See insert for the CAREER GUIDE TUESDAY September 6, 2016
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
92˚ | 71˚
Vol. 146 Issue 5
|
FREE
A fall from grace: UI sobers up
PARTY SCHOOLS University of Wisconsin-Madison West Virginia University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lehigh University Bucknell University
Brigham Young University (UT) College of the Ozarks Wheaton College (IL) United States Air Force Academy Gordon College
STONE-COLD SOBER SCHOOLS
MICHELLE TAM THE DAILY ILLINI
SOURCE: PRINCETON REVIEW
BY JOSEPH LONGO ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
In August of 2015, The Princeton Review designated the University as the top party school in America. A quick year later, the title has been passed to another Big Ten school: the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The University now claims the title as the No. 3 party school in the nation. During the 2015-2016 school year, the title as No. 1 dominated discussion on campus. Administrators, University police and students across campus all addressed the designation. However, the campus remained divided. While many students warmly embraced the title across social media, other commu-
nity members contested the ranking. Faculty and staff notably disagreed with the title. Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs, challenged the credibility of the rating. “This pseudo-ranking is nothing more than a promotion for Princeton Review,” Kaler wrote in an email. Kaler considers the ranking a disservice to students. “Whatever ranking they attach to us is insulting to our students, who are some of the brightest, most hard-working scholars anywhere,” Kaler said. In addition to number three party school, the University ranked highly on several Princeton Review lists.
Concurring with the party school designation, the University ranked seventh on the “Lots of Hard Liquor” and 10th on “Lots of Beer” list. The University was also named eighth for “Lots of Greek Life.” The Princeton Review also included the UI as one of the “Best 381 Colleges,” “Best Midwestern,” and “Colleges That Pay You Back.” Specifically, it ranked 24th on “Top 50 Green Colleges,” 20th on “Career Services” and fifth on “Best Athletic Facilities.” The Princeton Review did not immediately return request for comment.
A freshman’s perspective For Daniel Shim, fresh-
man in Engineering andLAS, it was this diversity of acclaim that led him to enroll in the University. He wanted a perfect mix of “social life, academics, campus and sports.” “When people are looking for schools, they’re not only looking for academics,” Shim said. “They want the experience, so they want to be able to have fun while they’re trying to learn.” A New Jersey native, Shim researched the social life at each of his top three schools: Villanova, The University of California-San Diego and the University of Illinois. “Academics was first, but the social — number one party school — kind of did play a factor,” Shim said.
Interim dean plans for uncertain future in Media BY MICHAEL SEMACA STAFF WRITER
With an uncertain future looming over the College of Media, Interim Dean Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko asked the College’s staff if it thought the college is the best it can be. Currently, the college is divided into three specific “units”— advertising, media and cinema studies and journalism. However, rumors suggesting drastic changes to the structure leave Media students and faculty feeling uneasy. Dean Chodzko-Zajko acknowledged these rumors in Thursday’s meeting. “There’s sort of an elephant in the room, and that is that there has been talk of units in the college exploring whether they would be better off in another organizational structure,” Chodzko-Zajko said. However, he tried to ease these fears at the planning meeting by saying there is absolutely no plan in place for such a change to occur. The faculty and staff selfevaluation is not going to cause an immediate decision on the matter, he said. “It’s fair to say that people have imagined a variety of possible different situations in the past,” Chodzko-Zajko
said. “But there are no proposals on the table right now about advertising or journalism or media and cinema studies going anywhere.” Chodzko-Zajko assigned the College of Media faculty and staff a reflection on the college’s current position and what can be done to maximize its success in the future. He asked that these reflections be submitted to him by Oct. 17. “We are exploring what’s in the best interest of the programs in the college right now,” Chodzko-Zajko said. “And I am confident that this exercise, in which the faculty have an opportunity to think about the growth and evolution of the college, will be an extremely significant factor in determining what happens.”
Looking for a student perspective Although repeatedly noting his interest in faculty opinions, Chodzko-Zajko did not request students’ thoughts. College of Media Student Senator Shani Benezra inquired about the possibility of creating a student committee on the matter. “I know we didn’t go deep
DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS
INSIDE
Police
2A
Opinions
4A
into the possible changes, but I’ve heard rumors of maybe putting advertising in the business college and things like that, so just hearing students if they feel that would be beneficial to them,” Benezra told Chodzko-Zajko. Chodzko-Zajko welcomed the opportunity for a future student committee. Benezra promised to create such a group. However, Benezra was not completely opposed to the idea of changing the structure of the College of Media. She acknowledged the college’s three majors’ paths are notably different. She noted her experience as a journalism student is entirely different from friends in the advertising program. “The fact that our education is very different, yet we’re all graduating from the College of Media,” Benezra said. “Maybe some things need to change there, but I don’t think that anyone wants to see this college dissolving.” Benezra particularly disliked the lack of available resources to College of Media students. Referencing the recording studio located in the Undergraduate Library as an example,
Crossword
5A
|
While the ranking factored in to Shim’s college decision, I-STAR University tour guides do not emphasize the title. Rhett Buchmiller, a tour guide and senior in LAS, said the Office of Admissions does not like the ranking. During open question panels, tour guides parlay a somewhat prepared response. He notes their answers are not scripted. “In training, they tell us
of Americans
SEE PARTY | 3A
47% federal 36% government institution
10% state 7% private/ other sources
Financial aid is awarded to undergraduates as...
of those 50 and older
53% grants & scholarships 42% loans 5% employment
of millennials
JACOB SINGLETON THE DAILY ILLINI
SOURCE: BANKRATE
Financial concerns remain for 7 in 10 college students BY ANDREA FLORES STAFF WRITER
Due to the continuing state budget crisis, fi nancial aid is in jeopardy for the 69 percent of students who rely on it to fund their education. And for some freshmen, fi nancial aid was an important factor in choosing
SEE MEDIA | 3A
|
An unwelcome recognition
to be completely honest with our answers no matter what, but we also always have to spin it to make sure it’s positive,” Buchmiller said. His go-to response often depends on the phrasing of the question. Like Kaler, Buchmiller notes the studies are not scientific and suggests that they can be skewed easily. Because of the University’s large student population, partying is inevitable, he said. However, he emphasized the other opportunities and interests available on campus. Questions regarding the ranking range from concerned to proud, Buchmiller said. Alumni specifi -
Undergraduate financial aid Tuition-free public comes from... college is supported by...
Life
which college to attend. “I received about $15,000 from Ohio State and even more from Mizzou, however, even with that money, the ending price I’d be paying per year was comparable for all schools,” said Deangelo Medrano in an email. He is a freshman in LAS.
&
Culture
6A
|
Other Big Ten schools report awarding less fi nancial aid to students than the University. Northwestern University granted $160 million to 62 percent of its undergraduates, and Indiana University at Bloomington awarded $328 million to
SEE FINANCIAL | 3A
@THEDAILYILLINI
THEDAILYILLINI
@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS |
Shim does not consider the ranking as important, but rather a nice add-on. Within his fi rst few weeks on campus, he noted the University lived up to its reputation.
Sports
1B
|
Classifieds
THEDAILYILLINI 3B
|
Sudoku
3B