SPORTS, 1B
PROFESSOR’S RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS SEXUAL ASSAULT
the217.com calendar is now part of The Daily Illini. To find out what’s happening in the C-U area, check out the calendar at DailyIllini.com/calendar.
LIFE & CULTURE, 6A
Illini men’s tennis’ Jared Hiltzik is improving on the court — by balencing life off it.
THE DAILY ILLINI
WEDNESDAY January 22, 2014
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Purdue shooting leaves 1 dead BY ROSEMARY REGINA SOBOL CHICAGO TRIBUNE
A Purdue University senior from Wisconsin is dead and another student is in custody on suspicion of murder following a shooting on the university campus in West LaFayette, Ind., according to school officials. The gunman walked into a basement classroom of the Electrical Engineering building around noon while a class was going on, school and law enforcement officials told a news conference. Classes were canceled for the rest of Tuesday and for Wednesday, officials said. The victim was identified as Andrew F. Boldt, 21, a senior from West Bend, Wis., who also was a teaching assistant, Purdue University Police Chief John Cox said in a news conference at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The suspect, who appeared to
have targeted Boldt, was identified as Cody M. Cousins, 23, a student in the college of engineering at Purdue, Cox said. He has been booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail on suspicion of murder, according to jail records. Records show Cousins is from Centerville, Ohio and Warsaw, Ind., Cox said. The attacker did not appear to be randomly targeting students, officials said. “The suspect came into the building, walked to the classroom, shot the individual and walked out,” said school spokesman Greg McClure in an earlier news conference. He then walked outside and surrendered to police. “This is not your typical active shooter. This appears to be an isolated and intentional act,” Cox said in the evening news conference. “We have developed infor-
25˚ | 1˚ Vol. 143 Issue 64
|
FREE
Out of the frying pan and into the freezer
mation through several witnesses that the victim appeared to have been targeted by the suspect and it was no more, no less than that.” “The suspect was apprehended on the east side of the Electrical Engineering building just outside the building,” McClure said. He said police believe the shooter was targeting the man he shot and “there was no effort to target anyone else.” “Nobody else was wounded or hit by gunfire, it was just the person who was killed,” McClure said. Police said there was no argument or fight before the shooting. Indiana State Police were working with Purdue University Police to process the crime
SEE PURDUE | 3A
BRENTON TSE THE DAILY ILLINI
A group of commuters hurry to a bus after keeping warm inside the Illini Union Bookstore. The area is currently experiencing below freezing temperatures after a snow storm prior to the first day of classes.
New bike code starts March 22 BY BRITTNEY NADLER STAFF WRITER
For the first time since 1989, the University bike code has been updated to comply with the increase in bicyclists, said University Police Department Deputy Chief Skip Frost. “It was sorely in need of updates,” Frost said, adding that the University has a bicyclefriendly designation, which can be difficult to maintain when the number of bicyclists increases by so many each year. He said there have been a number of issues with bicyclists causing bicycle-bicycle accidents as well as bicycle-pedestrian accidents. Many bicyclists also operate where they shouldn’t and park in prohibited areas, which led police to rewrite the policy so that students are aware that they will be taking a closer look at this public safety issue. “It’s been in the works for some time,” Frost said. “A lot of feedback that comes in ranges from, ‘Hey, this is great, it’s about time’ to, ‘This is ridiculous. Why are you even worried about bicycles on campus? Aren’t you worried about real crime?’” The code will start being enforced March 22, the first day
SARI LESK THE DAILY ILLINI
The Urbana Tree Commission unanimously voted to cut down Urbana’s oldest tree while saving as much of the trunk as possible. Citizens gathered at the meeting to suggest possible uses for the trunk, including using the trunk as a cross section to highlight moments in Urbana history.
