The Daily Illini Vol. 150 Issue 53 April 29

THE DAILY ILLINI

THURSDAY April 29, 2021

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Visit our website!

Vol. 150 Issue 53

Variants, fatigue risk UI’s fall return University seminar

features Seitu Jones the University and speak about topics that they find important.

The impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the MillerComm series has been huge, according to Sharon Irish, research affiliate in the School of Informational Sciences.

“The original plan was for Seitu to come down for fall, winter and spring semesters and give three talks and sit in on classes, but obviously that didn’t happen with COVID,” Irish said.

However, Irish explained that the online format of the MillerComm Lectures has had both positive and negative impacts.

“On one hand, obviously there was less interaction with the format of Zoom, but also we were able to have people from all over the world come in and speak and listen to these events, which is something that wouldn’t be possible otherwise,” Irish said.

The MillerComm Lecture Series was established as a part of the George A. Miller endowment given to the University to fund programs which enrich the University community “outside of general operations,” according to the Center for Advanced Studies website.

MillerComm Lectures are scheduled roughly weekly, with speakers in many different fields. A main focus on these lectures is the intersection of academic fields in real world topics and exploring these unlikely intersections.

A recording of “73 Stains: Sweet Potatoes, Sustenance, and Sustainability,” along with all other MillerComm Lectures can be viewed on the Center for Advanced Study mediaspace page.

A full portfolio of Jones’s works can be found on his studio’s website.

BY ALEX CHANG STAFF WRITER

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

University of Illinois English Placement Test Coordinator Rurik Tywoniw takes a COVID-19 test at the ARC Feb. 1. New variants and pandemic fatigue raise concerns for an ambitious fall return.

BY ETHAN SIMMONS STAFF WRITER

How do you persuade someone to take advice they’ve been hearing for nearly 14 months?

That’s what Rebecca Lee Smith, the University’s resident epidemiologist and associate professor in Veterinary Medicine and Medicine is grappling with in her presentations to faculty.

The University has announced ambitious plans for a mostly in-person fall semester, and Smith has been tasked with advising professors on best practices for the fall, which they can relay to students.

Every week she approaches a new, hot-button virus topic, like variants or rein-

fections. Yet on nearly every one of her slides, a familiar, four-part mantra: Keep testing, keep your mask on, keep distancing and keep gatherings small.

So, more than 32 million U.S. COVID-19 cases later, how do you get the mantra to stick? Smith preaches the art of the “nudge.”

“Everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing,” Smith said. “Sometimes, they just need reminders.”

For the most part, the University and ChampaignUrbana community has heeded this advice. Spring semester hasn’t seen the spike in cases that led the University to limit student activities in the fall, and

Champaign County is near the top of the pack in vaccination rate.

But the virus is tricky, unpredictable and the staff who map out the rooms and schedules of each University class put off fall planning for as long as possible.

Normally, they would’ve had a good idea of class placement by late January, said registrar Meghan Hazen. This time, student registration was about two weeks later than normal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention haven’t given any strict class capacity guidelines to work with. A 50% or 70% capacity limit would’ve made the room process far easier. Instead, facilities and

services employees have to manually measure out all 243 classroom and building spaces, and how many students can fit the 6-foot distancing limit.

And yes, Hazen has seen the Reddit estimates of what percentage of classes will be in person. The Registrar has no specific figure — these calculations depend too much on whether one calculates by classes alone or factors in class size.

“The vast majority of our classes are going to be faceto-face,” Hazen said. “It’s definitely a true statement.”

Understandably, many students are excited for the change. Michelle Jun, junior SEE RETURN | 3A

Students increase in-person course loads for fall

BY YASHOVARDHAN MAHESHWARI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMANTHA MCCAIN

Artist Seitu Jones speaks at the Crossroads Community Meal in Septempter 2019. Jones spoke at a seminar hosted by the University April 14 about how art can create social movements.

INSIDE THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

Professor Mitch Fisher lectures to his ACCY 201: Accounting and Accountancy I class in Lincoln Hall Theater on Aug. 29, 2019. Students have experienced Zoom fatigue and are starting to fill their fall schedules with more in person classes.

semester. After two and a half semesters of majority virtual instruction, students will have the opportunity to take at least 70% to 80% of their classes in person in the fall. Although the

University is encouraging students to take in-person classes, most of the courses delivered in person would also be delivered online.

“I am really looking forward to in-person

classes and plan to take as many as I can without over stressing myself. (At the University) I have taken more online than

Sports: Illini travel to Lincoln for Big Ten Tournament

buzz: Use astrology to find your next plant

PAGE 2B

PAGE 6B

SEE COURSES | 3A

# RO

G N T I HE V I

A s the Universit y i ncr e a ses i n-p er son operations for fall, some students plan on increasing their in-person course load. After two and a half semesters, a majority of students would return to the classroom.

“Initially, I loved it, but soon I started to feel extremely exhausted,” said Rudra Patel, sophomore in Business. “Even though I wasn’t doing any physical exercise, I would feel exhausted at the end of the day from being on zoom for 10 hours,” Patel said.

Similar sentiments were shared by other students who suffered Zoom fatigue.

Whilst students initially rejoiced at the change, it was an extremely challenging transition for some faculty.

“It was a nightmare,” said Timothy Stelzer, professor in Engineering. “Suddenly, I was doing lectures with no students,” Now, as COVID-19 cases stabilize, the University plans to move a majority of the classes back to in-person instruction in the fall 2021

The University hosted a seminar on April 14 featuring Seitu Jones, an influential artist in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Jones’s seminar focused on the role that artists have on starting conversations within communities, especially in relation to the power that art and artists have on sparking popular movements.

“With art, we as artists are able to reach people and get the ball rolling for the self reflection that we as a community need right now,” Jones said.

“You look at every political movement, and specifically the African American movements, and art will be intricately tied into that movement,” Jones said. “I was a part of the Black Arts movement, working to raise awareness about these issues.”

However, Jones stressed that his role was not purely an artist but as a focusing channel for the needs of a community. Throughout the seminar, a strong focus was on how art has been integral to a sense of community in an area.

“We as a society do not spend enough time talking about love,” Jones said. “Even in this interview, the forum last night, we need to talk about loving ourselves and loving others. We have to continue to be persistent and struggle to love others.”

Jones spoke about the influence that previous Black artists had on the U.S. and portrayed his work as continuing a long legacy.

One key inspiration cited by him was George Washington Carver, most famous for his work in agriculture and botany.

The seminar was hosted by the Center for Advanced Study under the MillerComm Lecture Series, a program where influential experts in various fields come to alexrc2@dailyillini.com

L

UNDLI F E

DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS

INSIDE

Police

2A

@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS |

Life

&

Culture

4A

|

Crossword

5A

THEDAILYILLINI |

Opinions

6A

@THEDAILYILLINI |

Letters

6A

|

Sports

THEDAILYILLINI

DAILYILLINI

1B

4B

|

Classifieds

|

Sudoku

THEDAILYILLINI 4B

|

buzz

6B

2A Thursday, April 29, 2021

THE DAILY ILLINI 1001 S. Wright Street Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 337-8300 Copyright © 2021 Illini Media Co.

The Daily Illini is the independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. The newspaper is published by the Illini Media Co. The Daily Illini does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University of Illinois administration, faculty or students.

All Illini Media Co. and/or The Daily Illini articles, photos and graphics are the property of Illini Media and may not be reproduced or published without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free; each additional copy is 50 cents.

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

How to contact us

POLICE

Urbana and Bradley Avenue around • Burglary from a motor vehicle was • Robbery was reported on the 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Accordreported on Tudor Court around 1600 block of South Smith Road ing to the report, an unknown 9 a.m. on Friday. According to around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. offender broke out of the rear the report, an unknown offender According to the report, two windshield of the victim’s vehientered a vehicle and stole several offenders attacked the victim cle while it was stopped at a red items including a driver’s license. and one offender stole the viclight. tim’s cell phone.

University • Criminal damage to property news@dailyillini.com • Nothing to report. was reported at the intersection of North Lincoln Avenue Champaign

Longform editor

Diana Anghel editor@dailyillini.com

Matt Troher longform@dailyillini.com

Managing editor, Reporting

Photo editor

Heather Robinson reporting@dailyillini.com

Managing editor, Online

Design editor Asst. design editors

Ryan Ash visuals@dailyillini.com

News editor Amrita Bhattacharyya news@dailyillini.com

Asst. news editors Aliza Majid Mona Alrazzaq

Newsroom

Online: If you have a question about DailyIllini.com or The Daily Illini’s social media outlets, please email our editor at online@dailyillini.com.

Advertising

Lanie Hibel

Managing editor, Visuals

(217) 337-8300 (217) 337-8382 (217) 337-8345 (217) 337-8320

Letters to the editor: Letters are limited to 300 words. Contributions must include the author’s name, address and phone number. University students must include their year in school and college. The Daily Illini reserves the right to edit or reject any contributions.

Email opinions@dailyillini.com with the subject “Letter to the Editor.”

Asst. photo editor Jonah Ozer design@dailyillini.com

Main number: Advertising: Newsroom: Production:

Calendar: If you want to submit events for publication in print and online, visit dailyillini.com.

Cameron Krasucki archive@dailyillini.com

Chieh Hsu online@dailyillini.com

General contacts

Employment: If you would like to work for the newspaper’s editorial department, please fill out our form or email employment@dailyillini.com.

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief

The Daily Illini is located in the basement of the University YMCA at 1001 S. Wright St., Champaign, IL 61820.

Our office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Placing an ad: If you would like to place an ad, please contact our advertising department.

(217) 337-8382 or e-mail advertise@illinimedia.com.

Julia Eversmann Angelina Chan

The Daily Illini is online everywhere you are.

Video editor Maddy Chemers video@dailyillini.com

Asst. video editor

Website

Tara Mobasher

Buzz editor

dailyillini.com

Carolina Garibay

Asst. daytime editors Asst. buzz editor Willie Cui Vivan La

Sydney Wood

Sports editor

Citlaly Leanos copychief@dailyillini.com

Jackson Janes sports@dailyillini.com

Asst. sports editors Angelle Cortes Will Payne

Asst. sports editors of on-air

Copy chief Asst. copy chiefs Kathleen Findlay Zainab Qureshi

Social media director Jane Knight disocial@dailyillini.com

Josh Pietsch Claire O’Brien

Brand Manager

Features editor

Co-Publishers

Gwyn Skiles features@dailyillini.com

Kit Donahue Melissa Pasco

MaryKate Green

Asst. features editors Rohit Jammu Jenni Kellenback

Opinions editor Nathaniel Langley opinions@dailyillini.com

Asst. opinions editors Nick Johnson Samuel Rahman

TODAY’S NIGHT SYSTEM STAFF Night editor: Zainab Qureshi, Matt Troher Copy editors: Madelyn Heidke, Margaret Burnetti, Elizabeth Wessel, Xiadani Mendoza, Tyshawn Primer, Danielle Rhody, Hannah Stewart, Jillian Salomon Designers: Jonah Ozer, Ryan Ash, Julia Eversmann Page transmission: Diana Anghel Web manager: Chieh Hsu

The Daily Illini App

ABE BAALI THE DAILY ILLINI

A row of bikes is lined up inside the Campus Bike Center on April 6. The University Facilities and Services teamed up with Champaign County Bikes to host a bicycle census on Wednesday.

