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Vol. 150 Issue 13

Kingfisher advocates to ‘take it slow,’ build alumni support er that be current students, alumni or studentathletes,” Yun said. “We’re trying to take it slow, build up more support and reach out to athletes and alumni.” In an effort to facilitate a dialogue that resolves misconceptions surrounding the kingfisher mascot within the athletic department and better involve athletes’ opinions, the kingfisher task force will be attending the Student Athlete Advisory Committee meeting on Monday. One of the more dominant misconceptions that the task force wishes to address is the belief that “Fighting Illini” will be removed with the adoption of the kingfisher. “We’re going to keep the name ‘Fighting Illini’ because originally when that name was formed, it didn’t have a chief mascot,” Yun said. “The NCAA allowed us to keep that name as long as we remove any ties with Native American imagery or symbolism.”

BY ALEXANDRA GERGOVA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Demonstrators march through the intersection of Green and Wright streets during the UIPD protest on Thursday. Protesters marched from the Illinois Police Department Headquarters to the University of Illinois Police Training Institute.

Protesters call for defunding UI police BY SALEM ISAF ASSISTANT DAYTIME NEWS EDITOR

On Thursday evening, protesters gathered outside the University of Illinois Police Department headquarters equipped with pots, pans and megaphones. This wasn’t a regular protest, but what is known as a cacerolazo: a form of protest in which participants bang pots, pans and kitchen utensils together to create noise. The demonstration was a collaborative effort between many different activism-oriented campus groups. This included the Graduate Employees Organization, Defund UIPD, Black Students for Revolution, People Over Profit Champaign-Urbana and Champaign County Anti-

Racist Coalition, among others. Beginning at 5 p.m., individual demonstrators began giving speeches and sharing experiences of racism on campus, as well as instances of combating racism. One protester rapped a song he had written himself. Austin Hoffman, graduate student in LAS and one of the lead organizers within the GEO, delivered many demands to the University. One of these demands was for the University to divest from the police budget and use those funds for the African-American studies department, Counseling Center and other mental health resources on campus. He also demanded the University cut ties with companies that profit

off prisons and invest more broadly in the community and Black students, faculty and staff. “We are only asking UIUC to live up to its peer institutions,” Hoffman said. Candice Livingston, graduate student in EPOL and Defund UIPD organizer, explained the significance of the Oct. 1 date for this protest. “The University of California System Cops Off Campus Coalition chose this day as the starting point for their year-long struggle to get police off of their campuses by fall 2021,” Livingston said. Their protest was meant as an act of solidarity. A little after 6 p.m., the group of demonstrators began marching, moving

Following the majority endorsement of the kingfisher mascot by the University senate on Sept. 22, the proposal’s organizers are refusing to rush the process. Instead, they’re working to increase student and alumni support prior to officially convening with Chancellor Robert Jones and his administration. Because this is the first successful mascot proposal to pass through the University senate, there is no precedent set that delineates an official adoption process. Instead, Illinois Student Government’s “kingfisher task force” is now focusing its efforts towards reaching out to various student, athletic and alumni bodies to ensure that no voice is left out, said Dana Yun, chair of the task force and junior in Engineering. “A lot of other universities that have implemented new mascots have always left somebody out, wheth-

SEE KINGFISHER | 3A

down to Green Street and taking it to Fourth Street, before heading south down Fourth Street and stopping in front of the Police Training Institute. There, the microphone was handed to Drake Materre, a recent graduate of the University and avid activist. He gave a moving speech and was followed by speakers from Students for Justice in Palestine. The protest concluded just after 7 p.m. “After today we will be continuing with the education,” Livingston said. “We will have more direct actions, we will be doing more collaborations, and we will be directly addressing the administration.” ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF SPENCER HULSEY

isaf2@dailyillini.com

Test return times down to eight hours BY WILLIE CUI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

A Champaign resident receives her ballot during early voting at the Champaign County Clerk’s office on Sept. 24. In Champaign County, 117,000 mail-in ballots have been requested.

CU officials encourage mail-in voting BY VIVIAN LA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Due to social distancing guidelines and the Center of Disease Control’s recommendations, local election officials and organizations are strongly recommending voters to cast their ballots through the mail instead of voting in-person. The usual controlled chaos of conducting an election has become more complicated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, something that election officials, students and voters alike are adjusting to in terms of organizing vote-by-mail and holding virtual events. “It ’s been extremely busy, extremely detailed and nuanced for us to run this election amidst the

pandemic and the insertion of vote-by-mail to the degree that it’s been made accessible,” Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons said. Ammons said that implementing vote-by-mail has been an “extraordinary feat,” calling the office to run two elections at the same time. But he is insistent that voting by mail is safe, secure and very convenient. “We haven’t had any widespread issues of voter impersonation,” he said. “As the local election authority, I will be voting by mail … I would not tell people to voteby-mail if it was not safe and secure.” Across the 118 precincts in Champaign County, there are about 120,000 regis-

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tered voters. Approximately 117,000 mail-in ballots have been requested. The first 25,000 ballots were mailed out on Oct. 2. The County Clerk Office is unable to report specifically on how many registered voters are students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One in-person voting location, the Brookens Gym, has been open for Champaign County since Sept. 24. An additional 11 locations will open on Oct. 19, with three being on campus. One location will be at the Activities and Recreation Center in multipurpose room five or six, Ammons said. SEE VOTING | 3A

@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS |

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Following weeks of delays reported by students and staff, members of the University’s SHIELD COVID-19 testing team said test turnaround times have dwindled significantly. Dr. Timothy Fan, a member of the SHIELD team and professor of veterinary clinical medicine, said that the average time that it takes to receive a COVID test result after submitting a sample on campus is now between eight and 8.3 hours. “When you swipe your i-card, you have a sticker that’s printed and you have an order for a COVID-19 test generated,” Fan said. “The other timestamp that we have is when the final result gets pushed to the electronic medical record system.” When asked about the previous delays, members of the SHIELD team attribute them to the large influx of COVID tests requested, especially during freshman move-in and directly following Labor Day, when some wait-times exceeded 48 hours. “Maybe three weeks ago, four weeks ago we were receiving 18,500 samples in a day,” said Fan. “That was just not physically feasible for us to get through in a day.” This peaked on Aug. 24 when they received 18,598 tests for processing. According to the University’s COVID dashboard, the lab processed about 1,000 fewer tests that day. “We were not able to complete (testing) from the day before, before the new sam-

THEDAILYILLINI |

Opinions

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Senior Eric Peronto places his completed COVID-19 test into the receptacle at the Illini Union testing site on Wednesday. The receptacles are then shuttled to the diagnostic laboratory.

ples came in,” Fan said. “It collect saliva samples,” Fan was like a mounding-up snow said. mound.” “Students do it twice a This large influx of tests led week, and faculty and staff the SHIELD team “to become more targeted in how (they) SEE TEST RESULTS | 3A

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The University of Illinois has extended the suspension of study abroad programs through May 2021, the Office of International Safety and Security announced on Thursday on its blog. “The University values the study abroad experience, and University staff have been exploring opportunities for resuming study abroad,” the office wrote. “However, the rate of COVID-19 transmission and continued uncertainty suggest that it is not yet appro-

priate to resume study abroad.” For students who submitted study applications for the spring, the University said it will waive or refund the $100 application fee. All programs, including exchange, direct enrollment, provider programs, faculty-led trips and study abroad by petition are included in the suspension. UI trips departing in June 2021 “will be evaluated in early spring,” the announcement said. “The University will not permit any waivers

or exceptions for Spring 2021 study abroad, including for those programs with delayed start dates in March or April,” the announcement stated. “Participants choosing to study abroad will have no University connection or support, including access to study abroad options through the University, international insurance, and pre-articulation of course credit.” On March 10, the University sent a message to all students studying abroad in Europe, which “strongly advised” them to return to the U.S. as

soon as possible. The next day, the University announced the cancellation of all study abroad programs effective March 14, ordering all students to return immediately. Then, on April 22, all fall and winter study abroad programs were suspended through Jan. 15, 2021. The University said all students who applied for spring study abroad have been notified of this decision. @esimmsnews ecsimmon@dailyillini.com

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October 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

