab section along with the lecture to promote a more hands-on and practical approach to the topic of study. For Sejal Karwa, sophomore in Engineering, returning to campus for the fall 2020 semester was greatly dependent on the courses that required her to take labs. However, due to the University’s hybrid approach to classes this semester, her learning and comfort with the classes were greatly affected. “For organic chemistry, which is a course I’m required to take for my major. The (teachers’s assistants) and professor have a hard time guiding us through mechanisms since
we aren’t able to draw them out right in front of them in real-time,” Karwa said. Karwa said even for her physics course, which is also required for her major, her and her group members weren’t able to conduct the lab experiments in person, which made it significantly harder to comprehensively understand how to properly perform the experiment, as every team member performs it individually. “A lot of my friends, who I would normally have courses with, didn’t return to campus, so even working with friends for a particular class has become harder,” Karwa said. Karwa, who often visited her TAs during office hours the semester before, said the virtual office hours proved to be of little help as not being there in person limited her ability to understand certain concepts. “Virtual classes feel like they’re optional, but they really aren’t, which is a huge problem, because you just procrastinate everything more,” Karwa said. The Engineering Career Fair, which is usually held in the fall semester every year with a smaller event during the spring semester, is often a stressful time for students. This event presented its own unique challenges. Students typically rush around all week in preparation, getting their outfits in line, perfecting their resumes and elevator pitches and learning how to talk to recruiters in hopes of landing an internship over the summer. With in-person events
THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
Illinois Engineering students speak with potential employers at the Engineering Career Fair at the ARC on Sept. 11, 2018. This year, the fair is online rather than in person.
canceled for the most part, the career fair moved to an online platform, changing the experience for Karwa. This year’s career fair was virtual and primarily conducted through text on a platform called CareerEco. Students would chat with recruiters at different virtual booths, and if
the recruiter wanted to talk more, they would initiate a video call. “I’m nervous and stutter a lot when talking to recruiters, so texting them instead of talking made it easier for me,” she said. She said she managed to turn quite a few conversations into video calls,
which, although stressful, proved to be a learning experience as she had a much better grasp of talking to recruiters. While Karwa didn’t manage to secure an internship for summer yet, she said she remains hopeful the spring career fair, to be held virtually in mid-February, will
bring more opportunities. “Academics have been challenging on their own this semester,” she said. “But since so few of my friends came back, I’ve gotten very close to the few that did, which is a bright side to all of this.” rjammu2@dailyillini.com
Rising Region 6 positivity rate averages almost 10% BY SAMANTHA BOYLE MANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTING
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Junior Jessica Osemwengie deposits her completed COVID-19 test into the receptacle at the State Farm Center testing site on Oct. 9. Champaign County has had 6,789 positive cases.
Stay
On Oct. 30, Region 6, excluding University salvia tests, had a 9.5% seven-day rolling positivity rate and Champaign County itself had a 5.6% rolling positivity rate. Illinois Department of Public Health is consistently monitoring signs of significant increases in COVID-19 transmissions in each region. If there are three consecutive days where the rolling positivity rate is equal to or greater than 8%, additional mitigation interventions would be needed in the region. As Illinois recently moved back to Phase 3 as part of Restore Illinois, all bars and restaurants are required to close at 11 p.m. and have no indoor service or dining. Social gatherings are limited to 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity. Once the positivity rate moves back down to a 6.5% average, the region may return back to Phase 4.
Champaign County and the University have seen a steady rise in COVID-19 cases since mid-October. As of Nov. 4, Champaign County has 6,789 positive cases and has performed more than 800,000 tests. On Monday, Champaign County announced another death totaling the county’s death toll to 29. Six people are currently hospitalized in Champaign County and 6,151 people recovered. Region 6, which includes Champaign County, has a 9.9% seven-day rolling positivity rate excluding the University’s saliva tests as of Saturday. Including the saliva tests, Region 6 has a 3.6% positivity rate. Champaign County has a 6.5% positivity rate excluding University data. Including University data, Champaign County has a 1.4% seven-day rolling positivity rate. sjboyle2@dailyillini.com
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100 6
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Enter the numbers 1-9 in the blank spaces so that each row, column and 3x3 square contains only one of each number. There is only one solution. (solution in Classifieds and online at www.dailyillini.com).
11. Jun 2008
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dailyillini.com
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Sudoku Skill: 16 8
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Quiet Building/Office Location
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Thursday, November 5, 2020
6B
buzz calendar 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.
THURSDAY, NOV. 5
Thursday Night Trivia
7-9 p.m. Pour Bros. Craft Taproom, 40 E. University Ave., Champaign Free Join us for weekly trivia with gift card prizes for top teams, swag giveaways and draft specials. Pour Bros. is a food-friendly establishment, so bring some grub. Seating will be available on the patio as long as weather permits. Seating will also be available inside.
