HOUSING GUIDE SEE INSERT MONDAY September 24, 2018
THE DAILY ILLINI
75˚ | 65˚
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Vol. 148 Issue 9
UI System donations achieve alltime high BY SAM BOYLE AND THERESE POKORNEY ASSISTANT DAYTIME NEWS EDITORS
ble doors and light switches, wide hallways to accommodate wheelchairs and wide bathroom walls reinforced with grab bars. “Building a new house is a fresh start,” said Kappa Delta President Megan Rudd, sophomore in Media. “It’s been about 100 years
The University System reached a record high in fundraising in the 2018 fiscal year from gifts, grants and pledges totaling $498.5 million, the University of Illinois Foundation announced Friday. “We are excited about the investment our donors and friends have chosen to make in the University of Illinois. We are thrilled with an all-time high for our new business and cash gifts,” said Rick Darnell, UIF’s senior vice president for campaigns, marketing and communications, in an email. This fiscal year, which ended June 30, saw a total that is 75 percent higher from what was made in FY2017, and beat the record high of $434.9 million from FY2013, according to the UIF website. “The overwhelming majority of gifts and commitments from last year were from passionate alumni, followed by our corporate partners and friends,” said Barry Benson, vice chancellor for advancement of the University’s eightyear fundraising campaign ‘With Illinois.’ The University alone raised $415.4 million from more than 100,000 gifts and commitments. In October, Larry and Beth Gies gifted the College of Business $150 million, which significantly contributed to the fiscal
SEE GREEK | 3A
SEE DONATION | 3A
Graphene improves ancient gilding technique
Campus sets new record for diversity
CONSTANCE SARANTOS THE DAILY ILLINI
The newest sorority pledge classes rush outside Foellinger Hall on Sept. 17 after bids were opened. However, some students missed out on parts of rush experience due to Greek house inaccessibility.
Greek life lacks accessible living BY THERESE POKORNEY ASSISTANT DAYTIME NEWS EDITOR
Thousands of students go through a selective rush process each fall to join Greek life at the University; however, some students who wish to participate are not given the same experience due to accessibility issues. Of the 19 Panhellenic
sororities on campus, Kappa Delta is the only one that completely complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, which means that other houses are at least partly inaccessible to students with physical disabilities. Panhellenic Council President Ariel Shilitz said the organization expects all
INSIDE
BY KAREN LIU NEWS EDITOR
Most people might assume not much can be done with a single carbon atom, since over 70 million are needed to form a single inch; however, University researchers have found a way to renew a 2,000-year-old technique using a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in the structure of graphene. A research team at the University has developed a technique to synthesize a single layer of graphene on top of thin metal leaves to increase the resistance of those surfaces. These thin metal leaves are often used in an ancient technique called gilding, which is the application of gold to the surfaces of artifacts. “Adding a single layer of atoms on top of this existing material is a process that can be achieved very quickly, but it makes the material much better just for the single layer
Pygmalion producers talk this year’s fest PAGE 6B
VeoRide causes clutter problems PAGE 4A
DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS
INSIDE
Police
2A
chapters make their first floor wheelchair-accessible during formal recruitment, she said. “We want our council to be inclusive to all women who wish to go through the recruitment process,” Shilitz said. “We require them every year to be prepared that we may have a potential new member with a dis-
of atoms, because how excellent the properties of the graphene itself are,” said Sameh Tawfick, assistant professor in Engineering and author of the study. Graphene, which was discovered in 2003, is known as a two-dimensional material because it consists of a single layer of carbon arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Tawfick said the team found that adding a single layer of graphene makes the metal leaves twice as resistant to indentation. “It’s interesting that with the new technology that happened recently, you can add just a single layer of atoms and make them twice as resistant to scratching,” he said. “So it’s not like they will never be scratched, but they have twice the resistance to indentation.” Tawfick said the synthesizing process takes place CONSTANCE SARANTOS THE DAILY ILLINI at the temperature of 1,100 A University research team found a way to better protect
Opinions
4A
|
Letters
BY MADELYN FOSTER ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The University class of 2022 has topped past years’ number of students from underrepresented backgrounds, but efforts to make the University more diverse are still ongoing. Nancy ‘Rusty’ Barcelo, visiting special assistant to the Chancellor for Diversity, said the University has made collective efforts to improve diversity, but this year’s numbers do not mean the University is perfect. “How do we measure what we know besides just checking a box? Because it isn’t just about numbers; it’s about how this work
artifacts by synthesizing graphene onto metal leaves. This
SEE GILDING | 3A process increases the metal’s surface resistance to scratching.
@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS |
ability or if someone has a last-minute injury and needs a ramp.” Shilitz said any decisions related to renovations are made by the individual housing organizations since every chapter house is privately owned. Standards for the ADA include an accessible entrance, easily opera-
4A
|
Crossword
THEDAILYILLINI 5A
|
Life
@THEDAILYILLINI &
Culture
6A
|
Sports
SEE DIVERSITY | 3A
THEDAILYILLINI
THEDAILYILLINI
1B
4B
|
Classifieds
|
Sudoku
THEDAILYILLINI 4B
|
buzz
6B