NEWS

CU Jewish organizations oppose ISG resolution BY MONA ALRAZZAQ STAFF WRITER

Students for Justice in Palestine and the ChampaignUrbana Jewish Federation both had strong reactions regarding Illinois Student Government’s resolution 04.22, a non-binding action passed last week which called for the University’s divestment from companies that support fossil fuels, the prison-industrial complex, Israel’s military and local police departments. The University immediately condemned the resolution, and Jewish organizations on campus followed suit. The Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation released a statement signed by Marc Snir, president of the organization, which stated that among the companies listed for human rights violations, a majority of them were “guilty for their association with Israel.” In addition to many Jewish students opposing the decision during the debate, Illini Chabad and Illini Hillel also condemned the passage of this resolution. The statement labeled the resolution as one with a goal of advancing the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement against Israel. Snir, a retired University computer science professor, said that he was surprised by the “intellectual dishonesty of tying together opposition to Israel, opposition to police violence, concern about global warming and concern about the state of U.S. prisons.” Noting how the passage of

the resolution by the ISG is non-binding, Snir said that “these repeated attempts to associate Zionism with any cause reviled by progressive students” is tiresome and harmful to Jewish students. Students for Justice in Palestine were grateful that the resolution passed, but the statement released by the organization expressed frustration with the “persistent racist and Islamophobic Zionist senators and members of the public that voiced their opposition to this bill.” “Divesting from these companies is a matter of life and death,” read the statement. “How many more POC must die at the hands of these corporations for people to see the urgency and immediacy of this issue?” In response to criticism regarding the inclusion of multiple issues in one resolution, the organization responded with why it felt it was necessary. “The liberation of the Palestinians is tied to the liberation of Black people and other marginalized groups around the world,” SJP stated. “We must work together as a collective force against the violation of human rights at the hands of rising neoliberalism and fascism.” SJP also attacked the University’s “hollow stance” on the Black Lives Matter movement, stating that the University “claims ‘Black Lives Matter,’ all while cosigning the UIPD’s actions of racial profiling on Black students and stifling protests about racial justice but ignoring the white

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VOTING As of Friday, 3,400 voters have cast their ballots in-person at the Brookens location. Voters can also now use the drop box located at the northwest corner of the Main Quad in front of the Illini Union. The drop box opened on Sept. 26. This location was chosen because of the high foot traffic that surrounds the Illini Union, as well as making sure that University students had the same access to vote-by-mail as the rest of the community, Ammons said. The pandemic has also forced student groups and organizations to think creatively with their usual voter initiatives. President of Illini Democrats, senior Madelyn Foster, said the organization shifted to an all-digital approach this election cycle. “We can’t really go on the (Main Quad) and get people

Students return

Week 1

Week 6 Source: Illinois Shield Team

UI averages 30 new cases per day since lockdown BY ETHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

PHOTO COURTESY OF ILLINOIS COMPUTER SCIENCE

Marc Snir, retired computer science professor and president of the C-U Jewish Federation, poses for a headshot. He joined the University in condemning a recent Illinois Student Government resolution.

crowds who attend bars and parties, posing a threat to our campus community.” SJP claimed the University’s statement condemning the resolution shows that the University automatically shuts down and any organization on campus advocating for Palestinian rights. SJP’s statement also criticized the University for its lack of concern for “the safety of its students that were

threatened by Zionists that opposed this bill.” Despite the vehement opposition by organizations on campus such as Illini Chabad and Illini Hillel, SJP is “prepared to continue pushing this resolution higher up and will not stop demanding that our administration advocate for the rights and dignities of its Palestinian students.” monaa2@dailyillini.com

TEST RESULTS

FROM 1A

194 cases

BRIAN NGUYEN THE DAILY ILLINI

FROM 1A only do it once,” said Dr. Leyi Wang, a professor and virologist who oversees the processing of COVID tests at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. “Since then, things have gotten much better.” These days, the lab workers aim to process all tests within 24 hours, Fan said. The new testing guidelines have “really evened out the number of samples we receive on a daily basis to a very manageable 10,000 per day,” Fan said. “That’s what the lab was originally designed to handle, about 10,000 per day,” he added, down from the University’s pre-semester promise of 20,000 tests per day. All campus saliva tests are analyzed by staff at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Diagnostic Laboratory. Using a testing method developed at the University, the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab is able to test for the presence of COVID-19 in saliva using a process called a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR. Saliva samples are shuttled hourly from the 17 testing centers across campus to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in sealed plastic “totes,” the boxes where test

University sees downward case trend in week six

The University’s daily case count has flattened, but it’s still not at the trickle that students or administrators hoped for. Since Sept. 9, a week after Chancellor Robert Jones instituted a stay-at-home order for all undergraduate students, University saliva tests have identified an average of 30 new cases of COVID-19 per day from around 8,600 daily tests. The University’s seven-day average of new cases peaked on Sept. 4, where the week brought in more than 127 new cases per day. For the week ending Oct. 2, the University averaged just under 28 new cases per day, around the same as it was two weeks prior. In total, there were 194 new cases discovered on campus last week, down from 224 the week prior and 181 the week before that. To date, the University has identified 2,556 cases of COVID-19 on campus since it began conducting saliva tests on July 6. Fewer than 100 of those cases were found during the @esimmsnews summer. Since Aug. 15, when ecsimmon@dailyillini.com

FROM 1A

KINGFISHER RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Senior Eric Peronto spits into a test tube while taking a COVID-19 test at the Illini Union on Wednesday.

samples are placed at each site. “On a busy day, there could be two or three (totes) an hour,” said Amaris Rodriguez, an employee at the Student Dining and Residential Programs testing center. “There’s a driver that comes here every hour and picks them up.” Once delivered, the samples are brought into the main receiving room. From there, technicians at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory split them into separate batches for testing. Wang said each batch of COVID test samples has 380 tubes. “We number each tube

from one to 380 … and we scan the barcode into the computer,” said Wang. “For the number one tube, the barcode is there. This way, we can track the sample.” The samples are then heated then cooled, in order to deactivate any viruses present in the saliva samples. “Once they are barcodescanned, they go directly into hot-water baths for 30 minutes to inactivate the virus,” Fan said. “Then they are removed, and chilled on ice for five to 10 minutes.” Afterward, lab technicians manually retrieve 100 microliters of saliva from each sample and transfer it into a well

registered ourselves,” she said. “We recently launched our own website, and that’s a really unified place for students to go to understand a little bit more and find resources.” The organization is making use of social media and its website to inform students on voter registration and the candidates, including local election information, Foster said. “It’s important to vote because our local elections truly do affect our day-today life as students,” she said. The Daily Illini reached out to Illini Republicans for a comment and received no response. The Illinois Student Government Director of Government Relations, senior Madison Jackson, said she had to find creative ways to engage students on a virtual platform. “Rather than trying to focus on students on campus, it is a statewide effort because I know students are scattered around,”

Jackson said. A lot of Illinois Student Government events are focused on issue-based education, such as virtual teachins about how to be better allies to undocumented students or fossil fuel use at the University. Jackson and her department are concerned with continual education — not just during election season — and helping students who have more privileged backgrounds understand those from marginalized backgrounds, she said. “The election is more likely to impact students in different ways,” Jackson said. “It’s important to vote because it’s a way to participate and maintain civic engagement.” First-time voter Lily Greenberg, a freshman in Education, hopes that her generation is ready to be engaged and not sit this election out. “Voting is the main source of change we have … but people should continue

plate containing a buffer solution necessary for a PCR test. This buffer plate is then combined with various reagents in a larger plate, which is then placed into a PCR machine. “It goes into the PCR machine, and the machine does its job and spits out the results,” Fan said. Overall, the actual laboratory process to test one batch of samples takes roughly four hours, according to Wang. However, Fan said that this has to be viewed in the context of the number of samples coming in. williec2@dailyillini.com

many students began moving back to campus, 2,463 people have tested positive from nearly 430,000 tests. According to University spokesperson Robin Kaler, about 38,000 people are testing every week on campus. Additionally, more than 46,000 people have been tested on campus since Aug. 15. Therefore, more than 5.3% of the University tested population has had COVID-19 while they’ve been on campus. The percentage of undergraduates who’ve tested positive is higher. According to figures by the ChampaignUrbana Public Health District, more than 95% of all positives on campus have been from undergraduate students. Meanwhile, there are 33,492 undergraduates enrolled at the University, though many haven’t returned to campus to get tested. If around 30,000 undergraduates have been tested on campus, then more than 8% have tested positive for COVID-19.

