The Daily Illini Vol. 150 Issue 51 April 22 by The Daily Illini

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THURSDAY April 22, 2021

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Vol. 150 Issue 51

Student dismissed for testing violation UI alters courses for

prior knowledge gaps

BY ALIZA MAJID ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The University has dismissed Antonio Ruiz, graduate student in LAS, for not complying with the COVID-19 testing policies this semester. The dismissal of Ruiz has gained attention on social media as the petition advocating for his reinstatement has around 3,000 signatures as of Saturday, with the campus community rallying online in support of his case. With Ivor Chen’s case occurring earlier this semester, many people have once again started to question the treatment of graduate students at the University. Chen is a graduate student in Engineering who was initially dismissed earlier this semester for COVID-19 noncompliance, but was reinstated after his case was revised. The Graduate Employees’ Organization has called out for support for this case because Ruiz has various health risks and physical disabilities that have prohibited him from taking the University’s saliva test. Ruiz received his initial disciplinary notice for testing noncompliance on Oct. 20 and attempted to apply for test exemption and was denied since he resides in University Housing. “He got several letters from documentation from physicians that he’s worked with as evidence during the hearing,” said Ellie Fujimoto, member of the GEO. “Because he lived in University Housing, he couldn’t get

STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRADUATE EMPLOYEES’ ORGANIZATION/CHANGE.ORG

Graduate student Antonio Ruiz poses for a photo. Ruiz is the second student dismissed from the University this academic year because of COVID-19 testing noncompliance.

an exemption and he didn’t know about the nasal swab test.” The University released a Massmail on Jan. 15 stating that only students living in non-University housing and who don’t come to campus are eligible for COVID-19 testing exemptions. According to the GEO, Ruiz was not informed about the nasal swab alternative until March 25 during the hearing with the Office for Student Conflict Resolution, which he immediately applied for on March 26. “Our experience has been that information presented outside of the formal disciplinary process about a disciplinary action often presents an incomplete portrayal of

the facts,” said Robin Kaler, associate chancellor of public affairs. “For example, for the entire academic year, we have offered an alternative testing option to any student who cannot use the saliva test.” During the hearing, Ruiz attempted to explain his medical conditions with various supporting documents from doctors and faculty as evidence but was dismissed. Initially, the dismissal was effective immediately and Ruiz received a trespassing notification that prohibited him from entering any University property, even though his residence was in University Housing. According to the new information the GEO

received, this information has been clarified by the case coordinator to allow Ruiz to enter University property for the purpose of testing, and he has until May 13 to vacate the residential building. The GEO is continuing to push forward the reversal of this dismissal case and reinstate Ruiz. “We’ve launched an email campaign to put some pressure to at least get the sanctions for Antonio reduced,” Fujimoto said. “We just don’t want him to have to move across the country, especially given that he’s vulnerable to complications resulting from COVID-19.” alizam2@dailyillini.com

Library renovations continue despite concerns BY WILLIE CUI ASSISTANT DAYTIME NEWS EDITOR

Due to pandemic disruptions, faculty members have expressed concerns over the University Library’s plans to renovate the Main Library and convert the Undergraduate Library into a special collections facility. During its April 5 meeting, the University Senate discussed a resolution (RS.21.03) that called for delaying the UGL conversion for six months so that “a committee including library staff and concerned faculty and student stakeholders” can meet and discuss these concerns. “What’s gonna happen to the undergrads?” said Ralph Mathisen, co-sponsor of the Senate resolution and professor in LAS. “We’re gonna be throwing them out of their favorite space and trying to squeeze them into the Main Library.”

Although the resolution was co-sponsored by 11 faculty senators and endorsed by 14 heads of department, it was ultimately rejected by the University Senate after University Library administrators voiced their opposition. Initially, the University Library planned to renovate the Main Library after first converting the UGL into a special collections facility. One of the greatest concerns voiced by faculty is that undergraduate students would have to “squeeze” into the unrenovated Main Library during the UGL conversion. “I believe the public space in the Main Library … is at most a third of the square footage of the UGL,” said Lori Newcomb, professor in LAS and member of a library working group. “And that’s for everyone.” This is confounded by growing concerns that the Univer-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY

A concept drawing of the Main Library’s future renovation is shown above. University faculty is concerned for new construction at the Main Library due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.

sity Library is indefinitely postponing the Main Library renovation due to pandemic disruptions. “So this is just scuttlebutt — the (University Library) decided that they needed to back off on redoing the Main Library,” Newcomb said. “And this is exactly what faculty didn’t want to have happen.” According to Mathisen, the University Library’s original plan was to use the space recovered from demolishing the Main Library’s central stacks during the renovations for undergraduate needs. “There were those of us who wondered, ‘Why do you have to expel the undergraduates from their library?” Mathisen said. “There must be other options for expanding the space for special collections.” While the initial plan had a “two to three year awkward period” where undergraduates would have to make do with sharing the unrenovated Main Library, Newcomb is concerned that this might remain that way. “My concern now is that since the Main Library renovation is on indefinite hold, that this crowding becomes the new status quo,” Newcomb said. Newcomb noted that the resolution’s proposal for a working group to evaluate the needs and concerns of faculty and students was “appropriate” and that fac-

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tion of the course,” said Stephen R. Downie, associate director of Academic Affairs in the School of Integrative Biology. This section will emphasize active learning and the use of highly trained teaching assistants and instructors. Downie added that it is the same section used for merit and Access and Achievement Program scholars which focuses on skill development, problem solving and the use of case studies. This will be IB150 Lecture CL2. Another course that will undergo changes is CMN 101: Public Speaking. “First, our plan is to have smaller cap sizes for CMN 101 and CMN 111-112 sections so that the instructor can provide more individual attention to students,” Mardia J. Bishop, Director of Public Speaking Instruction, said in an email. The cap size will be held down for both fall 2021 and spring 2022. CMN 101 plans to increase the amount of time and exercises that was originally spent on communication anxiety. More opportunities for small group work will be provided so that students can get used to peer interaction. “We don’t know the effects that online learning has had on interpersonal communication, but we are prepared to address any deficiencies by adjusting the curriculum to allow more time for students to interact with each other,” Bishop said.

BY PAYAL RATHORE

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ulty “have been promised that in the past.” However, she also noted that the resolution called for a six-month delay in renovating the UGL, which would have placed the project’s funding at risk. Mathisen took issue with how the University Library “was absolutely intransigent” THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO during the Senate meeting. Students in a statistics class listen attentively in a lecture at the “I made some notes of the Lincoln Hall Theater. Some introductory courses may require very disrespectful way that meetings with Teacher’s Assistain’s instead of office hours next year. they treated this very innocent request to continue to have inquiry,” Mathisen said. “One thing they did, was to recapitulate what the plans were and just say ‘No, you’re wrong,’ or they said ‘Well, the planning process is already over; you already had your chance for input, so tough on you.’” In a written statement, John Wilkin, dean of libraries and University librarian, along with David Chasco, chair of the Library Consultation Working Group and Pia Hunter, chair of the Senate Library Committee, urged the University Senate to vote against the resolution, “so that efforts to advance the Library’s future needs can continue.” “Postponing that work will almost certainly cause the Library’s building project to fail,” they said. “Most of the Opinions: Earth Features: Increases funding for the first phase canDay reminds society in Anti-Asian hate not be used for other purposes ambition is decisive scare UI community and will be forfeit.”

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Introductory courses may change their content to focus more on basic concepts which may have not been covered or understood well in high school due to the nature of online classes during the pandemic. The First Year Academic Experience Task Group is charged with looking at potential learning loss and knowledge gaps because of the pandemic. Gretchen Adams, assistant dean for Undergraduate Student Affairs, serves as the current chair of the task force. “Some departments will have smaller and more frequent discussion sections.,” Adams said. “Some others are thinking of administering an assessment to gauge where students might be struggling and may hold extra workshops.” Adams added that certain courses may also have required meetings with the Teacher’s Assistant instead of optional office hours. For this change, more TA’s are being hired and changes in TA training are being introduced so as to transition from online to in-person instruction. Peer tutoring opportunities may also be on the rise because of this change. One such course that plans on introducing changes is IB 150: Organismal and Evolutionary Biology. “We’re going to use the results of an optional placement test to identify students who are likely to fail IB 150 so we can put them in a new sec- payalr2@dailyillini.com

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in the stairwell and encounstolen bicycle was chained to a tered someone who admitted to rack and has an estimated valbreaking the glass cover but left ue of $500. before police arrived. The estimated cost to replace the glass Urbana cover is $150. • Found articles were reported • Theft over $500 was reportat an OSF hospital on the 1400 ed at the Lincoln Avenue Resiblock of West Park Street around dence Halls, 1102 S. Lincoln Ave., 10 a.m. on Monday. According to Urbana on Tuesday. According the report, an unattended fireto the report, a University stuarm was found at the hospital. dent’s bicycle was stolen sometime between April 12-13. The news@dailyillini.com

