The Daily Illini Vol. 150 Issue 45 April 1 by The Daily Illini

THURSDAY April 1, 2021

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Vol. 150 Issue 45

University institutions present virtual open houses BY ALEX CHANG STAFF WRITER

Last Friday and Saturday, both the Grainger College of Engineering and the Beckman Institute hosted their respective open houses, with the caveat that both events shifted from a normally inperson weekend of activities to a wholly online program. Beckman Open House runs biennially, falling on every odd-numbered year, while Engineering Open House runs every year. Faculty, students and RSOs are invited to share their research and projects with the C-U community at the open houses. One example of previous projects on display at Engineering Open House include Almost Talking Dog, where an electroencephalogram is hooked up to a dog to provide real-time English translations of the dog’s thoughts. These events are meant to “give younger students and those outside of engineering a taste of the field and introduce them to engineering concepts,” said EOH co-director Kayva Sudhir. “One of the main reasons I got into bioengineering in the first place was EOH, and I remember seeing kids only two to three years older than me doing experiments that really were jaw-dropping to me and that basically settled the fact that I wanted to pursue bioengineering at Illinois,” Sudhir said. Continuing the push for science, technology, engineering and math education and outreach is one of the core goals of EOH. “We offer so many avenues for middle school, grade

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GRAINGER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

The Grainger College of Engineering and Beckman Institute invite people to attend virtual open houses this week. This year, they have shifted their presentations from in person to virtual due to COVID-19.

school, even high school students to learn about STEM and also life as a U of I engineer,” Sudhir said. “That is one of the main goals of Engineering Open House and will continue to be one in the future.” One major disruption to both of these events is the impact that COVID-19 has had on the organization of the event. Previously, both events were “in-person and

included tours of facilities, hands-on experiments that involved audience participation and speeches by keynote speakers in auditoriums,” said Patricia Jones, associate director of Research for the Beckman Institute. EOH has had similar disruptions. According to Sudhir, one of the biggest cancellations was the Tesla Coil Concert, an event where two massive tesla coils are set to strike in time with music, as

there simply wasn’t a way to control people going in and out while still abiding by COVID-19 regulations. Both events chose to run their programs through synchronous and asynchronous videos, in which users could join experiments and programs that they were interested in online. While in-person attendance and participation from people in the C-U area and Central Illinois has dropped

due to the shift from in-person to online programming, there have been significant, and surprising, gains in attendance from people outside Illinois. “We’ve had logins from California, India, China, Japan, which wouldn’t be possible without this online model,” Jones said. The online format has enabled programs that would not otherwise be practical for an in-person format.

“On Monday we (had) a speaker from Sweden, and a seminar that normally would be at 1 p.m. was scheduled for 11 a.m., for example. This probably wouldn’t have happened inperson because of the logistics involved,” Jones said. Beckman Institute Open House’s programming is expected to run for the rest of this week. alexrc2@dailyillini.com

UI launches program for racial injustice Employees acquire Call to Action addresses systemic racism BY SOPHIE CASABURI STAFF WRITER

Chancellor Robert Jones announced the upcoming applications for the new annual Call to Action Research Program via Massmail on March 18. The program will fund academic research to further the understanding of systemic racism and generational racial disparity, according to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s website. The program is part of the University’s Call to Action to Address Racism and Social Injustice, which was announced in July 2020. “The events of the ... past 18 months to two years have really made us think, ‘Okay, let’s make sure we actually act. We don’t simply discuss, discuss and discuss, but let’s act’,” said Sean Garrick, vice chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Each year, the program will have specific research areas. This year’s focus is systemic racism and social justice, law enforce-

ment and criminal justice reform and then disparities in health and health care. “(They are) just issues of the day that aren’t specific to, in my opinion, to any one person or any one group, but really speaks to some of the big challenges facing our society,” Garrick said. “The hope is that these subject areas will change as ... we either make progress or as more things pop up.” The University has $2 million to allocate across research areas as well as funding tracks, including community-based innovation projects, systemic institutional change projects and societal impact projects. Garrick hopes that the program can fund all potential projects and believes there is a “good chance” that it will. He wants to see projects across different topics and funding tracks be funded and supported. According to the Massmail, University tenure, tenure-track and specialized faculty with appointments in any academic college or research unit are eligible to apply. Graduate students and community members can be a part of the research as well; how-

additional paid days sented bargaining units. “The additional paid time off is part of our ongoing efforts to show how much we appreciate your hard work, resiliency, sacrifice and commitment – qualities that have shone brightly throughout the COVID-19 crisis,” said members of the Office of the President in the Massmail. This will be the sixth straight year in which employees who are eligible will receive gift days. Before this program began in 2016, employees were required to use their annual pool of paid time off to be paid for the three Reduced Service Days, according to the Massmail.

BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA NEWS EDITOR

KAITLIN MIKRUIT THE DAILY ILLINI

ever, it must be in collaboration with a University employee. Pre-proposal submissions are due on April 26, which includes a two-page outline describing the applicant’s research idea, said Garrick. “The purpose of (the preproposals) is to make sure that what is proposed fits our guidelines that were communicated,” Garrick said. After a pre-proposal is approved, University and national experts will score

the applicant’s full proposal based on its validity and potential societal impact. According to Garrick, there are over a hundred people signed up to participate in the information sessions on March 30 and 31. “Let’s actually support the people who are interested in doing the work that pertains to systemic challenges in our society,” Garrick said. sophiec4@dailyillini.com

The University announced Tuesday that employees who are eligible for leave benefits will receive three paid “gift days” for this year’s Reduced Service Days. Gift days are days in which employees are excused from work with pay without having to charge a benefit. The Reduced Service Days are from Dec. 29 to Dec. 31. Combined with other holidays and weekends, it will extend the year-end break from Dec. 24 to Jan. 3. According to a Massmail, paid time off for the holidays is addressed through a required collective bargaining process for employees in union-repre- abhatt52@dailyillini.com

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As vaccines become more widely available, making people under the age of 16 eligible for the vaccine is the next step in order to attain herd immunity. When it comes to attaining herd immunity, Deputy Administrator and Epidemiologist at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Awais Vaid mentioned that “a significant number of people in our county have tested positive so there is already a level of immunity.” In addition, as vaccines become more widely available, the community could be closer to attaining herd immunity. However, both Vaid and Rebecca Lee Smith, epidemiolog ist a nd associate professor in Veterinary Medicine, agree that herd immunity cannot be attained until the vaccine becomes available to children under the age of 16. According to Vaid, 40,000 people in the county are under the age of 16 and it may take months for them to become eligible. The CUPHD gets a limited amount of vaccines from the state every week they then make available to the Cha mpa ig n-Urba na community, according to Vaid. Despite the vaccine becoming more widely available, the distribution is still limited. Vaid said that only about 27% of the

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A pharmacist at the Church of the Living God fills a syringe with a Moderna vaccine on Feb. 20. Community members 16 and under are the next in line to obtain the vaccine and receive herd immunity.

entire county population has received full doses of the vaccine. Smith urges people who are vaccinated and unsure of what they can and cannot do to follow guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to Smith, the clinical trials conducted regarding the vaccines were designed in order to measure how effective the vaccines were at preventing hospitalization and death after people become infected with COVID-19. “When we talk about the vaccine being 80% effective in trials, we mean it was 80% effective in

protecting hospitalization and death,” Smith said. In terms of how successful the vaccines are at preventing infection, Smith explained that experts aren’t certain about that yet, as there is not enough data available to determine that. Vaid said that anybody eligible and able to get a vaccine should receive a vaccine, as all three approved vaccines have gone through very strict processes in order to ensure safety before obta ining approva l from the Food and Drug Association. “The end result of the vaccine is that people, if they take a vaccine, it

will protect them from severe complications, hospitalizations and death,” Vaid said. Robin Kaler, associate chancellor of Public Affairs, says that the University would ideally like to be able to offer the vaccine to all students by the beginning of the fall semester in order to have an extra level of safety. As more students get vaccinated, Smith and Kaler urge them to abide by the guidelines set by the CDC in order to ensure the safety of themselves and the community. monaa2@dailyillini.com

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NEWS

UI researchers receive grants for digital innovation BY ALEXANDRA GERGOVA STAFF WRITER