“We’re currently working on reaching out to various alumni networks that exist and also starting to form an alumni committee that we can refer to and bounce ideas off of and discuss with,” she said. The task force has planned outreach activities for the student body, like a scavenger hunt via the @ kingfisheruiuc Instagram page where students solve riddles referencing landmarks scattered across campus and tag pictures with #KingfisherQuest. Yun said some kingfisher merchandise is coming soon, like facemasks and shirts themed around the orangeand-blue bird. “This is a new process, so we are still developing it,” Hulsey said. “Including every relevant party is very challenging, and we’re trying to take it slow so we do it correctly.”

The task force is trying to involve more alumni groups in these conversations to increase alumni support, something the administration wishes to see more of prior to an official meeting. Spencer Hulsey, creator of the kingfisher mascot and 2020 graduate of the University, said that the alumni demographic has the most mixed opinions toward the mascot, and that their voices will be included in the task force’s discussions. “People say, ‘Oh you’re not including alumni!’ but this has just grown so much, so quickly, beyond the step that we’ve taken, which is just including the campus before taking it bigger,” Hulsey said. “People are worried we aren’t going to, but we will.” Yun echoed similar sentiments regarding the inclusion of alumni. gergova2@dailyillini.com

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

A voter leaves the Champaign County Clerk’s office after casting a vote early on Sept. 24.

to take action after voting too,” she said. Along with taking action, Ammons hopes that voters will remain patient and focused after the election. “I know this is a very charged election cycle for so many different reasons,” he said. “We should not feed

into dissension and into the undermining of our electoral process.” The Brookens Gym at 1776 E. Washington St., Urbana, is open for early voting from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Voter registration can be done in-person or online at the

Champaign County Clerk’s website. Vote-by-mail ballots can be requested until Oct. 29. Editor’s note: President of the Illini Democrats, Madelyn Foster, is a former The Daily Illini employee.

vla2@dailyillini.com

MONDAY

October 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

LIFE & CULTURE r/UIUC u/TheDailyIllini • 1h

Online community provides connection Features BY AIDAN FINN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The UIUC subreddit hosts more than 50k members, with hundreds of memes, questions and discussions posted a day. The quality of the subreddit’s contents can range from informative discussions about the value of various business majors to nonsensical religious worship of corn. Despite its silliness at times, r/UIUC is a fun, safe and very direct way of communicating with fellow students and even faculty. In many ways, it’s one of the most honest and unfiltered means of expression on campus, whether it be frustration with a course’s difficulty to the collective disgust of the “Build Your Own Pasta Bowl.” Reddit has grown to be a giant social media platform since its conception in 2005. At the end of 2019, there were more than 430 million Reddit users. With this many users, the site has climbed to be the 17th most engaged global website on the internet. The core of Reddit is the anonymity of its users and the ease of creating communities revolving around any interest imaginable. There are communities of puppy lovers, space fanatics, PC gaming elitists and even a 100k member community of people photoshopping fake hats on pictures of bees. One subreddit, however, stands out amongst the crowd of college-themed subreddits. A subreddit that could only be fueled by the feverous wit and weirdness of the Illini student body. That subreddit is r/UIUC. But behind every great subreddit, there is an even greater moderator team. r/ UIUC is composed of five moderators, many of whom have moderated the subreddit for years. A moderator, simply put, is a Reddit user put in charge of facilitating discussion of a subreddit and making sure the discussions remain healthy

Me trying to answer the questions and speedrun the COVID test

KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

and devoid of hate speech. A solid team of moderators is key to making sure a subreddit is able to stay in control and not spiral into insanity, as many subreddits have in the past. The moderators of r/ UIUC, like many other mod teams of Reddit, value their privacy and requested not to be named, so The Daily Illini was not able to get direct statements on their experience as moderators. Details about their moderation philosophy are spelled out to the public in the r/UIUC sidebar. “The moderators try their best to be ‘hands-off’ and let the subreddit govern itself,” the sidebar states. This ‘hands-off’ approach

is specified below: “The community is expected to police these comments with downvotes,

entices you, becoming one doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree. The official Reddit Help forum details

“I love the subreddit, it’s a great way students can get their feelings out in the form of memes.” BROOKLYN CLOUGH FRESHMAN IN AHS

but if required, the moderators might intervene. There will be less leniency for submissions.” If the idea of being a moderator (not just for r/UIUC)

the process of becoming a moderator. “Establish yourself as a positive and knowledgeable member of the community,” the forum states.

“Watch the community for mod volunteer and application threads posted by moderators and then comment or apply. Reach out to the moderators and ask if they are looking for new moderators.” It’s not just the moderators who run the show, they’re students from all walks of campus life, from business majors to athletes, participate in the subreddit, especially during these challenging times of social barriers brought upon by the ongoing pandemic. Garrett Credi, a freshman in LAS is a frequent user of the subreddit. He expressed what he feels are the benefits of participating in the subreddit, especially as a math

major. “There was this post from I think two years ago about math major classes,” Credi said. “That, like insanely plan out my four-year schedule. The social stuff is very fun to look at, very entertaining. All around it’s a very good experience.” Another University student and less frequent user of the subreddit, Brooklyn Clough, freshman in AHS, mostly enjoyed the humorous side of it. “I love the subreddit, it’s a great way students can get their feelings out in the form of memes,” Clough said. aidanf3@dailyillini.com

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Monday, October 5, 2020

Voting by mail: Dropbox system proves viable for students

Dropbox resides on Main Quad, is open 24 hours a day

“If I went on the website, it would’ve told me they hadn’t even processed my application.” While mail-in voting may be confusing for many firsttime voters, Ann Prisland, the interim co-chair of the League of Women Voters Champaign County Voter Registration, expressed the benefits of mail-in

voting via the dropbox system during the COVID-19 pandemic. “There’s quite a significant number of people who have, so far, requested mailin ballots,” Prisland said. “As the pandemic has continued, people have a lot of concern about going into an inte-

rior space where other people will be.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of U.S. citizens requesting to vote by mail is record-shattering according to CNN. In August, President Trump resented providing the USPS with the $25 billion

expected to fund these mailin voting costs. O’Donnell said that this lack of funding is concerning and thought that the implications could affect the outcome of the general election. However, O’Donnell believed the drop boxes could be a loophole. “I’m very happy that there is a high num-

BY GWYN SKILES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Amidst frisbee games, spikeball championships and study sessions, a beige box displaying the words “Ballot Drop Box” rests on the Main Quad. This dropbox is where several students will cast their mail-in vote for the 2020 General Election. The dropbox is a way to send the ballot to be counted without using the United States Postal Service. The Champaign County Clerk launched this new dropbox system, along with seven of these boxes, for collecting mail-in ballots. Luke O’donnell, freshman in Engineering and first-time voter, decided to submit his ballot via mail for the general election. Upon reflection, O’Donnell said that while submitting the application was straightforward, getting the ballot was confusing. “The mail-in ballot application wasn’t really that hard to fill out,” O’Donnell said. “The problems really arose after I had applied. I didn’t even know I was getting the ballot in the mail.” “When I walked down to pick up a package I thought I was getting a t-shirt because they hadn’t told me when my application had gone through,” O’Donell said.

ber of mail-in ballots because that to me says that people want to vote and also want to be safe,” O’Donnell said. “Now what is happening with the postal system, I’m very upset about. We haven’t seen it in practice, but I think (drop boxes) are a good idea because we have separate mail dedicated specifically to the election … I think it would greatly speed up the process and make sure votes come in on time.” Blake Cedergrent, senior in Engineering, is an election judge for this upcoming election. Election judges like Cedergrent will gather the submitted ballots from the dropbox and bring them to the Champaign County Clerk’s office to be counted. “Trained teams of community people who serve as election judges will be going to those drop boxes twice a day … and they will be removing those ballots from the drop boxes and taking them directly back to the county clerk’s office,” Prisland said. “The teams represent both political parties — Democratic and Republican.” Cedergrent expresses the importance of voting in the upcoming general election, whether it’s by mail or not. Even more so, Cedergrent emphasizes the need to educate oneself on local candidates. “It’s very important to be involved in this democratic process that we hold true in this country,” he said. “Not only is it important to vote, it’s important to educate the people on the candidates running. And not just the President, but all the other candidates for local government because that’s what most directly impacts us here in Champaign-Urbana.” gskiles2@dailyillini.com

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

IF THEY CAN DO IT,

SO CAN YOU!