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POLICE

Almost a month after 78% of voting students chose to reallocate University of Illinois Police Department funding, the process of implementing the referendum is only just beginning. The referendum, which now takes the form of an administrative recommendation, will have to pass through a review process by the Board of Trustees and the University. The review will be aided by the Public Safety, Policing and the Justice System working group in order to approve the reallocation and to determine how the 25% of the total UIPD budget — roughly two million dollars — will be spent. Central to the consideration of the referendum is how the reduced funding will impact UIPD operations. According to the UIPD budget, over 84% of the UIPD’s current funding is directed toward personnel costs. The rest of the budget is allocated on a yearly basis by the University, based on recommendations from the UIPD. “We kind of look at what are the programming needs to make sure that we have as safe of a campus as possible,” said Patrick Wade, senior director of Strategic Communications for the UIPD. “Training is always a big one, especially with the new crime reform

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The Champaign Police Department sits quietly at 82 E. University Ave. in Champaign, Illinois. The University has yet to complete a review process with their Board of Trustees in order to reallocate the University of Illinois Police Department budget.

bill that’s going into effect this summer.” The proposed budgetary increases for next year also include the hiring of another UIPD social worker. On the other hand, the current discussion about how the reallocation of funding will be handled, includes the creation of a similar service outside of the framework of a police department. The more general budgetary impacts of this reallocation share this tradeoff between police action and

community services. “In that scenario, we’d be looking at a clear reduction in services (including) our patrol units, community outreach, crime prevention education and sexual violence resources,” Wade said when asked about the budgetary cutbacks which could occur if the referendum is accepted. The process of implementing these budgetary changes will likely take a long time, if the Board of Trustees and the University decide to implement

them at all. “These referendums through (Illinois Student Government) that the students vote on, we definitely appreciate hearing that input and that informs the decisions that our campus administrators and our campus leaders make about service allocation on campus,” Wade said. The Public Safety, Policing and Justice System working group declined to comment. georgep2@dailyillini.com

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NEWS

Report highlights impacts of climate change in Illinois BY GEORGE PHELAN STAFF WRITER

The Nature Conservancy of Illinois released a report on Tuesday detailing the expected impact of climate change on Illinois climate and weather events. The report, which deals with the effects of rising g loba l temperat u res on topics such as the weat her, ag r icu lt u re and natural ecosystems, predicts that Illinois will experience an increase in both temperature and precipitation. These increases mean that Illinois will experience longer, hotter summers and shorter, more rainy winters, along with increases in the frequency of natural disasters such as flooding. The report notes that most areas of Illinois have already experienced average temperature increases of one to two degrees, but at the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions this number is expected to increase dramatically. Areas with an average hottest five-day maximum temperature of 92 degrees may increase to anywhere from 96-104 degrees, depending on the response to climate change and local factors. This increase in heat is expected to lengthen summers and may lead to short-term droughts, although an increase in precipitation is also predicted. Along with becoming significantly warmer by the end of the century, Illinois is also expected to become wetter. The report states

KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

A woman walks down the Main Quad toward Foellinger Auditorium on Aug. 21. The Nature Conservancy of Illinois released a report about the expected impact of climate change in Illinois.

that Illinois has already seen a mean precipitation increase of five to 20% depending on the region, and that this trend will continue as more snowy days become rainy days. This is expected because warmer atmospheres are also capable of containing more water. The rain will increase the risk of flooding in already vulnerable

areas, as well as reducing the available habitat for endangered species living in Illinois. This combination of heat and precipitation could lead to problems for Illinois residents, including an increase in molds and pests normally found in warmer climates. Health issues from respiratory conditions such as seasonal allergies

are expected to increase because of these molds. Diseases caused by ticks and mosquitoes will also increase, as their population grows over the summer and lasts longer into the winter. These insects, as well as other non-native species, may also disrupt Illinois’ native ecosystems. The University’s current iCAP, or Illinois Climate

Action Plan, seeks to combat climate change by reducing the University’s carbon footprint, along with other initiatives. The 2020 addition to iCAP set goals for the University to completely eliminate air travel emissions while also increasing the number of trees on campus and supporting the use of clean energy sources.

W h i le u sef u l in mitigating the damage of uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions, the report also notes how plans to manage the inevitable effects of climate change in Illinois are necessary along with plans to reduce carbon emissions to prepare for the future. georgep2@dailyillini.com

UI addresses Derek Chauvin verdict, commits to social justice BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA NEWS EDITOR

The University released a Massmail Tuesday shortly after the George Floyd trial came to a close, calling for a public commitment to take action against systemic racism. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, who was killed last year on May 25, after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground under Chauvin’s knee. “We hope today’s jury decision gives Mr. Floyd’s family some small sense of closure and a measure of justice,” the Massmail said. “But no court can reverse his senseless death. And no verdict will erase their grief, anger and loss. Our thoughts are with his family and friends today.” The Massmail calls on the community and nation to take action and dismantle the conditions of systemic racism and social injustice in America. The Massmail also mentions the killings of Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright and Adam

Toledo, calling them “an unacceptable consequence of our current system of policing and criminal justice.” The University recently launched a Call to Action Research Program addressing racism and social injustice in the wake of this year’s violence. “We are engaged in an active review of the role our own university has played in creating these systems, the histories that we have failed to address and the public safety processes and policies we have in place,” the Massmail said. The University has $2 million to allocate across research areas. “Today we state unequivocally that we are ready to invest the resources, the time and the necessary effort to repair this damage and to reimagine and rebuild these systems,” the Massmail said. According to the Massmail, the University will bring the working group recommendations to the broader University community this summer. The University will provide more information about the listening group sessions in the coming months. The sessions

MARK CAPAPAS THE DAILY ILLINI

A group of protestors hold a sign reading “George Floyd’s Life Mattered” in downtown Chicago on May 30. The University recently sent a Massmail to students after Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder calling for the public to take action against systemic racism.

will continue in the fall, to share their perspectives. forward that we together will Massmail said. allowing students who want “These listening sessions choose to prioritize through to participate the opportunity will help us discuss the paths a collaborative process,” the abhatt52@dailyillini.com

Champaign County Historical Archives celebrates 65th Anniversary BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA NEWS EDITOR

T he Urba na Free Library is celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Champaign County Historical Archives with outreach events from the month of April through August. Established in 1956, the Champaign County Historical Archives is a department of The Urbana Free Library, which maintains a large research-level collection on the history of Champaign County and the genealogy of he CCHA residents spanning back as far as the 1830s. In 1987, the CCHA was designated the official repository for Champaign C ou nt y non- c u r rent records.

“We’re celebrating this year by providing more local history and genealogy programs and outreach events,” said Donica Swann, director of the CCHA, in a press release. “From April to August we will make virtual visits to many of the public libraries in Champaign County to share our resources.” To celebrate, The Urbana Free Library will host a series of beginner and intermediate genealogy workshops. This will feature guest speakers such as Road Scholar Kim Sigafus, who will be speaking about Illinois Native American tribes. The CCHA has over 25,000 books and journals and subscribes to over 100 genealogical and local history journals. In addition, they have a

collection of newspapers from Champaign County ranging from 1852 to the present, with most available on microfilm. The CCHA also has over 250 oral histories, including topics that cover Champaign County rural life and the experience of the African-American community. The CCHA also has a collection of directories, school yea rbooks, records and manuscripts, photographs and maps. The online databases are available in The Urbana Free Library, and some are available with a library card remotely. The CCHA also has a relatively new “digital ex hibit space” w ith exhibits such as “C-U at the Movies: Roger Ebert, 1942-

2013” and “Champaign’s Gambling Hotspots in 1937.” Other digital exhibits include “Early Jewish Life in Champaign-Urbana” and “Mary E. Busey’s Gift: A Centennial Celebration Of The Samuel T. Busey Memorial Library.” Each exhibit has photos and descriptive text. The CCHA is located on the second floor of The Urbana Free Library. The CCHA is open for appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Wednesdays, appointments can be made between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., and on Sundays between 1 p.m. CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI and 4 p.m. The Champaign County Historical Archives sit on shelves in abhatt52@dailyillini.com

the Free Urbana Library on Wednesday afternoon. The library is celebrating the 65th anniversary of the archives.