Urbana to cut down oldest tree STAFF WRITER
Bare branches sway in the breeze similarly to brimming ones, yet rarely receive as much attention from those passing by. However, on Jan. 6, when a white dot appeared on the 312 Coler St. hackberry tree in Urbana, citizens wasted no time spreading the news about the tree’s newest physical addition. The small white circle signified the tree’s imminent removal within the next five days. The 14-story tall tree towers above its neighboring trees. The thick trunk is a sturdy landmark for those who live in the nearby neighborhoods. “We call the tree the biggest tree in the world, but it isn’t — it’s the biggest tree in Urbana,” said one champion of the tree, Jesse Wald. The 7-year-old found the white dot while on a walk with his father and younger brother. As he addressed the Urbana Tree Commission, his young voice drew a sharp contrast to the ancient tree in question and highlighted the varying walks of life this one tree has been a part of. However, this tree was different than most marked for removal — it was given a chance. Urbana citizens and admirers of this tree decided to rally together and see if they could save it, choosing to utilize Urbana’s Legacy Tree ordinance for the first time. The ordinance is a new way to preserve old trees as well as give
INSIDE
Police
2A
BY BRYAN BOCCELLI STAFF WRITER
Work has officially begun at the University’s Arboretum as staff hope to construct the Heritage Garden, which will feature plants from across the state. Workers began to cut down the poplar trees overlooking Lincoln Avenue about two weeks ago to make way for the project. Bill Kruidenier, director of the Arboretum, said he hopes to see the Heritage Garden complete as soon as possible. “What we’re working on is (finding) a donor or donors because it’s a significant investment,” Kruidenier said. The garden itself is estimated to cost somewhere between 3.5 and 4 million dollars, and Kruidenier also expressed the arboretum’s need for an endowment of around $3 million dollars for garden maintenance. The design that is in place “is a conceptual design, and there’s quite a bit of work yet remaining,” Kruidenier said. He said the design was put together by University graduates, who collaborated with faculty and the then-director of the arboretum, along with campus and college-level administrators. “The garden will serve as an essential gateway and point of orientation for visitors to the Arboretum,” according to a
SEE TREE | 3A
DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS |
press release from the arboretum. “People enter through the Visitors Center where they can learn more about the garden that awaits them. With a framework of main brick pathways laid out on axial rays and in concentric rings, the Heritage Garden has an underlying logical structure that facilitates exploration.” The garden was designed completely by University alumni as a way for them to give back to the school. A group of five graduates of the University’s Horticulture and Landscape Architecture departments worked pro-bono and did not charge the University a design fee. “What made (this project) so special for me personally was that I’ve always wanted to give back to the University, and this is a great way to do that,” said Robert Milani, senior landscape architect at Chalet Nursery. The garden took about a year and a half to design, and when completed, it will serve the Champaign-Urbana community in various ways. “It was a collaborative effort, we’re very proud of it, very happy with it,” Milani said. Kruidenier said he hopes the garden will have a positive impact on the community. “We hope it will be both an active educational experience
2A
|
Opinions
said. “Be visible, get lights both front and rear and have them on flashing, just so that you’re more noticeable, and always wear a helmet. Keep your bike in good repair and air in the tires.” Security officials who work in places such as housing and libraries will now be on the lookout for bike code violators, Frost said. For code violators, a new University citation will be given that is similar to a notice to appear, although the penalties are “substantially less.” If a citation is given, students will have the opportunity to take an online course that, if passed, will allow them to be forgiven for their first citation. The course is a primary tool to educate students on the new policy, Frost said. For students who continually receive citations, they will be fined between $25 and $35. The money will be used for bicycle infrastructure and training, among other uses. “That’s kind of a win-win for everybody,” Frost said. “You get cited and that money is
SEE BIKE CODE | 3A
4A
|
Letters
4A
|
Crossword
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL KRUIDENIER, DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ARBORETUM
(for students) as well as what’s called a passive educational experience for those that are going to look at the gardens and experience the plant material itself,” Kruidenier said. The completion of this garden has been on hold for about five years now, as it could not be completed because of funding shortages due to the recession in 2008. “Funding has always been an issue,” said David Williams, professor of crop sciences and collaborator on this project. The garden was meant “to emphasize the heritage of plant developers (and) plant explorers from the state of Illinois. Illinois has been very influential in plant
5A
|
Comics
5A
|
Life
breeding works that introduce a wide variety of plants that are commercially very prominent now in the landscape industry,” Williams said. “So my idea was to have a garden that would feature the plants that they developed and their contributions — that was the idea behind it.” It is anticipated that the garden will be spread across seven acres, which will include the parking lot. The garden itself would be somewhere around five acres. There is no date yet available as to when construction will begin.
