October 20, 2021
COVID-19 Today
Comparing campus life over the course of the pandemic Q&A: Penn Badgley, Nura Mowzoon talk importance of feeling uncomfortable
Page 14
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NEWS
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
UI to store Jewish archives of central Illinois By Ashley Gilbert Contributing Writer
The University is establishing new archives at the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections about the Jewish community in central Illinois. These archives are going to contain a lot of different information, some of which include photographs of synagogues, news clippings about Jewish residence, obituaries, documents from Jewish owned businesses and lists of congregation members. “Once the materials are arranged and described, they will be available to scholars, members of the community and students,” said Krista Gray, employee at the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections. The archives were first presented to the University by Sybil Mervis, a Jewish resident, from Danville, Illinois. Mervis has been keeping all of the doc-
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uments from the archives in her possession since the Synagogue located in Danville closed in 2012. Mervis reached out to Erez Cohen, head of Hillel at the University. Cohen decided that all of this information would be beneficial to the community and should be stored as archives at the University. Long before the closure of these congregations and Synagogues, the Jewish migrants and settlers from different parts of the Midwest chose the Danville area in 1860 and were the founders of what is now downtown Danville. These settlers were mostly merchants who started clothing stores, with some settlers going on to be staples in the community. There will be information about these prominent Jewish figures located in the archives. Sarah Goldman, director of the Jewish Culture and Society program, talked about how and why the archives The Daily Illini is the independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The newspaper is published by the Illini Media Co. The Daily Illini does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University of Illinois administration, faculty or students. All Illini Media Co. and/or The Daily Illini articles, photos and graphics are the property of Illini Media and may not be reproduced or published without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free; each additional copy is 50 cents.
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NEWS
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
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In-person events increase involvement in RSOs By Alexandra Gergova Staff Writer
With the reduction in past COVID-19 guidelines preventing in-person gatherings, many RSOs have transitioned to all in-person events. The common nature of the in-person modality this semester starkly contrasts with the entirely remote events RSOs hosted last year. The Illinois Model United Nations, which is a pre-professional organization that simulates the events of the United Nations via general bodies and conferences, has returned to all in-person conferences across the nation following a year of remote conferences, according to Tina Wayne, junior in LAS and the secretary of Illinois MUN. The in-person conferences, which are coming up this month, involve travelling to places like Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and the Ivy Leagues to compete against other collegiate Model UN organizations. Wayne has found that in-person events for Illinois Model UN are the most successful and preferable because remote formats don’t align with many of the crucial components involved, which include things like interpersonal communication, note passing and eye contact. Additionally, in-person events expose individuals to different forms of performance. “You get to see different forms of leadership and different kinds of public speaking, which is something that you don’t get when you’re online,” Wayne said. “Your camera is off. You didn’t really have to speak because you spoke into a microphone. So I think it’s easier. But speaking in person — that’s completely different.” Similarly, Halie Collins, junior in Engineering and president of Illini Solar Decathlon, found that the online format made it extremely difficult for the RSO to function given its structure. Illini Solar Decathlon is a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored student organization that builds and signs net-zero energy homes and other buildings. “We are a design-based project, meaning that students have to actively work together and collaborate to come up with an innovative design,” Collins said. “And this was a challenge for all three of our different teams — we actually could not have a concept team last year because it was already so difficult — to build and design and be able to work together.” Other RSOs also expressed similar sentiments about the way their RSO was not intended to function alongside an online modality. Adventure Club is a social RSO
THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
The heavily social RSO, Adventure Club, promotes their group at Quad Day on Aug. 22. Multiple RSOs reflect on the difficulty of working remotely during COVID-19. on campus with the primary objective of producing fun events like scavenger hunts, rap battle, slam poetry and giant Sorry! board games for members. Their mission had been obscured by the remote format due to the fact that online formats prioritize one speaker. “Whoever’s the loudest person — whoever’s microphone is sensitive — their voice gets amplified over everyone else’s,” said Varun Sharma, senior in Engineering and president of Adventure Club. “We’d be in a Zoom call of 60 or 80 people, but we can have at most one conversation. So we lost a lot of team dynamics and a lot of opportunities to mingle and meet people and talk to people because you were always forced into one conversation.” Shirley Li, junior in Business and Alpha Phi Omega Task Force Director, discov-
ered that remote service opportunities were discouraging and resulted in members doing the minimum required rather than being willing to do more. “But this semester is definitely different,” Li said. “I just feel like people are very pleasant where they are very willing to attend extra events (due to the inperson structure).” While RSOs had ranging successes with the online format, all found that membership declined immensely when events were remote. “The retention rate is very low for the previous semesters,” Li said. “But for this semester, we have 100 plus people pledging, and I believe more people will remain in APO.” Because of the difficulties associated with the online modality, RSOs have
expressed that in-person is the most effective modality. “Our whole purpose is to meet people, and meeting people is best when you go and talk to them,” Sharma said. “You can express things through facial expression, somatic action with your hands, which was lost in translation virtually.” Collins expressed a similar sentiment about the connected nature of the in-person structure saturating agendas of RSOs this semester. “Being in person has not only broadened my perspectives of what sustainability is, learning from other people, but it’s also just made me more excited to be a part of (Illini Solar Decathlon), which is amazing,” Collins said. gergova2@dailyillini.com
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LIFE & CULTURE
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Engineering student creates space for women in STEM By Matt Troher Investigative News & Longform Editor
During her junior year of high school, Lexi English got into a horrible pole vaulting accident. The pole faltered, sending her crashing into the ground. The incident was bad enough that her brain function almost ceased. The resulting concussion lasted longer than expected. When it came time to apply to college, her high school counselor advised her against going into any STEM-related field because of her head injury. And when she came to the University, her adviser gave the same advice. However, she decided to follow her passion and go into STEM anyways. English, now a fifth-year senior in Engineering, plans to graduate this December with a degree in aerospace engineering. “Here I am, I was told I couldn’t do it, so I was like, ‘Watch me, here I go,’” English said. English didn’t settle on aerospace engineering to merely revolt against her high school guidance counselor. She said she has a genuine passion for the field and has made it her mission to foster an environment for women in aerospace engineer-
ing to succeed at Illinois. English serves as the vice president of Women in Aerospace, and she has helped the organization accomplish her goals. “We make a space for women who want to be involved,” English said. “We want to have a group of women that are actively trying to make their experience better. We are a support system at the same time as we are a group of girls just trying to get through aerospace.” Aerospace engineering is one of the least gender-diverse majors at the University. In fall 2014, only 9.21% of Bachelor students enrolled in the department identified as women. Since then, the percentage of women in aerospace engineering has increased slightly, with 15.44% of students identifying as women in fall 2017, the most recent year with gender demographic data publicly available. English has noticed the gender disparity in her major has manifested itself in both subtle and obvious ways. During her first few years on campus, the women’s restroom in Talbot Laboratory — the campus’s main aerospace engineering building — was missing a proper sign. In its place was a crudely drawn cardboard sign.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WOMEN IN AEROSPACE WEBSITE
Lexi English, a fifth-year in Engineering, thrives in aerospace engineering after being discouraged by previous mentors.