THURSDAY April 22, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

LIFE & CULTURE

Anti-Asian violence scares UI community Students fear for safety with increase in hate crimes

BY FEATURES WRITERS*

A young Asian American individual sat on a bench outside of the Beckman Institute, searching for the words to describe the fear and sadness they felt when thinking about the Atlanta Spa Shootings. Their partner extended their hand to offer support. Ham Gabel, a ChampaignUrbana community member, accepted the offering with gratitude and began to speak. “It’s really scary,” Gabel said. “In a way it’s not surprising, but it’s just really terrifying to know that it can get to this level and go beyond microaggressions and harassments, even though it’s something that’s been real for me for a long time.” Eun Jeong Cha, assistant professor in Engineering, said it’s unusual for Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals to share their feelings due to a traditional culture of modesty. “It’s not very common to express this kind of vulnerability in the Asian culture unless you’re in a very, very comfortable situation,” Jeong Cha said. “It’s very difficult to talk about now.” However, the increase in anti-Asian sentiments and violence have escalated emotions, making people feel as if they can no longer stay silent. This is largely true for the AAPI community on campus. Lily Greenberg, an AsianAmerican freshman in Education, said as she sees elderly Asian people beaten or murdered on the news, she fears for the safety of her family. “When I see a lot of the crimes being targeted at elderly Asian people, I’m thinking of all my family members and especially the ones that live in Chicago who are walking around the city where anyone can come up and do something to them,” Greenberg said. “It’s weird to have that fear that at any moment the next victim on the news could be someone I know or someone related to me.” This fear for family members living in large cities is overwhelmingly present among AAPI students on campus. Kathy Tran, senior in AHS and member of the Vietnamese Student Association, said she is scared of her parents getting hurt. “I get worried about my parents because they live in Chicago,” Tran said. “I’m just a little worried because they’re older and my mom works at a nail salon.” Tran said it’s particularly scary for her because she feels as if violence toward Asian-Americans could fol-

The

VIVIAN LA THE DAILY ILLINI

A group of kids hold signs displaying phrases such as “#StopAsianHate” and “We Stand Asians” at a protest in downtown Champaign on March 30. Community members of all ages gathered in support of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Ham Gabel and their significant other light candles at Beckman Quad during a vigil for people who lost their lives in the Atlanta spa shooting on March 26.

American Case Law

low her parents anywhere they go. “It’s also scary because my dad and I were talking about places where my parents could retire and we were talking about Atlanta, Georgia,” Tran said. “And the day after was the shooting in Atlanta, so it was just scary to see that happen especially right after we talked about them retiring there.” Tran said she is worried for her own safety as well. When she goes out in public, which isn’t much due to COVID-19, she said she feels as if she has a target on her

back because of her race. “When I went to go get my vaccine, I went to the Walgreens off campus and when I was trying to cross the street, this dude looked me up and down,” Tran said. “It was a little nerve-racking because I didn’t know what they were thinking. I always expect the worst so I started walking as fast as possible to get away from him.” Saramaya Huynh, junior in AHS and Asian American Association Executive Board member, shared this fear. “I saw an article about a 19 year-old being shot in the

eye,” Huynh said. “She was in the city in her car. And it’s like, it’s just very traumatizing to think that could be yourself. Whenever I’m out, I walk really fast. Whenever someone’s right behind me, I get really anxious. So then I have my keychains out, just in case.” About 40% of the total student population are students that represent the Asian American and Asian international community, according to the Asian American Cultural Center. Greenberg said she feels safer on campus than she does in her hometown,

The

American Case Law RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Helen Nguyen lights a candle at the vigil for those who lost their lives in the Atlanta spa shooting on March 26.

Evanston, Illinois, due to the large AAPI presence. “For me personally, when I’m just walking around on campus, I’m not scared,” Greenberg said. “I feel as if it’s different on a college campus especially because on our campus there are a lot of Asian people, so I feel like I’m able to feel a sense of comfort that people around me aren’t trying to harm me – hopefully.” Many professors at the University said they understand the emotional trauma AAPI students are facing. Helen Nguyen, associate professor in Engineering,

said she and her colleagues hosted a vigil for the victims of the Atlanta Spa Shootings to provide their students with a safe place to gather in solidarity and share their thoughts. “We want to show the students that they are not alone because I know that they are scared, that they are concerned, they don’t know who to talk to,” Nguyen said. In addition to helping students, Tina Horton, teaching assistant in LAS, said professors are trying to

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Thursday, April 22, 2021

“A ll of the TA’s and professors have taken a moment to say, ‘If you need to talk, we’re here,’” Horget in tune with their own ton said. “But we’re also emotions. trying to make sense of

FROM 4A

VIOLENCE

what’s going on and process it ourselves.” Many professors at the University assert that this violence isn’t happening for the first time.

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

A group of protestors hold signs at the #StopAsianHate rally on March 30 in downtown Champaign.

“This is nothing new,” said Soo Ah Kwon, director of the Asian American Studies Department. “Anti-Asian violence has a long history in American history and experience.” A. Naomi Paik, associate professor in LAS, said the recent uptick in violence towards the A API population in the U.S. can be attributed to the Trump administration, although she emphasized that many other leaders throughout history are also guilty. “There’s a lot of white supremacist rhetoric from the previous administration particularly calling coronavirus the ‘Chinese virus’ or ‘kung-flu’,” Paik said. “I think that speaks to ‘why now?’ But antiAsian violence has been occuring in the U.S. since Asian people got here.” Kwon said there are many classes that educate students about the history of anti-Asian racism and violence. However, education systems across the nation are cutting these

programs. “More and more, the humanities have been shrinking and units like ours have been shrunk nationally,” Kwon said. Leland Taberes, visiting assistant professor in LAS, said it’s vital for a University to have these programs, and appreciates the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s program. “Asian American studies departments are underrepresented and there is obviously a need for them, especially considering the role that Asian America plays in the formation of America,” Taberes said. “This is so unique and special to be here because there is institutional support for the field that I’m in.” Many said they feel these classes are important because they allow for students of all races and ethnicities to learn how to communicate and empathize with one another. Greenberg is half Filipino and half white. She said

her white side of the family isn’t capable of having the level of fear the AAPI community has and feels as if this applies to a large portion of white Americans. “My Dad’s side of the family is white, and I feel like they can obviously empathize and really try to do their part, but they don’t really understand the fear because it’s not their own blood that they’re fearing for,” Greenberg said. “It would be appreciated if (the University) discussed how students can be better allies to their Asian peers along with backing and promoting things like protests,” Greenberg said. “Even though protests don’t solve everything, it would mean a lot to see more people actually showing up to these events where Asian voices are being amplified.” *Gwyn Skiles, Farrah Anderson, Jenni Kallenback, Jacqui Nguyen, Karena Tse features@dailyillini.com

Preschool adventures, playtime undergo recess BY AIDAN FINN STAFF WRITER

Just behind the University of Illinois Arboretum and right next to the Orchard Downs residence is a little building for the littlest of C-U residents. But this corner is not bustling with usual games or adventures, but rather a new way of learning for a new era. The Orchard Downs Preschool is a vital part of the Orchard Downs community, providing residents — typically graduate students and their families — with an option for child care and early childhood education with a focus on prekindergarten readiness. But the little corner has seen better days for play. With the impact of the pandemic still affecting schools more than a year later, the preschool environment has not been spared the need to adapt. Jeanette Weider, director of Family & Graduate housing for University Housing, opened up about the struggle to overcome pandemic regulations and shared her gratefulness with how things have proceeded. “Throughout the past year, like many schools across the county, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the Orchard Downs Preschool,” Weider said.

“But by adhering to local and state health guidelines, focusing on students’ social and emotional learning, and most importantly through teamwork, we have remained opened with very little disruption.” Last fall, in order to proceed with operations to the safest degree possible, University Housing implemented several Preschool safety guidelines and procedures. The likes of which include required COVID-19 testing and personal protective equipment for Preschool staff, families being asked to complete wellness checks for temperature and symptoms daily before coming to school, as well as classroom furniture being spaced to meet social distancing regulations. Chelsea Hamilton, senior assistant director of Communications and Marketing for University Housing, discussed the changes to individual student conduct for the preschool. “Throughout the day, students are encouraged to keep their face covering on — which can sometimes be a little tricky as they are young, but they are allowed to remove during nap time, when eating, and outside — social distance when possible and wash their hands frequently,” Hamilton said.

While such changes may seem like so much to put on children this little, Hamilton said teachers put a lot of effort and time into adopting such a hands-on and physical curriculum into socially distanced learning and fun. Beyond the current limitations, Orchard Downs continues to provide a great environment for the local community and shows no signs of slowing down. Hamilton said that since 1970, the preschool has offered a structured learning environment designed to enhance the social, emotional, physical and mental growth of children. The daily curriculum is delivered through teacher-directed large and small group activities and both group and individual instruction. Children participate in language, letter sounds and recognition, writing, phonics, basic math skills, science, music and movement, arts and crafts and more. Classroom sizes are around 15 children and three professional staff members (the max number of students allowed in the classroom per COVID-19 guidelines from the Illinois Department of Childrren and Family Services. The base registration is

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

A child feeds goats at Curtis Orchard and Pumpkin Patch on Oct. 31. The Orchard Downs Preschool has struggled to overcome challenges that have come with the COVID-19 pandemic.