Resea rchers at the University were among the first recipients of the New Directions for Digital Scholarship in Cultural Institutions grants, which were bestowed to eight teams in total. In an effort to facilitate a nd suppor t g loba l interactions bet ween international researchers, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the United Kingdom’s Arts and Humanities Research Council established a joint grant program consisting of these grants. According to the NEH and AHRC press release, the eight selective grants were a n nou nced i n December and awarded with the intention of “developing new methods of sharing culture and heritage w ith globa l audiences, opening new research frontiers and advancing collectionsbased research methods for the 21st century.” There was a particular emphasis on international collaboration, according to Gabriel Solis, professor in FA A and project director of the “New Directions in Digital Jazz Studies: Music Information Retrieval and AI Support for Jazz Scholarship in Digital Archives” project that received funding. “This program was intended to produce collaboration — international collaboration,” Solis said. “So one of the goals was to get people and research teams working together across the Atlantic to do digital humanities work. That brings together resources in computer science and data science with scholars in the arts and humanities.” Fol lo w i n g the a nnouncement in D e c emb er a nd t he submission of materials by applicants, a detailed a nd complex rev iew process ensued, according to Glen Worthey, the associate director for research support services at HathiTrust Research C enter a nd projec t director of the “AEOLIAN (Artificial intelligence for cultural organizations)” project that received funding. After the NEH and AHRC of f ices independently reviewed the application

PHOTO COURTESY OF DARRELL HOEMANN/SYD BAUMAN

Gabriel Solis, professor in FAA, and Glen Worthey, associate director for HathiTrust Research Center, pose for headshots. The researchers received grants to help advance their efforts in digital jazz studies and artificial intelligence, respectively.

materials and consulted with each other on the topic of finalists, a team of scholars was assembled to perform a detailed review. “A set of usually four or five scholars related to the field but who aren’t applying for this particular grant are given the full application package,” Worthey said. “These scholars read them and then they get together for a full-day session to rank, discuss them and try to convince each other of each other’s rankings.” Solis’ project, which received $149,031 and is composed of computer scientists, jazz historians, archivists and graduate students in both the U.S. and United Kingdom, is focused on developing and utilizing retrieval tools and artificial intelligence to assist with automatic transcription and analysis

of jazz collections in archives. “(The work involves) building these tools and starting to build on a kind of repository of recordings to start listening to with the help of a computer as a tool,” Solis said. “And this project takes those tools and puts them in archives and builds them into archive search functionality.” An interesting component of this specific archival work involves the ability to study unique recordings beyond those that were commercially produced and circulated widely, such as bootleg recordings, demos and recordings taken during performances. “That’s especially true for improvised music where audiences play such a big role and where the particular contexts of

performance really can dramatically shape how long a piece is,” Solis said. This particular project and the range of what was funded by this grant program excites Solis because it has the ability to reflect the diversity of life in both the United States and the United Kingdom. “I think it ’s really important that in this instance Black music, which Jazz is an AfricanAmerican musical tradition at its root, is getting this kind of attention,” Solis said. “I think that’s really valuable and important that an array of kinds of things are being looked at.” Wor t hey ’s pr oje c t , which received $49,820, is in collaboration with Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. It is focused on the possibilities of utilizing ar tificia l intelligence to navigate

closed digital archives that are not readily available to the public due to copyright and privacy. While people a re rest r ic ted f rom accessing these archives, a computer algorithm would be able to enter and extract specific phrases to aid the researcher. “So a human couldn’t necessarily read the entire contents of any particular email or of the whole set of emails, but the computer algorithm could go through and could extract certain topics from all those emails,” Worthey said. The funding from the grant will be allocated towa rd creating si x workshops and five case studies over the span of two years. Additionally, the team intends to publish v a r iou s publ ic at ion s ranging from scholarly journal publications to a white paper.

T he col la bor at ive effort is being led by the HathiTrust Research Center, which is hosted jointly by the University’s School of Informaton Sciences and Luddy School of Informatics at Indiana University Bloomington. Other collaboration partners include Stanford University, Auburn University, the Frick Collection, the National Libraries of Scotland and Wales and the Wellcome Trust. According to an email response from Worthey, the “three main objectives are: to make digital collections more accessible; to analyze these collections using innovative A I research methods; and to identify synergies and collaborative avenues between U.S. and U.K. cultural organizations.” gergova2@dailyillini.com

CUPHD provides update on vaccination eligibility, availability BY GEORGE PHELAN STAFF WRITER

At the end of March, following the first anniversary of the beginning of pandemic lockdowns, the status of COVID-19 vaccinations is progressing steadily in Champaign County. At their most recent press briefing on Monday, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District announced that vaccination eligibility continues to expand despite vaccine demand outpacing supply, and social distancing is still recommended. Following CUPHD’s transition to Phase 1B+ of vaccination eligibility, construction workers, food service workers, religious leaders, higher education staff, government workers and the media are now considered eligible for vaccination. Furthermore, seniors who have not yet received vaccination can contact Julie Pryde, CUPHD public health administrator, to receive information about the 65 and older clinic which will continue to provide priority vaccinations. At the moment, there does not appear to be much hesitancy in vaccine demand as it continues to outpace the supply available, even among eligible candidates. While currently fully utilized, the supply of available doses of all types is expected to increase for Champaign County in the

Julie Pryde speaks to the community during a briefing with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department on Monday. Pryde gave an update on how the vaccination process is going in the Champaign-Urbana area.

coming weeks. Among the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines already in use, CUPHD has also recently received the first doses of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Currently only numbering in the hundreds, CUPHD expects the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to become more available as production increases. The briefing also touched on

the reopening of Champaign County public schools, which are currently on course to hold in-person class five times a week for the fall semester. As long as social distancing and mask-wearing are maintained, there should be a relatively low risk of transmission in public schools, according to the briefing. However, students with preexisting health

conditions who face a greater risk from COVID-19 are expected to continue with online classes. The CUPHD still advises caution and urges residents to continue social distancing over the upcoming Easter weekend, especially among the unvaccinated. While indoor, unmasked interaction bet ween vaccinated individuals should

be avoided. Mask-wearing and social distancing should continue to be practiced around anyone who is not yet vaccinated, as even fully vaccinated individuals could still spread the virus. In situations where the vaccination status of others is uncertain, continued social distancing is advised. As of Tuesday, there have been 113,868 total first doses

administered and 48,643 people (28.16% of people eligible) have been fully vaccinated, according to the CUPHD website. Additionally, 76.41% of administered vaccinations were given to people 65 years old and older who face the greatest risk from COVID-19 have been vaccinated. georgep2@dailyillini.com

THURSDAY April 1, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

LIFE & CULTURE

BLM exhibit comes to Krannert Art Museum BY LILY DOLAN STAFF WRITER

As you walk into the faculty art exhibit at the Krannert Art Museum there lies a wall displaying art prints with incredible detail and various #BLACKMATTERS phrases. Stacey Robinson, professor in LAS, created a series of art pieces with his collaborative partner John Jennings to capture the components of Black lives that he said might be overlooked. On that wall are 12 pieces, ranging from #BL ACKJOYM ATTERS to #BLACKEDUCATIONMATTERS and #BLACKPOWERMATTERS. “John and I have been collaborating since 2012, and we collaborate on a number of different projects; our moniker is Black Kirby,” Robinson said. What originally started as a commission of billboards for the Contemporary Photography & Visual

Arts Gallery in Buffalo, New York, to represent the summer of 2020, have now become art prints for the faculty exhibit at the Krannert Art Museum. “Those pieces that are in Krannert were originally made to be billboards, ” Robinson said. “The pieces you see are the prints that were made as a fundraiser, and a portion of them went to charity.” Each art print shows a different message for Black Kirby. For #BLACKLOVEMATTERS, Robinson decided to represent this unconventionally. “When I thought about love, I wanted to show a person by themselves, because in quarantine we are away from our loved ones, sometimes by ourselves,” Robinson said. “I needed to learn how to love myself in a very interesting way that Black women taught me how to do, so I wanted to make ( # B L A C K L O V E M A T-

PHOTO COURTESY OF STACEY ROBINSON

A series of detailed art prints hang on the walls of the #BLACKMATTERS installation inside the Krannert Art Museum on Thursday.