Play Store, App Store

University hosts annual bicycle census

BY WILLIE CUI ASSISTANT DAYTIME NEWS EDITOR

University Facilities and Services and Champaign County Bikes hosted a bicycle census on Wednesday, where volunteers walked around campus and collected data on the bicycles present during peak hours.

Using a smartphone app, the volunteers covered 29 areas, documenting the number of bicycles on and off of bike racks, along with information about the racks themselves, “including the type, capacity and

how the structures are installed,” according to a University website about the bike census.

The collected data will be used to update the University’s bicycle database, which “is used to identify high-ridership locations for mobility and safety improvements,” according to a Facilities and Services press release.

The database also serves as a guide for “bicycle and active transportation projects, such as complete streets and bike rack upgrades.”

First held in 2013, the University has since

endeavored to perform at least one bike census every year. The annual census helps support the University’s ongoing efforts to remain a bicycle friendly university, a status conferred to the University by the League of American Bicyclists in 2011.

In 2019, the University was promoted to a silver-level bicycle friendly university.

The University expects that this year’s bicycle data will be affected by the ongoing pandemic, as many students, faculty and staff remain off-campus.

Nevertheless, the Uni-

versity believes that this year’s census provides “a unique look” into bicycle use on campus.

“This effort will give us a unique look at how individuals throughout Urbana-Champaign are presently utilizing the UIUC bicycle network and show the impact that bike path improvements, parking upgrades, and online bicycle registration are still making,” said Sarthak Prasad, sustainable transportation assistant for Facilities and Services, in the press release. williec2@dailyillini.com

Facebook The Daily Illini The Daily Illini Sports

Twitter @TheDailyIllini @DI_Sports

Instagram @TheDailyIllini

Snapchat TheDailyIllini

Corrections When we make a mistake, we will correct it in this place. We strive for accuracy, so if you see an error in the paper, please contact Editor-inChief Diana Anghel at (217)-337-8365.

Housing Find your next home with

The Daily Illini Start and end your housing hunt today!

housing.dailyillini.com

3A

THURSDAY April 29, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

NEWS

FROM 1A

RETURN

in LAS, knows her major makes online school easier: She’s glued to a computer most of the time anyway.

But after two semesters with zero in-person classes, even she can crack under the pressure.

“I would like to see a bit more structure, I think right now everyone’s a bit all over the place,” Jun said. “Sometimes, I’m not gonna lie, I’ve missed homework assignments because I’m not inperson and I forget a class is happening.”

Her senior year schedule is replete with in-person lectures and higher-level courses. Jun’s chance for “normal” final semesters, where she can resume her club swim meets, are looking more likely than ever.

Looming obstacles

in Brazil. It’s believed this variant poses a greater risk of reinfection, one that could even hurt vaccine effectiveness, though that phenomenon still needs study.

There needs to be enough “breakthrough infections,” or vaccinated people testing positive for the virus, for vaccine efficacy to be understood. These samples must then be sequenced for the current collection of known variants, which takes time and resources.

Even then, researchers can’t fully know who’s being exposed to the virus.

Just who’s testing positive, which makes the variant versus vaccine calculations even murkier, and waiting for answers that much more difficult, Smith said.

“We won’t know something’s a problem until it becomes a problem,” she said. “Which is a problem.”

University researchers have data in this area: Because of the widespread campus testing, they know that among confirmed campus reinfections — which constitute 3% of all cases this semester — a higher proportion contain the B.1.1.7 strain than first time infections, which is concerning.

That’s not to say there’s nothing to celebrate, though, Smith said. Epidemiologists often have to bear bad news.

Champaign County and the University still seem poised for a safe fall semester, with no known virus transmission in classrooms and a willingness to pivot if necessary.

Smith herself plans to teach her graduate class, PATH 517: Principles and Methods of Epidemiology, in person.

“I’ve heard that being an epidemiologist means never having to say you’re certain,” she said. “But I’m hopeful, at least, and that’s good, because there was a while when I was not hopeful.”

After all, with nearly 10,000 tests processed per day, and a local vaccination rate approaching 50%, could the virus upset the University’s near-perfect plan? It could, even if it’s unlikely.

Class registration ends May 5, but when that ends, the school will still be “on pins and needles” to see if cases and deaths get better or worse, Hazen said.

Fatigue is a huge factor.

According to recent data, Smith said, the University is seeing people who are newly infected who haven’t tested for weeks, even a month, who are supposedly living in town.

Looking to a few population centers outside the U.S., it’s evident how bad things can still get.

“I see what’s going on in Champaign-Urbana and I’m happy, then I see what’s going on in Brazil and India and I am terrified,” Smith said.

Or even Peoria, Smith said, which is dealing with an outbreak of P.1., the COVID-19 variant first identified ecsimmon@dailyillini.com

FROM 1A

COURSES in-person (classes) now, so (I) can’t wait,” Patel said.

“I feel I didn’t learn in online (classes), so I’m ready to go back and learn,” he said, reiterating that his learning was hampered due to an online course delivery.

Although he expressed his excitement, Patel was worried about managing time due to commute between classes and a more time-constrained schedule with in-person classes compared to previous semesters.

“I am excited,” said Anusha Iyer, junior in Engineering. “I wasn’t able to take my hardware courses due to the virtual instruction and I’m looking forward to taking them in fall. Being in a space with other people and just human interaction is something I’m really excited about,” Iyer said.

Iyer stressed the lack of human interaction due to the pandemic and how she is hopeful of more interaction next semester.

“I’ll still wear a mask cause I want to be safe,” Iyer said on COVID-19 related concerns. “Also, I hope the University enforces strict testing.”

Patel resonated with the thought as he expressed confidence in the University’s ability to control the virus.

“Testing needs to be a requirement 100% and the University should strongly enforce it,” Patel said.

Both were of the opinion that the University should ex tensively adver tise vaccines and encourage all of the student body to take it.

“I am so excited, hopeful and energized to be back in the classroom,” Stelzer said as he prepares to transition Physics 212: Electricity and Magnetism to in-person course delivery. Stelzer

GEO calls for readmission of Antonio Ruiz

BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA NEWS EDITOR

Memb er s of t he Graduate Employees’ Organization convened a press conference Friday to demand the University change its COVID-19 testing noncompliance policy after a second graduate student was dismissed.

Antonio Ruiz, graduate student in L AS, was dismissed f rom the University March 25 for COVID-19 testing noncompliance.

Ruiz says he didn’t test during the fall because he had kidney problems and was scared of contracting COVID-19. Furthermore, Ruiz has health conditions that prevent him from taking the University’s saliva test.

Ruiz has until May 13 to vacate his residential building in University Housing, after which he will no longer be allowed on campus.

In addition, Ruiz says that his case coordinator told him he could apply for a testing exemption but did not inform Ruiz about alternative testing.

He was also not informed that students living on campus were excluded from obtaining testing exemptions.

“The process of obtaining testing accommodations is full of red tape and misinformation,” Ruiz said.

“It can take students weeks to obtain accommodations.”

According to Ruiz, it took him a week to obtain the alternative testing accommodation, after making multiple calls and filling out multiple applications.

“The University expects disabled students to actively advocate for themselves to receive expressed his confidence in the students to adhere to the guidelines but emphasized the need to mandate vaccines for students enrolled in in-person classes to avoid any outbreak.

With inquisitiveness surrounding exams in fall 2021 rising, Stelzer said, “I hope that they are pen and paper exams as that’s the best way,” but expressed his inability to confirm anything yet.

Further, to reassure students who are unable to return to campus or are faced with any difficulty, Stelzer stated, “The professors are willing to go to any extent to help students succeed and we do understand the situation you are in.”

As classes move to in person, students will have a chance to meet their academic advisers face to face.

“Our doors will be open for the first time in eight

THE DAILY ILLINI PHOTO

Students enjoy the on-campus atmosphere on Oct. 18. The Quad is a main meeting place for students inbetween in-person classes.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE HANGOUT

Members of the Graduate Employees’ Organization talk during a press conference Friday. The group spoke with the University about readmitting graduate student Antonio Ruiz after he was dismissed from the University for COVID-19 testing noncompliance.

testing accommodations,” Ruiz said. “As if having a disability was not hard enough,” The dismissal of Ruiz comes months after Ivor Chen, graduate student in LAS, was dismissed Jan. 29 for testing non compliance.

“When I first heard about his case, I was deeply disappointed,” Chen said.

“Like many, I expected more thorough change to the current COVID-19 disciplinary procedure rega rd i ng COV ID -19 testing noncompliance.”

Chen was readmitted Feb. 16 after his petition gained over 40,000 signatures and grabbed the attention of international media.

“I had hoped that my case would be a trigger for a thorough discussion among students and faculty members on COVID-19 disciplinary procedures,” Chen said.

At Ruiz’s disciplinary hearing, he was told

that he should have proactively sought out accommodations for his disabilities, according to a petition created by the GEO. “In my view, my dismissal was a function of systemic ableism,” Ruiz said. “In rolling out saliva testing for students, little thought was given to how students with disabilities could be supported.”

According to Ruiz, the University also abruptly terminated his pay as a graduate employee without informing him and his director supervisors that his working contract had ended. Ruiz had therefore continued working as a teacher’s assistant.

According to Karla Sanabria-Veaz, member of the GEO, 50% of the educational labor on campus is done by graduate students.

“So dismissing one g raduate st udent,

months,” said Robert St elt m a n , exec ut ive assistant dean of LAS. Steltman said that one of the many things the pandemic disrupted was academic advising. He stated that advisers worked round the clock last March to accommodate all queries which were raised by the unwanted change and continue to work long hours to assure students the help and assistance they need.

Relating to student’s willingness to switch to in-person instruction, Steltman said, “Anytime we are forced to change, we change, as by nature we want to feel good about the situation we are in and we want to make progress.”

S t e lt m a n f u r t h er elaborated that he has had students come up and ask whether fall will have online classes cause they did fairly well in that format and has also had students come and ask to take an entire in-person course load. Steltman believes that the one fits all mentality rarely works and hence is confident that the flexibility the students have this fall will help them succeed and reiterates that his department will assist students in any way possible Steltman put emphasis on two particular groups LAS is working very closely with.

“Most sophomores have never been to campus and didn’t have an orientation so we are planning one to get them accustomed to campus life,” Steltman said.

He also added that the college is working closely with international students and International Student and Scholar Services to ensure any visa-related/ course-related support to them.

On he a lt h-r el at e d concerns, Steltman said that the “University and colleges consider student health foremost and will follow all CDC guidelines to ensure the health and safety of students in fall 2021.”

UI launches K-12 playbook, offers reopening guidance

ym16@dailyillini.com

BY ROYAL SHRESTHA STAFF WRITER

dismissing two graduate students has a domino effect in the quality of education that students were promised to receive even during this pandemic,” Sanabria-Veaz said.

In addition to dropping charges against Ruiz and readmitting him, the GEO is also demanding that the University retroactively readmit students dismissed for testing noncompliance and reduce student conduct probation to student conduct reprimand.