$50, with the fee collected at the time of registration, which reserves a space in the classroom. Full-day program tuition goes for $160 per week for Orchard Downs residents, with it being $200 per week for nonresidents.

Many said Orchard Downs has continually provided an incredibly useful and important resource for the greater community and has not let the limitations of the pandemic hold them back. Weider hopes to continue the facility’s commit-

ment to safety. “The health and safety of our students and staff as well as continuing to provide our intended academic curriculum is our top priority,” Hamilton said. aidanf3@dailyillini.com

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ACROSS

1Lightly box 5Ukr. and Lith., once 9Word used in place of “chapter” in “A Christmas Carol” 14 Soldier of Sauron 15 Runaway 16 Like the function f(x) = x3 17 ___ sort 18 Suppositions 19 “Euphoria” channel 20 “___ but a scratch” (Monty Python quote) 21 Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic, etc. 22 Inject (with) 23 Alumni divs. 24 Consume, with “of” 26 Triage team member 28 Awkward radio silence 33 With 39- and 44-Across, dramatic work depicted in this puzzle’s grid 36 Part two of a three-step bottle instruction 37 Shortening, for short 39 See 33-Across 41 Grp. that sends you a card for your 50th birthday 42 Kind of wrench 44See 33-Across 46 Beyond clean 48Certain still-life figures 50 Brain-enhancing device used by Professor X 53 ___-weekly 55 Tear 58 Suffix with cyclo59 ___ Love, Utah’s first Black congressperson

24 26

28 34

40 44

50 56

33 37

PUZZLE BY TOM MCCOY

60 Steely Dan, e.g. 61 Close relative, briefly 62 ___ and leaves 63 Was brought back out for airing 64 Notoriously difficult chem class 65 Wheel track 66 “The little woman who wrote the book that started this great war,” as Lincoln supposedly said 67 Structure put together by a crane 68 Car trip pastime DOWN 1 Like Santa after entering a house, perhaps 2 The spinners? 3 What the Avengers do

4 “His Master’s Voice” co. 5 Popular hot sauce 6 Up to now 7 Reddish-brown 8 Blvds. 9 Bagel topping 10 Ice cream container 11 Father of, in Arabic 12 Feeling in the room 13 Prefix with tourist 21 Derek Walcott’s “Omeros,” for one 22 1950s prez 25 Opportunity for a service break 27 Renaissance artist Albrecht 29 Steak ___ 30 Eleven plus two and twelve plus one, e.g. 31 It’s south of Leb. 32 What one is known for, informally

34 Daisy Mae’s man, in old comics 35 Scrappy-___ (cartoon dog) 37 Some toy batteries 38 Cousin of a club 40 Dance featuring jerky arm movements 43 “Well played!” 45 Exultant cry 47 “Life of Pi” director 49 Goof 51 French 101 verb 52 Naval jails 54 Delectable 55 Type of animal fat 56 In favor of 57 Bone-chilling 60 Salk and Pepper, in brief 61 Sixth U.S. president vis-à-vis the second, e.g. 62 Illusionist Geller

The crossword solution is in the Classified section.

THURSDAY April 22, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

OPINIONS THE DAILY ILLINI EDITORIAL

Super League will ruin soccer forever

Champions League final for the third year in a row. The ASSISTANT 1995 Ajax squad possessed OPINIONS EDITOR an average roster age of twenty-three years, while AC Milan boasted what uropean club soccer many consider to be one of is the mainstay of the best starting XI to ever global sports. While appear on a pitch. the United States may Should the formation dominate the athletics of the European Super scene by terms of diversity League proceed as planned, in the shape of different moments like these will types of professional sports, never occur again. To put the attention received by the debacle in terms of each American league American sports: Imagine pales in comparison to the if the NCAA declared worldwide infatuation fans they would be doing possess for what is known away with the March as the Top Flight leagues of Madness tournament and JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI Europe. instead created an extra Consisting of five leagues league where only twelve — the Premier League of blue blood teams — like England, the Bundesliga Kentucky, Duke, North of Germany, La Liga in Carolina, etc. — would ockdown revealed that year that some iCAP team “all-electric” by 2035 — reducing emissions to 1990 Spain, Serie A in Italy and be eligible to be crowned nature — when given members distrusted the also have their eyes set levels four years ahead of Ligue 1 in France — the Top as champions of college the opportunity — University would meet its on innovative initiatives. schedule. Flight leagues are home basketball. will swiftly restore itself. 2050 goals. This misgiving The future, accordingly, In addition to prioritizing to the world’s most iconic If the glory of Whether it was dolphins also stemmed from Bill prevails with climateclimate policy around other sports teams and fervently international club reappearing in the freshened Rose, co-chair of the iCAP oriented procedures: facets like environmental passionate fanbases. The competition isn’t already waters of the Hudson River Energy team, who stated, Businesses prioritize and justice and equity, thrill of European club doomed in spirit, it also is or whales flourishing off the “we have the target; we don’t recognize climate change California — led both by soccer lasts year-round for by literal terms. President French coast, humanity’s have the plan” as the opportunity to Republican and Democrat the hundreds of millions of UEFA, Aleksander gloomy withdrawal exposed Not exclusive to C-U, environmentally pivot for administrations over the of fans it boasts, whether Čeferin announced that all a bright possibility that across the nation and world everyone’s benefit. years — has invigorated it be watching a domestic participating Super League nature is observant to it appears that everyone has However, are any of these genuine action, contrasting league season or the Union clubs and their players will sudden societal actions. “targets,” but few implement actions bold — including regularly discounted of European Football be banned from competing As another Earth Day plans. Possessing a deadline Biden’s deadline of a deadlines. Associations Champions in UEFA competitions, approaches, moreover, is practical, yet deadlines are “pollution-free electricity Animating its inked deals, League. including the Champions society must recognize the more than nice headlines sector no later than 2035” — the Golden State leads the However, all the League, Euros and World need for prolonged, prompt — ambition and effort are when their goals are decades nation in comprehending enjoyment that comes with Cup. action. Although nature’s required. or more away? the present predicament. being a fan of European This would mean legends recent recovery is spurred In a world continually One must concede that Utilizing public and private soccer is about to be such as Lionel Messi by a global pandemic, impaired by climate change, fundamental reforms take partnerships, as well, decimated. wouldn’t be able to compete future climate efforts must environmental policy time. However, Paris climate California illuminates Florentino Pérez, for a meaningful trophy also reflect the urgency can only be ambitious or accord signatories are the appropriate decisions president of Real Madrid ever again. The proclaimed COVID-19 obtained. unsuitable. already on track to exceed localities and nations will Club de Fútbol, announced golden age of American Similarly, deadlines for Fortunately, the iCAP their ceiling of 1.5 degrees themselves soon undertake. that his club will be joining soccer that has been years distant dates such as 2035 or includes a beginning note Celcius within 12 years, A deadline is not policy. 11 others in forming a new in the making will be halted 2050 are not sufficient when from student government and little progress has been In a similar vein as students European Super League for at least a generation, as climate awaits humanity’s representatives who made other than public procrastinating assignment that will change the outlook the most talented stars the inaction. recognize this: “We call on commitments aspiring for deadlines, goals for 2050 and of European club soccer U.S. Men’s National Team When crafting climatethis university to embrace greener tomorrows. 2035 will not be respected forever. The 12 teams — have invested their future in related deadlines, leadership a more aggressive goal in Combating climate until the timer runs out. which are among the world’s currently playing for one of — local, national and global reaching carbon neutrality, change is the premiere issue Any proposed deadline will richest and are members of these twelve clubs. — must be ambitious. As ideally no later than 2030.” of the 21st century. The matter only when ambitious four Top Flight leagues — Future Super League much as an existential Besides University students, effort is cumbersome, but operations commence. are to face off against each teams currently competing threat climate change poses, other national leaders the reward — a habitable As climate change other in weekly matches and in the semifinal round of the delayed tactics addressing likewise understand this planet — is too paramount to inevitably awaits, it is the compete for a title amongst Champions League would this menace only impede urgency. be neglected. Nevertheless, world’s responsibility to themselves. be immediately ejected imminent issues. During his first week establishing deadlines is unite against this looming This new format would from the tournament The University’s Illinois in office, President Joe only the beginning of this threat. Approaches such as completely uproot the and replaced with teams Climate Action Plan Biden signed several arduous journey, not its end. iCAP or Biden’s executive existing structure of that have already been indicates its climate goal executive orders aimed at One compelling model for orders are necessary first European soccer, which sees eliminated. If this weren’t as net-zero emissions by positioning climate change environmental leadership steps, but they lack the teams of the same country humiliating enough, 2050. Despite this being an as his administration’s lies in California’s policies. required ambition this play one another throughout these teams would never adequate start — notably cornerstone. Consequently, In a report by the Center menace warrants. the year for their respective be presented with the with its promise to divest Biden reiterated a for American Progress, Local leadership and domestic league titles and opportunity to win a from fossil fuels by the 2025 commitment towards California is noted as beyond must be bold when only play opponents of Champions League ever fiscal year — this is nowhere boldness declaring, “This originating ambitious countering environmental different countries a seldom again. near a determined, energetic is not a time for small environmental plans since shifts: Talk is cheap few times a year in massively The implications of strategy. measures … We need to be 1970. By enacting bold and inaction is out of popular tournaments. the Super League are There are, additionally, bold.” and aggressive targets, the question. Ambition, Now the European devastating — the integrity doubts within the iCAP Large corporations like California has managed therefore, is essential to Super League threatens to of the competitions that formulators, with The Daily Ford and General Motors to achieve such feats as sustaining humanity against monopolize meaningful have been used to judge Illini reporting earlier this — who specifically pledged meeting their 2020 goal in its alarming adversary. club competition for only greatness throughout the world’s richest teams. history will be in ruins. For fans, the greatest draw The World Cup and Euro to watch international club Tournament will be devoid tournaments like the UEFA of the world’s best players, Champions League is that the Champions League a anything can happen — just shell of its former self and This University has a once a year, each team that the dreams of each fan to deep-rooted problem. The performed well enough in watch their favorite club ANDREA issue is not about the protheir domestic leagues to be crowned king of Europe MARTINEZ portion of enrolled stuqualify for the tournament irreparably shattered. COLUMNIST dents who identify as peoare given a chance to battle European soccer will ple of minority groups, but and determine the supreme no longer be defined by rather about the inclusion club team in all of Europe. millions of passionate fans he University prides of minority groups. Arguably the most supporting their teams on itself not only in its Too often do people misinmemorable moments of the the road to eternal glory, academic achieveterpret the statistical data to Champions League were but rather by the greed, ments but also in its divermean the job is done; many born out of an underdog arrogance and selfishness of sity. Over the years, the Uni- believe that because the UniLANIE HIBEL THE DAILY ILLINI team overcoming all odds the world’s wealthiest club versity has taken deliberate versity offers certain types of Students sit on the Main Quad April 3. Columnist Andrea and defeating a European owners looking to further steps to advance underrep- services or a specific amount Martinez argues that students at the University learn about club titan, with the 1995 line their already corpulent resented minorities. of resources for minority stu- diversity, but not inclusion — about diverse communities, but championship match being pockets. One can only The school boasts a hub of dents that the issue has been not how to interact with them. a prime example. hope the founding clubs cultural houses, a Veteran’s solved. In this particular will succumb to Čeferin’s Center, disability services, That presumption is far out invokes a sense of worry they do not feel included. tournament, Dutch team pressure, or else the world’s diversity staff in each unifrom true. It remains that for fear of being judged and On this front, it is the AFC Ajax — which resides game will forever become versity residence hall and the “Inclusion” in “Diversi- mislabeled, so you would fault of the University outside of the Top Flight the game of the rich. minority programs specific ty & Inclusion” has been left rather not go at all. for not facilitating largeleagues — defeated Italian to each college, in addition out of the solution. AdmitThat is what being a scale interactive divergiant AC Milan, a team Nick is a sophomore in LAS. to the Office of Minority tedly, this issue has more so minority at the University sity and inclusion workthat was returning to the nmj5@dailyillini.com Student Affairs. to do with the student body, of Illinois — still a predomi- shops for its students the The University also has rather than the administra- nantly white institution — is way they do for responsidedicated staff for divertion itself. like. It is the feeling of being ble drinking. Students at sity and inclusion within Perhaps you found your- afraid to communicate with the University learn about its administrative departself in a classroom, wantpeople of other groups you diversity, but not incluments. The purpose of these ing to befriend a nearby do not feel included in and sion — about diverse comemployees is to ensure the international student but sometimes being the only munities, but not how to voices of minority groups are are unable to approach minority in your classes. interact with them. being heard and taken into them for fear of making Most importantly, the The University talks consideration in administra- them uncomfortable or issue lies in the fact that, the talk when touting its tive decisions. simply because you might despite the diversity in achievements in diversity, However, this does have nothing in common our student body and the but it now must walk the not make the University with them. plethora of events and ser- walk by properly focusing immune to criticism on the Maybe you considered vices available to all stuenough resources into the subject. Try as they might, visiting a cultural house or dents regardless of minor- department of inclusion. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAINTONALEX’S TWITTER the problem does not go event to learn more about ity status, many will not A crowd of soccer fans in Europe protest the Super League. away by simply throwing other cultures, but the seek out those events, ser- Andrea is a junior in LAS. Columnist Nick Johnson argues that the Super League was money at the issue. thought of being the odd one vices and relationships if amart249@dailyillini.com created in the interest of greed instead of the spirit of soccer. NICK JOHNSON

