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THE DAILY ILLINI
MONDAY April 26, 2021
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 150 Issue 52
Vaccine availability Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes in 2019 surpasses demand LONGFORM
Anti-Semitic hate crimes make up over 60% of reported hate crimes in 2019
STAFF WRITER
Religious bias Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,650 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-biased offenses showed: 60.3% were anti-Jewish. 13.3% were anti-Islamic (Muslim). 4.0% were anti-Catholic. 3.6% were anti-other Christian. 3.0% were anti-Sikh. 2.8% were anti-Eastern Orthodox (Russian, Greek, Other). 2.5% were anti-multiple religions, group. 1.5% were anti-Protestant. 0.8% (Fourteen offenses) were anti-Mormon. 0.4% (Seven offenses) were anti-Hindu. 0.4% (Seven offenses) were anti-Jehovah’s Witness. 0.4% (Six offenses) were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc. 0.3% (Five offenses) were anti-Buddhist. 6.5% were anti-other (unspecified) religion.
Source: FBI
A campus divided against itself
JONAH OZER THE DAILY ILLINI
Jewish students allege UI inaction U.S. college campuses, the University does not find itself immune, according to a complaint filed within the Office of Civil Rights and the federal Department of Education. The University claims it “must do more” as Jewish students on campus allege widespread actions of anti-Semitism. After collecting incident reports over the span of five years, a group of Jewish students came forward to file a complaint against the University. The complaint alleges Jewish students have increasingly faced antiSemitism during their time at the University including sightings of Swastikas, vandalism of Jewish centers and feelings of exclusion from institutions across campus.
BY FARRAH ANDERSON ASSISTANT INVESTIGATIVE NEWS & LONGFORM EDITOR
Part One: Jewish Voices
Jewish Studies Professor Rachel Harris was setting up for class when a student entered her classroom visibly upset. After talking with the student, she learned he had been harassed on the Main Quad by an antiSemitic ranter. Harris urged the student to report the incident but said the student believed the University wouldn’t do anything. “I saw the student’s despair that nobody cared what he had been through, and that’s not a climate that we want to be promoting on campus,” Harris said. As hate crimes and antiSemitic incidents rise across
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion stated in an email they cannot comment on an ongoing lawsuit for this story. Following the complaint, the University released a joint statement in November with the Jewish United Fund, Illini Hillel, Hillel International, Illini Chabad, Arnold & Porter and the Brandeis Center. The statement emphasizes that although members in the community may not always share the same feelings, it is the University’s goal to foster a safe environment for Jewish and pro-Israel students. “Students who choose the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for their college education make that decision with an
demand. “If a student wants to get a vaccination today, we have open slots right now,” Parker said. Parker roughly estimates that about 10,000 students have been vaccinated through the University. “Because demand is softening, CUPHD is saying, ‘We’ll keep our vaccines in deep freeze’,” Parker said, describing how the CUPHD has responded to the drop in student demand. The University also plans to continue delivering second doses of the vaccine to students even after the end of the semester, so that students don’t need to worry about not being able to receive a second dose. If students must return home before receiving their second dose, then they will be able to arrange a second dose appointment with the health authorities of their home county. With roughly 38% of the eligible population currently fully vaccinated, the struggle going forward will center on outreach toward those who have not yet received the vaccine. “The challenge right now is that most of the people who really wanted the vaccine have either already gotten the vaccine or they have been scheduled,” Vaid said. “Now the challenge is to encourage people, to educate people who are not yet willing to get the vaccine or are unaware that the vaccine is available.” Both the CUPHD and the University are launching outreach programs to educate residents about the vaccine’s safety and eligibility.
BY GEORGE PHELAN
expectation that they will find the freedom and security to grow, to explore and to express their whole and best selves,” the statement said. “But, sadly, that is not the experience of all members of the student community. Anti-Semitic acts and expressions are all too common in our country and in our world, and examples of that intolerance have occurred at this University as well. This is unacceptable. While the University has taken measures in the past to address this problem, the University must do more.” Although many students, faculty and staff praised this statement, others said that it was just the first step in
Despite the expanded eligibilit y increasing demand, health officials with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the University are reporting an expected surplus of available vaccines. On April 15, the CUPHD announced that it would be expanding vaccine eligibility to all Champaign County residents 16 years of age or older. The availability of vaccines is helped in part by the increased number of vaccines that the CUPHD has received. “In the last two weeks, we have seen a much higher allocation of vaccines for Champaign County, which has made it a lot easier for anyone 16 and older to get an appointment within the same week,” said Awais Vaid, deputy administrator and epidemiologist of the CUPHD. “Two weeks back, we were getting about 2,000 to 3,000 vaccines a week, but last week we got about 10,000 doses of the vaccine.” According to Vaid, this increase in doses, all of which are either Pfizer or Moderna, was not impacted by the recent halt to distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to health concerns. “We did not receive much of Johnson & Johnson at all when it was available,” Vaid said. With the supply exceeding demand currently, the CUPHD is planning to open vaccine clinics at C-U high schools starting next week. For Dr. Robert Parker, the director of McKinley Health Services, there’s also no question that supply is currently exceeding student georgep2@dailyillini.com
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Muslims fast on campus during Ramadan BY ALI ABDULLAH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Muslim Holy month of Ramadan started on CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI April 12. This will be the A Champaign County resident receives the Moderna COVID-19 first Ramadan on campus vaccine at the Church of the Living God on Feb. 20. The vaccine for students at the Universupply now outpaces demand in Champaign County. sity in several years. Muslims all over the world fast from dawn till dusk during this month. The pandemic and fasting on campus have changed the fasting experience for students on campus. “This is my first Ramadan being away from my family and most students are facing a similar situation,” said Sufyan Baig, Sports: Illinois Opinions: ‘The Boys’ junior in LAS and the presimen’s tennis seniors exposes superheros’ dent of the Muslim Student ABE BAALI THE DAILY ILLINI discuss returns darker tendencies Association. “Personally, I The Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center sits quietly at 106 S. Lincoln Ave. in Urbana on
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April 10. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan started on April 12 and will be the first fasting experience some students have had on campus.
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