Furthermore, the GEO is demanding that the University give students a one week grace period after noncompliance charges are brought forward to become testing compliant.

“In order for the University to slightly change their disciplinary sanction, you have to put enormous pressure on them,” Chen said. abhatt52@dailyillini.com

information in one place with modules including cleaning, distancing, information technology, masks, testing and ventilation. Each module gives different scenarios the school may face and depending on whether they answer yes or no to that scenario, it will give them a list of procedures to follow.

“Not everything will be applicable to a certain school which is why we have set up decision trees allowing for the best course of action for each school depending on what they answer ” Smith said.

The six modules guide users through questions that are specific to their needs and will offer a course of action that is applicable to their current situation.

Creating such an interactive experience was done with the help of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, which worked to make the playbook be available online, and the College of Education, which provided valuable information about how K-12 schools operated on a normal school day to the SHIELD team.

Smith described the challenges of in-person transition, how the SHIELD team created this free online playbook as a way of sharing everything they have learned and how other people can learn from them as well.

The SHIELD team, in partnership with the college of education and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, has recently released a K-12 playbook offering guidance for schools considering to reopen for the next semester.

With the rollout of vaccines across campus and to students, more and more colleges will soon be transitioning back to classroom learning.

The same can not be said for elementary, middle and high schools, as there is currently no vaccine available for kids under 16 years old.

Many school districts are trying to find the best way to ensure student safety while transitioning back to in-person learning.

“Once I started researching what was out there, I saw that the information was scattered all throughout the web. We decided to create a playbook with decision trees, knowing that our playbook would be meant for schools across the nation and not one school in particular,” said Rebecca Smith, associate professor Veterinary Medicine and Medicine said. The actual playbook is centered around SHIELD’s program that was used to maintain safety and keeping the pandemic in control at the University.

Smith described the playbook as having all the necessary royals2@dailyillini.com

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

A SHIELD worker helps to test college students for COVID-19 on Sept. 30. SHIELD recently released guidance to schools to try and help them reopen for the fall semester.

4A

THURSDAY April 29, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

LIFE & CULTURE

UI library celebrates Shakespeare week

BY MATT TROHER INVESTIGATIVE NEWS & LONGFORM EDITOR

Over 450 years ago and nearly 4,000 miles away from Champaign, William Shakespeare was born. Despite this massive spatial and temporal distance, the University has a few connections to the famous playwright.

To celebrate those connections and the birth of one of the most important literary figures in the English canon, the University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library hosts a Shakespeare’s birth-week celebration each year. The exact date of Shakespeare’s birth is disputed, but scholars agree he was born sometime in April 1564. Because of this, the Rare Book and Manuscript Library dedicates a whole week to celebrating Shakespeare’s birth.

During a typical year, it is not uncommon to see library staff, English faculty and Shakespeare enthusiasts don Shakespearean garb, borrowed from Krannert’s costume vault, and recite a sonnet or two. While this year’s virtual celebration, which took place from April 19-23, was more reserved than other years,’ Illini made their love for the Bard known through enthusiastic readings of his most famous sonnets and verses.

Ruthann Mowry, visiting curator at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, helped organize this year’s virtual celebration. She set out to find a way to continue this tradition in an innovative

way, without any in-person interaction.

“This year was very different because we are not open to in-person events,” Mowry said. “So, we were trying to think outside of the box and come up with an event we could share the celebration with everyone, but of course not letting them into the building and having those face-to-face celebrations, so we came up with the idea of asking people to participate by reading, or doing whatever you wanted to celebrate Shakespeare, we had people submit videos, and as you know we’ve been posting them to YouTube.”

Throughout the week, eight videos were uploaded to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s YouTube channel of students and faculty alike reading their favorite excerpts from Shakespeare’s bibliography. Vincent Carlson, doctoral candidate in Theater, read “Sonnet 147,” a sonnet written from the perspective of a poet who views his affection for his partner as a sickness.

Lynne Thomas, head of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, read “Sonnet 20,” one of Shakespeare’s Fair Youth sonnets.

Thomas, who holds a Master of Arts in English and American literature, believes Shakespeare’s works are worth celebrating for the joy they could bring, even in a time as strenuous as our current situation.

“We’re of course familiar with Shakespeare as part of the literary and cultural can-

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A photo a book containing plays such as Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Tempest and Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare rests on display. Shakespeare’s birthday was remembered by a week-long celebration featuring his writings.

on, and the fact that we are still reinterpreting, performing and reading his works over 450 years after his birth is a very good reason to celebrate his birthday,” Thomas said. “But it’s also a matter of remembering, particularly during a global pandemic, that we are capable of having fun. Much of his work involves a delightful playfulness that is important to hold onto in life, especially when things get difficult. Even his tragedies

include comedic moments and characters, because life is like that.”

The Rare Book and Manuscript Library is home to numerous items relating to Shakespeare. Perhaps the most important Shakespeare-related material in the Library’s collection is a copy of “Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies,” commonly referred to as the First Folio. Published shortly after Shakespeare’s

death in 1616, the First Folio was the first time his works had been compiled in one collection. A large portion of the works present in the First Folio were previously unpublished, and the Folio is the only reason we have any record of their existence.

It is believed only 750 copies were printed of the First Folio, and in present-day only 235 remain.

“Part of the reason we celebrate Shakspeare’s birthday

is that he is such a huge figure in our collection,” Mowry said.

“The world surrounding him is a collection strength, and it’s something that, since it is so big in our collection, we like to share with other people. A lot of people are familiar with Shakespeare, so it’s something that is easily accessible for a broad range of people because they go into it already knowing who Shakespeare is.” mtroher2@dailyillini.com

Students rebrand film festival, share visions

BY MATEO BAUTISTA STAFF WRITER

The extended absence of big movie releases has caused studios, theaters and film festivals to find other ways for audiences to see their next big movies. Those involved with the UIUC Film Festival, however, used their time a little differently; they worked to rebrand the festival and give students the chance to share the visions they have developed throughout the pandemic.

The UIUC Film Festival, formerly known as the Illini Film Festival, is an event where students in the class MACS 464: Film Festivals organize, promote and execute screenings for filmmakers’ finished projects.

“MACS 464 as a class, we get together and we handle the promotion of the festival,” said Jacob Mayer, senior in Media. “We also do the programming for it, selecting which films go in what order and the general management of the festival happens throughout that class.”

Mayer helped with copyrighting for the festival and also promoted it via social media.

One of the students in charge of the festival’s social media accounts, Eleni Sakas, sophomore in Media, explained the amount of work that went into social media posts and audience outreach.

“There’s a lot of planning and organizing that you just don’t take into consideration, like the times you post stuff on social media,” Sakas said.

“You don’t want to bombard people by posting every single day but there are specific times you have to post.”

On top of promotion, MACS 464 students were also in charge of the rebranding for the festival, such as creating a new design for the website and making a new logo. This created challenges that the students were eager to tackle.

One of the designers for the festival, Valentina Grant, sophomore in FAA, spoke about the process of designing a new poster.

“There were definitely tweaks we needed to add, but I was really excited and happy when it came out,” Grant said.

She expressed her delight in seeing the fruits of hard work throughout campus.

“Jonathan Knipp (MACS 464 professor) sent me a pic-

ture of my poster in Gregory Hall and it was surreal,” Grant said.

She said being involved with the festival was a very fun experience.

“I think joining this film festival gave me overall a better experience of what a film festival can do and a moment to collaborate and produce and contribute to films,” Grant said.

Mayer mentioned his own excitement in being a part of organizing such an event, as well as giving filmmakers the opportunity to share their visions.

“Personally, it’s really exciting to have your name attached to a festival,” Mayer said. “And submitting to festivals is something a lot of filmmakers can do, but it’s great to have one in your own community on campus as well.”

Although the rebranding of the festival was something that had been in the works since before the pandemic, students in MACS 464 took advantage of the changes the pandemic caused to analyze every aspect of the festival.

“I know the idea to change the name happened before

WE HAVE

the pandemic,” Mayer said.

“But it was serendipitous timing.”

From creating a new logo to adding TikTok submissions for the festival, MACS 464 students implemented as many ideas as they possibly could to make the UIUC Film Festival stand out from previous years.

Sakas described an idea of hers to pass out flyers with a QR code that links to the UIUC Film Festival website, which she had to scrap because of the pandemic.

However, she explained another idea that the class implemented, which was to create a separate submission and viewing for TikToks in the festival.

“A lot of people make TikToks now, because we’re like ‘Why not?’ and that’s been easier for me to explain to people, like, ‘You don’t have to make a documentary, you can just send me your TikTok username and that’s OK,’” Sakas said.

There were moments of difficulty in the organization of the festival, such as miscommunication in Zoom meetings, difficulty reaching fellow classmates and initial

OFFICIAL RCH ME

PHOTO COURTESY OF UIUC FILM FESTIVAL

struggles to find an audience for their social media, but MACS 464 students believe they have been able to overcome these challenges together and will give the campus one of the best film festivals to date.

“Sometimes it can be easy to give more time to things

NOW!!

Get your official WPGU 107.1 FM merch at

redbubble.com/people/wpgu/shop · T-shirts · Stickers

· Hoodies · Tote Bags

· Phone Cases · And More!

you need to do,” Grant said.

“Sometimes it can be easy, sometimes can be hard, but as long as we’re doing it together.”

The UIUC Film Festival will be streaming on uiucfilmfest.com on May 1 at 5 p.m. mateobd2@dailyillini.com

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

5A

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Scientists explore vaccine effects on periods

BY GWYN SKILES FEATURES EDITOR

Katharine Lee, post-doctoral research scholar in the division of public health sciences at Washington University School of Medicine, was one of the first people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. She noticed her menstrual cycle was irregular compared to her previous cycles.

After reaching out to see if her other vaccinated colleagues had a similar experience, she noticed a commonality.

She shared these conversations with her former teacher, Kate Clancy, associate professor in LAS at the University that specializes in menstruation studies. Clancy had a similar experience and sent out a tweet inquiring if others had abnormal periods.

The tweet went viral.

Many people who menstruate reported longer, shorter, heavier, lighter, early and late periods.

Just like fatigue, sore arms and fevers, scientists are researching whether the COVID-19 vaccine alters menstruation. Lee said this is important because people should be able to prepare for any and all symptoms.

“If it is a side effect, people should be prepared in the same way that we know and were prepared for in possibly having a fever or being fatigued for a day,” Lee said.

“If it were something that happened out of the blue, it is something that some folks might be worried about.”

Lee said it’s especially important for people at risk of period poverty to know.

“One thing is that not

everybody has access to a car to run to a store so there is a potential very immediate expense,” Lee said. “It does cost more money out of pocket and I think it really differentially would affect people who are already marginalized or who live where they don’t have ready access to shops which is many people in the world.”

Cici Teng, junior in Engineering and president of CodeRed, an RSO that educates students on menstruation and fights period poverty on campus, echoed Lee’s concerns that abnormal menstrual cycles could put those subjected to period poverty, specifically younger people, at risk.

“If your cycle is heavier or earlier compared to before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the cost is different,” Teng said. “It really adds up when you multiply it and obviously when you have heavier flow, especially when you’re younger, there’s a lot of cost that goes into figuring things out.”

