TECHNOGRAPH SEE INSERT
THE DAILY ILLINI
THURSDAY March 7, 2019
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Vol. 148 Issue 48
Alumni preserve Peruvian penguins
Siblings come to campus BY DAVID RUVINSKIY STAFF WRITER
For many students, being away from their siblings is part of the challenge of leaving home for college. However, they might have an opportunity to enjoy some family fun this weekend at the first Sibs Saturday at the University, hosted by the Parent and Family Programs Office. Zuri White, parent and family programs manager, said her office wanted to include a day for siblings, as they do for Moms Weekend and Dads Weekend, with events more geared toward the younger generation. The idea has been in the works since last semester. W hite said several notable activities will be taking place during Sibs Saturday, including a free pancake breakfast, a performance by a mentalist, the Engineering Open House and a bowling and billiards night. Although the event is open to siblings of all ages, it is primarily geared toward younger siblings who might not be able to experience the campus to the fullest on any other weekend. “(Engineering ) has been doing (an open house) for almost 100 years,” White said. “They do a lot of great programming geared toward a younger population, so we just built on that and worked with them as we built our schedule so we can have it during the same time.” Christopher Carter, the mentalist, which is a magician who specializes in mind games, will perform during Sibs Saturday, said he will do a twopart show. The first part will consist of his mentalism program and the second part will feature his hypnosis program. “For one thing, the spirit of fun that’s involved in it will definitely add to (Sibs Saturday),” Carter said. “The other is that siblings and students will have an opportunity to get up on stage and participate. It’s a great way of SEE SIBLINGS | 3A
INSIDE
BY ETHAN SIMMONS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
RYAN CHOW THE DAILY ILLINI
DGS offers new pathway tool BY SARA PIETRZAK CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With over 150 majors offered at the University, the process of narrowing one option can seem daunting. To help make the process easier for students, a team of academic advisers in the Department of General Studies have created a new tool called the exploration pathways. These pathways divide all majors into seven different interests: Culture & Context, Data & Analysis, Design & Create, Environment & Nature, Helping People, Commerce & Industry and Investigation & Inquiry, according to the DGS website. “I think (exploration pathways) help students see things from a different perspective and the main point being in making connections across colleges with the discipline students might be interested in,” said Daniel Turner, director of DGS. Alexandria Kim, freshman in DGS, said in an email how she was discouraged during her first semester trying to
figure out which major would best fit her interests. After looking at the seven exploration pathways, she believes this tool will help her narrow what major she wants to pursue. “The (exploration) pathways are helpful because there are so many majors UIUC has to offer. I like how it is grouped and gives an idea on what major would be the best fitting if someone enjoys helping people,” Kim said. One example Turner gave on how this cross-departmental perspective could help students was about a former DGS student who knew he wanted to become an astronaut. The most obvious major that corresponds to that path was aerospace, which is in the College of Engineering. However, through crossdepartmental searching based on interests, Turner and the student decided that the major that best suited him and his desired discipline was geophysics, which is in LAS. Another goal of the explo-
ration pathways and the DGS advising team as a whole is to counter the myths about the relationship between a student’s degree and the jobs they will be offered when they graduate from the University. “Studies show, and they have shown for the past 15 years, that 10 years out of college most students are not in a career directly related to their undergraduate degree,” Turner said. Turner said the education students receive at the University is not teaching students how to perform one specific job. Instead, the University’s education is about receiving the tools and skills to be productive in any job a student chooses to pursue. To this end, there are many majors across departments that will achieve this goal. Turner said there is no ultimate formula to picking a major because the process for each student is very different. Michael Lee, freshmen in DGS, said his process for deciding what major to pur-
sue is first to decide which majors would make the most money and then ask his parents what they believed he should pursue. Lastly, he looked more into the major and its requirements for application into the college. “I’m actively searching for majors that pique my interests, so I would simply just go to the extensive major list and look at those that sounded intriguing,” said Cristian Camacho, freshmen in DGS. Turner’s key in understanding students’ interests is through basic conversation. For example, asking questions about past experiences or clubs they’ve attended. The other part of the process is having students talk to people who know them well and taking a variety of classes that interest them. “It’s about showing students different paths and helping them realize there are a lot of different options,” Turner said. “Our job is all about teaching.” sarap3@dailyillini.com
SEE PENGUINS | 3A
UI dedicates plaque to chemistry student CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The legacy of St. Elmo Brady, the first black student to earn a chemistry doctoral degree in the U.S., has been unearthed by the University during Black History Month after awarding a bronze plaque and an exhibit in his honor. The plaque honoring Brady is located on the first floor of William A. Noyes Laboratory, a National Historic Chemical Landmark as designated by the American Chemist Society. The exhibit, curated by University archivist Jameatris Rimkus, is open to the public on the first floor of the Main Library, in the hallway and inside the University Archives, and will continue to be
Editorial: Help us help you PAGE 4A
Features: Student employees struggle to find balance PAGE 6A
DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS Police
During a trip to Punta San Juan, Peru, in 2007, two University Veterinary Medicine graduates were immediately charmed by the resilient, unabashed nature of the Humboldt penguins. In the last 11 years, they continue to return to the cliff-side habitat to help preserve these flightless birds. Mike Adkesson and Jen Langan only planned on performing a few health assessments during their first visit in 2007, but that quickly turned in to what would be a decade-long effort to help these charismatic birds. “They’re incredibly hardy, they’re very fit animals. So they are a tremendous joy to watch in their natural setting, both the way they can swim through 6-foot waves and bounce down cliffs, and how hardy they are to be able to thrive in an environment that’s rather harsh at times,” Langan said. Despite the species’ toughness and its ability to withstand the rough rocky terrain of coastal Peru, researchers found the penguin population has decreased due to several environmental vulnerabilities. Numerous El Niño events warmed the penguins’ chilly Humboldt current, which depleted their anchovy prey, along with direct hunting of the penguins, invasive coastal development and unregulated exportation of their nesting guano, which is their excrement. These events have caused the penguins to be at risk for endangerment. The two Illinois veterinarians worked tirelessly to assess the health of the penguins, discovering significant disease and toxin exposure. Langan and Adkesson’s contributions to the site continued their lifelong commitments to animal care. “I can’t imagine a time where I didn’t want to work with free-ranging
Alex Duvall works as a receptionist at the Campus Center for Advising and Academic Services on Wright Street, where students in the Division of General Studies seek advising. DGS offers a tool to help students narrow down different majors.
BY MANUEL ROMÁNBASORA
INSIDE
Download our app!
2A
available through March. “In 1916, St. Elmo Brady (1884-1966) became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry in the U.S. for dissertation work with Professor Clarence G. Derick at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign,” the first sentence on the plaque states. The exhibit contextualizes Brady’s achievement. In 1914, Brady earned a scholarship to begin his doctoral studies at the University. Prior to enrolling in the University in 1913, he had completed his undergraduate studies at Tuskegee University. He earned his master’s degree in 1914, and two years later finished his doctoral degree with a dissertation titled SEE PLAQUE | 3A
@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS |
Opinions
4A
|
Letters
4A
|
Crossword
MARK CAPAPAS THE DAILY ILLINI
A bronze plaque dedicated to St. Elmo Brady in Noyes Hall on Monday. St. Elmo Brady was the first black student to receive a doctoral degree in Chemistry in the U.S.
THEDAILYILLINI 5A
|
Life
@THEDAILYILLINI &
Culture
6A
|
Sports
THEDAILYILLINI
THEDAILYILLINI
1B
4B
|
Classifieds
|
Sudoku
THEDAILYILLINI 4B
|
buzz
6B