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THE DAILY ILLINI
MONDAY August 24, 2020
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 150 Issue 1
Greek life adapts to COVID restrictions BY HEATHER ROBINSON ASSISTANT DAYTIME NEWS EDITOR
RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI
Kushi Gowda deposits her testing sample in a receptacle after completing a COVID-19 test at the Illini Union on Sunday. Last Monday, saliva tests conducted at the University made up 1.3% of COVID-19 tests nationwide.
World watches UI’s cutting-edge tests BY ETHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR
After two summer months and a move-in week, the returns are in for the University’s saliva-based COVID-19 test, and they’re staggering. Over 70,000 saliva tests have been conducted since the July pilot. Over 10,000 tests were conducted in 24 hours multiple times, with the capacity for 20,000 tests in a day. There are nearly 20 on-campus testing locations, with the average result returned in 5 hours. Last Monday, over 10,000 saliva tests of students, faculty and staff comprised 1.3% of the total COVID-19 tests nationwide, University Presi-
dent Tim Killeen said. With an ever-growing mountain of data, members of the University’s COVID-19 SHIELD: Target, Test, Tell team have modeled out a vision for the semester that would make Illinois the national standard-bearer for University reopening. On Friday, SHIELD representatives Martin Burke and Nigel Goldenfeld, along with University officials and Champaign-Urbana public health administrator Julie Pryde, gathered for a virtual briefing to discuss initial findings. The main consensus: There will be a bump in cases. According to lead modeler
Goldenfeld, around 200 students will bring the virus into the campus area within the first two weeks of school. By Friday morning, around 100 students had tested positive for the virus, with most students isolating in the University’s reserved rooms and others sent back home. These numbers are well within Goldenfeld’s projection. The group was confident that the school’s reopening plan is second-to-none. “If it can’t happen here, there’s no place that it can happen,” Pryde said. Here are the main takeaways from Friday’s meeting, the sources of the University’s confidence and the messages
the group had for returning students.
What measures are in place to control the virus?
It all starts with the saliva test. Developed from May 3 to June 18 by a team of eight University scientists, the method presents several key advantages to control the spread of COVID-19. Initial studies show the saliva test’s sensitivity is on par with or greater than that of the nasopharyngeal swab test. After all, saliva “is the medium that matters,” said Burke, one of the test’s lead developers. By collecting SEE PLAN | 5A
Ten guests maximum at campus parties
A s the Universit y reopens for the fall during the COVID-19 pandemic, Greek life will look entirely different for participating students this semester. According to data from the University Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, there are 90 Greek organizations on campus made up of 7,056 undergraduate members. Since nearly 25% of the University’s current population are members of a fraternity or sorority, Greek life will play a critical role in stabilizing the spread of COVID-19. With in-person recruitment limited, sororities and fraternities are finding alternate ways to get students to go Greek. Eleni Sakas, sophomore in Media, is the historian and Dads Weekend chair at Alpha Omicron Pi. The Panhellenic Council recently announced formal recruitment for their sorority chapters would be virtual this fall, forcing sororities like Sakas’s to communicate with potential members online instead of in-person. “We have had to adjust so much about our recruitment process,” Sakas said. “For example, we are not allowed to tour the girls around the house, which is a vital part in getting the full feel of the sorority.” She added that times are tough socially and financially, and that it has been hard not having students back on campus. At the beginning of every semester, there is an
abundance of social events hosted by fraternities and sororities. This semester, Greek life will have to implement COVID-19 protection measures to abide by the new safety regulations by the state and local governments. “I don’t believe the (socials) will continue on as usual due to the new order that Champaign’s mayor proposed of having no more than 10 people in a certain area,” Sakas said. “At the same time, many girls in the house don’t feel comfortable with others going out to frats, so it’s a delicate balance.” Champaign’s and Urbana’s mayors both passed emergency orders to limit the size of parties to 10 guests, excluding legal residents of the property. Sakas added that she believes Greek life has a chance to keep the numbers down if they all band together. “However, I have heard of frats having parties but requiring attendees to display their negative test results in order to get let in, so an attempt is being made to stay safe, but it’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out,” Sakas said. “We each have a role in this and need to be looking out for each other.” Zoe Andrew, sophomore in LAS, is the assistant to the house manager at Phi Sigma Sigma. Andrew said this year’s recruiting will be entirely on Zoom with the utilization of breakout rooms for speaking to the potential new members. SEE GREEK LIFE | 5A
BY ETHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR
Mayors of both Champaign and Urbana issued emergency orders last week to limit the size of one of COVID-19’s greatest allies: parties. Across all residential areas on campus and all multifamily units in both cities, social gatherings are limited to 10 guests tops, excluding the hosts or legal residents of the property. All attendees must wear face coverings and social distance, and hosts must keep an accurate occupancy count at all times. Champaign Mayor Deb Feinen’s order took effect Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 5 p.m., and Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin’s the day after. “We recognize particularly the first weekend or so that enforcement is going to be key,” Feinen said Wednesday in a press briefing. “We need to be on top of it so students know we’re taking it seriously.” The ordinances will be enforced by University police, Champaign’s and Urbana’s police departments and public health officials. Offenders can face fines up
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELENI SAKAS
THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
Students celebrate Unofficial on Friday, March 6. New emergency orders by Champaign and Urbana limit the size of parties to 10 guests on all residential areas on campus, excluding the hosts and legal residents of the property.
to $750 per violation per day. Since there will be a ticket process for the enforcement of the party ordinance, violations can also lead to University discipline, Feinen said. For both orders, “party” is defined as “a congregation of five (5) or more persons who are not related to one another and/ or who do not have a legal right, whether by ownership or lease, to occupy a residence whether such residence is a single or multiple
family dwelling or dwelling unit,” per Champaign’s emergency order. The “campus area” for Champaign is bound by Wright Street on the east, Canadian National Railroad on the west, University Avenue on the north and Windsor Road on the south. In Urbana, it’s Wright Street on the west, University Avenue on the north, Florida Avenue on the south and Race Street on the east.
During the press briefing Wednesday, Mayor Marlin noted that “it’s not just students for whom parties are a problem.” Off-campus communities contribute as well. “We hear on a pretty regular basis of backyard parties, anniversary parties and birthday parties,” she said. “I got wind of one coming up for something like 200 people at a church. People have to SEE PARTY | 5A
Eleni Sakas, second from left, poses in the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority with her house sisters. Sakas’s sorority has been adapting its recruiting and party practices for the fall semester.
INSIDE
News: Saliva test may expand to other Universities
Sports: Illini to move forward without fall sports
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