Clancy has surveyed over 62,000 people who menstruate after getting their vaccine. The study is ongoing, so Clancy said she can’t definitively say there is causation. However, she said she’s confident in some things.

“I’m really confident that we are not looking at something that causes long-term issues,” Clancy said.

Both Lee and Clancy said they want people to know they are avid supporters of the COVID-19 vaccine and their research should not discourage people from getting it.

JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI

“I would take 10 heavy periods to be protected from this vaccine,” Clancy said.

“What I would love for us to shift our thinking around is not ‘(the symptoms) are something bad that’s happening’ but rather ‘(the vaccine) is working.’”

Clancy said that transparency is vital to encouraging people to get the vaccine and doesn’t think their research and recognition of their research will deter people.

“I think the vast amount of people respond really well to being told the truth and are more likely to trust a scientific or medical establishment that is willing to engage, and willing to think about and

willing to admit overlooking something especially if they’re willing to course correct,” Clancy said. “So I think that’s only going to increase the likelihood that people will take the vaccine.”

Throughout history, Clancy said menstruation hasn’t been included in vaccine research. In fact, she emphasized that women haven’t been included in such research due to concerns about fertility.

“The more we talked to people we know that study vaccines or report on them, the more it became apparent to me that it’s not remotely built into the structure of vaccine or drug trial testing

to inquire about menstrual changes,” Clancy said.

Clancy said she heard from a number of people that they tried to report menstrual changes to reporting systems and were denied the ability or were mocked.

“This is not just ladies being silly,” Clancy said.

“There are really obvious mechanics here.”

In general, Clancy said there needs to be more research on menstruation and she hopes she can be part of that.

“We’d love to collect actual blood and menstrual blood before and after vaccines,” Clancy said.

“We’d love to do more

qualitative work to think more about the lived experiences of transgender and non-binary people who are menstruators or who have experienced breakthrough bleeding.”

In addition, Lee said she hopes that the results of the survey will help support those that have been gaslighted.

“I hope that (the results of the survey) validate people’s experiences and clinicians take it seriously,” Lee said. “I hope trans and gender non-confirming folks feel like they were heard and respected.” gskiles2@dailyillini.com

Tyehimba Jess recites poetry for students, faculty

BY SAADA RIDGEWAY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Nneoma Ohale, junior in LAS, treasured her time discussing poetry at “Craft Talk,” a program created by the Humanities Research Institution to speak with writers of our time.

Ohale started writing around 9-years-old, but poetry came later at 14.

When describing what writing means to her, she quoted Bell Hooks and said, “Artists show the world as capable of being reimagined and remade.”

Ohale said writing is her opportunity to be creative

and put on paper how she sees the world versus how she would like to.

“Whatever you’re meant to do, you will get there,” Ohale said. “Whatever is destined for you, that’s yours no matter what. Your path was laid out for you and however you need to get there, you will get there eventually, as long as you stay the course.”

Tyehimba Jess, Pulitzer Prize-winning author for his book “Olio,” was the keynote speaker for HRI’s event “Craft Talk.” As well as the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center’s

event, “Food for the Soul: Inside Scoop with Tyehimba Jess.”

Erin Ciciora, senior communications manager for HRI, said that the administration hoped the event would offer a new experience for attendees, whether they were familiar with his work or not.

“It’s a special experience to stand in awe of his masterful work while also having direct access to ask him questions and hear him tell his own story,” Ciciora said.

The event took place via Zoom, from April 7-8 in three segments. The first

segment, “Food for the Soul,” was an inside scoop on Jess’ life and the road he took to become a poet. saadajr2@dailyillini.com This is only a portion of the story. Read the full article by scanning the QR code below.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TYEHIMBA JESS

Pulitzer Prize winner, Tyehimba Jess, spoke at the University over Zoom from April 7-8. Jess gave students the inside scoop on his life and journey to becoming a poet.

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

THE DAILY ILLINI

THE BEST WAY TO KEEP UP WITH THE NEWS Use the QR code to sign up for our newsletter and get headline news sent to your email!

dailyillini.com

ACROSS

1They can be found just above a sixpack 5 China/North Korea border river 9Area named for gynecologist Ernst Gräfenberg 14 Brazilian export 15 Standing above 16 Standing by 17 Opposite of [circled letters] 19 Nick who voices Kuiil on “The Mandalorian” 20 Pest control brand 21 “You betcha!”

23 Ancient IndoEuropean 25 Opposite of [circled letters] 27 Legal cover-up?

28 Harvey of Hollywood 29 Composer Rorem 30 Opposite of [circled letters] 32 Get-up-and-go 34 Like many Bigfoot photos 35 Like horsehair 38 Color on the flag of every permanent U.N. Security Council member 39 Opposite of [circled letters] 41 Up to 44Best 46 Brouhaha 47 Opposite of [circled letters] 49 Sycophant 50 Gifts 51 Grocery product with orange packaging 52 Go from worse to bad, say 53 Opposite of [circled letters] 58 Prefix with aggression

1

2

3

4

5

14

6

7

18

24

25

29 32

34 38

47

33

35

43

36

37

39 44

13

26

31

42

12

22

28

30

11

19 21

27

10

16

20

41

9

15

17

23

8

40

45

46

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

58

59

60

61

62

63

57

PUZZLE BY ALEX EATON-SALNERS

59 “Quick, get that dog some ___” (old ad slogan) 60 Carver’s tool 61 Cry made while removing a jacket 62 Just in case 63 Dispatch, in a way

DOWN

1 Boxer’s mitt?

2 Prefix with conscious 3 Mars, for one 4 “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” co-star 5 Knitter’s need 6 Division of the Justice Dept.

7 Jazz’s Mary ___ Williams 8 Raise 9 Escalate to the extreme

10 Reaction to hilarity, maybe 11 Enter all together 12 Distance between “some” and “where” in “Somewhere over the rainbow” 13 Swarmed 18 Now we’re in the Phanerozoic one 22 Ooze away 23 Intruder warning, maybe 24 Director Nicolas 25 Start of a countingout rhyme 26 Fruit that’s usually dried before consumption 28 Most charitable 31 Got loaded 33 Cons 35 Supercomputing pioneer Seymour 36 Do some wishful thinking?

37 Camelot lady 39 Word before food or theory 40 Five-point rugby play 41 Mat used for judo 42 Shortly 43 Flowers that “in the dooryard bloom’d,” in a Whitman poem 45 ___ conservative 48 Union StationDupont Circle connector, in D.C. 49 Bit of ink 51 Brisk pace 54 Estadio cheer 55 Happy states 56 Destination of Finnish mail that’s addressed to “Yhdysvallat” 57 One role for Harriet Tubman in the Civil War

The crossword solution is in the Classified section.

6A

THURSDAY April 29, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

OPINIONS American selfishness, ignorance elicit lunacy

THE DAILY ILLINI EDITORIAL

on the streets of a self-proclaimed democracy, yet the DENNIS AUSTIN “video game militia” has COLUMNIST disappeared.

As for their silence? It’s simple; they don’t care. They — ladies and never did. gentlemen — To them, their protest was have arrived at more of an affront towards a crossroads in America. the Democratic Party than Given that world-renowned it was an actual concern for scientist and medical expert their neighbors’ civil libDr. Anthony Fauci can draw erties. Just contrast how the ire of the contemptible “Faux News” covered antiJim Jordan, is an indictmasks protests versus the ment on how stupidity has developments in Portland. plagued our nation. Not that Anti-mask demonstraunintelligent Americans are tors are rising against the anything new, more so their encroachment of governexistence is annoying. ment with great valor. The Of course, it is in our other is a bunch of whiny, nation’s chromosomes to leftist, broke, unemployed, rebel. The problem is that wannabe Marxist, twerkwe are rebelling for no useing millennials who want to ful purpose. destroy America.

On my social media timeCan we be surprised line and elsewhere, several at this phenomenon? In people are engaging in cona country where people spiracy theories. Memes, lapped up the daily lies of GIFs and poorly photoa toddler, white supremashopped images proclaim cist president for four years, that Bill Gates is some evil most Americans’ inability to mastermind who’s out to engage in critical thinking is control, vaccines contain not a shocking development microchips and wearing a to me. mask is Stalin-esque: Yes, Perhaps if we dressed up donning a mask intended the coronavirus in a burka, to prevent the spread of a would these faux revoludeadly virus is comparable tionaries take this panto a corrupt and murderous demic seriously? After all, dictator.

America always responds This display of foolishness to perceived threats from shows Americans’ classiBrown people in face covercal ineptitude who cling to ings, saying mean things in their flags and guns while a language they don’t underscreeching freedom. stand, which brings me to Tee Allen Parker, a bar my next point. owner in Texas last year For decades, conservative (unsurprising), strung media has profited off the together enough brain cells ignorance, fears and insecuto utter the words, “We don’t rities of “White America.” live in a communist counThe daily drivel from the try! This is supposed to be mouths of Bill O’Reilly, Rush America.” For this disturbed Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, ninny to mention that wear- Tucker Carlson and coming a mask is communist, pany have poisoned politiwhile doing so in a capitalist cal discourse. An absence country, is an insult to those of editorial ethics has been who suffered under actual apparent in this pandemic. communist regimes.

Last year a study concludFor the clowns who ed that Sean Hannity was stormed the capitol building irresponsible in his coverage last year in Michigan against of the coronavirus pandemGov. Gretchen Whitmer’s ic, downplaying the seristay-at-home order, you are ousness of this novel virus. not the modern version of The ever-unintelligible — the American militia that thankfully deceased — Rush fought for its independence Limbaugh proclaimed Dr. from British tyranny: You Fauci was a “Hillary Clinton are a small group of uncivisympathizer.” lized, uncouth buffoons who Exploitation, not educaprobably haven’t read the tion, is what we witness. constitution.

These media manipulators The “video game miliare more foe than friend, tia,” who create this fantasy enemy than ally to America. that they are fighting against Media organizations are government tyranny, is our concerned less with these nation’s intellectual rot. It imbeciles broadcasting is not the truth they seek, harmful rhetoric than they but to fulfill their carnal are with increasing revedesires, a figment of their nues. They have convinced imagination of fighting some a segment of the country boogeyman. that masks are symbols of Thus, it comes without oppression, not objects for surprise that this usually their safety. rowdy bunch went quiet This unconscionable stuas actual government tyr- pidity has exacerbated the anny manifested in Port- invisible threat. Although land, Oregon. vaccines have begun to roll During last summer’s out, people are still dying, social unrest, a military hospital systems continveteran was beaten and ue to be overwhelmed and bloodied, American citizens those who survive have other were tossed into unmarked battles to fight – health care vehicles – both incidents costs and mental, emotional committed by unidentified and physical ailments coroparamilitary officers. Not navirus left them. to mention the presence of Our political and media militarized police officers institutions have decided to who antagonized, provoked abdicate leadership, leaving and attacked peaceful racial the worst of this country’s justice activists. instincts to their own If you wanted an opportu- devices. The inmates are nity to rebel, there it was, in running the asylum, and we living color. The grotesque are in trouble. display of abuse that we see and abhor in other counDennis is a senior in LAS. tries occurred in real time dennisa2@dailyillini.com

We

JONAH OZER THE DAILY ILLINI

UI must maintain test-optional policy

S

tandardized testing is archaic. If there has been any coherent lesson from the tumultuous pandemic, it has been the revelation that the American College Testing and Scholastic Aptitude Test are wolves in sheeps' clothing towards the genuine intention of academic discernment.