TERS) to address that.” Robinson has done work surrounding social issues, particularly with Black activism, for years. This year was no different. He said that his work has always been about these issues, and it’s not like anything new happened this summer that hasn’t already been happening in this country for hundreds of years. The original use of billboards juxtaposes the current art prints at a museum. With billboards, artists are limited on what words they can include because many people only see them for a few seconds. Robinson said that if someone was driving by the original billboards, you may only be able to take in the text. As a result, he made sure the text was very easy to read with a clean typeface. The hashtag was broken up, where the “black” and “matters” were in black text. “I tried to choose colors that were the most vibrant, stood out the most and allowed people to read it if they were driving by,” Robinson said. The art school has facilitated a faculty exhibit for the past 95 years, way before the existence of the Krannert Art Museum. Since its inception, the faculty has filled the exhibit with contemporary art pieces that represent key

PHOTO COURTESY OF STACEY ROBINSON

The #BLACKMATTERS art installation stands inside the Krannert Art Museum on Thursday. The installation was created by Stacey Robinson and John Jennings to emphasize the importance of Black lives.

sentiments of the time. Julia Nucci Kelly, assistant director for Marketing and Communications of the Krannert Art Museum, said contemporary art often engages the most important issues of the day. These are artists working in their studios, but they are also artists living in the world at the same time, using art as a way to express something important. This is no different with Robinson’s #BLACKMATTERS art installation and various other pieces in the faculty exhibit. Many faculty members created pieces to serve as a reminder to

the social activism of Black Lives Matter. The museum put individual art pieces that reflected on particular themes close by each other when thinking about the visitor experience. The social responsibility of artists has always been strong, not only in the art community here, but in many places, Kelly said. Artists often bring new perspectives to activism, with how Robinson and Jennings decided to portray the positive components that make up Black Lives Matter in a format that engaged viewers in both Buffalo, New York and

Champaign, Illinois. “ You want someone to come in and be able to make the connection between what one artist is doing, and another artist is doing,” Kelly said. “But, we also want to give each artist work in that space to be considered on its own. So, Stacey Robinson’s work is in a line along that wall and he does not have to share that space with anyone else.” ledolan2@dailyillini.com The piece is on display at the Krannert Art Museum until April 24.

Students, resident advisers navigate community BY LIZ GREMER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Living in University Housing during this school year has been unique in comparison to years past because of the COVID-19 pa ndem ic a nd t he precautionary measures taken to ensure student and staff safety. With these changes, the relationship and sense of community between residents and their resident advisers and directors has shifted. “COVID-19 came at the most pivotal moment in (students’) personal, educational and preprofessional development,” Chelsea Hamilton, University Housing spokesperson said. “It was important to University Housing to continue offering some sort of the on-campus residential experience.” Housing has offered virtual events and social programs and small, outdoor gatherings. “The resilience of University Housing residents during COVID-19 illustrates the power of Illinois and importance of a supportive peer network,” Trish Anton, director of Residential Life for University Housing said. “Residents and student staff have helped one another

transition to the new normal, find campus resources, foster support circles and create productive daily routines.” A greater sense of community has become prevalent in many University Housing dorms. In the fall, University Housing hosted a pulse check survey that 23% of residents participated in. Data at that time found that 65% of residents “strongly agreed” and 29% “agreed” that their RA maintains a clean, safe and welcoming environment. “What this data shows is that the relationships between RAs/MAs and hall residents and the overall sense of community in the residence halls is strong and spirited,” Hamilton said. “As we share with incoming residents, in order to get the most out of your on-campus experience, you sometimes have to seek it out. This advice has never been truer than now.” Nat ha n Sprov ier i, Townsend Hall RA, said students are craving more social interactions and a sense of belonging than in years past. This has, in turn, created a greater sense of community among residents. “I’m a lot closer with my residents this year because of what we are all going

through this year,” Sprovieri said. “I think that just because everyone is craving social interaction, when you say ‘hi’ to someone in the hall, it turns into a spinoff conversation.” While a greater sense of communit y and closer relationships have been achieved in some communities, it has still proven to be a challenge for some students and RAs to connect, due to the virtual nature of many hall events and meetings. Sophia Jandry, freshman in LAS, has noticed mixed relationships between residents and their RAs. This can be caused by a variety of factors, from a lack of communication to a lack of interest in remote or virtual hall events. “It definitely depends on the level of respect people have for their RAs and vice versa,” Jandry said. “It’s so important to respond cooperatively when your RA tries to get to know you, and will help in the long run for leniency or if you ever need a favor.” A prevalent issue during the pandemic has been a feeling of isolation and the toll it takes on mental health. While there are resources available, it has been more

WE HAVE

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

A biker rides by Nugent Hall on Gregory Drive on Monday afternoon. Students and resident advisers have had to adapt to dorm life during an academic year like no other due to COVID-19.

difficult for some to connect to the services University Housing offers. “For many, I think the pandemic heightened a lot of emotions and made it much harder to feel grounded while undergoing a ton of change all at once,” Jandry said. “I saw firsthand the toll that it took on my mental health and those around me.” As the school year enters

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its final quarter, R As encourage residents to reach out and take advantage of the resources available. Even though the nature of relationships has changed due to the pandemic, Sprovieri said RAs and RDs are still community leaders who want to help students and see them succeed. “I would definitely encourage students to utilize their resident

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advisors to the best of their ability,” Sprovieri said. “I think sometimes RAs and students forget what the relationship is supposed to be. So if there are students that aren’t getting the resources, connections or have campus-related uncertainties, I would encourage residents to reach out.” egremer2@dailyillini.com

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Thursday, April 1, 2021

SCREENSHOT OF ZOOM

A screenshot of University of Illinois and Penn State professors is taken during a Zoom conference on Friday and shown above. The group discussed topics regarding climate change, polar expeditions and print culture.

UI, Penn State discuss climate change BY MATT TROHER INVESTIGATIVE NEWS & LONGFORM EDITOR

During this time last year, many events and symposia scheduled at the University were postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, adapting to the lasting effects of the pandemic, Zoom conferences have become the academic norm. On March 26, ac adem ics f rom t he University and Penn State University joined over Zoom to discuss climate change, polar expedition and print culture. The symposium, entitled “The Ends of the Earth: Polar Exploration, Print Culture, and Climate Change,” was sponsored by the University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library, the Trowbridge Initiative in American Cultures and the University’s Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment. The event showcased recent scholarship at the intersection of literary studies and environmental humanities.

When the symposium was originally planned to be held in the spring of 2020, part of the day’s activities would be to allow attendees to interact with artifacts from the University ’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Instead, artifacts were displayed over Zoom. Adam Doskey, visiting curator for the library, presented various artifacts pertinent to Arctic culture and history. Among the artifacts were early Arctic newspapers published by the region’s Indigenous people, and letters written by British botanist and explorer Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker about early notions of climate change. “When we first conceived of the symposium in 2019, hosting it in the Rare Books & Manuscripts librar y, and providing the audience with access to the collection was a major part of our plan,” Doskey said. “However, as we enter the second year of the pandemic, we’d like to share some of our

collection highlights and new acquisitions in this virtual form, hoping that you will come to visit us when you’re able to do so.” Fol low i ng Doskey ’s present ation, it wa s handed off to Hester Blum, professor of English at Penn State University. A Guggenheim Fellow, Blum has authored four books, including her most recent book entitled “The News at the Ends of the Earth: The Print Culture of Polar Exploration.” In 2019, Blum got the opportunity to participate in the Northwest Passage Project, an expedition to the Northwest Passage — a sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean — to research and document the effects of climate change on the Arctic. Blum was the only humanist aboard a research team of climate scientists and documentarians. “There were 40 members of the Northwest Passage Project in total, including undergraduate scientists

from minority-ser ving institutions, a documentary film crew and two Inuit early-career scientists,” Blum said. “I was the only academic humanist on the ship. Human-caused climate change is of searing urgency in our present moment, and the science of climate change dominates the discussion, rather than the humanism of climate change.” During her time with the Northwest Passage project, Blum spent two weeks on a Swedish icebreaker christened The Odin, and her role was to collect data about climate change from a humanist perspective. While scientists collected water and soil samples, Blum studied the ways in which climate change has affected the culture and narratives told by people native to the Arctic. Ref lec t i ng on her experience, Blum said that she found the story not to be in the Arctic itself, but how she got there. Over the course of the expedition’s planning,