One moment that catalyzed English’s involvement with Women in Aerospace came on the night of her sorority’s semiformal. Prior to the event, English had planned to meet with the leader of another aerospace RSO and join one of their teams. With minimal time between events, she went to meet with the aerospace project lead after preparing her semiformal hair and makeup.
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“I sat down and introduced myself to the project lead, and he goes ‘You’re in the wrong building, honey. Who are you?’” English said. “I was like ‘I’m Lexi, I’m the one who’s been talking to you,’ and he goes ‘There’s no way.’ After that I realized I need my women, I need someone who can share this dialectic and this narrative with me, and I found that group with Women in Aerospace.” Through her involvement in Women in Aerospace, English is organizing an event for all the women in the aerospace engineering department, along with the department’s faculty to attend with the purpose of exposing interested students to research opportunities. English said it’s important to create opportunities for women in the department that encourage them to speak up and get involved. “Sometimes women are hesitant to speak up,” English said. “They think if (we) do a good job, we will be noticed no matter what. That’s not always true. We want to make that a little bit easier and make the presence of women more apparent and known in the department.” mtroher2@dailyillini.com
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LIFE & CULTURE
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
5
Humane Society gradually restarts volunteer program By Liam Lin Contributing Writer
Inside the Champaign County Humane Society is a chorus of meows, barks, chirps and squeaks. Volunteers lead dogs in and out for walks, and staff arrange for a cat to be adopted by a family. However, the CCHS wasn’t always such a hub of activity. The CCHS has constantly adapted its programs and services to combat against the pandemic. “We did have to shut down the (volunteer) program for several months because we wanted to be responsible and make sure that we were taking every precaution to keep our volunteers and staff safe,” said Breanne Tabbert, volunteer coordinator and animal behavior specialist of the CCHS. “Just recently over the past couple of months, we’ve been able to kind of restart the program with volunteers that were previously active and slowly having them come back.” One such volunteer is Bruce Goettel, who primarily helps with adoptions and walks dogs for CCHS. Goettel has worked with CCHS for 14 years and has seen many safety changes throughout the pandemic. “We cleaned the rooms where people met the animals and went about a month and a half without wearing masks, which was nice,” Goettel said. “We also required people to make an appointment to come in and limited the number of people at a time. We haven’t had any volunteer orientations since the pandemic.” Goettel said the operations for the CCHS are more difficult because of changing COVID-19 safety protocols. “It has been challenging to figure out the safest way to move forward because things change so often, like do we wear masks inside?” Tabbert said. “Do we not wear masks? Because our shelter is relatively small, how do you go about being able to socially distance while also helping out and spending time with the animals? But as things change in the grand scheme, we’re doing our best to stay up to date with that.” Tabbert hopes to open up the volunteer program in the next coming months. “I do look forward to it and even throughout the pandemic, certainly people have still been interested in coming out,” Tabbert said. “So, I know
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Joe Domain, a volunteer at the Champaign County Humane Society, poses for a photo with Foster, an American Pit Bull terrier mix, after their morning walk on Oct. 11. The CCHS is gradually restarting their volunteer program after pausing during the height of the pandemic. that the interest is still there and I know that people still want to give their time. It’s just trying to figure out how to do that safely. That’s certainly been the most difficult.” Volunteers can work with dogs, cats and small animals. They also have a foster program and host special events offsite. “(Volunteers) also don’t have to work with every kind of animal,” Tabbert said. “It’s very much a pick and choose your own adventure of what species you prefer best.” Goettel’s decision to volunteer for CCHS stems from the experiences he’s had with them in the past. “I retired at a fairly young age and
was looking for something to do — not stay home and watch television,” Tabbert said. “I’ve adopted some pets from (CCHS) before, and it’s a nice place to adopt from.” Tabbert reflects this sentiment by setting a goal for how every volunteer’s time is spent. “A long-term goal, I would say for the volunteer program, is just to continue to have a really healthy program that people do feel supported by and that they can come out and volunteer their time and feel like they’re getting something out of it,” Tabbert said. “It’s certainly something that I want to make sure everyone feels that they are getting as much as they’re giving,
because everyone’s time is precious.” Tabbert said she enjoys seeing the people find happiness while working with pets. “Whether that be with our dog walking volunteers, when they tell me about a favorite dog that they have, and this really cool thing that they taught them outside, or cat socializers that like to give me updates that the more temperamental cats are still having really great interactions with people and that they are excited when they see them go home,” Tabbert said. “It’s just kind of the camaraderie of finding them homes.” liaml4@dailyillini.com
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OPINIONS
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Chappelle cheapens LGBTQ into ignorant punchline NATHANIEL LANGLEY OPINIONS EDITOR Sitting in Foellinger’s third-row recently for the yearly “Acatoberfest,” I witnessed countless marvelous performances of the electric art that is a cappella. In addition to the fantastic entertainment, however, lied one gripping, subtle gay jest which interrupted my enjoyment. More than halfway through the show, one all-male group’s rendition of “Jessie’s Girl” featured several men laughably caressing each other in an overtly “gay” manner meant to deliver hearty pleasure to the crowd — because in 2021, nothing is funnier than people “acting gay,” right? My brain put aside the moment as a peculiar, foolish event following my friend and I locking eyes and questioning what we witnessed. However, this rather minuscule act is one of countless which harm and mock the LGBTQ community. Through degrading gayness into a “Look, two guys acting gay is funny!” bit, the group participated in the long, uninven-
tive tradition of jeering those who have been taunted enough. In his recent Netflix special, “The Closer,” comedian Dave Chappelle once again launched attacks against trans people. Within his routine, Chappelle declared himself “team TERF — thereby aligning himself with trans-exclusionary radical feminists who argue that trans women aren’t women.” In an additional remarkable move, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos backed Chappelle stating, “We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe ‘The Closer’ crosses that line.” Afterward, Netflix momentarily suspended a trans employee who criticized the special for its hatred and dehumanization of trans people. These acts and more contribute to LGTBQ being degraded and separated from society through ignorant punchlines. Whether performers act “flagrant” to suggest supposedly funny gay behavior or a standup comedian uses their platform to demean trans people, these jokes only deliver sleazy laughs. Gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk once asserted, “How can people change their minds about us if they don’t