Following its announcement in June of last year, the University has committed to no testing requirement for incoming students from now through the 2023-2024 academic year. Recognizing COVID-19’s limitations on the ability for students to complete the test — being that there are no sanctioned large gatherings — the University rightly ceased the standardized requirement.

However, between uninterrupted admissions scandals and accusations of wealth inequality, standardized testing nowadays embodies a crooked institution rather than a prized academic service.

The University, therein, must dedicate itself as test-optional going forward, postponing its previous requirement forevermore.

Designed as a conclusive method for determining elusive applicants, college admissions have heavily relied on these assessments for generations. Their time, nonetheless, is running out.

Many universities, presently, have ditched these disingenuous exams in recognition of their inability to factor in socioeconomic factors.

In a 2019 analysis by The Hechinger Report, prospective student Julia Tomasulo is exhibited as a profound

example of the ACT and SAT favoring the wealthy. Tomasulo, who took the ACT three times, is recorded as having her parents spend $3,500 in tutoring. Additionally, having the opportunity for daily practice tests, Tomasulo — sure enough — achieved admission to her “chosen school.”

Although Tomasulo showcases affluence aiding successful tutoring, no worse demonstration of standardized testing’s inadequacies arrives than in “Operation Varsity Blues.”

Launched as an effort for elite children, “Varsity Blues” is chronicled by prosecutors as an effort where “parents paid a college test prep organization to help students cheat, either by having stand-ins take the tests for the teenagers or by arranging for proctors to correct answers.”

Working with more than 750 opulent families, William Rick Singer — the “ringleader” behind the admissions scandal — received a total of $25 million for his “services.”

Singer, likewise, pleaded guilty in 2019 to the charges of “racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges” and faces up to 65 years in prison.

The College Board — the administrator for the SAT — in response to this overt blemish on their already damaged reputation acknowledged this misconduct by merely stating, “those who facilitate cheating on the SAT — regardless of their income or status — will be held accountable. The College Board has a comprehensive,

robust approach to combat cheating.”

Yet, cheating by way of flagrant accessibility to wealth-related resources endures for these socioeconomically driven exams.

Pre-dating the pandemic, the recent trend away from testing requirements illuminates that the ACT and SAT are decreasing in university utilization.

Similarly, a list compiled

by FairTest — an organization advocating against barriers to fair admissions — revealed that over 1,400 colleges and universities currently possess testoptional policies.

In the Washington Post, journalist Valerie Strauss noted the pandemic’s onslaught and “disillusionment with the testing industry” combine to demonstrate “the beginning of the end of our obsession with high-stakes standardized tests.”

It is the University’s responsibility to ensure all hold the possibility for enrollment. Accordingly, departing this requirement allows for further diversity and opportunities for those not solely judged on standardized scores.

When the SAT and ACT play a lesser role, admissions are better feasible for all. Considering the University of Chicago adopting an optional position, UChicago subsequently reported record acceptance for lowincome, first-generation, rural and veteran students — groups exceedingly struggling with access/admission to higher education institutions.

With regards to specific statistics, UChicago also

outlines that first-generation and low-income commitment increased by 20%, while, notably, rural enrollment improved by 56%.

The data is clear: The ACT and SAT are obstacles to progress. With the pandemic temporarily halting the University’s exam obligation, this policy must be extended for all future classes. Testing cannot comprehend socioeconomic factors, nor is it an equal playing field for all wishing to be examined by merit, not affluence.

Standardized testing is broken. The option — for those inclined to continually engage the exam — certainly may survive, but the obligatory duty ought to withdraw from the higher education process.

There are areas an SAT or ACT will never measure: socioeconomic struggles, lacking access to satisfactory K-12 education or racial and cultural blockades. Furthermore, with the wealthy's obtainability to fortunate tutoring — or, occasionally, outright cheating by way of fraud or rowing teams — the system is rigged against those without appropriate means for triumphant test taking.

Per the University’s emboldened pledge for vehement incorporation, a commitment to being testoptional is the ensuing stage for equitable consideration to higher education.

The voyage towards optional testing endures.

The question remains whether the University will recognize standardized testing as the failing assessment it is or wistfully crash by not fastening itself with the future of college admissions.

Influencers represent bootstrap ideology’s ideals ANDREA MARTINEZ COLUMNIST

T

he bootstrap ideology is the belief that hard work directly correlates to success and wealth. Aside from the individualistic culture it cultivates in a capitalist society, it has also become ingrained in the rhetoric of Americans everywhere.

It has been disproven by numerous standards — most notably in a Pew Research Center study on the American Dream, which found that social mobility is heavily correlated with the race and socioeconomic class one was born into.

Nevertheless, this myth of bootstrapping defines popular media and has permeated every echelon of American society.

Supporters of the bootstrap myth want a free market to bring value to the American economy and maintain its global economic prosperity. They argue that successful CEOs are perfect examples of such value

tradeoff. These supporters preach the notion that to achieve wealth and success beyond their wildest dreams, one must generate income not by time but by value; and with the post of one image, social media influencers can rake in millions of dollars in revenue.

The "self-made" moguls such as the likes of Warren Buffet are often lauded as proof that bootstrapping is real — but what about influencers? Are they not also individuals who worked hard to achieve success in and contribute to a free-market society?

Influencers contribute to the economy by registering as Limited Liability Ccompanies, hiring personnel such as managers, benefiting from business loans to further expand their brand and collaborating with other businesses.

Additionally, influencers in America have brought insurmountable value into the economy by successfully penetrating previously untapped markets as the influencer economy explodes in popularity. The true products of

successful bootstrapping are influencers who rose to great wealth and success through hard work despite the odds against them. Despite bootstrapping being a myth, no other group comes close to making that myth a reality.

Influencers epitomize this ideology: The people the American Dream is designed for — so why do people detest them?

Oftentimes the argument is that they do not deserve their success; that it is purely by chance they achieved great fame and success. But can the same not be said about these supposedly selfmade business moguls?

Amazon achieved success only because Jeff Bezos' parents invested $250,000 in initial startup capital to prevent it from going under.

Warren Buffet’s father was a former stockbroker who gave him the initial $228 to invest when he was 11 years old.

Conversely, people like Youtuber Ryan Higa rose to internet stardom in the early days of Youtube, despite being raised on a small island in Hawaii and having only a camcorder

to record and upload videos. Former Vine starturned-Youtuber Liza Koshy, likewise, grew up in an underserved neighborhood of Houston when she grew a following and later became a successful internet personality star who recently launched a makeup line.

Looking back at the conventional idea of selfmade, bootstrapping individuals, it is evident they are not so self-made.

But again, why do others despise influencers who seemingly have it easier?

The reason influencers receive so much scrutiny is not because they did not work to achieve their deserved success — it is because they are not the intended benefactors of the American Dream: white men.

Influencer culture is loathed only because the status quo of wealth and power in America’s capitalist, patriarchal society is being fundamentally challenged.

Andrea is a junior in LAS. amart249@dailyillini.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF AJAY SURESH/FLICKR

An advertisement of the Fox News anchors is pasted on the side of a building in New York City on June 29, 2019. Columnist Dennis Austin argues that America is becoming increasingly incompetent.

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.

1B

THURSDAY April 29, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

SPORTS

BASEBALL

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Junior Riley Gowens pitches during a game at Illinois Field against Purdue April 18. Pitchers Riley Gowens, Ryan O’Hara and Cole Kirschsieper combined to throw Illinois’ 11th no-hitter in program history against Purdue on Sunday.

No-hit, no quit: Pitching staff throws gem, makes history

BY GABBY HAJDUK STAFF WRITER

Mark Allen isn’t one for ingame celebrations, shouting or jumping around. The Illinois pitching coach stays pretty even-keeled and, in his opinion, boring, during good and bad game situations. Even when Illinois beat No. 23 Texas A&M by one run last spring, Allen didn’t really yell or cheer.

But on Sunday, in the eighth inning of Illinois’ game against Purdue, with the score tied at 0-0 and the Illini throwing a no-hitter, pitcher Ryan O’Hara finally pulled a reaction out of Allen.

With a runner on third base, O’Hara struck out a batter in the dirt, forcing catcher Ryan Hampe to check the runner then throw to Kellen Sarver at first base for the forceout. Sarver, who saw O’Hara hustle to the plate, threw a dime back to his pitcher as the Purdue baserunner darted home. Fielding the throw just in time, O’Hara swiftly made the tag at the plate, sending the Illini to the top of the ninth inning

with all the momentum.

“That was such a huge play that to me, that was the key to the entire game,” Allen said.

“And it had absolutely nothing to do with the no-hitter, like I don’t even think about no-hitter in that situation.

But when you watch a lot of no-hitters, there’s always one to two huge defensive plays made somewhere along the line, because the defense is going to be asked to do that.

That one was the biggest for me, and I actually pumped my fist and was fired up. I said, ‘Yeah!’ and jumped up.

I was excited about that play right there.”

Fast forward a few minutes, and the Illini were up 1-0 as the offense, which had been struggling to manufacture a run all game, strung together a couple hits, leading Branden Comia past home for the lead and, eventually, the win.

While O’Hara’s moment behind the plate was the game-changer, it won’t top the history made Sunday, as Riley Gowens, O’Hara and Cole Kirschsieper combined

for Illinois’ 11th no-hitter in program history and the first since April 24, 1985.

A no-hitter at any level of competitive baseball is extremely difficult to come by, but to go through three different pitchers with three completely different styles on the mound is something head coach Dan Hartleb has never been a part of.

“They’re so rare,” Hartleb said. “It’s rare for a single individual because you have the fatigue factor. When you go to other guys in the ‘pen, you have the mental factor and there’s balls that are blue-pitched that fall in. There are balls that are rockets and are hit right at people. Every no-hitter that I’ve been involved with — and this is the first good one I’ve been involved with — there have been some balls that have absolutely been hit on the nose and are right at somebody. It’s rare to start with, and you just add to the odds when you have multiple guys pitching. It’s extremely rare and really special.”

The key, however, was the

strong seven-inning start from Gowens, the longest outing of his career and just his seventh game played for the Illini. After missing his freshman season to have Tommy John surgery, Gowens was forced to miss a second year after COVID-19 shut down the 2020 season before he was cleared to pitch.

Having not pitched in over two years, Gowens started the year a little shaky, recording 25-30 pitches in the first innings of his first couple starts.

After settling his initial nerves of competing at the collegiate level, Gowens steadily found his groove, working his way from pitching three, to four, to five to eventually seven innings.

“That is the way of development for the kids that pay attention, the kids that are invested, the kids that work,” Allen said. “You see progress, and you should. That doesn’t mean Riley is gonna go out and throw seven-inning nonos the rest of the year; he’s gonna stump his toe. But now

he has a way of even when those things happen, you can get back to the roots.”

Those deep and strong roots carried Gowens through 95 pitches on Sunday, the most he’s thrown since his high school days.

Even after struggling through the first couple innings again Sunday and allowing a few walks and scoring opportunities for Purdue, Gowens relied on his breaking ball to silence the Boilermakers.