WEAR a MASK THE

D A ILY ILLINI

ACROSS

1 Criticize, in slang 4 Something computers cannot write to or erase 9 Bottomless pit 14 “We ___ the World” 15 Nice smell 16 Like some handwriting … or tipplers 17 Up to, informally 18 Traveled in the front passenger seat 20 ___ at the wheel 22 Lye, chemically 23 Rainbow’s shape 24 “Heavens to ___!” 26 Two-part 28 Captain of the 2012 and 2016 U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics teams 31 Degs. for C.E.O.s 35 Chap 36 Pants part that might need patching 37 Join a conference call, say 39 Silly 41 Monopoly properties you can’t put houses on, in brief 43 End of a lasso 44 Screen ___ Guild 46 Rating between excellent and fair 48 Cry in a soccer stadium 49 Watermelon part that’s spit out 50 Main ingredient in a protein shake, maybe 53 Great Lake with the shortest name 55 Mommy’s sister 56 Kind of connection port on a PC 59 Overly fussy, say 61 Hit Broadway musical set partly in Paris, for short 64 What you might do to pass on an Interstate … or a phonetic hint to the starts of 18-, 28- and 50-Across

31 37

24 28

42 46

38 43

61 66

PUZZLE BY ANNE MARIE CRINNION

67 Letters before an assumed name 68 Sudden forward thrust 69 “___ could’ve told you that!” 70 ___ center 71 Choice words? 72 Believer in Jah, informally 73 Pack animal of Tibet DOWN 1 Facts and figures 2 Part of the eye 3 Stamp on a milk carton 4 One tending a house during the owner’s absence 5 Stops by 6 Towel holder 7 Eclipse or a black cat, some say 8 Ancient fortification overlooking the Dead Sea

9 Hi in HI 10 Spam spewer 11 Some quiet exercise 12 Appendage on a cowboy’s boot 13 Align, informally 19 Elvis’s “___ Dog” 21 Always, to a poet 25 Belgian river to the North Sea 27 “Hilarious!,” in a text 28 Assumed name 29 Knight’s weapon 30 Join the flow of traffic 32 Cocktail with tomato juice 33 Seating request on an airplane 34 Mocking smile 38 World’s largest island nation 40 Lymph ___ 42 Tofu bean 45 Hogs 47 Luxurious 51 Doctor, ideally

52 Lbs. and ozs. 54 Wild party, in slang 56 Sch. whose home football games used to include a live bear on the field 57 Avoid 58 Extracurricular activity for a musician 60 Molten flow 62 International furniture chain 63 “The Suite Life of ___ & Cody” (bygone teen sitcom) 65 Amnesty International, e.g., in brief 66 Super ___ (1990s game console)

The crossword solution is in the Classified section.

OPINIONS

MONDAY

October 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

Progressives hold your noses, vote Joe CLINT DOZIER COLUMNIST

espite winning the popular vote by nearly three million votes in 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lost the Electoral College vote to President Donald Trump. This mainly happened because Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — three states Clinton was projected to win fairly easily — all flipped and voted for Trump. However, Trump barely won in these states and ended up winning all three with a combined total of merely 77,744 votes. Furthermore, Trump won each of those CASSIDY BRANDT THE DAILY ILLINI three states by just 0.7 percentage points or less. Donald Trump is president of the United States because of 77,744 votes spread across three states, that Trump owes multiple in which millions of people creditors an exorbitant voted altogether. Take a amount of money casts moment to really let the sigdoubt and skepticism into nificance of that fact sink in. the questionable intent The will of 77,744 voters in behind the agreements three states was enough to he makes with foreign override the more than 2.8 nations. million votes by which ClinA common recurring ton won the popular vote. theme of Trump’s time That number is far smallin office is the poor posier than 132,476 — the numtion he puts the country ber of votes received by in every time he tweets Jill Stein, the Green Party impulsively without tact, presidential candidate in hides important inforthe 2016 election in those mation from the pubthree states. In fact, the lic and blatantly disrenumber of votes received gards truth or fact. As he by Stein in Michigan, Wishas proven time and time consin and Pennsylvania again, he can not be trust- would have been enough to ed to protect the nation’s flip the outcome of that elecwell-being over his own. tion in Clinton’s favor, had Betraying the integrity of they been cast for Clinton this country has become a instead in those states. habit of his. The number of people He has made a mockwho support third parties ery of the sanctity of pub- each presidential election lic governance and an cycle is quite small relative embarrassment of Amer- to the total number of votes ica in the eyes of global cast — it was only about 1% politics. in 2016 — but this example There has never been a shows how important each more important time than and every vote really is. now for the American If you are someone who people to have full faith considers yourself to be a and confidence in who liberal or a progressive and they elect as the counyou are still thinking of suptry’s leader. The obligaporting a third party candition of a president should date this November because be to place the security you ‘just can’t stand the and prosperity of their thought’ of voting for somecountry above all else, one as ‘problematic’ or ‘conyet Trump has failed in servative’ as former Vice being able to put anything President Joe Biden, you are before himself. part of the problem. It is the responsibility of Alice is a junior in LAS. every progressive voter in alicewl2@dailyillini.com this country to vote for the

Trump betrays US integrity foreign adversaries could exploit. SENIOR COLUMNIST If there is leverage over the President, there is leverage over the United States. the founding Trump has consisfathers were tently referred to himdrafting the self as a private busiUnited States Constitunessman, which should tion after winning indeonly increase the counpendence from the British try’s concern he is using crown, Benjamin Frankhis position of power to lin astutely asserted, “In further his own personthis world nothing can be al gains at the expense said to be certain, except of broader national death and taxes.” Ceninterests. turies later, America is After being elected in still seeing the relevancy 2016, Trump declared expressed by Franklin’s he would hand off conproclamation in the reve- trol of his businesses to lation of President Donald his two oldest sons while Trump’s tax records, as president, but many ethreported by The New York ics advisors believed this Times. arrangement would still Trump’s decision to lead to corruption and keep these files hidscandal. den from the public not Trump’s personal debts only exposes yet another underscore the critical secret that continues to concern over his foreign shroud his presidency, but policy decisions and U.S. also displays his immatu- diplomacy. He has made rity and lack of political millions of dollars in foresight in recognizing income from businesses the risk this presents to in countries like Turkey national security. and the Philippines, govAs arguably the most ernments led by autocrats powerful man in this whom he has praised but country, Trump has secu- who infringe upon Ameririty clearance of the high- can values like human est-level and is privy to rights. top-secret information. The Trump adminisThe fact that he is person- tration has engaged in ally accountable for debts controversial deals in the and loans totaling $421 past, but the alarming million is leverage someproblem is the American one has over the President people don’t know what is of the United States and being promised in these presents a vulnerability deals. The simple fact ALICE LEE

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE

Joe Biden speaks at the Presidential Gun Sense Forum in Des Moines, Iowa on Aug. 10, 2019. Columnist Clint encourages progressive voters to vote for Biden.

only viable alternative to President Trump. Joe Biden is the only choice. And the stakes in a presidential election have truly never been any higher. On top of the fact that America is currently being led by a criminal, narcissistic manchild, there is a mountain of problems that Trump has only exacerbated while in office. Economic inequality has been worsened with Trump’s tax cut for the rich. The world has been pushed closer to armed conflict through Trump’s military and diplomatic blunders. The climate crisis has been accelerated because Trump removed the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and rolled back auto emissions standards. Tens of thousands have suffered because of Trump’s inability to respond to numerous natural disasters. But perhaps worst of all, because of Donald Trump’s absolute and total inability to be truthful to the American people, over two hundred thousand people have died due to contracting COVID-19, more deaths in one country anywhere in the world. Then, just when it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse, they did. On Sept. 18, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who served on the Court for over 27 years, died due to complications from pancreatic cancer. In addition to the fact that Justice Ginsburg was an American icon and one of the most brilliant, wit-

ty people who ever served on the Supreme Court, her untimely death means America could soon face a 6-3 conservative majority on the court. Such a development would shift the Supreme Court significantly to the right for perhaps a generation or more and may prohibit the passage of any major progressive legislation all the while. If somehow Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump are unable to seat another justice on the Supreme Court before the Nov. 3 election or during the lame duck period, fundamental aspects of democracy will undoubtedly be on the ballot — even more than they already were. Abortion rights, the Affordable Care Act and pre-existing condition protections, unions and collective bargaining rights and the right to vote itself will all be on the ballot in a way they never have so clearly been before. This is why it is so important for everyone on the left to support Biden. No one will have the luxury of comfortably wasting their vote on a third party candidate this time around. Hillary Clinton wasn’t my first choice for president in 2016, and Joe Biden wasn’t my first choice for 2020, but I voted for Clinton then and I will vote for Biden in November because the fate of the country is at stake. That fact could not possibly be any more apparent. Clint is a senior in LAS. cdozie2@dailyillini.com