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROTTEN TOMATOES
Dave Chappelle performs on stage during his Netflix comedy special “The Closer” that was released on Oct. 5.
know who we are?” In both aforementioned instances, there is no effort to know us, the LGBTQ; there is only a drive for comedy at the expense of our beings. As such, there is no possibility to “change their minds about us” when society’s entertainment endorses LGBTQ mockery. As New York Times columnist Kara Swisher contends in her piece on Dave Chappelle and Netflix’s fracas, “We saw a record number of violent deaths suffered by trans and gender-nonconforming people in 2020,” Swisher said.
“And there is a spate of truly appalling bills in states across the country aimed at the trans community.” Why would Netflix and Chappelle knowingly proceed with shaming the LGBTQ community at this moment? Chappelle and his corporate patron, Netflix, must be out of original material as they continually exploit those they certainly do not value nor know for lousy laughs. The motivations behind these miserable actions are laughably oblivious. However, at the heart lies an erroneous belief for unconcerned performers that the LGBTQ are a reliable punchline: When all else comedically fails, mock these people and you are back in the audience’s good graces. Despite this reflecting an outdated mentality, this prolonged “LGBTQ punchline” has never been a joke nor has it been amusing. If you are a performer that relies on exploiting someone’s existence, you are not a courageous “comedian,” you are a prick. Grow up and exit show business stage left. Nathaniel is a junior in LAS. ntl3@dailyillini.com
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The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
7
Pandemic fortifies students' passion for health care By Vivian La Assistant Daytime Editor
University students interested in the medical field said the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened their passion for health care. Jonathan Lee, second-year student in Medicine, said he knows the path he chose and will always try to make a difference in his patients’ lives regardless of circumstances. “This is what I want to do with my life, no ifs or buts about it, regardless of circumstances,” Lee said. For Heera Imran, sophomore in AHS and on the pre-medicine track, seeing frontline health workers sacrifice so much in this time of crisis has reinforced her desire to become a doctor. “I’ve become more passionate about it because I want to make sure when I do become a physician, I want to make sure that I’ve given it my all,” Imran said. Sarah Cho, sophomore in LAS, said her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse hasn’t changed between before COVID-19 and now, except she’s more sure than ever that this is something she wants to do in the future. “To pour out the sacrificial love that these nurses pour out into their patients and everything … I hope that in everything in my ability, I can do that if that situation were to arise again,” Cho said. There is still some pressure that comes with entering health care in a time when nurses and doctors are feeling burned out, Cho said. A year into the pandemic, a nationwide survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Washington Post found that about three in 10 healthcare workers have considered leaving the profession. More than half of those surveyed reported being burned out and about six in 10 say stress from the pandemic has harmed their mental health. “It really made me reflect: Am I strong enough to process everything and still be like the voice of reason and hope for patients?” Cho said. “But I’m hopeful because nursing has been something that I’ve been so sure of.” Cho pointed to the Hippocratic Oath that most medical students take after graduation where they promise to put patients first, and she said it’s something she wants to uphold. “It’s naive of me to think that since I haven’t even entered in the field, but I just know that I want to do the best that I can to maintain that promise when I
RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI
A healthcare worker administers a Moderna vaccine at the I Hotel and Conference Center on Jan. 11. Even with the pressures health care workers faced within the past year, students' passion in pursuing this field strengthens. make that,” Cho said. Imran also said she has doubted herself — not that she didn’t want to pursue medicine but more doubting her abilities in rising up to the challenge. “But I feel like no matter what, if you’re passionate about something you want to do, you shouldn’t have a problem with it,” she said. “If I want something, I’m going to go after it.” All these students began their interest in medicine by observing physician-patient relationships around their family. Cho said she grew up surrounded by “amazing” nurses, speech pathologists and doctors due to health conditions among her family and herself. And it inspired her to give back. Imran spent her evenings after high school in hospitals, acting as a transla-
tor for her Pakistani grandparents who traveled to the U.S. seeking better cancer treatments. “The littlest things, just to see how they were treating patients, it brought a warm feeling to my heart,” Imran said. “Because that’s my grandpa, and someone’s being just as affectionate toward my grandpa as I was to him.” It’s these doctor-patient relationships that Lee said are so important in today’s age of misinformation and politics — something that has been more apparent with the pandemic. Lee said he spends a lot of time breaking down misconceptions about the virus or vaccines in an effort to be transparent with patients, family and friends. “We’ve seen so much division in our country over the last several years,”
Lee said. “But I’m hoping we can get to a place where physicians can treat their patients and patients can trust their physicians.” This trust is one of the biggest takeaways for Lee throughout the pandemic. “I think it’s something that, you know, anybody interested in the medical field should cherish,” he said. “When someone trusts you and you’re able to answer their questions and lead them on a path, it’s a great thing.” Through the pandemic, Cho said she’s learned more about the value of empathy with all people, not just patients. “Adversity looks different in everybody, and it’s a spectrum of struggles,” Cho said. “And we’re all going through this together.” vla2@dailyillini.com
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The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
By Willie Cui Assistant Daytime Editor
4,169 2,938 2,512 2,115
1,984
1,677 923
1,247 680
643
594
Oct. 2021
Sep. 2021
Aug. 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
Feb. 2021
Jan. 2021
Dec. 2020
Nov. 2020
Oct. 2020
180
Source: Champaign-Urbana Public Health District JONAH OZER THE DAILY ILLINI
COVID-19 cases significantly decline since 2020 By Ashley Gilbert Contributing Writer
Last year, the rise in COVID-19 cases with the start of the school year was a prominent issue. This year however, the COVID-19 case numbers are significantly lower in comparison. According to data from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, the University has fewer cases now compared to the same time last year. With 594 cases so far this month compared to 1,984 cases in October 2020, COVID-19 cases are down 70%.
