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THE DAILY ILLINI

THURSDAY April 29, 2021

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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

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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

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