four different ships either canceled or were damaged before the expedition even started, delaying the start of the expedition by four years. Blum emphasized the difficulty of polar exploration, even in the 21st century. “Polar exploration is never easy,” Blum said. “It’s always dangerous. Even in the 21st century, it ’s perilous and ver y difficult to pull off. (It’s) expensive, difficult. The internet gives us the impression of a connected world, but in the 12 days I spent on The Odin, we did not see a single other ship, and only a single plane — a Canadian Military plane on reconnaissance, to make sure we had clearance to be in the passage.” Blum’s presentation handed the spotlight to Gillen D’Arcy Wood, a professor in LAS at the University. Wood also partook in a research expedition, this time to the South Pole in Antarctica. The expedition was to help

research for his book “Land of Wondrous Cold: The Race to Discover Antarctica and Unlock the Secrets of its Ice,” which was published in 2020 and focuses on the Victorian-era explorers who raced to chart the uncharted Antarctic. During Wood’s talk, he said that the thesis of his book revolves around the fact that despite the geographical distance between Antarctica and rest of society, the two are interconnected. “The history of Antarctica goes farther back and in fact, much more critical and determinative in producing the modern climate that we experience today on planet Earth,” Wood said. “Antarctica is not remote at all, only geographically remote. Climatological and geologically, and even historically, is proximate to our human history, and the histories of humanity and Antarctica are only converging more and more closely as we speak in our era of glacial melting.” mtroher2@dailyillini.com

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THURSDAY April 1, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

OPINIONS THE DAILY ILLINI EDITORIAL

Local government cures national woes

merica’s prolonged political conversation alarmingly excludes local government. As local election season launches, all must recognize the immediate efficiency local government provides for their constituencies. Unlike their federal counterpart, community administrations are not restricted by hyperfocused media, intense polarization or debilitating delays plaguing any resolve for steadfast solutions. Therein, local government is underrated for its potential to settle qualms citizens often press higher officials to answer. Residents prioritizing their vote in local elections often demonstrate heightened voting power compared to the immense numbers a national election may exhibit — an underutilized demonstration voters scarcely display. One of these more important offices up for election on April 6 will be voting for city council members. As documented by the National League of Cities, local jurisdictions hold prudent power for swift effects onto inhabitants including establishing tax rates, responding to constituent complaints and consequently, managing public health and safety — i.e., policing. Within Champaign, there will be five decisive council seats up for election; in Urbana, one may vote for seven different aldermen. Correspondingly, with the City of Champaign possessing nonpartisan council members, Urbana’s ballots will appear ideological — with this year, in particular, featuring a range of Democrats, Republicans and one curious choice. Distinctly pertinent is the race for Urbana’s vacated second ward, where Christopher Evans, a selfproclaimed “Progressive Democrat” is challenged by Colin Dodson representing the “Party for Socialism & Liberation.” Despite these municipal elections lacking that immense media zeal, conclusively these votes will have a more rapid impact than any general election promises. These local

Coronavirus threatens American identification DYLAN GRAY SENIOR COLUMNIST

JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI

leaders are immediately accountable to their neighborhood constituents. In contrast, national — or arguably state — officeholders rely on continual participation from select “red” or “blue” areas to launch themselves to leadership. In a 2018 John Hopkins University study on Americans and state governments, research revealed that “a third of respondents didn’t know which state officials they voted for beyond governor, lieutenant governor and members of the legislature.” Similarly, Benjamin Ginsberg, political science professor at John Hopkins, noted that one reason behind this municipal ignorance by Americans is a “lack of media coverage of state affairs.” Ginsberg contends that with the media fixated on federal coverage in D.C., regional “special-interest politics and corruption flourish.” As countless Americans tune in daily for nationwide coverage on issues hundreds to thousands of miles away from their homes, their residing counties recede from relevancy. Although the spotlight is continually transfixed to the nation’s ringleader — currently President Joe Biden — backstage there exists the

quaint jurisdictions where the “Great American Show” relies profoundly on its constructive crew: the thousands of towns and cities constituting America. Moreover, intensely postponed policies such as education and law enforcement reforms have been greeted with D.C. gridlock for decades. Subsequently, citizens concentrate fatigue and scrutiny on the highest levels of representation — unbeknownst to them that the fundamental repairs for these issues arrive at the state and municipal level. Sarah Horton, contributor at Medium, outlined the specific oversight municipalities hold over civilians and affirmed, “If you’re frustrated with congested roads on your way to work, homelessness in your neighborhood or paying for bags at the supermarket, the best way to make your voice heard is to vote in local elections.” With the fury of sweeping news, it is also easy to neglect the typical American pipeline of federal policy being shaped by community politics: Horton chronicles several landmark policies beginning at this foundational level like “marriage equality, women’s suffrage, environmental protection

the COVID-19 vaccine rollout progresses, there understandably exists a collective sense of relief in the American public. The reopening of society is a renaissance where both connections and social engagements can flourish. Following the end of lockdown, there is a good chance that for a few months, there will be a festive air of hope and excitement. Still, when this fades and the monotony of daily life resumes, humanity will be forced to confront the lockdown’s long-term impact on the economy and the people who endured it. It is not a unique or unpopular opinion to say that COVID-19 will be felt long after the last person is vaccinated, but there are many less obvious ways that this might manifest. Young people in particular had their lives altered radically, with college and high school sublimating into Zoom calls and online discussion forums. Of course, many people were forced to move online for work and school, but to miss one of only four years of college is much more significant than missing one year of potentially decades worth of experience at a single job. Things like a senior year of high school, a freshman year of college or the first year starting out in the workforce seem trite

upon initial inspection, but these milestones serve an extensive, pivotal purpose: they moor people to a common cultural identity as Americans. When people’s cultural experiences begin to vary widely within their civilization, particularly with America, citizens therein examine what it means to be a resident — an American, within this case. This is an issue that will arise around much of the world, particularly within the developed world. However, in a country as diverse as America this issue will be exacerbated further. In many ways, this problem has been a long time coming. National identities withering as a force binding Americans will inherently lead to further destabilization of a country that is undoubtedly dealing with a slew of civil issues: a stagnating economy, rising civil unrest and distrust of institutions. Among the many pandemic revelations, the best observable is America’s current trajectory toward being unsustainable and approaching immense internal pressure. If people’s identity as Americans is challenged by their lived experience, that identity may be called into question. If America is to maintain its position of power and fancy itself a “land of opportunity,” a prolonged and arduous road lies ahead.

and minimum wage.” In contemporary times, where little attention lies on localities, this pipeline is disproportionately lopsided with national politics hogging both the airtime and energy of concerned civilians. Nonetheless, one premier value to possess is an appreciation not only for neighborhood politics but as well as local activism. America never changes with one ballot, however, towns and cities are often the first — with effective governance — to aspire for enhanced societal revisions. Besides better comprehensions, becoming active in Dylan is a senior in Media. regional politics is the inaukdg2@dailyillini.com gural step in enshrining one captaining their community toward sincere development. Local elections for Champaign county are here, and the opportunity to envision that better tomorrow is evermanifesting. Fortunately, the Champaign County Voters Alliance has compiled a municipal election informational website for all candidates and referendums on county ballots. Cultivate knowledge, prepare one’s self and cast that climatic ballot RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI promptly to ensure local A Champaign County resident receives her COVID-19 vaccine politics is reliant on its at the I-Hotel on Jan. 12. Columnist Dylan Gray believes the inhabitants once more. COVID-19 pandemic will have lasting impacts on America.