According to the SHIELD testing data, the record for highest number of daily new cases in a day is 230, which was on Aug. 31, 2020. Once the 2020-2021 academic school year ended and students left campus, the positivity rate over the summer was consistently below .5% until mid-July. Even given the higher transmission rate of the Delta variant, the University and Champaign-Urbana, as a whole, have managed to help mitigate the number of cases through its vaccine mandate. The University’s mandate on vaccinations has impacted these lower num-
bers over the last month, according to epidemiologist and member of the COVID-19 SHIELD team Rebecca Smith. The University required all nonexempt University members to receive their first dose by Sept. 5. As of Oct. 14, 92% of the undergraduate population is vaccinated along with 95% of the graduate population and 85% of the staff. Getting vaccinated is only one aspect to maintaining a low COVID-19 positivity rate. The other precautions include limiting large gatherings, keeping events outside, getting tested when sick
9
UI rejects proposal to explore `in-house' contact tracing
COVID-19 cases in Champaign-Urbana since October 2020
2,463
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
and wearing masks. “Vaccines have been helping, but we still need all of the other parts,” Smith said. Despite progress in case numbers, Smith is concerned the end of midterms and the holiday season will negatively affect the lower trend in cases. She is hopeful that if students continue to fulfill their responsibilities when it comes to COVID-19 in the near future, the numbers will stay consistently low. alg7@dailyillini.com
On Monday, the University Senate voted to reject a resolution that called for the creation of a committee to evaluate various practices and policies regarding COVID-19 management in classrooms. “I believe that (the resolution) now represents the very best possible compromise for our campus to go forward and to find an agreement about the worries that a lot of us feel … about how safe our classrooms are,” said Bruce Rosenstock, professor in LAS and faculty senator who sponsored the resolution. Throughout this semester, members of the University faculty and graduate employees have expressed concern over the University’s handling of COVID-19 with respect to in-person classes. One of these concerns centers around contact tracing and exposure notification in classroom settings, which is handled solely by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Rosenstock’s resolution calls for the University to form a committee “comprising relevant stakeholders from across the campus to examine current practices and protocols related to data collection and dissemination in regard to contact tracing in the classroom and related educational settings.” The resolution also called for the committee to consider the CDC’s guidelines on “policies and procedures to support expedited determination of exposure risk and close contacts” for institutes of higher education. This has led some to believe that the University should form its own “in-house” contact tracing team as is the case with the University of Illinois at Chicago. Rosenstock’s resolution noted that UIC’s “indigenous” contact tracing team, organized under its School of Public Health, “does all contact tracing for students, staff and faculty, except for the UIC hospital system which does its own contact tracing.” The resolution noted that UIC recommends for its instructors to keep records of class seating information to aid in contact tracing, referencing an Aug. 27 announcement by UIC Provost Javier Reyes to UIC instructors. Additionally, Rosenstock noted that since instructors are not informed when a student in their class tests positive for COVID-19 under current University policies, instructors may be oblivious to potential classroom exposure. “I think it’s damaging to our instructors’ sense of their own wellbeing and
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Student Ryan Reeder checks to see how much saliva he has in his COVID-19 test sample. Illinois faculty has recently expressed concern over COVID-19 contact tracing protocols this year. those of their students to have it from rumor that a student has tested positive in their classroom and not be aware at all of what possible follow-ups there may have been from CUPHD,” Rosenstock said at a Senate Executive Committee meeting last week.