Bryan can be reached at boccell2@dailyillini.com.
@THEDAILYILLINI
THEDAILYILLINI
@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS Horoscopes
requirement of bikes to use lighting equipment when it gets dark, but Katz doesn’t believe students will follow the code to its entirety. “I think people will follow (the code) for the most part, but I don’t think that everyone will get a light on their bike. Also, I rarely see people use turn signals,” she said. “Other than that, I don’t think there will be much of a problem with the new code.” John Bryniarski, service manager of Champaign Cycle Co., estimated that the shop repairs two to three bikes a month during the busy season. Frost said the new code should improve bicycle safety, preventing potential damage. “From our end, what kills a bicycle isn’t a bent or broken derailleur, a bent wheel or anything like that. It’s a bent frame or fork,” Bryniarski said. “If you damage either of those, it’s very expensive to replace.” The fork — the part that holds the front wheel and allows riders to steer and balance — is easily damaged when riders crash into curbs, he said. The company sees five to six incidents per year and about three bikes that have been in car accidents. “It starts with the rider,” he
Arboretum begins construction on new garden
candidates special recognition, said Mike Brunk, Urbana city arborist. An emergency meeting of the Urbana Tree Commission was scheduled for Jan. 16 to listen to citizens’ suggestions and complaints as well as decide fate of the hackberry tree. Wald explained that he and his father “discovered it was the oldest tree in Urbana by doing very accurate measures,” showing one of the many educational values of this tree. Alderman Dennis Roberts, Ward 5, gave a brief history of the tree. It is speculated to have started its life on the banks of a tributary of the Boneyard Creek. In 1850, Judge Joseph W. Sim served as judge at the Urbana courthouse and owned the property the tree is now found on. “Because of the estimated age and size of the tree, we think the tree was probably a small or medium-sized tree at the time Abe Lincoln was practicing law in Urbana,” Roberts said. “It is really likely that Abraham Lincoln visited the judge and was on the property.” Brunk said he has hugged this tree all the way up and down during his safety inspections and even considers this tree his friend. But he said the tree is an “imminent hazard” and must come down as soon as possible. “This tree has seen its natural life,” Brunk said.
BY CLAIRE HETTINGER
after spring break, when students generally start to bike again. “I think the new code is fair,” said Lily Katz, freshman in LAS, who rides a bike around campus. “I don’t think it asks too much of the bikers.” Some of the changes in the new policy include banning pedestrians from bike lanes, giving the right-of-way to pedestrians, instructions for passing pedestrians or bicyclists, prohibiting riding inside University buildings, a bicycle education requirement for violators and booting, according to the code. “Right now, it’s like the wild west out there,” Frost said. “People are riding on pathways that are designed strictly for pedestrians and not taking into account the density of people that are there is very dangerous. People are getting dinged up out there.” Katz has noticed similar issues. “My biggest pet peeve would be when everyone reacts like it’s the other person’s fault,” she said. “I’m guilty of this too, but it just doesn’t help anyone to continually blame others and not realize that you, as an individual, are part of the problem too.” A majority of the policies have stayed the same, including the
&
Culture
6A
|
Sports
1B
|
THEDAILYILLINI Classifieds
4B
|
Sudoku
4B