GR Coming :)

Ambition alleviates climate change L

University underserves in diversity promise

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS | opinions@dailyillini.com with the subject “Letter to the Editor.” The Daily Illini reserves the right to edit for length, libel, grammar and spelling errors, and Daily Illini style or to reject any contributions. Letters must be limited to 300 words. Contributions must be typed and include the author’s name, address and phone number. University students must include their year in school and college.

THURSDAY April 22, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

SPORTS

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLY HAGENSON / FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS

Junior Ian Skirkey performs on a pommel horse at the NCAA Championships Saturday. Skirky won the NCAA pommel horse championship, which is the first in his career.

Skirkey wins NCAA pommel horse championship BY BRADLEY ZIMMERMAN STAFF WRITER

On the north wall of Huff Hall’s arena sits a list of 34 Illinois gymnasts who have won at least one individual NCA A men’s gymnastics championship. Among the names on that list are USA Gymnastics and/or Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame inductees Joseph Giallombardo, Abie Grossfeld, Justin Spring and Don Tondry, with the latter three also competing in the Olympics. The name Ian Skirkey will be added to that list in the very near future. Saturday in Minneapolis, Skirkey won the NCAA pommel horse championship, the first NCAA championship title of his career. Skirkey is also the first Illini since

Brandon Ngai in 2016 to win a pommel horse championship. “From the start, I never really had any strict expectations for my performance,” Skirkey said. “I just wanted to go out there, do the best that I could and keep myself calm leading up to the routine.” Skirkey won two pommel horse titles during the regular season and finished second on pommel horse in the Big Ten Championships, just five-hundredths of a point out of first place. He earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors as a result of his runner-up finish. Though he entered the national championships ranked No. 22 in the nation on pommel horse based on national qualifying average, he proved that

rankings don’t matter. He had the highest pommel horse score of Friday’s qualifying session I with a score of 14.066. According to Spring, Illinois’ head coach, Skirkey was among five or six gymnasts who had the best shot at winning the pommel horse national championship. With Illinois performing on pommel horse last on Saturday and Skirkey anchoring the lineup, he was going to perform knowing the score that would win him a national championship. Skirkey called this a blessing and a curse. “ T hat i n for m at ion can sometimes put extra pressure on you,” Skirkey said. “It’s not what you want going into your routine,

especially on pommel horse. You want to be very calm, and the more that you think about the score that you need to get, the worse your performance is going to be. Any time I began to think about that, I told myself to let go.” Sk irkey ’s strongest competition for the title didn’t have stellar performances Saturday. Mich iga n’s Ca meron Bock and Markus Shears outscored Sk irkey on pommel horse in qualifying session II the night before, but they had uncharacteristic errors in their routines Saturday, lowering their scores from lower 14s to 12s. Bock and Shears’ teammate, Paul Juda, led the field with a score of 13.800 going

into the final rotation, a relatively low score for Skirkey to beat. “The door was wide open on pommel horse,” Spring said. “Ian was basically the last horse guy who had a chance.” Skirkey stepped up and delivered the only pommel horse routine to break 14.000. He easily outscored Juda with a score of 14.166, one-tenth of a point higher than his score the previous day. Skirkey’s championship ended a long and difficult season for him and his teammates. They spent the last eight months adhering to team COVID-19 protocols, which included staying on campus during winter break. “To come out of a year

like that with a national title, it gives veracity to all the work that we did and all the time that we spent in the gym and away from our families,” Skirkey said. Skirkey has two more years of eligibility remaining in his collegiate career: his senior year and an extra year being afforded to NCAA athletes in response to the pandemic. Spring has already extended an offer to Skirkey to have him stick around for a fifth year. Skirkey’s championship also qualifies him for the USA Gymnastics National Championships in June, joining fellow Illini junior Michael Fletcher. @B_RadZimm bez2@dailyillini.com

FOOTBALL

Spring game notebook: Passing game, defensive line show potential BY GABBY HAJDUK STAFF WRITER

For Bret Bielema’s standards, Illinois football’s Orange and Blue spring game was a success. The Illini finished the game with no injuries, committed minimal penalties and had solid ball security — all things Bielema noted as goals before the game kicked off. While the starting group absolutely dominated the game as expected, Bielema and fans were able to get a good look at which players will be most impactful in the fall. With a majority of the team returning from last season, familiar faces like Donny Navarro, Brandon Peters, Chase Brown and Owen Carney Jr. all made impressive plays Monday night. But fresh faces like transfer Chase Hayden and redshirt freshman Reggie Love III also showed the team has some new talent that will elevate an Illini team that struggled in 2020. Here are some of the key takeaways from Monday night’s outing.