Nominated Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s Catholic faith does not warrant scrutiny Elizabeth Bruenig of The New York Times contends Barrett, by no fault COLUMNIST of her own, has publicly reopened the conflict “between Catholicism and a 1992 speech, Justhe American ethos.” This tice Scalia quipped, conflict refers to the Lock“just as there is no ean distinction of civic and Catholic way to cook a ham- religious life, informally burger, so also there is no the separation of church Catholic way to interpret and state, and how Cathoa text, analyze a historilics may struggle to perform cal tradition or discern the their civic duties indepenmeaning and legitimacy dently of the teachings of of prior judicial decisions the Church. – except, of course, to do These concerns could be those things honestly and valid in the context of jurisperfectly.” prudence only if an individAs Scalia’s former proual judge demonstrates such tégé, Judge Amy Coney behavior. To assume that Barrett, reenters public religious judges are incapascrutiny for her Supreme ble of grounding their work Court nomination, the role in the rule of law rather of her Catholic faith in her than theology is a dual-loyjurisprudence is prone to alty smear historically rootbe scrupulously examined ed in anti-Catholicism and by the Senate Judiciary anti-Semitism. Such thinkCommittee. ing has no place in a liberal During the 2017 heardemocracy which values ing for Barrett’s appointreligious freedom. ment to the Seventh Circuit Multiple outlets have Court of Appeals, Senator already attacked Barrett’s Dianne Feinstein asserted piety due to her connection to Barrett, “the dogma lives with the Christian group loudly within you, and that’s People of Praise. of concern.” While the ConNewsweek and Reuters stitution explicitly prohibhad to correct false claims its religious litmus tests that the group was the for judges in Article VI, it is direct inspiration for “The certainly fair to consider a Handmaid’s Tale,” a book judge’s beliefs in the context and television show depictof their judging. ing a dystopian patriarchy MATTHEW KRAUTER

which has become a symbol synonymous with radical feminism. Left-wing groups and outlets such as The Guardian have painted her as “Trump’s anti-abortion Supreme Court nominee” due to her faith. This mudslinging is shameless and deliberately ignores Barrett’s dedication to honest jurisprudence. Barrett co-authored a 1998 article in Marquette Law Review about Catholic judges and capital punishment cases, which insisted “Judges cannot — nor should they try to — align our legal system with the Church’s moral teaching whenever the two diverge.” The God vs. Caesar conflict requires “the recusal of judges whose convictions keep them from doing their job.” Further, in her speech following the announcement of her nomination by the President, Barrett emphasized that “judges are not policy makers, and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold.” If her position is not trite enough, under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee Barrett said, “I would recuse. I would never impose my own personal convictions upon the law” when asked how she would handle a con-

PHOTO COURTESY OF YURI GRIPAS / ABACA PRESS / TNS

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to introduce Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court Associate Justice nominee in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 26. Columnist Matthew argues Barrett should not be criticized due to her Catholic faith.

flict between her piety and judgeship. It is worth noting that Barrett would become the sixth sitting Catholic Justice on the Court alongside Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor and Kavanaugh. Justice Sotomayor most notably breaks from the others in her judicial philosophy. Since her appointment in 2009, her opinions in cases such as Whole Woman’s Health v. Heller-

stedt and the recent Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania have demonstrated a willingness and capability of justices to oppose the wishes of the Catholic church in cases concerning abortion and contraception despite their faith. It is in the character of originalists like Barrett to hold great reverence to the objective meaning of the law rather than instill their own personal views. We

must grant good faith, to those of faith, that they will judge fairly when they indicate so. In virtue of the great reverence she expresses for her mentor Scalia, Barrett surely has learned from him that alike there is no Catholic way to make a hamburger, there is no Catholic way to interpret the law but honestly and perfectly. Matthew is a junior in LAS. krauter3@dailyillini.com

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS | opinions@dailyillini.com with the subject “Letter to the Editor.” The Daily Illini reserves the right to edit for length, libel, grammar and spelling errors, and Daily Illini style or to reject any contributions. Letters must be limited to 300 words. Contributions must be typed and include the author’s name, address and phone number. University students must include their year in school and college.

MONDAY

October 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

SPORTS

FOOTBALL

Wide receiver transfers provide depth on offense BY JOSH PIETSCH STAFF WRITER

THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

Students in the Block I fan section cheer during the game against Wisconsin on Oct. 19. Block I is a student organization that allows students to show their support for Illini sports teams; the group will be hosting a watch party for the return of the football season.

Block I to host return watch party BY JACKSON JANES ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

With the Big Ten announcing the return of college football on Sept. 16, Illinois players, coaches and fans all rejoiced as they realized they would be able to see arguably the best team of the Lovie Smith era compete in 2020. For Block I, this reinstatement meant going into overdrive to figure out how to safely allow students to watch games while following COVID-19 guidelines. Block I is a branch of Illini Pride, the organization that allows students to support all of the University’s varsity sports teams. After the Big Ten announced all games would be played without fans during the fall season, Block I had to make adjustments. John Sullivan, junior in AHS and vice president of Block I, considered holding events outside the realm of

Illinois football. Now that football is returning, he believes watch parties and events can be conducted safely. The organization’s first planned event will be a watch party at Memorial Stadium for Illinois’ season opener against Wisconsin. “People will be able to come and social distance and sit on the field,” Sullivan said. “We are going to try and do a card stunt during that and try to do some other fun stuff.” Sullivan says there will be no entrance fee, though students must show their Safer Illinois app status before being admitted. While students do not have to make any reservations in advance, Block I is trying to organize a pint glass giveaway for seniors, who will need to RSVP before showing up at Memorial Stadium to receive

the free item. The University will be selling concessions during the event, as well as alcohol to students 21 and over. It is unclear how Block I will hold events after the watch party, as Sullivan says they want to see how the first week goes before moving forward. All membership fees were refunded because students can’t attend games, meaning Block I can’t hold as many events as they would like due to a smaller budget. “Our biggest thing is without a budget we can’t do many events,” Sullivan said. “We are going to try and do some indoor events when the weather starts to get colder in November and early December, but it’s going to be really difficult to do that with all of the COVID-19 restrictions.” To keep students active in Block I and Illini Pride, Sullivan says the group has con-

Lovie Smith has used the transfer portal as a way to add key pieces since his first year as Illinois’ head football coach. Transfer additions from the past few years include senior quarterback Brandon Peters, wide receivers senior Josh Imatorbhebhe and junior Donny Navarro, senior linebacker Milo Eifler and recently added senior offensive lineman Blake Jeresaty. In need of depth at the receiver position, Smith and his staff brought in three more receivers for the upcoming season: junior Brian Hightower, sophomore Khmari Thompson and senior Desmond Dan. Brian Hightower, a fourstar recruit and former University of Miami commit, has impressive size and athleticism. He only had 12 receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns over two seasons at Miami,

but he’s filled with potential. Hightower had offers from Alabama and Clemson, among others, coming out of high school, and his 6-foot3-inches, 220-pound frame provides great size for Peters to target. Thompson never played real minutes at Missouri but has impressive speed. He is 6-foot-1-inch, 220 pounds and is a former track runner, so the redshirt sophomore adds strength and speed to the group. Thompson and Hightower were granted immediate eligibility, and Smith says he’s excited for the skills they can bring to the team. “Whenever you bring a transfer in, you have to really like their skillset coming in,” Smith said. “We thought (Hightower) would be a big body with sure hands and someone that can compete hard every down and that’s what we’ve seen from him … SEE TRANSFERS | 2B

sidered holding contests at watch parties and over social media, though nothing is set in stone at the moment. Students can join an email list where they will get notified about Illini Pride news and announcements. Illini Pride will also be launching an online store where students can purchase Block I, Illini Pride and Orange Krush merchandise, with an anticipated launch date set for Oct. 15. Like most things these days, many of Illini Pride and Block I’s plans for the 2020 season are still up in the air. Though students may not be able to attend live games at Memorial Stadium, Block I still hopes to create a fun gameday environment through watch parties at IlliPHOTO COURTESY OF BRETT MOORE / FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS nois’s home stadium. Sophomore wide receiver Khmari Thompson stands ready with @JacksonJanes3 janes6@dailyillini.com

the ball at football practice on Thursday. Thompson adds speed and strength to the team after transferring from Missouri, measuring in at 6-foot-1-inch and 220 pounds.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Illini get new backcourt following departure of two starters Team loses six players, creates gap in starting lineup Fahey isn’t planning on filling BY NITHIN REDDY STAFF WRITER