Helga Varden, professor in LAS and Senate Executive Committee member, believes that a split is developing among instructors over “whether or not they feel they have the knowledge they should” about COVID-19 in their classes. “I think that before the next semester
it would be great if we have a committee with some role that would be productive … that could take hold of this possible source of conflict at the moment and solve it by bringing together voices and making faculty feel they can be involved,” Varden said at the SEC meeting last week. In response to the calls to form its own contact tracing team, the University has maintained that CUPHD is legally mandated to lead contact tracing efforts in the Champaign area, and the University doesn’t have the authority to conduct contact tracing on its own. “We are structured differently and operationally from UIC as it relates to this issue. We don’t have the authority to do what’s being recommended,” Chancellor Jones said at the SEC meeting. “It is clearly in the hands of CUPHD.” Jones noted that the make-up and mobility of UIC students are different from the University’s students. “Those folks (at UIC) are for the most part going back and forth into communities each and every day. They come into the campus, they leave, and for the most part go back to their communities,” Jones said. According to Dr. Awais Vaid, Deputy Administrator and Epidemiologist at CUPHD, the reason UIC is able to legally do contact tracing is because they have an agreement with the local health authorities that allow them to do so. “The example of UIC doing contact tracing is because they have an agreement with the City of Chicago and the Illinois Department of Public Health to serve as their agent to do contact tracing,” Vaid said at the Senate meeting. “Contact tracing does not start and end in a classroom setting.” When doing contact tracing, Vaid said that CUPHD does ask students for information about their classes, noting that most students are who “have the information about their own health, and who they meet with and who they socialize with.” Rosenstock noted at the SEC meeting that if student records, such as class schedules or seating arrangements, are needed for contact tracing, CUPHD would need to rely on the McKinley Health Center’s infection prevention team due to FERPA restrictions. “Based on the response that we get, additional questions may be requested, additional assistance may be requested through McKinley,” Vaid said at the Senate meeting. “But if we don’t feel the need to include McKinley, we will not include them.” williec2@dailyillini.com
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The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
“It definitely was a hurdle coming in and starting the season with only one race under our belt.” Ben Giblin
The Illinois men's cross country team jumps at the sound of the starting pistol during the Joe Piane Invitational on Oct. 1.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS
Sophomores show resilience despite COVID gap Men's cross country tries to regain national prominence By Renato Arteaga Staff Writer
Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic shortened seasons for many sports, and the aftermath is still being felt across every program. Many athletes are still trying to make up for that lost time, and the Illini cross country team’s sophomore class is a perfect example. They’ve had very limited running experience so far during their time with the program, but they continue to be resilient with their fight to overcome that adversity and have recently found success in doing so. At the team’s third meet of the season, the Joe Piane Invite at Notre Dame, all four sophomore runners made an impact during their races to help the Illini place 20th overall. Sophomore Tyler Cushing shared that it was very troubling during his freshman year without having any idea if he was going to be able to compete. It wasn’t until January of his freshman year that he finally got the opportunity to compete in his first collegiate race, which happened to be the Big Ten
Championship. Cushing shared how valuable those initial races were, but he also mentioned how difficult it was to enter this year without much experience competing in long distance events. “It hasn’t been easy,” Cushing said. “My last race was the (fourth) 8K I’ve ever ran, and usually I’d have a whole season under my belt by this time, so I’m still learning how to run that distance and perfect it.” Regardless, Cushing managed to place 57th with a time of 24:37.1 as the Illini’s second runner to finish the men’s 5-mile event, which helped the team place 20th overall on Oct. 1 in South Bend, Indiana. At the team’s most recent meet, the NCAA Pre-Nationals in Tallahassee, Florida, Cushing continued to shine coming in as the team’s third finisher behind senior Colin Yandel and junior Jack Roberts. The Bolingbrook native was the only underclassmen to place in the top five for the Illini with his 228th-place finish (25:14.7) during the Men’s Garnet 8k and played a crucial role in helping the Illini place 37th overall. Cushing credits the years of experience that the coaches and the leaders of his team, like graduate student Jon Davis and redshirt senior Irwin Loud, have as one of the biggest keys to his
success this season. “They’ve talked me through how to feel, what to do and they’ve planned my training around what an 8K should feel like and the decisions that I should make,” Cushing said. “You’re always going to hurt while running an 8K, but it’s all about learning how to deal with that pain and fighting through it.” Sophomore brothers Ben and Will Giblin also competed during the Joe Piane Invite. Ben placed 169th (26:29.0) in the men’s blue 5-mile while Will came in 76th place (27:00.5) in the men’s open 5-Mile. Ben Giblin agreed that many leaders on the team have shared very valuable lessons with him that have helped his development, such as being able to focus on racing without any fear, which is a mentality that has made this season’s races much easier. “It definitely was a hurdle coming in and starting the season with only one race under our belt,” Giblin said. “But I think we’ve handled it pretty well so far. The coaches know what they’re doing and have made it as easy as possible for us.” Cushing praised the sophomore class for being able to stick together throughout all the adversity they’ve faced in the last season and a half. “We weren’t just teammates,” Cushing
said. “We became pretty good friends, and I feel like that helped us get through a lot since there were a lot of races where we didn’t do too well. We would always continue to focus on the next one together.” Giblin agreed that it is nice to have “someone who is in the exact same situation as you.” “It’s good to have someone else you can depend on,” Giblin said. Looking forward to the remainder of the season, Cushing shared how important Head Coach Sarah Haveman has been in getting the sophomore class up to speed and helping them to overcome all challenges. “She really gave the sophomore class a lot of attention and the focus that we needed,” Cushing said. “We were coming into this not knowing what to expect, and she was responsive and adaptive. I feel like her flexibility is one of her biggest strengths.” The Illini cross country team’s next competition will be its only home meet of the season. The Illini Open is scheduled to start at 3:45 p.m. at the University Arboretum on Oct. 22. The Big Ten Championship are scheduled for the following week on Oct. 29 at State College, Pennsylvania. renatoa2@artofrenato.com
OPINIONS
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
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JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI
Be hopeful for COVID-19's upcoming conclusion By The Daily Illini Editorial Board March 2020 is more a faraway nightmare than an actual moment for Illini. Beginning with the fateful email sending students home, to then transferring academics online, every University member has felt COVID-19 induced societal and educational collisions. Life has changed; reality feels frozen. Yet, amidst the unreliability the pandemic produces, optimism awaits as society appears to round COVID-19’s corner. Additionally, we have reached a pivotal point where our actions either lead us to light or entrap us in several more months of the virus. COVID-19’s journey begins with ambiguous dread and remains ambiguous with hope. With multiple vaccine options, promoted mandates and booster shots available to those vulnerable, today’s COVID-19 condition is not as perilous as yesterday’s. Moreover, the University can enjoy yielding a 91% vaccination rate among undergraduates as a premier accomplishment waged against the pandemic.