AAPI women fetishism, stereotypes underlay Atlanta shooting 800% in New York City — while overall hate crimes RAYNA WUH dropped 7%. COLUMNIST Another organization, Stop Asian American Pacific Islander March 16, a Hate, found that out of white gunthe nearly 3,800 inciman rampaged dents of hate they recordthrough three spas in ed in 2020 and 2021, metro Atlanta, fatally more than two-thirds shooting eight people, six were reported by women. of whom were women of Women have been disAsian descent. The shooter proportionately affected claimed that he was not by the recent rise in hate, racially motivated, but it is but as more generalized likely no accident that the racism against Asians, majority of victims were this is nothing new. Asian women. Racism and sexism’s Instead, he blamed intersection against his “sexual addiction” Asian and Asian Ameriand authorities stated he can women goes back cenattacked to eliminate his turies. The particularly “temptation.” However, harmful stereotype that gender-based violence Asian women are hyperand racism are not mutu- sexual, docile, exotic and ally exclusive. In fact, rac- submissive has been reinism and misogyny against forced by federal law, Asian American women military occupation and are inextricably linked. media portrayals of Asian The Atlanta shootings women. are only a single instance During the first major of the increasing racewave of Asian immigrarelated hatred aimed at tion, there were severthe Asian American com- al attempts by the U.S. munity since the start of government to exclude the pandemic — a topic certain populations, one covered extensively in one such attempt was the Page of my previous articles. Act of 1875. This act purAccording to a report by portedly aimed to prevent the Center for the Study prostitutes from migratof Hate and Extremism, ing to the United States. in 2020, anti-Asian hate However, in practice, it crimes surged 149% in the systematically prevented largest cities — as high as all Chinese women from

entering the U.S. The application of this law reinforced the preconceived notion that it was acceptable to view Asian women in a singular, sexualized context. Later, U.S. imperialism also contributed to shaping such attitudes. During U.S. military conflicts, including the Phillippine-American and Vietnam wars, these aforementioned stereotypes caused Asian women to be presented as, “object(s) for western consumption and the satisfaction of western desire.” Creating the denigrating fiction of the “exotic,” “oriental” woman that was utilized to sexually exploit, and occasionally act violently against Asian women. Pop culture also plays a role in perpetuating these biases. Movies ranging from Stanley Kubrick’s 1987 Vietnam War film “Full Metal Jacket” to Tina Fey’s 2004 teen comedy “Mean Girls” mask racial discrimination and fetishism as jokes. A scene in “Full Metal Jacket” shows a Vietnamese woman propositioning herself to American soldiers, using phrases such as “me so horny” and “me love you long time” that later incorporated into the American

vernacular. “Mean Girls” also makes a punchline of an Asian character. Trang Pak plays no role in the movie other than being a sexually charged underage girl engaging in an affair with the gym teacher, an older white male. These submissive perceptions, once made into jokes, tend to excuse and trivialize the harsh realities of racial and gendered prejudice that Asian women face. Assigning this singular narrative to a diverse group of people is dangerous whether it is through law, war or pop culture. Fetishism, a phenomenon deeply rooted in such stereotypes, occurs when there is a fixation on race as the only aspect of someone’s identity. Asian Americans have long had to withstand the effects of “yellow fever,” or racial fetish revolving around the so-called desirability of Asian women. A 2013 study by a business site Quartz illustrated that on dating apps, of the 2.4 million heterosexual interactions reviewed, nonAsian men were most drawn to Asian women. Although not all of the interactions involve fetishism, there is no

doubt that the increased attention, especially from white society, is connected to the long history of disproportionately sexualizing Asian women. Fetishism presents itself in a variety of ways other than extreme, violent actions. Asian women regularly face objectification and stereotyping, especially by white men. All too often I hear stories from my Asian friends on dating apps who often receive inappropriate comments from people who maintain the false notion that fetishism is somehow a compliment. While some playoff, the perception that Asian women can be defined solely by their race and the related stereotypes is depersonalizing and homogenizing. As if psychological burdens were not bad enough, fetishism can also manifest themselves in more violent forms. Although there lacks an evident motive in the Atlanta spa shootings, the identities of the victims illustrate the killer was likely motivated by some combination of racism and misogyny. Eight people were murdered in an act of hatred and the shooter

told authorities he was merely trying to “eliminate his temptations.” Instead of acknowledging how the continued normalization of sexualizing and stereotyping Asian women could have contributed to this specific demographic’s classification as “temptations” and later murder victims, the authorities released a statement sympathetic to the shooter. After the suspect was caught, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Captain Jay Baker said, “yesterday was a really bad day for (the shooter), and this is what he did.” The victims who lost their lives deserved better. Asian American women deserve better. The Atlanta shootings need to be recognized for what they are: a heinous hate crime specifically targeting Asian women. Long-standing stereotypes make Asian women increasingly prone to harassment and violence. We must educate ourselves and actively work towards protecting vulnerable populations before even more people get hurt. Rayna is a freshman in LAS. rwuh2@dailyillini.com

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

THURSDAY April 1, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

SPORTS

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

Fletcher steps up, wins events for injury-riddled team BY BRADLEY ZIMMERMAN STAFF WRITER

In its regular season finale against Minnesota, the Illinois men’s gymnastics team needed every healthy gymnast to compete, including its walk-ons. The team was, and still is, ravaged by injuries and setbacks, with many of its best gymnasts unable to compete. “We have 70% of our starting routines out, and they’re not coming back,” said head coach Justin Spring. “Never in my 12-year (coaching) career have I had that many routines out. It just so happens that the injuries we’ve had are on our best all-arounders, and it’s costing us so much.” Enter Michael Fletcher. Fletcher was one of the few Illinois all-arounders available for the Minnesota meet, as he played a big role against the Golden Gophers. In a meet where 30 routines per team were scored, Fletcher contributed 20% of the Illini’s team score. “No one else is going to have that contribution capability on our team,” Sprig said. “He’s an essential part of the picture. He’s a really unique all-arounder. It’s very rare to have someone who can be super strong on every event, and that’s what makes him so critical. He’s in the lineup on every event,

and he would be even if we were at full strength.” With top all-arounder Hamish Carter unavailable and top rings gymnast Danny Graham coming off a three-week COVID-19 quarantine, Spring relied on Fletcher to pick up the slack in these areas against Minnesota. That’s exactly what Fletcher did. Fletcher was the highestscoring Illini on high bar, still rings and all-around, winning titles in the latter two events. His still rings score of 14.000 was a career high, which earned him his first career still rings title. “That was the first time I did my new routine,” Fletcher said of his still rings performance. “That routine has been clicking really well in the gym, and I was really excited to compete. It went really well, which I was really happy about.” Fletcher was also happy to take home his first all-around title since his freshman year. After redshirting his sophomore year due to injury and spending much of the season trailing Carter and opposing allarounders, the Minnesota meet was his chance to step out of the shadows. He scored a 79.000 in the allaround competition for the title, though it’s not a score Fletcher would hope for in

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Michael Fletcher swings himself over the pommel horse at a meet against Ohio State on Jan. 23. Fletcher stepped up against Minnesota this weekend and received the Illini of the Week award for competing all-around seamlessly while most of the team’s top performers were injured.

the future. “I think I have the capability of scoring much higher than I did, so part of me was a little frustrated with that,” Fletcher said, “But at the end of the day, coming out of with an allaround title, I can’t be too upset about it. I’ll take it.” Fletcher also came in

clutch as the anchor on both high bar and parallel bars. His teammates did not put up the best possible scores on high bar, and on parallel bars, Fletcher was the last Illini to perform. He did so in a situation that called for him to hit his parallel bars routine to win the meet. Though neither Spring

nor Fletcher described the performances as perfect, Fletcher had good routines and stuck his landings to deliver a team-high 13.050 on high bar and a 13.000 on parallel bars. The Illini edged out the Golden Gophers by a point to win 393.800-392.800. “He was able to do that in

one of those clutch positions that he’s struggled with in the past,” Spring said. “He hit routines in those critical moments. That’s what you want, and that’s all you can ask for.” @B_RadZimm bez2@dailyillini.com

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS

MARK CAPAPAS THE DAILY ILLINI

Senior Nicole Biondi performs her beam routine during the meet against Penn State on Jan. 31. The women’s gymnastics team will travel to Georgia for the NCAA Regionals starting Thursday.

Illinois prepares for NCAA Regionals, takes on top programs BY JONAH PEREZ STAFF WRITER

As the last seeded team, No. 16 Illinois travels to Georgia for its regional. “This is a bigger meet,” said freshman Abby Mueller. “We’re just going in treating it like any other meet we’ve done. We feel ... not focusing on the outcome before what you actually have to do (it) because we’ll ... make regional finals if we just do what we know how to do.” “Then, on that final day of regionals ... just focusing on really enjoying every moment we have out there because our theme this year is just going out, having a party and having fun. So, just focusing on the positives and just being out there as a team, I think, is gonna propel us to get the goals that we want.” As one of the top 28 teams in the nation, the Illini have a bye and first compete on day two of the event. Their opponents are No. 1 Florida, No. 25 Central Michigan and either No. 26 North

Carolina State or No. 35 Western Michigan. The reason Nor th Carolina State is competing on day one is because the top 16 seeds are assigned based on seed, while the other 12 are assigned based on geographic location. It must have been pushed out because of how many teams there were from its location. Florida finished the season with the highest national qualifying score of 197.944 and a final record of 12-2. Its only two losses were in their third place finish at the Southeastern Conference Championships against No. 3 Louisiana State University and No. 7 Alabama. C ent r a l M ich iga n , North Carolina State and Western Michigan’s NQSs were 196.275, 196.250 and 195.769, respectively. Last time out, Central Michigan finished fourth at the Mid-American Conference Championships with a 194.900, while Western Michigan finished tied for last with a 194.600.

