THE DAILY ILLINI
MONDAY April 19, 2021
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 150 Issue 50
First Column paints ads on Main Quad, upsets student body
ly making matters worse, adding,“The permission we originally obtained from the Illini Union was in error.” According to Illini Union Director Rebecca Salzman, First Column never contacted any official Union personnel regarding the ads. However, the Union only has authority over advertisements placed on and inside the building and does not grant permission for advertisements on the Main Quad sidewalks or any other part of campus. Kubarycz also believes the company could have done a better job of taking ownership of the mistake, explaining that denial and aggressiveness set a bad tone for a company students entrust with their living arrangements. Although the Union doesn’t grant permission for chalk art and painted advertisements, the Student Code of Conduct clearly states the permitted uses of chalk on campus sidewalks. “The use of water-soluble chalk, easily removed by rain, for the purposes of promoting events, encouraging participation in student elections and expression of current issues is permissible on University sidewalks,” according to the Student Code of Conduct. It is apparent that the advertisements were not painted with water-soluble material, as they have remained largely unscathed despite several instances of rain in the past two weeks. Additionally, ‘corporate advertisement’ is not listed as a valid reason under the Student Code. First Column declined to comment.
BY THOMAS DEMOUY STAFF WRITER
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEFUNDUIPD
Photos, candles, flowers and posters are placed on a bench in front of the Illini Union to honor the late Daunte Wright. The vigil was held by University students to honor victims of police brutality.
Vigil honors police brutality victims BY MONA ALRAZZAQ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
University students gathered on the Main Quad last Thursday to honor the life of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota after he was pulled over for a traffic stop. The City’s recently resigned police chief claimed that he believed that the officer mistook a taser for a gun when she shot Daunte Wright, according to the Associated Press. This shooting occurred during the third week and about 10 miles away from the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer currently being charged for murdering George Floyd. In addition to the recent shooting, footage of 13 yearold Adam Toledo’s shooting by a police officer in Chicago was recently released. Both of these tragedies sparked national outrage as well as more protests and demonstrations against police brutality. Defund UIPD, a group on campus advocating for the divestment of money from
the University of Illinois Police Department and into local community campus resources, facilitated this vigil and opened up space for community members to honor Daunte Wright and other victims of police brutality. “I don’t think there’s a stronger case for defunding the police other than the case that the police made for themselves this past week,” said Hiba Ahmed, junior in Business and member of Defund UIPD. Attendees were encouraged to bring “candles, posters, flowers, poems, songs and thoughts to honor Daunte,” according to Defund UIPD’S Instagram page. There was also an open platform for anybody to speak about their experiences or views on the topic. “In many cases, we have to grieve and fight at the same time,” said Candace Livingston, graduate student in Education and member of Defund UIPD. “We wanted to open the space to just grieve.” Drake Materre, former University student and local activist, spoke at the vigil and also emphasized the importance of taking time to heal
after hearing news like this and in the middle of advocating to defund and abolish the police. “We need to defend ourselves so that there can be no more Daunte Wright, no more Toldeos, no more George Floyds, no more Breonna Taylors, but we also need time for healing,” Materre said. As for the University, Materre condemned Chancellor Robert Jones and the University administration for their silence on police brutality at the time. Enoma Egiebor, sophomore in AHS and student body president, also spoke at the vigil. She mentioned that she and her running mate, Nicole Arnold, sophomore in LAS, experienced racism from one of their competitors while they were running for student body president and vice president with no accountability taken. Egiebor mentioned the importance of not only recognizing injustice, but actively fighting it when it happens to friends and colleagues and discussed how she believes “whatever happens on college campuses, especially college campuses
of this size, is truly a microcosm of the entire world.” “It’s one thing to just post on your Instagram story, but it’s another thing to stand up against racism in your everyday life,” Egiebor said. Egiebor also mentioned that there is a “pattern in policing,” and police officers need to be held accountable for their actions. “We need to call for accountability because in any other job, that wouldn’t be ok,” Egiebor said. “If you’re a doctor or if you’re a nurse and you mix up medicine and fentanyl and the patient dies, you’re going to jail or going to get in trouble.” The vigil that was organized was intended to be a pause to collectively grieve prior to a potential protest, according to Livingston and Ahmed. “We know that one vigil or one collective effort or collective moment to grieve is not enough to express what everyone is feeling right now, and we want to let the campus know that we are here and self-preservation is key in this fight,” Livingston said.
Painted advertisements for First Column Student Living have remained largely intact on the sidewalks of the Main Quad, drawing an overwhelmingly negative response from the student body. It has been two weeks since pictures of the advertisements were first posted on the r/UIUC subreddit. As of Saturday, most of the advertisements were still clearly visible on the Main Quad sidewalks. Since the initial Reddit post, First Column has received a barrage of negative Google reviews and additional Reddit posts from dissatisfied students. The company has responded to the reviews in various ways, ranging from claiming “fake review” to more thorough responses. “Steven, we did not chalk campus without permission. The student union gave us permission to chalk,” one response noted. Claudia Kubarycz, graduate student in FAA, was outspoken in her criticism of the advertisements. “I was very upset to see the spray-painted advertisements on the sidewalks because the (Main) Quad is a place that is enjoyed and respected by thousands of students, faculty, alumni and other University affiliates as the beautiful and symbolic center of (the University),” Kubarycz said. “It is unfortunate that local businesses do not seem to share in that sentiment.” A Reddit account claiming to represent First Column later stated that the initial responses were the result of a misunderstanding and apologized for potential- tdemouy2@dailyillini.com
monaa2@dailyillini.com
Jewish affiliated housing to open in fall BY NESHMIA MALIK & SOPHIE CASABURI STAFF WRITERS
The University will be opening its first campusaffiliated housing option for Jewish students in the fall.
The Illini Chabad property, a former fraternity house built in 2017, will be accessible as resident options for Jewish students in the upcoming fall semester. W hile the house is
CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI
The Illini Chabad sits quietly at 209 E. Armory Ave. in Champaign, Illinois Sunday morning. The University will be opening the Illini Chabad in the fall, which will be the first campus-affiliated housing option for Jewish students.
catered to Jewish students, it is open to nonJewish individuals as well. The Illini Chabad consists of 32 two-bedroom suites, study rooms and more. This project was put in motion after the University released a Joint Statement on anti-Semitism in which they committed to having an inclusive community with no tolerance for hate. W hile the University created an advisory council to combat anti-Semitism on campus, this housing option was made to give Jewish students more of a comfortable community. The building was purchased about a year ago from Chabad Center for Jewish Life and has been running programs for Jewish students. Their prior location on campus differs from this one because it
did not provide opportunities for on-site living, an action that will go into full effect by the fall. Lauren Ramshaw, manager of the residential aspect of the Illini Chabad, CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI discussed the timeline of Spray-painted advertisements from First Column Student Living getting the housing option line the Main Quad Tuesday evening. The chalked walkways in motion. have upset many individuals in the student body. “It moved pretty quickly but it’s been close to two years since the University’s discussion to consider the private housing option,” Ramshaw said. According to Ramshaw, the University has shown full support for making the Illini Chabad a part of the private housing options on campus. Ramshaw mentioned the Sports: Illinois opens many luxuries that will be Opinions: Lost for 2021 campaign included in the housing 17 years, Campus option for the 32 students under new staff Scout returns who decide to live there.
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