In addition to society traveling a great length in mitigating the virus, so has the University with its policies. At the start, the University took minimal steps in approaching the virus — reflecting the uncertainty elicited by the fresh virus — with The Daily Illini at the time simply exclaiming, “the University emailed students and staff, cautioning us against traveling internationally during Spring Break.” Furthermore, the University fumbled its initial COVID-19 response in a Massmail from early spring 2020; the University acknowledged a student’s positivity, but unknowingly (perhaps) delivered the news a week late. Fortunately, with the University’s pioneering testing apparatus and policies, a legitimate response to COVID-19 soon arrived to account for its pandemic commencing mistakes. Similarly, it is riveting to observe the attitude before the assistance of vaccines entered society. In September of 2020, one DI editorial characterized the obscure timeline of vaccines stating, “estimates on the release of a vac-
cine span from two months to over two years.” Luckily, once again, the dire situation of waiting months to years never materialized as vaccines became widely available the subsequent semester and a hopeful light pierced COVID-19’s daunting darkness. However, one concern that persists in both the recent past and today is the distress of not having enough people receive the vaccine. The advice of yesterday’s editorial holds to this day: “we must listen to health experts, exercise reasonable caution but not unfettered paranoia and do our duty to the common good by vaccinating at the earliest opportunity.” Thankfully, the University has exceeded the required 70% for herd immunity, and, somewhat unexpectedly, society at large is reaching the necessary objectives for a true conquest over COVID-19. Presently, around 66% of the United States has received at least one dose — the number increases to about 77% when excluding those
below 12 who cannot be vaccinated yet. A noble feat considering last fall and winter’s frightful conditions, and with cases falling from their recent Deltahigh, optimism is warranted. While we wait for vaccine approval in those as young as 5, we must also not let this aspirational moment slip between our fingers. The end is near. Although time is certainly obscured by COVID-19, there will be a world in which life possesses a “new normal.” There will not be an individual, conclusive moment where COVID-19 will be “defeated,” nonetheless. Therefore, we must achieve the steps in the prolonged road towards the “new normal.” Continuing to wear a face mask and encouraging those hesitant to get vaccinated is the definitive strategy we can take in overcoming the pandemic. Let us carry on for a bit longer before we enter the light at the end of the tunnel. opinions@dailyillini.com
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SPORTS
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Offensive struggles continue into Big Ten play Column by Will Payne Assistant Sports Editor
If it wasn’t clear enough already, the first year of the Bret Bielema experience has been one of struggle and rebuilding. Illinois put up a stinker on Saturday during their homecoming game, as they lost 24-0 to Wisconsin. The Illini quarterbacks threw for a measly 63 yards and 26 yards from the rushing game did not help the home team’s cause whatsoever. Going from playing the Charlotte 49ers to the Wisconsin Badgers, nobody expected the Illini to put up a similar performance. But it was an allaround offensive let down at Memorial Stadium. Everyone on this offense should be held accountable for these performances, and all eyes from the Illini faithful are on the future of the quarterback situation. Earlier in the season, Bielema said no player will lose their starting position strictly due to a medical situation. However, after Brandon Peters came off the field on Saturday due to an unnamed medical reason, questions are
being asked about who will be under center against Penn State. Bielema knows the quarterback position has been a question mark all throughout his tenure, but he’ll have a bye week to decide before Illinois’ next game. “In the infancy of this program, I knew the quarterback position was going to be one of high interest, and obviously you have a huge effect, but also one of my biggest concerns just because we are dealing with a lot of unknowns there,” Bielema said. “Offensively, the people around it then, the quarterback is greatly affected by the people around them.” When asked about the potential of a two-quarterback system, Bielema seemed to shoot down the possibility of this immediately. Whichever quarterback he chooses, whether it’s Peters or Sitkowski, will stay in for the entirety of Illinois’ next game. “Never really experienced it,” said Bielema. “In the system that we’ve guided to, what we’ve recruited to and how we’re trying to build for the future, never say never, but it’s just not a path we would go down. The only reason we’ve used two quarterbacks in the
WE HAVE
game was because of injury.” Even with Peters’ struggles, Sitkowski arguably brings less to the table than the fifth-year senior. Sitkwoski threw 8/27 for 55 yards after Peters went down with the injury, as he started off the game 0/12 passing. After the 257 yard, two touchdown performance against Charlotte, Chase Brown assumed the load of the carries against Wisconsin, but he did not see the same positive result. Brown had 8 carries for 35 yards, while Josh McCray had a tough day as well, amassing 3 carries for 1 yard. Despite attempting to be a team that runs the ball and plays strong defense, it seems as though Illinois lacks an identity. Don’t get me wrong, Wisconsin is a strong college football team, their record early on in the season is quite misleading of their talent level. Yet, for Illinois to come out to Memorial Stadium on Homecoming Weekend and not put a single point on the scoreboard should send shivers down Bielema’s back ahead of their next game at Beaver Stadium. @WillPayne33
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Quarterback Artur Sitkowski attempts to throw the ball during the game against Wisconsin on Oct. 9 during Homecoming Weekend.