Game MVP: Luke Ford

The transfer tight end from Georgia was a highly anticipated addition last season after he was forced to sit out in 2019 due to the NCAA’s transfer rules. But Ford caught just two passes for 15 yards last year. Bielema and his offensive staff, however, have made it clear that utilizing the tight end spot will be a priority. That was apparent Monday night, as Ford was targeted five times — the most of any receiver — and caught each pass for a total of 88 yards. Ford also made an incredible one-handed touchdown catch.

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Tight end Luke Ford (82) catches a pass during the Orange and Blue spring game Monday at Memorial Stadium. Ford made five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in the game.

After the game, Bielema praised Ford for his increased level of maturity through the spring and said he appreciated Ford’s “demeanor and work ethic.” As a long, big target for either Brandon Peters or Isaiah Williams, Ford should be a huge playmaker in the fall, along with fellow tight end Daniel Barker.

Quarterback competition looks settled… for now

For the first time since probably the 2019 season, Brandon Peters look settled and comfortable at the

QB1 position for the Illini. Coming out on the Orange team technically means Bielema and Tony Petersen felt most comfortable with Peters as their starting quarterback for now, but Bielema noted in the postgame press conference that it’s still anyone’s job to win. Regardless of the starting quareterback’s role, Peters looked solid Monday, completing 12 of his 18 attempted passes for 291 yards while throwing for one touchdown and rushing for

another. Unlike last season — when Peters primarily targeted Josh Imatorbhebhe — the quarterback connected with several different receivers. However, when Isaiah Williams got behind the starting offensive line, the redshirt freshman quarterback looked much better without pressure from starting outside linebackers Carney Jr. and Isaiah Gay. But Peters still looked like the better option Monday, and I’d expect to see him in the starting spot come August.

Defensive line has potential

In 2020, Illinois had the Big Ten’s worst run defense, as the defensive line was typically the team’s weakest point. But with most of the veteran players returning, including Carney Jr., Gay, Roderick Perry, Jamal Woods and Calvin Avery, combined with a new defensive mindset from the staff, the Illini D-line is primed to take a step up this season. The veteran core looked energized and reformed Monday night, as the group got constant pressure on

Williams. Carney recorded two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, Gay recorded one sack and 1.0 tackle for loss and Johnny Newton recorded 1.5 TFL. Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters ran mostly a 3-4 defense Monday while mixing in some 4-2-5 looks. The new defense allowed the Illini to disguise their outside linebackers, which helped Carney and Gay gain the advantage. @gabby_h11 ghajduk2@dailyillini.com

2B Thursday, April 22, 2021

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Alfonso Plummer brings dynamic offense to Illinois BY BRANDON SIMBERG STAFF WRITER

With Ayo Dosunmu entering the NBA Draft and Adam Miller entering the transfer portal, Brad Under wood k new he needed to add some scoring in the back court. He did just that this past weekend, adding Utah senior transfer Alfonso Plummer. Here’s what the lefty can bring to Illinois.

Overview

Plummer, a 6-foot-1, 182 pound guard, spent two seasons at Utah after two years at Arizona Western College for junior college. Plummer attended high school in Puerto Rico and was not in the national recruiting rankings. He started 16 of 25 games last season for the 12-13 Utes, and was the team’s secondleading scorer at 13.6 points per game.

Offense

Plummer brings most of his value on this end. He’s a dynamic shooter with versatility. Former Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak loved to have Plummer run off screens to get a shot, and Plummer showed he can hit threes off the catch, off the move and off the dribble. He shot just 38.3% from deep, but there was plus volume (6.7 attempts per game) and he took some difficult ones. Shot selection is a bit of a question mark. Plummer has a tendency to take some contested jumpers early in the shot clock, but he is capable of making them. When he’s on the floor, Plummer has a ton of shooting gravity that drags the defense out. He’s good at attacking closeouts, and while he didn’t get to the rim a ton, Plummer used his strength and leaping ability to finish there. He shot 57.6% at the rim. Despite being 6-foot-1, Plummer is much more of a

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALFONSO PLUMMER’S INSTAGRAM

Senior Alfonso Plummer looks to make a lay-up against USC. He will now be joining Illinois next year as a transfer, using his final year of eligibility.

shooting guard and off-ball player than he is a point guard. Simply put, he’s a bucket-getter. His handle is pretty limited, and he’s very left-hand dependent. Plummer’s inability to put pressure on the defense means he only racked up 1.0 assists per game — but when he attacks off hard closeouts, Plummer is good at finding the open man.

Defense

Plummer’s lack of size makes it hard to be super impactful on that end. He lacks the natural instincts of someone like Trent Frazier. He posted a -0.6 defensive Box Plus/Minus, and that dropped to -1.0 in top-50 quality games. Plummer has strength for a guard, but his lack of height makes it hard to switch onto wings and bigs.

Potential role fit

Now that Andre Curbelo is back for his sophomore season, Illinois’ roster is now crowded with guards under 6-foot-2. Meanwhile, Trent Frazier utilized his free year of eligibility. Plummer is the best pure scorer on the roster, but he could be asked to come off the bench given the continuity of Curbelo and Frazier. In certain matchups, all three could

play together, but those minutes probably will be limited. When he is in the game, Plummer will likely fulfill the role of the main scoring guard. Underwood will look to get him shots off the move, similar to what he saw at Utah. Playing alongside Curbelo should give him the opportunity to get more open looks. Defensively, Plummer may

not be asked to guard the opposing team’s best guard. In the big man-dominated Big Ten, he should be able to hold up against the off guard on most Big Ten rosters. As long as Plummer continues to produce on the other end, he should have a positive impact on next season’s roster. @BrandonSimberg simberg2@dailyillini.com

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Thursday, April 22, 2021

WOMEN’S TENNIS

PHOTO COURTESY OF FIGHTING ILLINI ATHLETICS

SAsuka Kawai, Mia Rabinowitz, EmileeDuong and Sasha Belaya (left to right) pose for a photo on senior day Sunday. The Illinois women’s tennis team won the match 4-3, upsetting No. 7 Northwestern.

Illinois honors four seniors in regular season finale BY WILL PAYNE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

This past Sunday, the Illinois women’s tennis team finished off its regular season with a massive upset over the No. 7 Northwestern Wildcats. Before the match, the team honored the four seniors on the squad: Mia Rabinowitz, Sasha Belaya, Emilee Duong and Asuka Kawai. All of them have had storied careers with the Illini.

Mia Rabinowitz

Coming from Laurel Springs School and growing up in Tenafly, New Jersey, Rabinowitz became enamored about the prospect of playing for the Illini when she was a senior in high school. “I had three visits scheduled, and I didn’t want to go on any others after I came here,” Rabinowitz said. “I really loved everything about it; the community around here which gets behind tennis is really special.” During her time with Illinois, Rabinowitz won 47 career singles matches and 41 doubles matches. Her 28 singles wins during

the 2018 season are tied for the 10th most in program history. Rabinowitz won Big Ten Tennis Athlete of the Week twice and the 2018 team MVP award, and she received a 2019-20 All-Big Ten selection. When reminiscing about her years with the team, Rabinowitz and many of the other seniors said some of their favorite memories were from the Blue/Grey tournament their freshman year. “We were on an incredible run, being number five in the country,” Rabinowitz said. “We had just beaten three really good teams to win the tournament, and everyone was just so connected. We were having such a great time.” A f t er g r adu at ion , Rabinowitz is continuing her collegiate tennis career at Louisiana State University, as she plans on playing for another year or two.