For Gowens, who was more ecstatic about finally getting the win for Illinois’ offense, which has kept the Illini in most games this season, Sunday’s game was never about the no-hitter or the series sweep. For this week’s Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, winning was the only concern.

“I didn’t even care about the no-hitter; I just cared about putting up zeroes,” Gowens said. “We’ve dug ourselves a little hole, so these games coming up are really important ... Hopefully today

was a turning point, so giving up no hits was obviously good momentum-wise. But I was more nervous they were going to beat us without getting a hit. They had a runner on third base in the eight inning with one out, and I was like, ‘They could totally just get a sac fly and win the game without getting a single hit.’

“That would’ve been such a demoralizing loss. At that point I was like, ‘I hope we can just grind it out.’”

With Gowens’ pitch count nearing 100, Allen and Hartleb pulled him after the seventh inning in favor of O’Hara, a lefty, as the Boilermakers’ eight inning lineup had multiple left-handed batters.

After hitting the first batter on a 1-2 count, O’Hara didn’t panic. Instead, he kept his composure, got out number one on a sacrifice bunt then helped Hampe and Sarver complete the double play at home to end the inning and his outing.

SEE NO-HITTER | 3B

FOOTBALL

Illini showcase potential after successful spring game outings

BY JOSH PIETSCH ASSISTANT ON-AIR EDITOR

Last Monday, the Illini played their annual spring football game to showcase how the team has progressed since new head coach Bret Bielema and his staff took over. A lot has changed on both offense and defense for Illinois, and fans got a glimpse of what to expect for the fall.

One of the thinnest positions on the team heading into 2021 is the wide receiver group. Josh Imatorbhebhe, the team’s top receiver over the past two seasons, left the Illini for the NFL Draft. The only other players who caught a significant amount of passes last season were Brian Hightower, Donny Navarro and tight end Daniel Barker, leaving a lot of unknowns within the group.

However, two receivers that showed during the spring game that they could have a bigger role come the fall were Khmari Thompson and Carlos Sandy.

Thompson transferred to Illinois from Missouri after the 2019 season. No one was really sure how he would be used, whether it be as a receiver or primarily on special teams due to his speed.

Last season he appeared in five games and was mostly used as a kick-off returner.

Despite not being in the receiver group much last year, Thompson was placed on the first team for the spring game and appeared as a wide receiver. He made a significant impact as well, totaling 40 reception yards and catching quarterback Brandon Peters’ only touchdown pass.

“He’s a guy that has been diligent about his work,” Bielema said of Thompson.

“A lot of times when I’m leaving at night ... he’s still here in the building watching film and trying to get better. I really think he’s seeing the benefits of putting in hard work and the rewards that come out of it.”

Sandy is a senior and has been at receiver for the past three seasons, but he hasn’t seen much action at all.

His first career touchdown didn’t come until his junior year, which caused many people to be a little surprised when he was also placed on the first team.

Though he hasn’t gotten much action yet in his time at Illinois, that seems like it will change come the fall.

Sandy caught Peters’ first pass of the day and ended with 56 reception yards,

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Reggie Love III (23) and Daniel Barker (87) celebrate after Love III scored a touchdown during the spring game April 19 at Memorial Stadium. Love III and Barker are both players to watch for Bret Bielema’s squad in the fall.

including a long of 24.

“Carlos is a guy that’s really jumped out to me here as of late,” Bielema said. “Carlos has grown every practice.”

Another guy that almost

surely will be catching more passes than he did last season based on his performance in the spring game is tight end Luke Ford.

Ford came to Illinois as a transfer from Georgia,

and despite a lot of hype surrounding his name, he wasn’t used the way many expected in his first year with Illinois. He caught just two passes last season, leaving questions as to how

he would be used under the new staff.

This new staff sees a lot more value than last year’s staff did, though, because SEE POTENTIAL | 3B

2B Thursday, April 29, 2021

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

MEN’S TENNIS

Illinois swings into conference tournament as top seed

BY ENJI ERDENEKHUYAG STAFF WRITER

Having sealed off its regular season this past Saturday, the Illinois men’s tennis team doesn’t have much time to soak that in, as it’s rolling right into the next set of challenges in the postseason. The team’s Big Ten Tournament campaign will beg in this weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Illini’s hot streak put sthem in a relatively notable position heading into the tournament. With its 18-2 overall record, Illinois has racked up a stack of distinctions, both on the team and individual levels.

From its Big Ten West division championship to its players who forged the foundation from which wins could stem, Illinois’ work has amassed to this weekend. “ You have to be consistent,” said head coach Brad Dancer about the team’s journey. “You have to figure out ways to get through all the little problems that come up along the way, and super proud of these guys for getting through that.

Besides, 15-1 record in the conference is nothing to shake a stick at.”

Being the top-ranked and top-seeded team with a first-round bye, Illinois will play the winner of the Indiana-Wisconsin match. W hen looking at potential matchups, Illinois swept Indiana 4-0 last weekend and defeated Wisconsin 6-1 three times throughout the season.

If Illinois is to advance against either team, it could possibly compete against championship contenders like Michigan and Minnesota, of which both had regal regular seasons of their own.

Ohio State served Illinois its sole conference loss of the season and is likely to make a deep run in the

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

The Illinois men’s tennis team cheers for a teammate during a match against Minnesota April 4. The team’s Big Ten Tournament campaign starts Friday in Lincoln, Nebraska.

tournament. The Buckeyes have dominated the Big Ten title, winning it in each of the last four seasons, aside from 2020 since the tournament was canceled.

And if history repeats itself, Ohio State could take home the honor once again — but with its players teeming with ambition, Illinois hopes to stunt that streak, and it all starts with Indiana or Wisconsin.

In preparation for the weekend, Dancer will hone in on improvements

for each player and hash out i nc on s i s t enc ie s with the team’s service points, particularly in doubles play.

“I think it’s gonna come down to guys holding themselves accountable for how they serve — that’s a big one for us,” Dancer said. “If we can hold serve, I think all three of our teams can break teams, so … the biggest component out of that, no question, is how we go out there and do the best we can in getting ready to

hold serve.”

As most of its players are in their fourth or fifth years, Illinois’ veteranheavy lineup will give it an edge. Not only can they finish out close matches, but their experience in tournaments will go a long way in giving the team an extra boost.

With leadership like that, Dancer isn’t too worried about how the team will perform as a whole this weekend. Instead, he’d rather focus on keeping

the postseason as light as possible in terms of the stress that goes along with it.

“To be honest, now that they’ve set such a good tone for the whole season, it’s really gonna be about having everybody stay relaxed,” Dancer said. “You know, this is now the time where you can’t get too caught up or too bogged down, and ‘Hey, we’ve gotta do this extra special’ or anything else.

“The seniors have been

Thanks for working hard to keep our campus safe.

just fantastic all year long, so I think for us it’s a matter of making sure everyone is prepared, but keeping things loose as well. And remember, we do all this because it’s fun.”

Illinois’ first match will start at 2 p.m. central time Friday. If the Illini win, they will continue to play in the semifinals at 2 p.m.

Saturday. The final will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday and will air on Big Ten Network.

enkhjin2@dailyillini.com

We can do this. covid19.illinois.edu

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Thursday, April 29, 2021

3B

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Possibility of losing assistants hints at program’s ceiling

BY CARSON GOURDIE STAFF WRITER

It was March 14. It didn’t matter that the Big Ten had Michigan — which Illinois beat by 23 — as the Big Ten regular season champion.

Illinois had just won its first Big Ten tournament title and secured its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament since 2005. After the Illini finished the season ranked second in the final Associated Press poll, it appeared the only person standing in the way of a Final Four berth was Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham — not Loyola Chicago’s Cameron Krutwig. The program was in stable condition in head coach Brad Underwood’s eyes.

“Not to my knowledge,” Underwood said after being asked if he expected changes to the staff in the offseason.

The path of securing blue blood status was in reach.

Those were the days.

Since Sister Jean and the Ramblers have knocked off Dosunmu and company in the Round of 32, the trajectory of Brad Underwood’s program has tossed and turned.

But the problem isn’t with the roster. Players come and go and constantly seek the best possible opportunity for themselves. In the grand scheme of the program, it doesn’t matter that Adam Miller, who would probably declare for the draft after his sophomore year, might transfer. Underwood was able to replace him with Alfonso Plummer, a Utah guard who is a proven 3-point shooter.

The bigger issue: Coaches jumping ship.

After a successful season for a program that’s struggled for a while, it’s common for assistant coaches — or even the head coach — to take advantage of a different opportunity. After Loyola Chicago made its second Sweet 16 in four years, Oklahoma was able to lure Naperville native Porter Moser away from the Ramblers. While Gonzaga is a juggernaut, Arizona was able to pluck assistant Tommy Floyd from Mark Few’s staff.

In Illinois’ case, Underwood isn’t going anywhere.

However, the possibility of assistants Orlando Antigua and, especially, Ron “Chin” Coleman leaving for other

FROM 1B

POTENTIAL Ford had one of the best games out of everyone on the field. He caught all five of his targets, was second on the team with 88 yards and scored a touchdown.

“I appreciate Luke’s effort,” Bielema said of Ford. “I think just in this short time I’ve been around him, I’ve seen his maturity level and just in everything he’s doing take a big step forward. You put in time, and you get rewarded for it, and he’s really bought in.”

Unlike the receiving core, one of Illinois’ strongest groups may be the running backs. Whether Mike Epstein decides to come back, the running back room looks to be strong, as showcased during the spring game.

Chase Brown was used with Epstein as the main running back last year.

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois assistant coach Orlando Antigua (left) talks to Kofi Cockburn during the game against Penn State Jan. 19 at State Farm Center. Antigua has been rumored to be leaving Champaign for Kentucky, signaling the men’s basketball program isn’t top tier yet.

assistant jobs signals the potential fact that Illinois will never be considered one of the nation’s most elite programs.

According to a Chicago Tribune report by Shannon Ryan, it’s very possible that John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats will be able to land both assistants despite Illinois’ willingness to substantially increase their salaries.

The immediate effects of a departure would significantly hurt the Illini’s ability to keep Kofi Cockburn, who declared for this year’s NBA draft, on campus, as Antigua has a strong relationship with the Jamaica native. But the idea of Antigua leaving makes a lot of sense.

He’s 48 and has head coaching aspirations. After a disappointing tenure at

South Florida, he was able to restore his image in Champaign. Unfortunately for Underwood, though, Antigua has history with Calipari, having been his assistant at both Memphis and Kentucky.

Antigua has seen what Kentucky is capable of.

He has seen Calipari land stars such as John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. He’s seen Calipari win the sweepstakes for Chicago native Anthony Davis. He was sitting courtside with the former New Jersey Nets coach when they knocked off Kansas for the national championship in 2012.

It might not matter that Illinois is willing to make Antigua the highest-paid assistant coach in the United States. Illinois can’t provide Antigua Rupp Arena. Illinois can’t

provide Antigua consistent Final Four contention. Even after Kentucky finished with its worst record in generations, former Wildcat assistant Tony Barbee was able to land a head coaching job.