SPORTS
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
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Electricity is restored in Huff Hall Fans bring the noise to home volleyball matches By Jackson Janes Sports Editor
Feb. 20, 2021. Illinois welcomed undefeated Ohio State women’s vollyball to Huff Hall for its second match of the weekend. One of the top teams in the conferences, the Buckeyes, had beaten the Illini, 3-1, the night before. After taking a 2-1 lead after three sets, Illinois was on the verge of pulling off the upset and snapping its five-match losing streak. But the visitors had other plans, winning the fourth set, 25-18, before grinding out a 15-11 fifth-set win to seal the victory. With the match locked at 11-11 in the fourth set, the Illini needed a boost after coming back from a 9-1 deficit. But looking up into the stands, the team was met with a sea of blue: empty seats. Fans have now returned this season, and the players can tell there’s a significant, noticeable difference in terms of both noise and energy levels. “It’s awesome,” said sophomore outside hitter Raina Terry. “The fans bring so much energy, and it definitely bleeds into our energy a lot, so it helps so much more than people realize.” Terry played her entire freshman campaign without spectators in the crowd, though she still led the team in kills (210) and points (251.5) while starting 17 of the Illini’s 18 matches. Unlike Terry, junior middle blocker Kennedy Collins already had experience at the college level with playing in front of fans, though she says there isn’t much of a difference in terms of the team’s mindset heading into matches now that fans have returned. “It’s always a great advantage to play in front of the home crowd, but I think our mindsets are still the same, like just go out there and play our hardest,” Collins said. Last season, all Big Ten teams were only able to play conference matches, with all competitions played behind closed doors. With the Big Ten being one of the powerhouses in college volleyball, every match is a grind, and any team can win on any given night. Maryland demonstrated that on Sept. 24 against Wisconsin. The Terrapins were picked to finish joint-bottom of the conference in the Big Ten preseason volleyball poll, while the Badgers, who went undefeated in conference play and advanced to the NCAA
THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
Illinois volleyball fans hold up copies of The Daily Illini during the game against Penn State on Nov. 15, 2019. After a long absence due to COVID-19, many fans have returned to watch Illinois home volleyball games.
“The fans bring so much energy, and it definitely bleeds into our energy a lot.” Raina Terry Final Four last season, were the unanimous favorite to win the league for a third straight year. Maryland wasn’t phased, though, as it took down mighty Wisconsin in five sets in College Park. “You never know what’s gonna happen in the Big Ten,” said junior middle
blocker Kyla Swanson. “It’s so unpredictable because of home-court advantage.” Though Illinois sits at 2-4 at Huff Hall this season, each of the four losses came against teams ranked at some point this season: Washington, Colorado, Wisconsin and Purdue. While the Illini may not have beaten any of those squads, they took the Buffaloes and Boilermakers to five sets and the Badgers and Huskies to four. Head coach Chris Tamas credits the student section for creating a loud and electric atmosphere at home matches, though every person in the building plays a role in making it difficult for opponents to ever get settled while playing in Champaign.
“It’s good to have a feisty Spike Squad, and the net workers out there and the rest of the fans that are cheering us on,” Tamas said. “It’s really nice to have that back at Huff.” As the Illini continue to adjust to having fans back in arenas, they don’t have to worry about being greeted by a sea of blue when walking into Huff Hall; they’re greeted with a sea of orange, with the crickets of last year now overpowered by a screaming student section, blaring brass band, passionate and proud parents and feisty fans. @JacksonJanes3 janes6@dailyillini.com
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BUZZ
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
`Can we talk?' Penn Badgley, Nura Mowzoon discuss toxicity, relationships
By Carolina Garibay buzz Editor
Actor and advocate Penn Badgley (“You,” “Gossip Girl”) and professor at Arizona State University Dr. Nura Mowzoon visited the University of Illinois campus Thursday as a part of their “Can We Talk?” series, hosted by the grassroots social justice RSO Organic Oneness. The two talked about the importance of strengthening intimate relationships and answered students’ questions about various topics having to do with relationships, social justice, racism and more. Buzz sat down with Badgley and Mowzoon to talk about why they visited campus and the challenges Badgley often faces as both an actor and an advocate. buzz: Why is it important for you both to be here today? Penn Badgley: That’s actually a really good question. I think we have our own sort of personal hopes, as we do this more. I would say just maybe generally, I’m a person with a platform and Nura in her field as a teacher, as a professor and instructor at ASU. We had a friend in common, and she used to be a teacher and is now working with me in media as a partner in production, development and writing. Through this friend, I thought that maybe I could share some insights about what it’s like
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Actor Penn Badgley and Arizona State University professor Nura Mowzoon speak with buzz Editor Carolina Garibay about their "Can We Talk?" discourse series Thursday. The University of Illinois was the pair's first in-person stop since the pandemic. to sort of work inside this massive love and romance storytelling apparatus, not just the shows that I’ve been on, but Hollywood tell us love stories, right? Understanding that some of the very prevalent misconceptions in a lot of these love stories have very clear detrimental effects on the way people relate to each other in that they just simply create and perpetuate misconceptions about relationships, both friendly and romantic. And so, in her own exploration of these things in her field with her students, she was wondering if maybe I could share insights. And meanwhile, little does she know, this is exactly what I was thinking about. This is all I think about actually, professionally. Nura Mowzoon: I thought about media a lot. It’s hard not to in sociology classes. I thought about it a lot, especially because people talk about their expectations or what they think it’s supposed to be. They’re programmed in one way when reality is very different. Programming is very specific in media.