Sasha Belaya

Belaya attended Viera High School in Melbourne, Florida. Though she looked at playing tennis at some southern schools, she ended up deciding to

commit to Illinois after some recruitment from her hometown. “Jaclyn Switkes, who was on the team a couple of years ago, she was also from Florida,” Belaya said. “I knew it was a great school. I’d love to just come for a visit and see how it is. And so as soon as I got here and met Evan Clark, the girls, the facilities and the campus, I just fell in love.” Belaya totaled 38 career singles wins and 35 doubles wins while at Illinois. She also received 2019 Academic All-Big Ten honors and the 2018 Most Improved Player team award. Belaya said her favorite memory with the Illini was when the team found out they were ranked number five in the country after the Blue/Grey tournament. “I remember getting the text in our team group chat, and we all could not believe it,” Belaya said. “That first second we walked into the locker room, it was just an amazing feeling; we were all so happy.” Upon graduating, Belaya will be playing her fifth year at University of North Carolina Wilmington

while pursuing a yearlong in the top 20 throughout master’s degree in integrated the season,” Duong said. “We marketing communications. beat two ranked teams, and I think those wins were an Emilee Duong instigator to our success that Duong arrived at Illinois year.” from Placentia, California, Duong’s original plan where she went to Valencia after graduating was to High School. Though she use her engineering degree was being recruited by she received from Illinois. and committed to another But, after student athletes program, Duong made a last- received another year of minute switch to the Illini. eligibility due to COVID-19, “Coach Clark let me come she plans on playing her on campus and visit,” Duong fifth year at another Big said. “And after I went, I fell Ten school while pursuing in love with the school and a master’s degree in the team that was there at biomedical engineering. the time. Half of them were my teammates freshman Asuka Kawai year, and I really enjoyed Kawai attended Palatine being with each and every High School in Illinois one of them.” before committing to play for Duong will graduate the Illini. When she initially boasting 53 career singles came to campus, she knew wins and 42 doubles wins. it would be a fantastic fit for She was ranked as high as many different reasons. 117th in the country for “When I came to visit here, singles in September 2018. I just felt like the academic Her career accolades include situation and tennis buzz 2020 Academic All-Big Ten was a really great fit for me,” honors. Kawai said. “The program Apart from the result and the facilities we had here against Northwestern were amazing, and I really Sunday, Duong, much like felt like I wanted to be a part the other seniors, remembers of this.” her freshman year fondly. During her career “We were ranked as high with Illinois, Kawai won as five and steadily stayed 43 singles matches and

46 doubles matches. In September 2019, she was ranked 20th in the country in singles play. Kawai won a plethora of awards while with the Illini. She received Big Ten Athlete of the Week twice, a 2019 Unanimous All-Big Ten selection, 2019 team MVP and the 2018 Fighting Illini spirit award. Kawai said one of her favorite individual memories with Illinois had to be making the NCAA tournament in 2019. She concluded that her top memory, though, was the quarterfinalist finish in the singles championships, which was the best finish in program history. “It was definitely something that was super memorable for me,” Kawai said. “I was an underdog in the tournament, and I thought it was a great opportunity for me to just play and see how I could do.” After graduating with a degree in psychology, Kawai has a job lined up back in her home country of Japan, where she will work in the medical field. @will_payne33 wpayne2@dailyillini.com

FOOTBALL

Peters, Williams compete for starting spot at spring game BY JOSH PIETSCH ASSISTANT ON-AIR EDITOR

At the annual Orange and Blue spring football game Monday night, Illini fans got their first look at the quarterback battle between senior Brandon Peters and redshirt freshman Isaiah Williams. Coming into the game, it wasn’t a surprise to many that Peters was placed on the first team, and Williams was put on the roster with most of the backups. Offensive coordinator Tony Petersen has praised Peters on multiple occasions since arriving at Illinois, complimenting his size, strength and style of play, which led most to believe Peters would get the nod to be on the first team for the spring game. Peters also started each game he was healthy for the past two seasons, aside from the final game of 2020, so the coaching staff didn’t have any new game film to evaluate the two quarterbacks on. Being on the first team definitely helped Peters Monday, getting to throw to the team’s top receivers and receiving the better protection from the offensive line. Despite having more talent to work with, though, accuracy cannot be taught, and that is exactly what Peters portrayed. Peters only played the first half, but he went 12-for-18 and threw for 291 yards and a

touchdown, adding one more score on the ground. His six incompletions included a drop in the end zone, but despite five true incompletions, Peters showed a lot of promise in his play. He used his tight ends effectively, threw a beautiful over-the-shoulder touchdown pass to Khmari Thompson and threw accurate balls to Brian Hightower, Donny Navarro and Carlos Sandy. “BP’s got exceptional arm talent,” said head coach Bret Bielema. “He’s a very accurate guy with the ball, and he’s been able to show that repeatedly now. Tonight I thought he took care of the ball, had good ball placement … BP is now learning to manage the game more effectively.” Williams started out the night at a bit of a disadvantage but not only by being placed on the second team. He is also more of a running quarterback, which couldn’t be showcased during the spring game. Quarterbacks wore a white jersey Monday night to avoid any injuries, and when the quarterback got close to a defender, the refs called the play dead. Williams didn’t get to run at all really, and he was stuck passing behind a secondstring offensive line and to second-string receivers. He completed a couple of passes with the second-

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Redshirt freshman Isaiah Williams (white) throws a pass during the Orange and Blue Spring Game Monday night at Memorial Stadium. Williams and senior Brandon Peters continue to compete for the starting quarterback spot.

stringers, but Williams was moved to the first team at halftime and looked better. Behind an offensive line that gave him some time to throw, Williams’ night was highlighted with a deep throw over the middle of the

field that hit Navarro perfectly in stride, which was probably the best throw of the night. “Isaiah, I was very pleased with what he did when he came in,” Bielema said. “Especially when he got

behind that (first team) o-line and do what he did.” Both quarterbacks had good moments, but Peters was the man of the night after an impressive spring game. Things could have looked differently if the roles

were reversed, and it’s still only April, but Peters helped make his case to be the starting quarterback for the Illini come August. @JPietsch14 pietsch3@dailyillini.com

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Thursday, April 22, 2021

buzz calendar BY RUKAYAH HUSSEIN BUZZ CALENDAR EDITOR

The buzz calendar is a compilation of events happening in the Champaign-Urbana area. Follow our top picks in Monday’s and Thursday’s papers for ideas on what to do on any night of the week, from where to eat to what to watch. Want to submit an event? Email calendar@readbuzz.com.

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

The cherry blossoms bloom at the Japan House on April 10. It is one of the many places to visit when at the University of Illinois.

Visit these Earth Day spots BY RUKAYAH HUSSEIN BUZZ CALENDAR EDITOR

We should always love our Earth. Earth provides us a home full of beauty and what we need to live long, happy and healthy lives. Earth Day is a great opportunity to show appreciation for Earth, nature and all living things. For those who love nature and enjoy having plants all around them (like the succulents you have probably have scattered around your apartment right now), Champaign-Urbana has many places for you! The first place nature lovers can find in Champaign is the plant shop, Plant Mode. Many students on campus live in apartments or dorms and have little space to cultivate backyard gardens. Plant Mode is a wonderful place to pick up a plant to care for, love and put in your home to give your space a touch of greenery. They have many types of plants for you to choose from: aloe vera, jade, orchids, ferns and more! You can even check out their website and place an order for pick-up. Another place for nature lovers to enjoy is the University of Illinois Arboretum. Although it is currently under construction, it is still a fantastic place to explore

the surrounding nature and to take pictures of the trees and elegant shrubbery. It is a great location to have a picnic with friends and your favorite takeout from Green Street. Right next to the Arboretum in Urbana is Japan House. Japan House, its surrounding gardens, trees and freshwater life, is a popular place for nature lovers and anyone looking to get outside every once in a while. Japan House is best known for its blossoming Sakura trees, also known as cherry blossom trees. They are currently in their blooming season, so it is the prime time for amazing photoshoots and beautiful walks at Japan House. Don’t miss out, but be sure to stay socially distanced! In addition to Plant Mode, Plantify is another great location to pick up some plant friends in downtown Champaign. They carry all sorts of indoor plants and succulents, which vary in size and type. They even have different types of planters, pots and terrariums for you to accessorize your plants with. From a small pencil cactus to a fiddle leaf fig tree, Plantify has a plant for every kind of plant lover! For those of us who don’t

mind a bit of exercise and could use the fresh air, Busey Woods in Urbana is the perfect place to go when you want to get out and explore nature. Busey Woods is located near Crystal Lake Park, and it is the ideal location for hiking and trail walking in the Champaign-Urbana area. In the springtime, be sure to head out and see the wildflowers and other flora and fauna in the area. Anita Purves Nature Center is another excellent location in Urbana for nature lovers who want to learn more about the outdoors. They offer several environmental programs for all ages that can help educate nature lovers and answer some questions we may have about the world around us. While you’re there, check out the Wildlife Observation Room, the Nature Store and Habitat Gardens! While we should appreciate the Earth every day of the year, Earth Day serves as a gentle reminder for us to explore nature, to introduce more wildlife into our lives and to take the time to learn more about how we can do our part to fight climate change.