Illinois placed jointthird at the Big Ten Championships in its most recent meet, coming in behind No. 7 Minnesota and No. 4 Michigan but tying with No. 19 Iowa. For the first time this season, there were fans at the event, though it made the Illini tight. They were fantastic and finished third, but the environment was different and got them slightly off their game. The Illini felt the pressure of perfecting the routine, and this week they worked on controlling the nerves and freely going through their events. “Replicating the very loud music, replicating the fans, noises, crowds and things like that,” said head coach Nadalie Walsh. “Just trying to replicate that as best as possible in practice and then doing where they have to hit together as a team and function as a team. So kind of training like mini-meets throughout the week.” The energy of the arena made it more difficult

to see or hear, but it was necessary for her fellow underclassmen to experience a pumped environment, especially because the Athens Regional is bound to be the same. One of the ways they replicated fans was using cardboard cutouts their parents and family made. Senior Tessa Phillips said her family’s was her favorite of them, but she also thought it was funny when she noticed a few pet cutouts. Confidence is one of the most important aspects of gymnastics, and these Illini seniors embody it. Though this regional could be their last collegiate tournament, you would not know it. Because of last year, they know how easily what they love can be taken away. They are assuming they will move on to the NCAA Championships and excited for the challenge. If they do not advance past the regional, it will be bittersweet. There will

probably be some tears, but it is not what they are focused on; they are focused on winning it all. Sophomore A raya h Simons is from Richmond, Georgia, which is about two hours away from the meet location, while senior Jaylen Spence is from Suwanee, Georgia, which is about an hour away. Simons had a seasonending injury, while Spence unfortunately suffered a career-ending injury. Mueller praised their support and toughness throughout their whole ordeal. They do not have a victim mentality and make differences as role models and teammates. “I wish both of them were healthy and able to compete,” Walsh said. “That would be a dream for them ... to get a chance to compete in their home area, but I think just knowing that they have fans, and friends and family that are going to come and cheer us on is just really comforting and a great gesture.” Phillips added because of the support from their

families, there will be the most orange and blue they have had all year. It will make the season feel somewhat normal. Even with some small detail struggles, the season has been a success for the Illini, and they do not have to be perfect to move on to day two. They are going to try their best and see where the cards fall, and they will leave it all on the floor and hopefully be on their way to nationals. Walsh feels like the Illini are peaking at the right time, and all it takes is a hot streak to come away with some silverware. “As a team going into Regionals just because we’ve come off two weeks ago getting our school high, 197.575 ... we’re just really excited to kind of show what we can do in front of the other big schools and hopefully beat their butts,” Phillips said. @jonahap2 jonahperez@dailyillini.com

2B Thursday, April 1, 2021

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FOOTBALL

Offensive line returns veterans, brings toughness BY JOSH PIETSCH ASSISTANT ON-AIR EDITOR

After being just the second hire made by head coach Bret Bielema, new offensive line coach Bart Miller caught the eye of many with an impressive opening press conference. High expectations for the young coach, combined with the return of several veteran players, have the Illini hoping for big things out from their offensive line in 2021. Along with the hiring of Miller, seniors Alex Palczewski, Doug Kramer and Vederian Lowe all made the decision to return to the Illini for an extra year of eligibility. Palczewski, Kramer and Lowe were all thrown into the offensive line mix starting their freshman seasons and have significantly contributed to Illinois’ success over the last four years. With the combination of talent and veteran leadership, Miller understands how important getting these players back for this season is. He has been working with each of them and has loved what they’ve each brought to the table so far this spring. “I appreciate the way those guys come out to practice and when they come to learn. When they walk into my meeting, they’re prepared,” Miller said. “That’s the difference between winning and losing is the details, and that’s what a veteran and mature group like this gives you.” As for all the returning offensive line members, most of them have played under multiple o-line coaches during their careers at Illinois. Under Lovie Smith, the now fifth-year seniors have been coached by two different o-line coaches. Though returning linemen are used to a change in leadership, Miller has already seemed to have won over the group. Lowe said his new coach has made everyone feel comfortable

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID CRAAN / ILLINI ATHLETICS

The Illinois football team’s offensive line performs drills during practice Sunday. Several offensive line veterans are returning for another year at Illinois.

and that the work they’ve done together thus far has been impressive. “Coach Miller, he’s been great. I’ve loved playing for him these last few weeks,” Lowe said. “He gets it. He gets that sometimes things aren’t always gonna be the prettiest. As long as you’re tough, as long as you’re dominant, as long as you’re physical, and as long as you make the right aiming points and try and dominate your guy across from you every play, then that’s what he wants. And that’s probably the main difference in this year and last year.” With Palczewski, Kramer and Lowe returning, the

right tackle, center and left tackle spots seemed to be locked up. However, the two guard spots seem to be up for grabs between a number of different linemen. Blake Jeresaty, an FCS A ll-American transfer from Wofford, sat out last season due to an injury. He is one of the top contenders for one of the guard spots and is expected to see the field a lot this season. Julian Pearl filled in last season at right tackle when Palczewski went down, and he has received praise from coaches and players for his work early on in spring ball. Verdis Brown, Alex Pihlstrom and Jordyn Slaugh-

ter were also players named by Miller as potential starters this year on the line. Whoever does get the spot, though, will be the best in Miller’s mind, as he knows how important it is to protect the quarterback in the Big Ten. “There’s gonna be an open competition at some of those guard spots. Now there’s been some guys that have stepped up,” Miller said. “We want to be able to put the best five out on the field ... Our guard position is incredibly important to the way we block things.” No matter who does play, having three talented veterans coming back sets

the Illini up for a successful year on the offensive line. Miller has impressed thus far with what he’s said, including one key phrase: ‘o-line pride.’ ‘O-line pride’ is something the Illini offensive line has carried with them for quite some time now, but Miller has come in and added his own spin to the saying. He stresses toughness, physicality and teamwork, which is what he plans on his guys playing with this season and more. “There’s a laundry list (in the locker room) of key points of what that means, of what o-line pride really is. It’s taking pride and doing a

job that nobody else has the ability or the desire to do,” Miller said. “The meanest, the toughest, the nastiest on the field, but it goes deeper than that. It’s a brotherhood. It’s a foundation that’s forced through hardship of playing this position ... That’s where winners are, is where nobody else wants to go.” Bart Miller and the offensive line will have their first chance to show off for fans during the spring game on April 19 at Memorial Stadium. @JPietsch14 pietsch3@dailyillini.com

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Thursday, April 1, 2021

MEN’S TENNIS

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Siphosothando Montsi prepares to hit the ball during his match against Iowa Friday. Montsi is 12-0 in singles play so far this season.

