notable news

The DI’s top news stories of 2022

Red Lion altercation

At around 2 a.m. on March 5, a patron at The Red Lion had an altercation with a bar employee after she was escorted out of the establishment. A video of the altercation circulated widely on social media.

Sarena Abdallah, senior in AHS who witnessed the altercation, said she saw a bouncer “pulling this girl outside by her arm.”

“He basically was dragging her by her arm, swung her over his shoulder and then violently threw her down,” Abdallah said. “Like WWE, (he) smacked her to the ground. So that’s when I was super alerted. I was like ‘What the hell?’”

SIDNEY MALONE THE DAILY ILLINI

Roe v. Wade overturned

The U.S. Supreme Court held on June 24 that the right to an abortion is not protected under the U.S. Constitution, overturning two of its prior precedents — Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Emma Darbro, sophomore in LAS and co-president of the University’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action, said that while the ruling was expected, the news was still “a hard pill to swallow.”

“It’s a sad day in America that we lose our right to bodily autonomy, and I don’t think I would have ever imagined that I would see that day,” Darbro said. “I was in therapy when I heard, and I started cursing in the doctor’s office.”

SYDNEY LAPUT THE DAILY ILLINI

UGL closes

The Undergraduate Library closed at the end of the Spring 2022 semester for renovations to transform it into a new “special collections facility” for the University’s archives and collection of rare books and manuscripts. This led to the reemergence of concerns regarding Undergraduate Library services and spaces.

According to Ralph Mathisen, professor in LAS, the idea to close the UGL originated in the fall of 2018 as part of a plan to renovate the stacks in the Main Library.

Scott Hall vandalism

The first three floors of Scott Hall were vandalized on Sept. 15 between the hours of 5 and 6 a.m., causing up to $10,000 worth of property damage, according to court documents. 18-year-old University student and Scott Hall resident, William Turk, was arrested for criminal damage to state-supported property in connection with the incident, according to Pat Wade, a spokesperson for the University of Illinois Police Department.

“Officers observed that as many as 23 exit signs had been pulled from the ceiling, exposing wires and damaging ceiling tiles,” Wade said. “Additionally, six fire extinguishers were missing from their designated locations.”

SYDNEY LAPUT THE DAILY ILLINI

Matt Walsh visit sparks controversy

The University branch of the Young Americans for Freedom hosted a screening of right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh’s documentary “What is a Woman” along with a Q&A session with Walsh on Oct. 6.

The event sparked controversy on campus, with students from the Campus Union for Trans Equality and Support and others who opposed Walsh’s visit gathering in front of Gregory Hall to protest with signs, flags and chants.

Emily Goodman, freshman in Engineering and one of the protestors at the event, called Walsh’s documentary “transphobic.” Goodman carried a sign that read “transitioning saves lives.”

JONATHAN ALDAY THE DAILY ILLINI

Gov. Pritzker speaks at Illini Union

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign bus stopped in Champaign for a rally at the Illini Union on Aug. 26. Students, faculty and community members crowded into the Illini Union Ballroom to hear a lineup of political speakers encourage listeners in the lead-up to November’s election.

Ben Rinker, senior in LAS and president of the Illini Democrats, helped organize the event. Rinker said he has been satisfied with Pritzker’s term as Governor.

“I would rank (Pritzker) as one of the most effective governors in the country, between balancing our budget, protecting access to abortion and doing a decent job handling the COVID-19 crisis,” Rinker said.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

UHS experiences several lockdowns due to threats

Urbana High School went into several lockdowns throughout the first two weeks of November after the school received threats of violence on Nov. 7, Nov. 9, Nov. 16 and Nov. 18.

On Nov. 22, a 16-year-old was arrested in Chicago by FBI agents, Urbana police detectives and officers from the Chicago Police Department in connection with the threats, according to an Urbana Police Department press release.

“The most frustrating part about the lockdown (on Nov. 16) was that we didn’t know exactly what was going on,” UHS senior Kelenna Onyemere said. “I was in P.E., and we had to turn off the lights and stop the class. At first, we thought there was someone in the school with a gun.”

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