While Antigua has history as a head coach, Coleman has none at the collegiate level, and it’s not clear if he ever wants to be the main man at the helm. Considering multiple offers — DePaul, Kansas and Kentucky — Coleman is just as big of a threat as Antigua to leave Underwood and the roster.

In the film “Moneyball,” the Oakland Athletics admitted they are a farm system for top-tier franchises like the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, simply because they don’t have the resources to pay players. In college basketball, though, it’s not

Brown had a solid spring game, but two guys that also impressed that haven’t seen the field much yet as Illini were Chase Hayden and Reggie Love III. Hayden came to the Illini this year after playing under Bielema at Arkansas for two years before transferring to Eastern Carolina. He hasn’t done much in his college career yet, but his senior season at Illinois may change that.

Hayden carried the ball seven times during the game for 52 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Bielema has watched him since high school and is excited to make him a part of his offense come the fall.

“Chase has been a guy that’s impressed me from back in the high school days,” Bielema said. “Plays with good pad level, understands it, sees where he’s going. I really thought he’d be a good addition for us

here, and he’s kinda turned into that. ... Should be a valuable player for us in our offense.”

Love III played in six games for Illinois last year as a freshman and didn’t do anything significant. He had only 10 carries all year, but his role is set to change significantly his sophomore season.

Love III received a ton of high-profile offers while in high school and is someone the Illini have been excited to play for two years. He is a little smaller at 5-foot-11 but makes up for it with his quick feet. Love III ran for 63 yards and a touchdown during the spring game.

“Reggie has been impressive to me,” Bielema said.

“You wanna look for three things: how quick their feet are, how well they can accelerate and decelerate and how well they can play laterally by going forward, ... and he really displays all of that.”

Defensively, there wasn’t a lot to show during the spring game. The competition of backups didn’t allow the defensive backs or linebackers to show anything off, but there were position changes to look out for, two of which showed out in the game.

Isaiah Gay and Owen Carney Jr. both made the switch to outside linebacker from the defensive line despite neither of them seeing outside linebacker action in their college careers. But due to defensive coordinator Ryan Walters’ different schemes, he moved Gay and Carney Jr. to OLB, and both showed out.

Gay and Carney Jr.’s names seemed to be called out all night, as the two combined for six tackles and three sacks with a lot of hurry-up on the opposing quarterback. It was only one game, but Bielema is excited to see the duo perform in the fall.

“Isaiah’s been an intriguing guy since we arrived here,” Bielema said. “Obviously a guy that’s put together the right way and a very impressive athlete. I think when you have Owen Carney and Isaiah Gay on the edges there ... it’s gonna be tough to move the ball against us.”

The spring game ended in a 65-15 blowout for the first team and didn’t tell fans everything they needed to know for the upcoming season, but it did give an idea of what’s to come this fall. On both offense and defense, it appears many players will take on bigger roles than they have before as Illini, and they were able to show that off to fans during the spring game.

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Sophomore Khmari Thompson leaps to catch the ball at the Orange and Blue game April 19.

@JPietsch14 pietsch3@dailyillini.com

all about the money; It’s about taking advantage of opportunities.

This is a problem Illinois has dealt with for years, though it occurred mostly with its head coaches. Lon Kruger couldn’t turn down the chance to coach the Atlanta Hawks. Bill Self, who produced three straight strong seasons at Illinois, couldn’t say no to being Roy Williams at Kansas. In a different circumstance, Shaka Smart decided to stay at Virginia Commonwealth University over the chance to build a program only seven seasons after a 37-2 season.

Does anybody think a Baylor assistant would leave Scott Drew for Calipari? Would a Virginia assistant leave Tony Bennett for a non-head coaching gig? In the past two tournaments, March Madness has pro-

FROM 1B

NO-HITTER

duced two first-time champions. Villanova won two titles in three seasons with veterans.

Illinois has the resources and the willingness to spend money to compete. Chicago, a hub for high school recruits, is only a few hours away. But after its best regular season in 16 seasons, all the Illini have to show off is a second-round exit.

If Antigua and Coleman were leaving for head coaching jobs, so be it. But with Calipari having the chance to lure them away for assistant gigs after his worst season in Lexington, Illinois is taking two steps back after a step forward. The only way Illinois can fix this problem is to consistently win under Underwood for a decade.

@gourdiereport gourdie2@dailyillini.com

ing the no-hitter, the win and the series sweep.

“It wasn’t on my mind at all,” Kirschsieper said of the no-hitter. “I was more focused on going out there and doing my job and getting outs. Which is what our pitching staff and Coach Allen talks to all of us about going out there and getting the job done, which is getting batters out ... I felt good going in, especially after Friday. I felt good and felt the momentum could carry over into Sunday, which it did.”

While the no-hitter felt like a culmination of all the extra work the pitching staff has put in this season, Allen’s group hasn’t felt that pride all season. Now sitting at 13-14, the Illini have struggled to close out games from the mound, causing them to lose several tight games in the last inning or two.

The successful weekend feels like a turning point for the staff, especially the bullpen, but all three pitchers involved in the no-hitter believe it’s time to move on to the next weekend and focus on stacking those series wins.

For Hartleb and Allen, who have tried putting their heads together all season to find ways to motivate the pitching staff, there’s a sense of relief and comfort knowing they stayed the course.

“I refuse to let any group while I’m coaching just sit in a corner and feel sorry for themselves when things don’t go well,” Hartleb said. “So I challenged that group. I’ve challenged them a lot, but I’m really proud of the group.

We would love to have a better record than we do, but we have not let one game and or one series deter us from working hard.”

“Keeping the score at 0-0 was the biggest thing,” O’Hara said. “When I was out there, I wasn’t even thinking about the no-hitter; I was just thinking about whatever I could do to help us win the ball game. I think it was definitely huge, because after that it was the ninth inning, and if it was 1-0 them, our backs against the wall, versus 0-0 where we could put the pressure on them.”

After Comia scored the game’s lone run in the top of the ninth, Allen called on Kirschsieper to close out the game — and potentially finish out the no-hitter.

The sophomore, who has flipped between the starting lineup and the closing role this season, had already pitched two innings of relief Friday. But back on Friday, Allen knew he’d need his “bullet” at the end of the series, so he pulled Kirschsieper earlier than expected and told him to be ready for Sunday.

After watching Purdue in Champaign last weekend and studying each hitter throughout the week, Kirschsieper knew the Boilermakers were a fastball-hitting team. He noticed they laid off the offspeed pitch, even if it was a strike. But instead of trying to play off his opponent’s weaknesses, Kirschsieper stuck with his strengths, which is throwing the fastball.

After a one-out fielding error gave Purdue a baserunner, Kirschsieper walked the next batter on a 3-2 count, putting the tying run on second base. Keeping a level head and trusting his fastball, Kirschsieper struck out @gabby_h11 the final two batters, secur- ghajduk2@dailyillini.com

4B Thursday, April 29, 2021

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

29. Jul 2010

CLASSIFIEDS THE DAILY ILLINI

Announcements

Announcements

Announcements

Classified advertisers can now place print and online classified ads directly at:

THE DAILY ILLINI

www.dailyillini.com/classifieds

Follow us on social media

Sign in to set up an account with us.

Pricing is available on the site upon login. You can place ads in The Daily Illini print publications on Mondays and Thursdays, or on our dailyillini.com website, or both.

Help to make well known of sudoku-topical.

You like this website? Then recommend it t If you own yourself a website, place a link to If you print out the sudokus then print them t Tell your acquaintances, friends and teamm Just help to make this site well known.!

In addition to PAID ads for commercial businesses, we offer FREE ONLINE ads to UIUC students who sign into their accounts with “Illinois.edu” addresses.

Sudoku 9 5 4

2

Deadline: 11:00 a.m. one business day prior to publication

9

2 3 8 5 9 6 4 7 1

7 6 1 4 3 8 5 2 9

5 9 4 2 7 1 3 6 8

1 7 6 9 5 4 2 8 3

9 5 2 8 6 3 7 1 4

U S S P A Y

8

6

1

8

8 4 3 7 1 2 6 9 5

10

ATTENTION

3

3

4

2

5 7

8

5 2 9 4 7 3 8 1 6

3 4 6 1 9 7 2 5 8

4 6 8 9 1 5 7 2 3

2 9 5 4 8 3 1 6 7

9 1 4 5 6 7 3 8 2

2 3 6 1 4 8 5 7 9

11 5

9

9

3

6

8

8 4 3 6 2 9 1 5 7

6 9 7 8 5 1 2 3 4

1 5 2 7 3 4 6 9 8

9 7 3 6 2 8 4 1 5

4 8 2 5 7 1 6 9 3

6 5 1 3 4 9 8 7 2

1 6 9 7 3 2 5 8 4

8 2 4 9 1 5 7 3 6

5

5 3 7 8 6 4 9 2 1

6

1 8 9 6 2 7 4 5 3

3 6 5 9 4 1 7 2 8

2 7 4 3 8 5 9 1 6

5 2 6 8 7 9 1 3 4

2 5 9 1 8 3 4 6 7

3 8 6 7 4 9 5 1 2

4 1 7 2 5 6 8 9 3

7 3 2 4 9 8 6 5 1

and it could be yours for a 7 4 3 2 1 6 5 8 9

9 1 8 4 5 3 6 7 2

9 4 5 6 2 1 7 3 8

8 6 1 5 3 7 9 2 4

DISCOUNTED RATE!

3

3

1 2

1 2

8

7 8 5 3 9 2 4 6 1

7 1 8 2 5 6 3 4 9

BLANK SPACE RIGHT HERE We’ve got a

7

7

6

3 7 1 2 8 6 9 4 5

UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS

1

5

9

6

Enter the numbers 1-9 in the blank spaces so that each row, column and 3x3 square contains only one of each number. There is only one solution. (solution in Classifieds and online at www.dailyillini.com).

5 3 1 4 7 9 2 8 6

3 1 7 6 4 9 8 5 2

E N T I R D Y

9

4 6 7 2 8 3 1 5 9

6 8 9 3 2 5 1 4 7 S E T A G O A L

9

9

8 2 9 1 6 5 7 4 3

4 2 5 1 8 7 9 3 6 P R I S T O A N T E R S

T E E M E D

1 7 5 6 4 8 3 9 2

O C T A V E

3 9 4 5 2 7 8 6 1

P I L E I N

2 8 6 3 9 1 4 7 5

S N O R T

9 4 2 8 3 6 5 1 7

G O N U C L E A R

7 1 8 9 5 2 6 3 4

Y A L U A T O P E R F U L O N I S N E F F E K E I T E T I N G P I N Y C O E D P R U D E F E A T O S I T Y N T S T E C O U R O A L P O N L E S T

6 5 3 7 1 4 9 2 8

P E C S A C A I W O N D D C A R Y A R O B E F E A S G R A R T I L A N I M T A L E A B A T M I C R I T S O

SKILL:

7 7

P

7

3

4 7

PUT 4 YOUR AD HERE!

8 9

2

5

1 9

2

4

4 8

8

6

8 9 1 5 3 4 2 6 7

4 5 2 7 6 8 3 9 1

6 3 7 1 9 2 8 4 5

1

5 7 3 9 1 4 2 8 6

6 2 8 3 7 5 1 4 9

1 9 4 8 6 2 3 7 5

2

8,000 copies of The Daily Illini are distributed to over 150 locations every Monday and Thursday.