PB: It was kind of born from (Mowzoon’s) question to get in touch with me. But what’s really lovely about it is that I actually have been thinking quite systematically about this very thing for a long time. So, in our first conversation, it seemed like there was something there to explore. We weren’t exactly sure what. This is actually only the second time that we’ve done this: We’ve done other things on Instagram Live, we’ve done a couple of interviews. But, this is only the second time we’ve been, like, onstage at a campus really doing an organized event with a lot of people in attendance. And I think we’ve seen a lot of progress from the first one. I think the concept of the idea is proving itself in a way. I think tonight, the questions that people have were, to me, proof of concepts. It was like people had really thoughtful questions. They warranted thoughtful answers, you know? I’m really, really happy to see the response because that’s actually what we were kind of betting on. NM: Yeah, I think people are hungry for these kinds of conversations, and I think
“I don’t know what it means to be balanced in such an unbalanced world that provides one person with so much privilege and power and another with none. I don’t know that I can feel balanced. I don’t know that it’s my right to feel balanced, to be honest, but I try.” Penn Badgley
BUZZ
The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021
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“I don’t think it’s (Badgley’s) responsibility or anybody’s responsibility to say what other people should be doing. But I think that it would only be beneficial if more people with a bigger platform used that superpower for good rather than the negative.” Nura Mowzoon
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
Attendees sit in the audience of Penn Badgley and Nura Mowzoon's "Can We Talk" discourse series Thursday at Foellinger Auditorium. that your celebrity or fame is kind of the draw, but then we don’t hang out in that space, and then the conversations kind of get super deep super fast. But they go there, and they’re eager to, and like you said, their questions reflected as well, and I think that’s just reflective of the hunger that everybody has for deeper, more meaningful conversations and relationships with one another. It was so natural that it felt like it was something that was maybe just dormant in a lot of us but woke up like that. PB: Yeah, because I actually feel, to be honest, that once we really turned it over to just the Q&A or A&Q, because everybody kind of had their own issues, too. That’s when I think it really came alive, you know. We took a little bit of time to kind of set the premise. And I think the point is that we’re going to get better and better at just setting that premise clearly and quickly and then opening it up for everyone else. buzz: I want to talk a little bit about your show, “You.” It’s the eve, like you said, of season three. And on that show your character is abusive in lots of ways; you know, physical, emotional, mental. But you are a big advocate of speaking out against emotional abuse and those types of things that you have to portray onscreen as your character. A big part of that, too, is this month – I’m sure you know – is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and a lot of women are living out some of those experiences that are in the show. How are you able to balance acknowledging those realities of many women but still play this toxic character, and is that hard for you to do?
PB: I don’t actually know exactly how to balance it. I don’t know that I always feel in balance, to be honest. This is one of the ways. The fact that I’m even able to contribute anything here is, I would hope, a reflection of what I’m learning in my own relationships. I mean my wife and I honestly live this stuff every day, especially with a newborn, during a pandemic, and a 12-year-old, you know? These are the kinds of conversations we have, these are the kinds of conversations I have with my friends, the kind of conversations that we have on set, the kind of conversations I try to have in an interview. I don’t know what it means to be balanced in such an unbalanced world that provides one person with so much privilege and power and another with none. I don’t know that I can feel balanced. I don’t know that it’s my right to feel balanced, to be honest, but I try. buzz: There are a lot of shows that depict this kind of abuse and maybe romanticize violence and toxic relationships. How can people watch those shows but at the same time, acknowledge that that (abuse) is not OK so that they don’t take that into their own real-life relationships? PB: Well, that question is super important. And I don’t know how accurately we’ve measured the effects of media on our behavior. We know that it has an effect. I think, even right now, there’s this conversation – I won’t name names – but it is about the effects of thinking and words resulting in actual violence, whether in groups of people or just between two people. I think I’ve been, thank God, I’ve at least been consistently vocal about it, so I don’t sound like – I
don’t know – like a hypocrite. I think my show’s success must be representative of a certain duality or cognitive dissonance that we just as Americans in particular – certainly others, but I think particularly Americans – are experiencing. So, I mean, to go back to your question – and I am curious what (Mowzoon) thinks – you’re asking how can we watch something, anything that’s so very violent in its depiction of a relationship, portraying domestic abuse, how can we know that is or isn’t creating that literal thing in the world. I think we’re asking that question. It’s a very important question. If somebody could tell me, and the creators of my show conclusively, “Hey, this is having a net negative effect,” I would like to think that we would have a conversation and stop making it. But that’s a fantasy where we would get that conclusive information. NM: But I would like to say – because I don’t think (Badgley) would say this – we were just talking about this 10 seconds before we walked out here but as much as there is a duality in terms of the character that you play and what you stand for, I personally, as a friend and as a consumer, I would rather see somebody like Penn play this character, who plays Joe Goldberg in one space, but then is intentionally having conversations unpacking that and deconstructing it in larger spaces versus somebody who thinks it’s just great and indulgent and fantastic and has no issues. So I will say, as Penn’s friend, you’re asking the very question that he’s thinking about all the time. PB: It’s a question that actually makes me uncomfortable. I think to speak to what we’re even talking about, – having difficult conversations – like when I was thinking about taking the show, my wife and I had to have this conversation like, should I, shouldn’t I take it, what what effect is it gonna have? And then we continue to have those, and it evolves, and we have different answers at different times, and there are times where it’s hard. And even (there are times) – kind of distancing it from this particular show because I also want to be respectful to all those involved in making it – where we are all asking those questions,
and then I think the point is, (Mowzoon) even said this before, like a little bit of a slogan: we need to become more comfortable with being uncomfortable. And I guess what I’m trying to be transparent about is it makes me uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable. And like I said before, I don’t think I have the right to simply be comfortable in that, you know? So this is what it looks like to try and work with it. buzz: You talked a lot about the importance of having this massive platform that you have as an actor and using that to spread good and awareness of different issues. Do you think that’s a responsibility that all actors or people who have that space should have? PB: Well, again, my perspective is somebody who always has to be critical of it, and then (Mowzoon’s) perspective is another person’s perspective who doesn’t have the fame in their lives so I’m always having to think aboutit when I shouldn’t. Anybody in my position should think about that more – when you shouldn’t. We need, I think, less celebrities telling us what to do, and I think we need less individuals wielding influence and power over so many. One person is one person. One person should never be that influential, however, we do have that kind of social structure, so for the time being, it’s a dance. NM: As much as we say celebrities shouldn’t be given the space that they are in a platform that they are, they have it. It is what it is. I think acknowledging the reality that it is what it is matters. And I think it matters when celebrities speak out on important issues. I don’t think it’s (Badgley’s) responsibility or anybody’s responsibility to say what other people should be doing. But I think that it would only be beneficial if more people with a bigger platform used that superpower for good rather than the negative. You can stay updated with Badgley and Mowzoon’s “Can We Talk?” series on their Instagram @canwetalkseries. garibay5@readbuzz.com
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The DI · Wednesday, October 20, 2021