Espresso Yourself Café Virtual Open Mic Night PHOTO COURTESY OF GENIUS
The cover for Ariana Grande’s new album “Positions” is picture above. The album was released on Friday.
Ariana Grande’s new album challenges gender roles ‘Positions’ switches up pop music genre, deviates from Grande’s previous album styles
buzz factor:
BY BECCA BERTRAM BUZZ STAFF WRITER
It has been a year since the release of Ariana Grande’s most popular album, “thank u, next.” Now, Grande has topped
herself again, coming out with her sixth album, “Positions,” last Friday. “Positions” takes on a more sexual vibe as she desires seclusion with her lover, which is a nice change from the self-love and growth anthem “thank u, next” delivers. In essence, Grande’s new album is the happy ending to “thank u, next.” The album starts with the first track, “shut up.” This song is allegedly a response to the many critics who negatively commented on Grande’s decision in the last couple of years. It is a pretty selfexplanatory song dur-
ing the main chorus as Grande singing, “You know you sound so dumb/So you maybe you should shut up.” It’s comical to start an album off with that type of message; however, it is not the album’s best or catchiest song. Her next song, “34 + 35,” has a very raunchy meaning if you can do the math. She is very blunt about her sexual intentions throughout the song, and this is the first time a fan can hear Grande speak so candidly about sex with clever innuendos. The raunchiness is shocking but forces SEE GRANDE | 7B
7:30-11 p.m. A virtual event hosted by Anika Emily and Champaign-Urbana Open Mic Nights Free Share your music and poetry at the Espresso Yourself Café Virtual Open Mic Night via Zoom! Join us on Zoom or Facebook Live for a fun night of performances! Whether you live in Champaign-Urbana or anywhere else in the world, you are welcome! The Zoom link will be posted in the event the day of, and we will be streaming live on Facebook so people who aren’t performing can still enjoy it. Signups will be handled through the chat on Zoom. All styles and ages welcome. If you have any questions, feel free to message Anika!
FRIDAY, NOV. 6
Fall Prairie Skies
8 p.m. A virtual event hosted by Parkland College Free Join us for this virtual, live-narrated tour of the wonders of tonight’s sky, accompanied by some of the legendary stories of the ancient sky. Find out what constellations and planets are visible tonight and how to find them. This show is updated
seasonally and is intended for all ages. This event will be available to attend on Zoom.
Yoga at KAM: Virtual Edition
Noon-1 p.m. A virtual event hosted by Krannert Art Museum Free Krannert Art Museum’s virtual yoga will be continuing into the semester! We will be continuing our weekly practice together with our instructor, Jodi Adams of Blue Skies Yoga, with a new session posted every Friday at noon on Facebook, on our YouTube channel and our website. And as always, it’s free. We hope you can join us for this peaceful, renewing practice. Be well, art friends.
SATURDAY, NOV. 7
Champaign-Urbana Winter Farmers Market
8-11 a.m. Lincoln Square Mall, 201 Lincoln Square, Urbana Free Shop from all of your favorite, local, food and farm vendors indoors at Lincoln Square Mall. Wear your mask and social distance at all times. There will also be limits on the number of shoppers in the market area.
SUNDAY, NOV. 8
Vine St. Syncopators at Iron Post 2-4 p.m. The Iron Post, 120 S. Race St., Urbana Free, but donations encouraged Enjoy some hot music in the fall weather! Join Randy Salman on clarinet, Barry Wagner on trombone and vocals, Jeff Helgesen on trumpet, Steve Meadows on banjo and Josh Houchin on bass as they grace Iron Post’s stage.
Attention University of Illinois Seniors:
Last call for Class of 2021
Senior Pictures ONE WEEK ONLY! Open from November 9th - 15th
Your safety is our #1 concern. See our website for more details. Portraits are from the waist up so dress accordingly. We provide the cap & gown!
Schedule your appointment at illioyearbook.com illio yearbook
O F F I C I A L Y E A R B O O K AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F I L L I N O I S S I N C E 1 8 9 4
buzz
7B
THURSDAY November 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com
Rising CU artist values individuality in her music Lil Alice experiments with technical production of sound, grows more confident in her artistry BY ZOE NIELSEN BUZZ STAFF WRITER
Alex Bacon, known by her stage name Lil Alice, is an up-and-coming noise scene, rock and electronic artist and producer in the ChampaignUrbana area. In the past year, Bacon has grown and focused on her musical career and works hard to learn about the technical production of sound. Pursuing a career in music on top of her education at the University of Illinois, she has more time than ever to dedicate to developing a distinct and unique sound. Bacon has always been into music and started playing many instruments at a young age. In fact, during her junior year of high school, she wanted to play in her school’s drumline despite not knowing how to play the drums. She ended up teaching herself and made it onto the line.