The Illinois women’s basketball team lost six players from a season ago. Most notably, the departure of the Illini’s starting backcourt, Brandi Beasley and Petra Holešínská, created a big hole in the upcoming team’s starting lineup. Head coach Nancy Fahey does not think she needs to replace those roles. “You don’t replace, you bring in new players and you reshuffle and play to their strengths,” Fahey said. “I understand the scoring and leadership Brandi (Beasley) and Petra (Holešínská) provided, but I look to the new backcourt and let them play to their strengths.” The two players likely to fill the backcourt opening are sophomore Jada Peebles and junior J-Naya Ephraim. Peebles is coming off a solid freshman campaign. She started in 11 games, and it was evident that her defense had translated. Coming into the 2019-20 season, Peebles was known for being a dominant defensive player in high school, and she was named her conference’s defensive player of the year during

her junior season. Her play translated at Illinois, averaging out to just over a steal per game and ranking third on the team. Offensively, there were positive takeaways from her first season. Peebles was one of the best shooters on the team, with 35% of her shots from deep. For Peebles to be one of the lead guards on a successful Illini team, however, she must improve her passing. Her assist to turnover ratio was 1.2, and she was only responsible for 34 assists on the season. Peebles has taken an abnormal route to get here. The daughter of Danny Peebles, former North Carolina State football standout and NFL player, Peebles committed to the Wolfpack at just 13 years old; she had yet to play a game of eighthgrade basketball. “Being committed to NC State was a dream in the moment,” Peebles said. “Opening up my recruitment for the time period I did was a big eye-opener. Being so comfortable, committing to Illinois, was telling for how much I enjoyed the school and the fit.” Ephraim also has an interesting path. She’s originally from St. Croix, a small city located in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ephraim came to the continental United States for high school, where she attended Southern High School in Durham, North Carolina. Her time at Southern High School was filled with accolades, as she was named her conference’s player of the year and was twice an All-State honoree in North Carolina. During her time at Illinois, Ephraim has had

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Junior J-Naya Ephraim waits as an opposing player approaches with the ball during the game against Ohio State on Feb. 6. The Illini lost six players the previous season, forcing head coach Nancy Fahey to fill those gaps.

her ups and downs. In 2018, Ephraim’s first season at Illinois, she only played a small role on the team. In her second season, Ephraim’s role was expanded, and she started 16 games for the Illini, finishing third on the team in assists. However, Ephraim struggled with turnovers, ending the season with more turnovers than assists. Ephraim also struggled with inefficient scoring. She shot less than 30% from the floor and made just three of her 19 three-

point attempts. Despite some inconsistencies with her on-court performance, Ephraim understands the team needs leaders, and it’s on her to take some of that responsibility “I’m one of the leaders, I know my natural instincts as a point guard will come,” Ephraim said. “I’ve had conversations with Coach about being a leader.” Luckily for Illini fans, Ephraim and Peebles starting in the backcourt is not a novel idea. Back when the two were playing in high school, Ephraim and Pee-

bles played together on the same AAU team. “When we played with each other for the first time we instantly snapped; it was a great connection,” Ephraim said. “I love to attack and find my teammates and she’s a natural shooter. We brought it to Illinois, and we wanted to change the culture. The relationship is good.” Despite signs pointing to an Ephraim-Peebles backcourt, nothing has been announced. Sophomore Jeanae Terry is also in the running

for that spot, though with four likely openings in the team’s starting lineup, a three-guard system is far from out of the question. Fahey thinks there is still too much time to make a decision. “This is a time when we are starting to develop roles, however, it is way too early to say we are committing to a starting five,” Fahey said. “This competition in practice is what drives a team, so we are not at that point yet.” nithinr2@dailyillini.com

Monday, October 5, 2020

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

BASEBALL FROM 1B

in the room. They’re really hard workers.” Senior cornerback Nate Khmari a bit more speed and Hobbs has also gotten to a bit more quickness, he’s a work with them, facing the punt returner also, so we like new receivers in practice, the skillset both of the guys and says he likes the depth have brought to the mix so they bring. It is important far.” to have both Thompson and Desmond Dan, a two-star Hightower eligible for this recruit who played at New year, Hobbs says. Mexico State, had an impres“I think these two guys sive freshman season as an give the group a lot more Aggie. He caught 37 recep- depth that we didn’t have last tions for 491 yards in 2018 year,” Hobbs said. “When before suffering a season- (Imatorbhebhe) or (Navarending ankle injury short- ro) or people were hurt, we ly into the 2019 season. Dan didn’t have a lot of people to has the most experience of rely on. Those guys, like Brithe three and will be expect- an and Khmari, they’re gived to make a difference for ing us reps where we didn’t the Illini, though he won’t be have a lot of people taking on the field this fall because reps or a lot of variety. I think he wasn’t granted immedi- they’re two big additions to ate eligibility. our offense. I think they’re Last year, the Illini added going to make some noise.” Imatorbhebhe and NavarWith a senior quarterback ro to the receiver group and a proven offensive line, and both made a differ- the offense is expected to be ence throughout the year. a bright spot for the Illini this The likelihood of all three year, and the receiver posireceivers making an impact tion fits into that. Returning the way Imatorbhebhe and players such as ImatorbhebNavarro did is low, but Smith he, Navarro, senior TrevPHOTO COURTESY OF FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS and his crew have proven on Sidney and sophomore Illinois baseball head coach Dan Hartleb speaks with the umpires before a game. Hartleb’s son, Zak Hartleb, will be joining the they know how to recruit Casey Washington will lead team’s 2021 roster. the position. the way, with the newcomNavarro has already got- ers in Thompson and Highten to work with the new tower also expected to make additions in practice and is an impact. Lovie Smith has impressed with what he’s gone to the transfer portal seen so far from Thompson for many positions but con- BY RICH EBERWEIN around him and the team.” still want to be involved in cedures. “I think it’s lookand Hightower. tinues to make a splash at the STAFF WRITER After growing up and liv- the sports realm in some ing really positive for the “Brian and Khmari are wide receiver position. Zak Hartleb, Illinois ing in Champaign his whole capacity. spring, especially with head coach Dan Hartleb’s life, Zak is no stranger to As for how Illinois has football getting going. I really good players, they 20-year-old son, will be being around the Illinois been operating this fall, think we’ll have a really bring a lot of toughness to @JPietsch14 making his way onto the baseball team and was even Zak is confident he and good rest of the fall and the group, a lot of size and pietsch3@dailyillini.com Illinois baseball team’s the team’s batboy when his fellow transfers will start on time in the spring.” they definitely bring a lot of 2021 roster for his junior he was younger. Coach Coach Hartleb is also competition to the room,” year. After spending two Hartleb said with everyconfident he and Zak will Navarro said. “I think as years playing baseball at one’s season cut short last be able to keep their home you get more guys into the John A. Logan College, spring, the Illini are aimlife and baseball lives seproom, the competition level the same institution his ing high and trying to win arate while they both look starts to rise up. I think it’s father attended, Zak will not only the Big Ten Divito compete at a high level. overall really good for the look to contribute to the sion but also the NCA A “I think he’s excited,” group. They’re good guys Illini cause with his father Tournament. Coach Hartleb said about at the helm. Zak began playing baseZak being on the team. ZAK HARTLEB “I know his style of ball at a young age and will “I didn’t approach him JUNIOR ON ILLINI BASEBALL TEAM coaching and I know what look to find some playing about being here, he made he expects out of his play- time at the corner infield it clear that it was a goal ers,” said Zak about his spots after splitting his of his to play here and get father being his new head past two seasons at Logan be ready to contribute and a degree at the Universicoach. “I expect him to between first and third take the Big Ten division ty. Zak’s very mature so he treat me just like every- base. After Zak completes by storm. knew what he was getting body else, so (there are) his playing career, he plans “I think the University into, and I think it will go no worries. If it was some- on following in his father’s has done really well this smoothly.” thing I didn’t feel comfort- footsteps and take up a fall, just with all the testPHOTO COURTESY OF BRETT MOORE / FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS able with, I would have nev- coaching role in the base- ing and keeping athletes @ebs_rich er considered coming and ball world. If that does not and students safe,” said rse3@dailyillini.com Junior wide receiver Brian Hightower runs with the ball at playing. It’s just fun to be come to fruition, Zak would Zak about COVID-19 profootball practice on Wednesday.