29. Jul 2010

Contact us today at (217) 337-8382!

We’re ready to wheel and deal to help you reach your target audience. *Digital advertising available as well.

advertise@illinimedia.com

SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE! WANT TO KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ON-CAMPUS NEWS?

VISIT THE DAILY ILLINI ONLINE FOR REGULAR UPDATES & STORIES!

www.dailyillini.com/

Pa

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Thrifting slows fast fashion

5B

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.

THURSDAY, APRIL 29

C-U Comedy’s “The Mic”

HANS OLAV LIEN/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A ‘Forever 21’ store sits in the SM Aura Premier mall in Bonifacio Global City on Sept. 13, 2013.

Thrifting promotes sustainable purchasing habits and discourages fast fashion.

BY EMILIA CHOJNACKI STAFF WRITER

As the seasons change and our styles evolve, our need to purchase new clothing inevitably increases. Though Earth Day was last week, it’s important to think about sustainability every day and consider what affects the fashion industry and our individual actions as consumers have on the Earth and its inhabitants.

Clothing production has doubled since 2000 to meet increasing materialistic demands. The mass-production, distribution and marketing of designs taken from high-fashion runways into affordable clothing is known as “fast fashion.”

As a result of this fast-fashion business model, overseas workers receive wages as low as $26 a month and work in extremely harsh conditions.

The methods used in textile production make the fashion industry the second largest polluter in the world. It creates toxic water pollution, uses up natural land and makes up 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Globally, 13 million tons of textile waste is produced each year, and 95% of that could be reused or recycled. As consumers have become aware of

this issue, sustainable fashion has risen. Thrifting, reselling and buying from small, independent brands has been popularized and spread through social media.

At the same time, media, advertising and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused a spike in e-commerce and faster trend cycles that stray from sustainability. It’s important to draw consumers’ attention to the way the Internet influences consumer behavior and subsequently shifts the focus toward “slow fashion.”

An effective way to reduce your carbon footprint when shopping for clothing is buying second-hand or thrift shopping. Thrifting has been widely used by families and lower-income individuals to save money but has gained popularity as a form of retail shopping for all. It creates opportunities for individuals to explore new styles at low financial and environmental costs.

Many people have said the rise in popularity of thrifting is causing a depletion of thrift store inventory and an increase in prices, which negatively impacts those who rely on thrift shopping. However, the increase in thrift shoppers

has not been found to correlate to price increases. Pricings are ever-changing and adjust to the internal operations of thrift store companies. Thrift stores are in need of shoppers to support them during a pandemic to keep them open.

Additionally, thrift stores are typically linked to nationwide or community-based charities, so purchasing from them helps communities in need. And while it is true welloff people can be purchasing desired items from thrift stores, these stores regularly need to throw out clothing because of the excess amount of clothes they accumulate.

During the pandemic, Goodwill has had to reject donations, which speaks to how much clothing there is to go around. echojn2@readbuzz.com This is only a portion of the story. Read the full article by scanning the QR code below.

 8:30 p.m.  Nola’s Rock Bar, 119 W. Main St., Urbana, Illinois 61801  Free Open Mic Stand Up Comedy at Nola’s Rock Bar in Urbana every Thursday Night (weather permitting) No Cover! Large patio, so there is lots of room to space out and distance. Ten people max per table. Masks are required when not seated or going inside. We will be taking extra precautions for both performers and audience to be as safe as possible. Ages 21 and over after 9 p.m. Sign ups are all in advance by emailing jesse@cucomedy. com. Visit cucomedy.com/the-mic for more details.

FRIDAY, APRIL 30

Music on the Steps

 11 a.m.-4 p.m.  Krannert Center for Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana  Free Illinois Bands is incredibly proud and excited to announce a live performance!

They hope you will join them on April 30 from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. on the steps of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for live chamber music performed by members of all the Illinois Bands this semester. Come grab lunch and listen to some music outdoors and distanced!

Art of Science 11.0: Elemental

 3 p.m.  University of Illinois Arboretum, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana  Free The Art of Science program, hosted by the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, is a celebration of the common ground between science and art. The works in this installation were created by pairing IGB scientists and their research

images with current IGB artist Julia Pollack. These pieces are the result of conversations between the scientists and artist, an abstract visual exploration to highlight the power and aesthetics of science imagery.

An Evening of Poetry and Spirituality with Kaveh Akbar

 7 p.m.  Online event hosted by Spurlock Museum  Free, registration required Poet Kaveh Akbar’s work is exciting, beautiful, often disorienting and urgent.

Reflected in his poems are the many facets of his identity — he is IranianAmerican, largely Midwestern, queer, Muslim and in recovery. He is thereby situated in the new wave of poets drawing not only on technical mastery but also on the immediacy of their lived experiences to connect with new audiences for linguistically charged art.

SATURDAY, MAY 1

Market at the Square

 7 a.m.-noon  Urbana’s Market at the Square, Vine and Illinois Streets, Urbana  Free Urbana’s farmers market is a vibrant market that connects the community with local food growers and producers, strengthens our local food economy, provides access to local artisans and serves as a community gathering place.

URBANITE Dance Showcase

 8 p.m.-10:30 p.m.  Memorial Stadium, 1402 S. First St., Champaign  Free Dance, music and culture collide when 15+ dance groups perform primarily hip hop choreography with additional styles featured from Latin to contemporary dance.

ALL NEW

DAILY ILLINI APP NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS •Stay up-to-date on all things Illini •Get breaking news immediately •News, sports, features, opinions ALL NEW! Exclusive offers only available in the App

Apple and the Apple logo and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.

6B

THURSDAY April 29, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

buzz

Connect with nature, astrology with these plants

BY CASEY DALY STAFF WRITER

As trees begin to grow and leaves and flowers start to bloom, you’ll probably want to start filling up your space with plants of your own. But if you’re a plant novice and aren’t sure what plant would suit you best, maybe astrology can help you out. Here are the plants you should get yourself based on your zodiac sign:

Aries - Small succulent (March 21-April 19)

Thick-skinned, prickly and short-tempered, the succulent is an Aries’ confiding comrade. Succulents are low maintenance and can survive on their own for a while when an Aries decides to go for an impulsive weekend getaway. Though hearty and tough like the Aries, succulents have a childlike and playful personality that will complement those plant buyers born from March 21 to April 19. Red-hot Aries will feel perfectly at home with a desert plant perched upon their windowsill.

Taurus - Bamboo Palm (April 20-May 20)

A bamboo palm is a perfect bud for the low-light, relaxation way of living that suits Tauruses best. Taurus’ love plants especially, so they may want a taller-growing plant to accommodate their earthiness. The bamboo palm can grow up from four to 10 feet and will complement the neutral, earthy tones that Taureans are so fond of.

Libra - Bromeliad (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Libra, ruled by Venus, is naturally drawn to beautiful things. Like attracts like, and Libra is one of the most blessed in the aesthetics department (we get it — you’re beautiful). Beautiful people need to have beautiful friends, and the bromeliad is easy to care for, which will be harmonious with the vigorous social schedule of the Libra. These plants are colorful, social and they like to interact with trees and moss.

Scorpio - Purple Oxalis (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Dark, sensual tones are associated with the Pluto-ruled Scorpio, so this muted purple plant is perfectly appropriate for the sensual Scorpio. Scorpios are often associated with butterflies, which indicate transformation and spirituality, and as purple oxalis develops, its leaves come together to form butterfly shapes. Scorpio and its ruling planet indicate death and rebirth, and the purple oxalis can actually revive itself from the dead. But since Scorpio can be moody, so can the plant, and if the owner forgets to give it proper water and care, its living conditions will be low-energy and poor.

Gemini - Air Plant (Tillandsia) (May 21-June 20) Sagittarius- Aloe Hybrid (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Gemini, ruled by the element air, is interested in all things intellectual, social and sometimes unconventional.

This is what makes Tillandsia, or the air plant, just the right amount of disconnected and funky. These plants don’t require rooting in the ground and grow in all different spiky shapes, sizes and colors — perfect for Gemini’s tendencies toward hobbies and collections.

An aloe hybrid can take on a deep orange color, which coincides with the fun and fiery nature of the Sagittarius. These plants are tough and prickly, and so is the Sagittarius at first glance. They come from many parts of the world, which will quench the Sagittarius’ thirst for travel and covering new ground. Both the Sagittarius and the Aloe Hybrid will bond over their vigor, toughness, intellect and wanderlust.

Cancer - Orchid (June 21-July 22)

Capricorn - Anthurium (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Leo - Monstera (July 23-Aug. 22)

Aquarius - Mini Bonsai (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Virgo - Variegated Dischidia (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Pisces - Fuji Cherry (Feb. 19-March 20)

The caring Cancerian will have no problem tending to the high-maintenance needs of the orchid. Because they face moods that change with the moon cycles, they will know that care requires lots of warm sunlight and freshwater. Cancers love to curate adorable living spaces because the home is their sanctuary, and a beautiful orchid in a bright window will satisfy their aesthetic cravings.

The monstera plant will collaborate nicely with Leo’s love for classic Hollywood and grandeur. Leos are big shining spectacles and the size of the monstera is almost as big as the ego of the Lion. Monsteras are known for their unique look and just like babies born from July 23 to Aug. 22, they thrive in the bright spotlight of the sun.

Leo’s ruling planet is the Sun, after all, so it makes sense that these big and beautiful plants will want to revel in the sunlight with their Leo companion.

Virgo knows more than anyone in the zodiac about the importance of details. Variegated Dischidia are known for their pin-tiny leaves, which work together to create a beautiful and complex picture, similar to that of the intelligent and precise Virgo. Virgos are ruled by the earth, and a hanging houseplant like this one will add a sense of serenity and “outdoorsiness” to their pristine working spaces and tidy, practical homes.

Earthy Capricorn likes to remain cool as a cucumber.

These flowers are some of the longest living on the planet, just like a Capricorn’s loyalty to their lovers and friends when they choose to open up. The flowers grow from the center of the plant, and the Capricorn is all about being steady and grounded in their endeavors. The flower grows best in indirect sunlight, and the wintery, logical Capricorn is perfectly prepped to take care of it.

Aquarius loves to incorporate all things “zen” in their life, and a mini bonsai tree will promote freethinking and peace for these wild and intelligent spirits. They are majestic and rooted in Japanese culture. The developed Aquarius is able to revere all cultures of the world because of their tendency to be humanitarian. They are aged and magical and will be a loyal friend to these old, logical souls as they gaze into the tree and ponder the mysteries of nature.

These trees look like they are directly taken from the dream, and the sleepy, imaginative Pisces will take notice of their pink and flowery wonderfulness. Equally ethereal Pisces might want to foster a mini-version of this dreamy tree. Its floral smell will be a pleasant appeaser to Pisces’ sharp senses.

caseyd2@readbuzz.com Illustrations by Jonah Ozer, Julia Eversmann and Angelina Chan

BREAKING NEWS

ALL NEW

KEEP YOURSELF UPDATED AT

dailyillini.com WITH NEW CONTENT EVERY DAY

DOWNLOAD FREE. LISTEN NOW.

Apple and the Apple logo and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.