DEEP DOSHI THE DAILY ILLINI
Student artist Lil Alice poses for a photo outside of the Illini Union on Tuesday morning. Alex Bacon is working to relrease a full-length album featuring her unique sound.
“I learned to play piano at 4 or 5,” Bacon said. “I also did concert band throughout middle and high school. I played clarinet and jazz piano.” She has had experience in
many different music genres and considers herself lucky to have the opportunities she did in her younger years. Keeping up with this musical motivation was harder for Bacon once she started
DEEP DOSHI THE DAILY ILLINI
Lil Alice’s wears multiple bracelets and beads on her wrist on Tuesday morning.
FROM 6B
GRANDE the narrative that Grande is an adult and can own her sexuality confidently without losing respect. The track “positions” also follows a similar narrative. Grande talks about how she wants to switch positions with her lover when cooking, cleaning and providing in the bedroom. It takes somewhat misogynistic idealization of what a woman is traditionally supposed to do but spins it to where it is up to her to want to act that way for her man. It shows the flexibility Grande has to do whatever her boyfriend wants to have a healthy relationship. Grande’s album features other popular artists like Doja Cat on “motives,” The Weeknd on “off the table”
and Ty Dolla $ign on “safety net’. All the songs are typical sensual poppy Ariana Grande songs, which feature many of her soft notes. The best collaboration is Grande and The Weeknd. Both their vocals meld together as Grande goes for a lower singing tone instead of her very breathy and high-pitched singing. Some personal favorite songs are “nasty” and “pov,” both of which have very opposite messages. The message of “nasty” is craving for your lover’s attention and wanting to be with them at all times. It is very catchy, and the lyrics exemplify the excitement of meeting someone and having that type of connection. The beat is light and happy, but sensually. Grande has always been good at making songs that are sexy but have a
college. “Freshman year (of college), I wasn’t doing great mentally,” Bacon said. “I was incredibly limited in the number of instruments that were available to me. All I had was my acoustic guitar with me.” Although she had never experimented with it, she realized producing is her only feasible option to create the sounds she wanted. “I just kind of figured it out on my own,” Bacon said. “Everything I do musically is self-taught and self-motivated.” Her main goal is to produce unique and notable sounds. Because many things in music have already been done, she wants her sound to drastically vary from song to song. “As a musician, I’m just really tired of hearing the
same sounds,” Bacon said. “I’ve never heard music that sounds like my own. I just like to experiment and make my own sounds.” She credits Lil Peep to be one of her top influences. The rapper gained success after releasing his 2017 album, “Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1.” Unfortunately, that same year, he passed away at the young age of 21. “It is kind of basic, but Lil Peep has inspired me a lot,” Bacon said. “I love the story of Lil Peep. He was a kid who wanted to make music. He was just like ‘Screw it, I don’t like school,’ and he did it. I just think it is really cool to go all in on something you love and end up being successful.” All of her most significant memories with music have been made just recently. She notes that she, like many artists, has a bad habit of hating
everything she makes. Now, she is gaining the confidence to share her music with the world. “Before a month ago, I had never shared my music with anyone,” Bacon said. “Sharing my music with my friends and hearing them say like, ‘Woah, you made this? I actually really like this,’ is super cool.” Currently, Bacon is working on a full-length album with hopes to release it by the end of the semester. “Career-wise, I just want to be so good that I could do any project I want,” Bacon said. There’s no doubt Lil Alice is an artist that ChampaignUrbana needs to keep its eyes on. To find her and her music, look up “Lil Alice” on both Spotify and Soundcloud. zln2@readbuzz.com
certain innocence to them. “pov” is romantic and sweet, as Grande sings about wishing she could see herself through her lover’s eyes so she can love herself the same way. She details how amazing it feels to have someone who loves her while desperately wanting to understand how someone could love her that much. It is sweet to think she wrote this song about her current boyfriend, Dalton Gomez, as it feels like the most real romance song I have heard her make. It’s the most relatable and a great closing track to her album. Give “Positions” a listen. It has a couple of songs everyone can relate to and should consider listening to, even if you’re not a fan of pop music. rlb4@readbuzz.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARCUS YAM
Artist Ariana Grande performs at KIIS-FM’s Wango Tango concert on June 2, 2018.
THE DAILY ILLINI
buzz Music Guide
February 10, 2020
Sex & Dating Guide
THE DAILY ILLINI
Monday, April 22, 2019
Best of CU
Sex & Dating Guide
Music Guide
Friday, November 13, 2020
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Monday, March 29, 2021
buzz
entertainment • music • arts • movies • food • culture • community
readbuzz.com
8B Thursday, November 5, 2020
Champaign Campustown Target is Now Open. Find us at E Green St & S 6th St.
Order ahead & have it waiting for you at the store. ©2020 Target Brands, Inc. The Bullseye Design and Target are registered trademarks of Target Brands, Inc. C-001374-06-007
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