Montsi cooks up savory season, remains undefeated BY ENJI ERDENEKHUYAG STAFF WRITER

Around 3 p.m. Sunday, Siphosothando Montsi hunkered down at Slim Chickens, eating a post-match meal with a few teammates. He was exhausted, relieved and hungry. Hungry for a meal of seven chicken tenders, Texas toast and side of fries, yes, but even more so for more wins. When he arrived at Illinois three years ago, Montsi set three goals for himself: play at each of the top three spots in the starting lineup, win as many matches as possible and garner an AllAmerican title at some point in his tennis career. What seemed to be far-reaching for him as a freshman isn’t so as a redshirt sophomore now — in fact, he’s already accomplished two of them. This season, Montsi elevated his game to new heights. Aside from consis-

tently opening matches at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions, Montsi is undefeated, and he carries that achievement as he carries himself: unrelenting and unfaltering. “Obviously, I think about (being undefeated), but not too much,” Montsi said. “I had a good run indoors, and I just wanted to take it one match at a time, and I don’t know, everything … went by kinda fast, and now, I’m here.” Montsi’s work ethic is arguably the definition of “the grind.” When COVID-19 cut the season short last year, Montsi quarantined in Florida to train with professional players. By the time the season kicked back up, he showed up to the gym on his own time in addition to the scheduled team workouts. The extra hours transpired into what Montsi

thinks is his best season yet, and his singles records show it: Freshman year, he debuted with a 10-10 record; sophomore year, he went 17-9 with a 2020 Second Team All-Big Ten appearance while earning a career-best Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranking of 42. This year, he has worked toward a personal best 12-0 winning streak with an ITA ranking of 43. So far, he believes he’s on the right track to achieving his third aspiration. As Montsi’s grown personally, he’s also consciously developed into a team leader. “I know that I’m being watched a little more with the way I practice and do things, so I set a higher standard for myself in terms of my work ethic and the way I go about things this year,” Montsi said. “The bigger role I play this year is not just on the court. It’s also encouraging other guys, and push-

ing the young guys to do the right things and get better and just going about things the right way every single day as much as I can.” This new role is something Montsi takes pride in, especially because of his relationship with his teammates. According to Montsi, most of them want to compete professionally after college, so everyone on the team strives to better each other. Their support has played an integral part in his improvements and achievements. “We’ve always had good team chemistry, but I think this year, the team chemistry is just the best it’s been since I’ve been here, and I know from the older guys, they say that too,” Montsi said. “I’ve seen a lot of teams where there’s sort of groups within the team, but with our team, everybody gets along really well — we’re not like

that. And it definitely helps us on the court, you know, the guys on the bench, after you play a match, everyone is out cheering for you, and it feels good to know that everyone’s 100% behind your back.” Though match wins have become almost routine for Montsi, the process hasn’t gotten any easier. With the near seven hours spent training daily on the weekdays and the weekend schedule packed with two matches, he finds himself physically drained quite often. When the fatigue hits, however, he refuses to give in. Instead, he thinks of his family who lives in South Africa. Though he’s traveled around quite a bit to different places outside of his hometown of East London, Montsi settled in Champaign not only in pursuit of the goals he set for himself, but also for his loved ones.

“I would say the biggest motivation is really my family,” Montsi said. “That’s what motivates me to do everything in life, so I just work hard for them. I always want to put my family in a better place than where we are right now. I know that they’re looking at me to do well, so I embrace that, and I work hard for them so one day, everything’s better.” Before Montsi can think about the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, which will commence April 29 and May 7, respectively; he will attempt to carry out the remaining six matches of the regular season with diligence and focus with support from his ensemble. As for the All-American title, that’s next on Montsi’s long-term radar. For now, the Slim Chickens “Hungry Meal” will have to suffice. enkhjin2@dailyillini.com

VOLLEYBALL

Illinois generates energy from bench without fans in stands BY WES HOLLENBERG STAFF WRITER

Last Friday, Huff Hall was the loudest it had been all season. For the first time this season, family members were allowed to attend matches against Indiana. With roughly 50 people in attendance, the atmosphere transformed. Whenever the Illini won a big point or went on a run, there was an electricity in the building that hadn’t been there all year. “I counted it,” said redshirt sophomore setter Diana Brown. “I think it’s been 109 days since I’ve seen my parents. So, today was the first time I got to see them and that was really great. But you know, I think (tech coordinator Ryan Anton) said it best. We’re used to the Huff Hall atmosphere where it’s rocking and everyone’s clapping their hands (and) stomping their feet. Then, just this year, we got used to no fans. We turn it up as a team, and I don’t think that we turned it down today even with fans. Really proud of the bench. They brought the energy and just helped us on the court. It’s really good to look out and see people supporting you.” With Illinois being so far into the season, the team had gotten accustomed to playing without fans and had put an emphasis on keeping the energy up with their bench to help supplement the emptier building. Throughout any given match this season, the Illini bench can be found doing everything from screaming after big points, to dancing and even playing an old playground game of ninja. In the face of the COVID19-influenced season, inju-

ELIANA CHANDRA THE DAILY ILLINI

The Illinois volleyball team cheers by their bench in a game against Indiana Saturday. The bench was full of energy this weekend with family members finally allowed in the stands at Huff Hall.

ries and a ten-match losing streak, the bench has remained steadfast in bringing energy and supporting the team, which, according to freshman Raina Terry, is one of the most overlooked aspects of the game. Even injured redshirt freshman Ellie Holzman, who is recovering from a torn ACL, attends every home match despite the difficulties of wearing a brace, having to walk on crutches and sitting with her leg elevated. “We’ve really talked about

how it’s truly a team sport and it’s not just the people who are on the court,” Brown said. “Our energy is contagious, and so when people on the bench bring it, that flows through us and it goes on the court. We talk about being the best teammate that you can be and giving it your all every single day, so just really proud of everyone giving it their all, even if their job is to bring the energy.” The team has a handful of those “energy” people, with players like Mica Alli-

son, Sophie Gregus, Emily Hollowell, Alyssa Eske and Kylie Bruder among those supporting the team on the bench at different points this season. Brown has made special mention of Gregus’s loud voice, which supposedly carries throughout the gym. With head coach Chris Tamas shifting the team’s rotation from a 6-2 to a 5-1 midway through the season, the specific players on the bench have changed a lot, but the energy has remained the same.

“It’s something we’ve talked about that great teams do,” Tamas said. “Whether you’re on the winning side or the losing side, you’ve got to be able to bring energy. It puts you in the best position to win points and win matches. I think between players on the court and players on the bench on the sideline, they’ve just been doing a tremendous job of bringing the energy, and I really appreciate it.” With fans starting to trickle into arenas, the

importance of Illinois’ bench may shift a bit. At Illinois, family members were the only fans allowed inside, but at other schools, the restrictions may differ. Regardless of how many fans are at matches, the bench will always be the closest source of support for everybody on the court, and with such a committed bench this year, the Illini may be set up for years to come. @WesHollenberg wih2@dailyillini.com

4B Thursday, April 1, 2021

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Thursday, April 1, 2021

buzz calendar BY RUKAYAH HUSSEIN BUZZ CALENDAR EDITOR

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 1 THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

A Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus is decorated for the Champaign-Urbana pride parade on Sept. 28, 2019. Uniting Pride in Champaign provides community members with support groups, community-building activities, educational programs, art festivals and political advocacy.

Uniting Pride raises awareness BY SYDNEY WOOD BUZZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

Since its inception, Uniting Pride has been an active member of the Champaign-Urbana community through its support groups, communit y-building activ ities, educational programs, arts festivals and political advocacy. Uniting Pride in Champaign County, also known as The UP Center, was founded in 2009 to promote the wellbeing, safety and vibrancy of those who identify as sexual and/or gender minorities. “Our overall mission is just to advocate for health, wellness, advocacy and overall well-being for LGBTQ communities in Champaign County,” said Darya Shahgheibi, Uniting Pride’s programming director. Uniting Pride hosts virtual monthly meetings for its Trans UP and UPLift support groups that offer education, comfort and support to participants. Trans Up is geared toward members of the transgender community, and it’s a safe space for transgender adults to create friendships and discuss

transitioning, the coming out process and becoming comfor table w ith themselves. Shahgheibi said Trans Up evolved out of Champaign County’s need for a specific group catered toward transgender adults. Initially, the group was facilitated by Shahgheibi and a co-worker, but eventually, it transformed into a participant-led group. “It became this amazing participant-led, peerfacilitated groups where everybody just supports each other and uplifts each other,” they said. “It’s one of our most involved groups, and we have anywhere between eight and 15 members each group.” Uniting Pride’s UPLift program serves as a support group for partners of LGBTQ+, transgender and gender-diverse people and is led by a licensed counselor. Shahgheibi said UPLift is a judgment-free zone where people can be themselves, ask questions and rant. In February, Uniting Pride had a specific Black Mental Health Month series that highlighted intersectionality and mental health in Black com-

munities, including mental health in youth, older adults, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities. Shahgheibi said intersectionality is a learning process that Uniting Pride continuously needs to work on improving. “We’re not there yet, but we are striving to do better every day and are hoping that by working with various community partners and not just working within our organization, we are getting there,” they said. Uniting Pride follows an anti-racist framework to verify that its programs and policies do not undermine its efforts to fight racism. According to this framework, the organization works toward recognizing the ways racism, oppression and privilege perpetuate homophobia and transphobia. Shahgheibi said Uniting Pride’s outreach has been limited by COVID-19 but that the organization is still organizing virtual events, leading support groups and communicating with the community via newsletters and social media.