THURSDAY, APRIL 22

Traditional Clothing, Ecology and Arts

Champaign-Urbana Winter Farmers Market

 8 a.m.-11 a.m.  Lincoln Square, 201 Lincoln Square,  4 p.m.-5 p.m. Urbana  Virtual Event hosted by Ascending  Free Aesthetic Shop from all of your favorite, local, craft,  Free, registration req. Tour the food and farm vendors indoors at Lincoln Museum to explore some traditional Square Mall. Masks and social distancing fabrics and clothing styles with Beth will be required in the space and limits on Watkins. Guest artists talk with Prairie the number of shoppers that can be in the Monk, Michael Sherfield and Mohan Traci. market area at the same time will be in effect.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23

FriendShop Bookstore Open

Spring Prairie Skies (Virtual)

 7 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by the Staerkel Planetarium  Free A virtual, live-narrated tour of the wonders of tonight’s sky, accompanied by some of the legendary stories of the ancient sky. Find out what constellations and planets are visible tonight and how to find them. This show is updated seasonally and is intended for all ages.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24

Champaign-Urbana Bike-a-Thon

 Noon-3 p.m.  Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St., Urbana, Illinois  $10 admission Circle Cycle is pleased to present the second annual bike-a-thon! Circle Cycle is a project on the portfolio of Illinois Enactus, a registered nonprofit organization. Join Circle Cycle for a fun bike ride around the C-U community. The distances will be limited to an 8-mile round trip, with six stops along the ride. Masks are required.

 Noon-3 p.m.  Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green St., Champaign, Illinois  Free Bargain books and more! The FriendShop Bookstore offers more than 20,000 nearly new books, CDs and movies. Staffed by volunteers, all proceeds benefit the library. Your purchase helps provide the resources that get kids to love reading.

She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms

 7:30 p.m.  Virtual Event hosted by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts  Free, registration required Few contemporary plays have been as widely performed and well-loved as Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters. This performance contains adult content. This performance will last approximately two hours.

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buzz

Explore, forage through natural world this springtime BY JILLIAN LITTLE STAFF WRITER

Spring is in full swing, ushering in the return of vegetation and hay fever. It seems like everyone is taking advantage of the warmer days, so why not do it in style? Foraging wild plants is a fantastic way to experience the natural world and connect with your primal roots. Not only is wild food rich in essential vitamins and minerals, but looking for forageable food also provides muchneeded exercise. Consider it a combination of hiking and gardening. But before you go out and start picking things, there are a few guidelines you should follow: It’s imperative to identify a plant correctly before use. It can take years to master this on the spot without a pocket guide, but a few apps can help. One of my favorites is “Seek” by iNaturalist. It can tell users the domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species of almost every organism worldwide, including plants. All you have to do is point your camera to the plant in question, and the app does all the work. It’s not “spot-on” all the time, but it can at least guide you to a general direction of what the species might be. However, if you’re still not sure, leave the plant alone. It’s also important to learn about the dangerous species in your area. Some wild

edible plants share the same common names as poisonous plants and even look like one another. For example, Queen Anne’s lace, a carrot that blooms in late summer, looks like poison hemlock, the plant responsible for killing Socrates. If you’re aware of dangerous plants, you’ll feel more comfortable foraging. Only forage for plants that look healthy (free from disease, fungi, pests, etc.). Consider the soil quality from which you’re picking, as most plants can absorb toxic chemicals. Avoid foraging from construction sites, busy roads and polluted areas. It’s equally important to know the water source. Eating plants that have grown in contaminated water is the same as drinking contaminated water. Be mindful of how many flowers you’re picking in one location and only collect what you need. Every population is limited. As a rule of thumb, don’t take more than 10% of the plants (or less depending on the area’s foraging pressure). Avoid foraging rare and protected plants, and only collect the part of the plant you plan to use (about 25% of the plant). Leave enough to ensure that the plant will continue to thrive on its own. It’s best to start your foraging experience with edibles that are easy to identify and find. Here are a few that you can easily find in C-U:

Dandelions

Believe it or not, dandelions have been eaten for nutritional purposes for hundreds of years. You can find them almost anywhere, and they are cultivated as a commercially available vegetable. The best parts to harvest are the leaves, flowers and roots.

Pineapple Weed

This plant is just wild chamomile! I’ve seen pineapple weed sprout mostly around Ikenberry Commons in late May. People use it for relaxation, promoting sleep and digestive aid. The easiest consumption method is to make an herbal tea by pouring boiling water over a spoonful of fresh flowers and straining.

Wild Onion

Fortunately, both wild onion and garlic look similar and can be used interchangeably the same way you would use storebought scallions. They grow in clumps throughout lawns and stand taller than other weeds and grass. If it smells and tastes oniony, it’s most likely onion, but make sure there aren’t any toxic lookalikes local to the area.

Violet

One of the telling signs of spring is the sprouting of these dainty, purple flowers. Though both the leaves and f lowers are

ANGELINA CHAN THE DAILY ILLINI

excellent salad ingredients, I like making violet syrup for coffee. It’s one of the easiest things to make, and you can use other flowers too. All you need is 1 cup of flower petals, 1 cup of boiling water and 1 cup of sugar. I add a little lemon to mine, as the pH turns the syrup light to deep purple, depending on how much you use.

Chickweed

These small, white starshaped flowers grow easily in yards, grasslands and forests. Just like pineapple weed, you can brew these flowers in hot water to make a tea that relieves pain, reduces inflammation and provides soothing effects. You can add chopped leaves to dishes like soups, pastas and pizzas.

Sumac

These trees start appearing at the end of spring, but they’re known for something extraordinary. Sumac forms large clusters of red flowers, which can be simmered in water for up to one hour. After that hour, strain the liquid, add sugar and enjoy some sumac lemonade! jpel3@readbuzz.com

Try out these easy, sustainable alternatives for Earth Day BY GRACIELLA ABBEY STAFF WRITER

A great way to reflect on Earth Day is by thinking of ways we can take care of the world and make it a more sustainable place to live. An easy way to participate in Earth Day this year is to make sustainable swaps. Sustainability

is imperative in creating a less polluted world. Many single-use plastic items have negative impacts on the environment because most plastics end up in landfills or oceans and take more than thousands of years to either decompose or turn into microplastics. Plastic in the oceans can

also harm sea animals that may choke or when mistaking wildlife for food. This contributes to global warming because the process of producing plastic releases greenhouse gases. Many toxins also include chemicals that are harmful to people and other living creatures.

Sustainable items have less of a harmful impact on the environment because they are built to last for a longer time. Plus, because many sustainable goods are reusable- they also cost less money than single-use items. This is another reason, among many more, to invest in some more sustainable products.

Replace plastic packaging

One simple way to incorporate sustainability into your everyday routine is by using reusable food wraps instead of plastic packaging. With this, all you have to do is wrap food like usual and then clean it in diluted dishwater. Several companies sell these products, but a few include WRAPPA, Bee’s Wrap and Stasher.

Opt for more sustainable ways to enjoy coffee and tea

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WRAPPA creates reusable tops to wrap food. Food covers that are reusable are one of many ways to reduce plastic waste.

WE HAVE

If you’re a big coffee drinker, this might be the sustainable swap for you. Instead of using singleuse coffee cups, you can buy reusable coffee cups. Usually, when you bring your own coffee cups into coffee shops, stores like Starbucks will offer a discount on your pur-

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chase. Some cafe containers include Nespresso and Clean Cut. Additionally, you can use biodegradable cups because regular coffee cups take 20 to 500 years to degrade. If you’re more of a tea drinker, there are several sustainable swap ideas for you, too. Replace single-use tea bags with tea strainers to make a cup of tea from loose leaf tea. Teabags aren’t biodegradable and contain toxins and pesticides. You can buy tea strainers from your local tea shop or on Amazon.

Make your bathroom an eco-friendly environment

Swap single-use plastic soap containers for dish block soaps instead. You can look into companies such as Zero Waste Dish Bars & Pods by Etee or Dish Block by No Tox Life. The same goes for body soap – try using a dish bar instead. Dove, for example, is one of many brands that sells soap bars. There are also more sustainable ways to do your laundry! You can use laundry detergent pods with biodegradable wraps instead of laundry detergent from plastic bottles. gabbey2@readbuzz.com

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Instead of using a plastic toothbrush, use a bamboo toothbrush. The bamboo alternative reduces pollution and overall plastic waste. Bamboo toothbrush companies include WooBamboo and Karbonn Bamboo. Use a reusable filter instead of single-use filters in order to produce less waste. Metal filters are easy to use and clean. Purchase the filters from companies such as Khala & Co., CoffeeSock and Goldtone. If you really want to go all out with sustainable products, an interesting sustainable swap is switching out single-use toilet paper for reusable ones. All you have to do is rinse the toilet paper between uses. There are a couple of companies to purchase from such as Net Zero Co., Rushy and Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper. How far you want to go with sustainability is up to you, but consider these small changes you can make in your home. It’s up to us to do our part in order to make the Earth a healthier and more enjoyable place to live.

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