TRANSFERS

Dan Hartleb anticipates coaching son

“It’s just fun to be around (Dan Hartleb) and the team.”

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October 5, 2020 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

COVID-19 Chancellor Jones talks COVID costs, predictions How much has the University (on campus) spent on all COVID-19 related matters? Such as processing tests, paying COVID testing assistants and buying testing materials/ equipment.

factor gives you the most confidence and what’s the factor that gives you the most concern?

We are encouraged by the progress we have made in containing our positivity rate in the past several weeks, and we continue to work to prevent the spread of COVID as the weather gets colder. One factor that poses concern is the upcoming Fall Break. We want to prevent any possible spread of the virus to other communities when our students travel home for the break, so we are currently exploring strategies for addressing this issue.

Currently, we estimate our additional costs due to COVID-19 at about $48 million. This includes COVID-19 testing, but it also includes safety measures like providing masks and other PPE for our students and staff, sanitizer, wipes and HVAC improvements and office renovations. This number also includes the investments we have made in software and hardware for our students, In your opinion, how has the faculty and staff to enhance confidential web form that online course delivery and allows students to report support for our faculty. activities that do not follow

PHOTO COURTESY OF RICK CINCLAIR

What steps are being taken to potentially reduce costs and losses related to COVID-19 spending?

CU mayors issue Halloween guidelines

BY SAMANTHA BOYLE MANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTING

Ahead of Halloween, Champaign-Urbana officials released official trickor-treating standards to avoid making the holiday an agent of the coronavirus. Since Halloween falls on Saturday, trick-or-treating will run from 5 to 7 p.m. On Friday, Champaign

Mayor Deborah Feinen and Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin urged all residents to discuss and practice social distancing measures for homes giving out candy as well as the children who will be trick-or-treating. The Illinois Department of Public Health and Champaign-Urbana Public Health District have issued safety guidances for all trick-or-treaters. Some of the guidances include leaving individually wrapped candy on houses’ front walkways, sidewalks or any other outdoor space that would allow for six-foot social distance. Anyone who is distributing candy should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds before placing candy out and replenishing it. Also, everyone who is

The web form that allows students to report activities that do not follow social distancing or other COVID-related guidelines is an additional tool that members of our community can use in helping stop the spread of COVID-19. To date, we have received over 400 reports, which indicates our community values this option of expressing their concern.

We are taking a number of steps to mitigate the financial effects of COVID-19 including postponing certain capital projects, putting restrictions on hiring and encouraging all our Coltrick-or-treating in outdoor leges and units to plan more places instead of enclosed strategically. areas such as apartment buildings because they At our current pace, do you present a greater risk of think that students will be transmission of COVID-19. able to continue in-person news@dailyillini.com These guidances also classes until Nov. 20? What apply to other fall festivities around the counties. Trunk or Treat events are discouraged unless they’re spread out; haunted houses, forests or walks are not allowed and pumpkin patches, orchard visits and hayrides should adhere to social distancing and capacity guidelines. Fall festival events should be avoided in areas with community spread. Social gatherings, costume parties and Halloween parties at bars should also be socially distanced adhere to capacity guidelines. MARK CAPAPAS THE DAILY ILLINI

Children trick-or-treat at the Worcester Senior Center in Worcester, Massachusetts on Oct. 31. The mayors of both Urbana and Champaign are encouraging residents to take precautions against COVID-19 during trick-or-treating this Halloween.

Officials encourage safety precautions for trick-ortreaters

social distancing guidelines been effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19?

passing out candy or trickor-treating should also wear proper face masks. A costume mask is not a substitute for a face covering, CUPHD said. The district advised to make sure no breathing problems occur if wearing a face mask under a costume mask. Trick-or-treating in groups should only be done with other household members and groups should maintain a six-feet distance between other trickor-treaters. Hand sanitizer should also be carried and used frequently. Any candy got from trickor-treating should not be eaten until hands have been washed. All candy should be checked and any unwrapped candy should be thrown out. CUPHD also encourages sjboyle2@dailyillini.com

Chancellor Robert Jones prepares to deliver the State of the University address on Jan. 24 at the Illini Union.

Illinois excludes Champaign County from regional data BY ETHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

Due to the extraordinary volume of tests coming from the University of Illinois, Illinois public health officials are excluding Champaign County tests from regional figures. Without the University’s average of 8,600 daily tests driving down the region’s positivity rate, the entire region, including Champaign, may be subject to additional restrictions. Region 6 encompasses 21 counties, from Lawrence County in the south to Iroquois County in the north, a RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI 150-mile stretch. A coronavirus test site worker waits for students to arrive at the On Thursday, Region 6’s Illini Union test site on Wednesday. seven-day average positivi-

ty rate stood at 2%. Without Champaign County, it was at 7.6%, close to the 8% positivity benchmark when Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan requires a region to adopt more COVID-related restrictions. “We want to ensure that the large volume of tests at Urbana-Champaign does not overshadow the trends that we’re seeing in the broader region, and we don’t want to be inhibited from taking action to keep people safe,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike of the Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday. “If regional metrics are tripped in Region 6 by looking at the data in this way, the entire region, including Champaign

Stay

County, will still be required to implement mitigation efforts.” Champaign County has regularly conducted around 80% of the region’s daily tests, sometimes 20% of the day’s statewide tests. If Region 6 crosses the 8% positivity threshold, restaurants and bars may have to close at 11 p.m., and in-person dining will be prohibited. On Sunday, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District confirmed another 28 cases of COVID-19 in Champaign County after 8,613 new tests, for a positivity rate of 0.33%. CUPHD also reported another 74 recoveries from the virus, driving the active

case count down by 46, to 360 active cases. Champaign County saw its first COVID-related fatalities in over a month last week, with three consecutive deaths on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The two who died on Wednesday and Thursday were women in their 80s, and Friday’s death was a woman in her 90s. All had underlying health conditions, according to CUPHD’s Julie Pryde. To date, 4,941 people have tested positive for COVID-19 countywide. Of them 4,558 have recovered, six are hospitalized and 23 have died. @esimmsnews ecsimmon@dailyillini.com

covered so you can stay here. covid19.illinois.edu

Monday, October 5, 2020

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Monday, October 5, 2020

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.

MONDAY, OCT. 5

Castle Finn: Live on WEFT Sessions

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHLOE COLLINS’ FACEBOOK

Artist Chloe Collins sits with her guitar in her lap on Oct. 8. Collins is from Nashville and has found success in her song “Partner in Crime” through its popularity on TikTok.

Listen to these up-and-coming artists to spruce up your playlists BY BUZZ STAFF

The first full moon of October was on the first day, which has to be a sign of change. If you’re like most, you’ve probably found yourself in the cycle of listening to the same music at one point in life. Consider celebrating new beginnings by adding some new artists to your playlists. Here are a few of the buzz staff’s picks for favorite up-and-coming artists that the world should be paying attention to in the coming years.

Rukayah Hussein

An up-and-coming artist that I recently discovered is Chloe Collins. She is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, and she still has a relatively small presence in the music scene. Her music gives off both country and pop vibes, which was super surprising for me to enjoy

as I am not a fan of country music. However, her music and lyrics are excellent, and she has the potential to get big. My favorite song of hers, which happens to be popular on TikTok, is “Partner in Crime.” The lyrics are straightforward but smart, and I could listen to it all day. It is about a love you can’t help falling for, even though it is probably best to stay away. Another great song by Collins is “World on Fire.” It is pretty pointed lyrically, especially considering the state of the world right now. However, the song fits my current attitude about current events, and it has a great rhythm. Another song I enjoy by Collins is “Didn’t Want You.” Her voice is powerful throughout the song’s entirety, and listeners can tell her emotions shine through her singing. Chloe Collins is

an excellent artist, and I hope she finds more popularity in the future. She has helped me open the doors to having a new appreciation for small artists.