FRIDAY, APRIL 2

Blues Dancing: “Hey, the Blues is Alright!”

“Finding Yingying” Film Screening and Discussion

Champaign Park District’s Eggcelent Adventure

Prairie Skies Spotlight

 4 p.m.-5 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by Spurlock Museum  Free A panel discussion on blues music moderated by Gabriel Solis, professor in FAA. Other panelists include the performers Candy Foster and Dawn Clark from Candy Foster and The Shades of Blue; Bob Paleczny, Blues Genre director for WEFT 90.1FM and Augustus Wood, postdoctoral student in Labor and Employment Relations at the University.

 All Day  Virtual event hosted by Champaign Park District  $5, registration and app download required This month-long scavenger hunt takes you on adventures all throughout Champaign and includes photo and video challenges, trivia and much more with lots of opportunities to gather points and win some tubular prizes. Whether you’re playing alone or with a team, get ready for a most Eggcellent Adventure this April! Be sure to register and download the free app SCAVIFY to participate.

 5 p.m.-6 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by Spurlock Museum  Free, but registration required The virtual screening of the film “Finding Yingying” will take place from Apr. 2 at 5 p.m. to Apr. 9 at 8 p.m. After registering for the online conversation with Jiayan “Jenny” Shi (director, producer, cinematographer), Brent E. Huffman (producer) and Shilin Sun (co-producer, cinematographer), you will receive a link to the film in the Zoom registration confirmation email.  8 p.m.-9 p.m.  Virtual event hosted by Staerkel Planetarium  Free A virtual, live-narrated tour of the wonders of tonight’s sky with a special focus on current events and audience requests. Find out what constellations and planets are visible tonight and how to find them. This show is updated seasonally and is intended for all ages.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3

Champaign-Urbana Winter Farmers Market

 8 a.m.-11 a.m.  Lincoln Square, 201 Lincoln Square, Urbana  Free Shop from all of your favorite, local, craft, food and farm vendors indoors at Lincoln Square Mall. Masks and social distancing will be required in the space, and limits on the number of shoppers that can be in the market area at the same time will be in effect.

SEE PRIDE | 6B

WPGU 107.1 FM Presents

A T U H G O P N W Watch your favorite DJs go head to head in a: McDonalds Pie Eating contest Root Beer and Run Chalk Drawing Contest Hula Hooping Competition

April 1st, 2021 5pm

THURSDAY April 1, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

buzz

SCREENSHOT OF ZOOM

A screenshot of The Canopy Club virtual open mic night from Monday is shown above. Since COVID-19 began, Mike Ingram has been hosting the event online for performers to show off their talent.

The Canopy Club connects CU musicians with community BY NATE SUN STAFF WRITER

Urbana’s campus venue The Canopy Club is a local favorite for small concerts and open mic sessions. However, as with every other spot of this kind, The Canopy Club had to stop hosting these events due to COVID-19. Nevertheless, open mic night still lives on every Monday at 8 p.m. Central Time via Zoom. Mike Ingram, the open mic night organizer, further explained the move from in-person live sessions to Zoom and how the event has changed with this shift. “The idea was if we were going to be stuck at home for a while, people are going to need some sort of outlet,” Ingram said.

FROM 5B

PRIDE

On March 31, Uniting Pride and the Independent Media Center will host a Trans Musician Benefit Showcase, organized by Carmine Shannon, in honor of International Tra nsgender Day of Visibilit y. The event feat u res t ra n sgender musicians in ChampaignUrbana and promotes visibility and support for local transgender artists. Uniting Pride offers many resources on its website for closeted indiv idua ls, including guides on coming out

Ingram further said that the open mic nights bring a sense of community to Champaign-Urbana. These gigs have regular attendees and newcomers every week, and through these gigs, everyone becomes anointed with the inside jokes, quirky behaviors and overall routines in which people have fun at the event. This sense of community is “one of the things that I really, really like, not just about the scene,” Ingram said. He explained that these gigs serve as “a place for musicians in particular to be within a communal space.” When The Canopy Club’s in-person open mics had to be canceled, there was a tangible loss of togetherness.

“We’re so kind of starved for connection,” Ingram said. “As (the pandemic) has gone on longer, it’s become more pronounced.” Looking to keep the same sense of community and bring people that feeling of connection in a safe manner, The Canopy Club began hosting its virtual open mics. Here, attendees still often have their cameras on, and attendees see them singing and clapping along to the performances. For the performer, there is a different feeling of association with the crowd, as everybody is visible on the screen at once. As for its structure, each Zoom open mic night has a host for the night. Mike Ingram used to host all of them until last December,

in which Anika Emily and Jake Fava started to host events. Both of them were a “natural progression to host,” Ingram said. Performers can either let The Canopy Club know beforehand if they’d like to perform, or they can take the mic at any time during the night. The Canopy Club starts the event with a soundcheck at 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes before performances. This is to make sure that the sound quality comes through clear on Zoom, no matter what the performer’s set-up is. In fact, performers can broadcast themselves however they choose. “No requirements at all. Phone audio works pretty well,” Ingram said. Additionally, these open

mics are easily reachable for beginners. In fact, Ingram said that beginners are often encouraged to perform. Interestingly, with the move to Zoom, there have been more people broadcasting their talents than there would have been pre-pandemic. People from all across the U.S., and even internationally, have been logging on to take part in the event. “Based on hashtags and algorithms, we have people who just kind of stumble into it,” Ingram said. But even attendees who were hesitant to perform during in-person live shows have been stepping up to perform at the Zoom open mics. Perhaps it’s the relief of not being faceto-face with a crowd, or

maybe it’s the comfort of being in a familiar space when performing. Even still, moving the open mic nights to Zoom has brought unforeseen effects that have brought the community together. Ingram also pointed out some musical artists who got their start from open mic nights, including The Bashful Youngens, who used to come just to hang out. Ultimately, even though the event is inherently different now, the spirit of The Canopy Club’s Open Mic lives on and is still healthy. Assuredly, the music and community that the event brings to ChampaignUrbana still lives on strong.

for LGBTQ+ individuals and transgender or nonbinary individuals. It also includes resources for sex workers, older LGBTQ+ adults and educators. Shahgheibi said many of Uniting Pride’s resources address queer transgender youth of color and the intersections bet ween race and sexuality. They sa id some resources specifically catered toward educators, parents and health care professionals because there are a lot of disparities in informative resources. “Those resources are vital because those populations oftentimes

get overlo oked a nd discriminated against,” they said. “So, those are resources that we really try to give to folks when they’re asking for resources because they’re important.” Before C OV I D -1 9 h it , Un it i n g P r ide regularly interacted with com mu n it y member s by visiting schools and orga n i zi ng i n-person outreach opportunities. Shahgheibi said Zoom has facilitated the transition from in-person to virtual pr og r a m s , a nd t he organization hasn’t seen a dip in its programming. “ We like to say that

sexuality isn’t sexual. Children question their gender identity,” Sha hgheibi said. “It ’s not something to be stigmatized, and we are here to support children of all ages and stages and people at all ages and stages.” In May, Uniting Pride is teaming up with the University’s psychology department to put on the Liberation Fest . Sha hg heibi sa id t he Liberation Fest’s purpose is to connect different local organizations to highlight the needs and voices of LGBTQ+ youth of color.

“I’m excited for the Liberation Fest because it does give youth a space,” they said. “Specifically, instead of having the adults speak for the youth, the leaders get to talk, and that’s always important and interesting to see.” Shahgheibi said they think it ’s difficult for people to f ind hope when they cannot find their communit y but emphasized that Uniting Pride can connect people to others who sha re similar experiences. They said Uniting Pride is a safe space for those searching for belonging within their communities.

“ T here a re people here who are in your com mu n it y that a re willing to talk with you about what you’re feeling and what you’re going through,” they said. “You have welcoming spaces here. It might feel like it’s all scary and it’s not something you can get past, but you can. You just have to find your community, and that community is something that is here, and we’re wanting to get you connected to it.”

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