Sydney Wood

After first hearing Sløtface back in January, the band’s songs have been essential additions to my workout playlists. Based in Norway, Sløtface consists of vocalist Haley Shea, drummer Halvard Skeie Wiencke, guitarist Tor-Arne and bassist Lasse Lokøy. Sløtface has released two albums, two EPs and several singles. With songs like “Telepathetic,” “Sink or Swim” and “Magazine,” Sløtface specializes in fast-paced songs that get my heart pumping. Whenever I go on runs, “Pitted” is always SEE ARTISTS | 6B

! 10-11 p.m. " WEFT Community Radio # Free The new project in the C-U music scene, Castle Finn, performs live in the WEFT Great Hall. Tune in to FM 90.1 or stream live at WEFT Community Radio’s website.

Virtual Open Mic Night via Zoom!

! 7:30-11:30 p.m. " A virtual event hosted by The Canopy Club # Free Join the Canopy Club and the ChampaignUrbana Open Mic Nights crew, including Mike Ingram, Anika Emily, Moe Pesci da Goodfella, Jake Fava Music, Lola Honey and more for weekly COVID-19 induced Zoom open mics. Until we can all be back at The Canopy Club, this is the best we’ve got.

TUESDAY, OCT. 6

Champaign Farmers Market

! 3-6 p.m. " Champaign Farmers Market, Neil and Washington streets, Champaign # Free The Champaign Farmers Market returns for another season of fresh local food and fun! This year looks slightly different, but you can still shop local vendors to get fresh produce from farmers in our area.

Chicago Farmer’s Folkin’ Tuesday Livestream

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7

Character Development: Writer’s Workshop ! 7-9 p.m. " A virtual event hosted by Champaign Public Library # Free, but reservation is required Join us for this virtual workshop where you will learn the art of creating great characters from writer and professional editor Ekta Garg.

The Live Jukebox at The Clark Bar ! 7-9 p.m. " The Clark Bar, 207 W. Clark St., Champaign # Free Choose from over 400 songs in this live show, consisting of faithful renditions and twisted remakes. Don’t miss out!

Edna: Live(stream) at Rose Bowl Tavern

! 8 p.m. " A virtual event hosted by Rose Bowl Tavern and RBTV Media # Free Join us for a virtual evening of thrashing around on RBTV Media, live from the Rose Bowl Tavern in Urbana. Edna is currently preparing to record an EP, and we could use your support to help fund it. Please consider buying a shirt on our Bandcamp or donating to the live stream. RBTV Media has been awesome enough to help us host this show, and they deserve some love for helping keep local music going strong in our community.

! 7 p.m. " A virtual event hosted by Chicago Farmer # Free Chicago Farmer live streams this Tuesday and every Tuesday at 7 p.m. on his Facebook page. Listen to songs and stories, and expect some special guests!

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buzz FROM 5B

ARTISTS the first song I listen to, followed by “Try” and “S.U.C.C.E.S.S.” Sløtface’s popularity increased after their newest album, “Sorry for the late reply,” came out in January, but they still aren’t well known by many pop-punk fans, especially since the band has only been releasing music since 2014. Sløtface’s music tackles multiple issues, such as global warming, breakups and feeling out of place. With their cheeky attitude and powerful lyrics, Sløtface is my go-to band when I need to focus on my workouts or feel a bit rebellious without actually doing anything that would be considered rebellious. My alltime favorite Sløtface song is “Stuff” because of it’s lighthearted rhythm and symbolic lyrics. As 2020 comes to an end, I look forward to hearing any new releases from Sløtface and hope more people begin listening to their music. PHOTO COURTESY OF DELLA PERRONE / ELSINORE’S FACEBOOK

Ryan Groff performs alongside his band Elsinore at The City Center in Champaign on Nov. 16. Groff has been giving guitar lessons and has started a new band during the pandemic.

Ryan Groff describes pandemic effects on musical plans BY JULIA YOUMAN BUZZ STAFF WRITER

“All of sudden, everyone had a ton of time on their hands,” Groff said. “People who had never picked up a guitar began seeking out beginner lessons just for something to do.” Once safe, he reopened his studio for in-person lessons following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleaning protocols for small spaces. In the studio, people have to wear masks and sit six feet apart. “I had to kind of pivot and figure out how to make it work,” Groff said. “I was able to adapt and use my free time to get other things done around my studio and my house.” In addition to finding a group of new students, he’s also started a new band

with his friends and still collaborates with Elsinore drummer, James Treichler. “It’s been a turning of a page, creatively, for me,” Groff said. Groff and Treichler have been working in the studio brainstorming music video ideas and new ways to promote “A Life in the 21st Century” without meeting in person. Before the pandemic, Groff’s main focus was on promoting the album. In fact, they didn’t meet in-person that much and spent most of their time in their respective studios anyways. “I realized I was pretty burnt out on not performing as much,” Groff said. “For so long It was a lot of

‘finish the record.’” In the rush to promote the album and book shows, Groff said he barely performed anymore. “When I had to adapt, it really just showed me that I missed it,” Groff said. “I was ready to play music in a room with other people again.” Since then, he’s formed a second band with his close friends, and they are working on some new music. “We’ve just had a few rehearsals, but I think it really happened because of COVID-19 because of the lockdown” he said. “It just fell into my lap.” He’s also collaborating with Treichler on a secret project for a video game company.

“This was the change I really needed,” Groff said. “I needed something to happen to make it feel like I hadn’t lost my band or my ability to play shows.” Groff admits that while he watches virtual concerts and loves the camaraderie of them, he never felt compelled to do one himself. He’s found solace in finally being able to work on song ideas he’s had for a while, but never had the time to explore. “It’s so heartbreaking for artists not to have live shows,” Groff said. “We have all sacrificed a lot, but I’m just doing my version of what everyone is having to do and adapting.”

Julia Youman

I was planning on seeing Tennis in concert in April until COVID-19 came along and destroyed my hopes and dreams. None of my friends wanted to go with me, but I had no problem vibing alone to their ethereal indie-pop jams. Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore formed the band back in 2010 after meeting in a philosophy class at the University of Colorado Denver and subsequently falling in love. The husband and wife duo released their first album in 2011, “Cape Dory,” which documented their time together sailing on the Atlantic Ocean for seven months. They’ve made dreamy music for nostalgic indie lovers ever since. Their music has a mellow ‘70s vibe evoking musical acts like Fleetwood Mac and Dusty Springfield. Their fourth studio album, “ Yours Conditionally,” came out in 2017 and has remained one of my favorites to this day. The album cover looks like an ‘80s hair salon ad with the duo’s permed hair and a soft yellow filter. “My Emotions are Blinding” and “Ladies Don’t Play Guitar” from that album are the perfect backdrop to a late-night summer joyride back from the city. The lofi pop songs on their latest album, “Swimmer,” which came out in February, are a great addition to any playlist involving Stevie Nicks and Florence Welch. While this group has been around for 10 years now, I don’t think enough people know about them. Any fans of female classic rock icons — think Debbie Harry and Joni Mitchell — will love Alaina Moore’s vocals and style.

Under normal circumstances, Champaign-based indie rock band Elsinore would be touring across the midwest to promote their latest album, “A Life in the 21st Century.” Their plan was then to perform at The 30th Annual Great Cover Up, a music festival dedicated to local artists performing their favorite cover songs. The festival would’ve taken place in February. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, however, Elsinore was forced to go on a hiatus. With two of their members currently living in Chicago and strict social distancing guidelines in place, the group had to jyouman2@readbuzz.com adapt. “A big part of my income and artistry is making records, recording, rehearsing and performing,” said Elsinore guitarist Ryan Groff. “We had to recalibrate what we had to spend our time doing.“ Not too long after, Groff, one of the few members still living in the ChampaignUrbana area, tapped into a whole new creative outlet. He found success with private music lessons and rekindled his love for live studio sessions. During the first few weeks of quarantine, when schools shut down and people were encouraged to stay at home, he lost most of his students. “I went from having roughly 60 private lessons a week to 35, and they were all virtual,” Groff said. PHOTO COURTESY OF ELSINORE’S FACEBOOK Then, s o m e t h i n g Elsinore guitarist Ryan Groff’s studio on Aug. 9 is pictured above. Groff cut a hole in the wall and installed the window above the buzz@readbuzz.com switched almost instantly. piano on this day.

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