Issuu

SCALING MOUNT ST. HELENS

Lucky number seven on Signing Day

Parkland geology instructor shares volcano experience at planetarium presentation.

Beckman earns No. 7 Big Ten recruiting class with three key commitments. SPORTS, 1B

LIFE & CULTURE, 6A

THURSDAY February 5, 2015

THE DAILY ILLINI 5he independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

16˚ | 12˚

Vol. 144 Issue 52

FREE

Gov. Rauner gives State of the State address BY JOSH WINTERS STAFF WRITER

Governor Bruce Rauner delivered his State of the State address Wednesday, outlining his policy agenda, which he described as “bold, aggressive and comprehensive.” “Today marks a new beginning for Illinois ,” Rauner said. “Last November, voters made it clear they want a bipartisan government. They want a government where people come together to solve problems and get things done.” Rauner’s address focused largely on job creation and business retention, tax reform, workers’ compensation, improving education quality and shrinking government bureaucracy. Absent from the address, however, was any mention

of Illinois’ ongoing pension crisis. To foster job growth and competition in Illinois, Rauner said workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and liability costs must be restructured to reduce costs on businesses while still providing fair treatment for employees. “Working together, we can create a common sense system that protects and fairly compensates those who are injured on the job, while also assuring that both public and private employers are not overburdened by an irrational system,” Rauner said. Rauner also advocated for diversity quotas for publicly-contracted unions and the creation of a Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Program to encourage

Gov. Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda”

Here are some of the policy proposals Rauner hopes to accomplish in his first term. To view the full plan, visit the story online.

Economic Growth and Jobs Package

- Pass a phased-in minimum wage increase of 25 cents every year for seven years - Restructure the motor fuel tax to appropriately invest in infrastructure - Create a Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Program

RAUNER minority entrepreneurs to create new businesses. On the issue of state minimum wage, Rauner voiced his support for increasing the hourly rate to $10 an hour by 25 cents annually over the next seven years

SEE RAUNER | 3A

to assist minority entrepreneurs in startups throughout Illinois

Student and Career Success Package

- Increase state support for pre-K-12 education, especially for low-income families - Initiate statewide task force to analyze the challenges of teenage pregnancy and the loss of two-parent families - Eliminate unnecessary testing and institute a rigorous K-12 student growth measure, using ACT and other national metrics

Taxpayer Empowerment and Government Reform Package - Preserve a fair and flat income tax by protecting low-income families with an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit, and provide additional exemption relief to working families - Pursue permanent pension relief through a constitutional amendment - Reform the criminal code to ensure sentences (in proportion to) the severity of the crime, and reduce penalties for non-violent offenses

SOURCE: THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Vicente Mundo memorial set for Saturday in Chicago

Jocks get down for a good cause

BY CHARLOTTE COLLINS STAFF WRITER

BRENTON TSE THE DAILY ILLINI

The men’s gymnastics team performs their skit for the annual Jock Jams event, held at Foellinger Auditorium on Wednesday. Jock Jams is a student-athlete talent show that raises money for charities.

The family of Vicente Mundo is calling his memorial service a “celebration” of his life. Saturday’s 10 a.m. memorial will be held at Curie Metropolitan High School in Chicago, which Mundo attended. His sister, Julieta LaMalfa, said the family is still working through logistics but is aiming to have it this weekend to give friends from Champaign and family from Mexico a chance to attend the memorial. “We’ve been very lucky that the high school has

offered to host it,” LaMalfa said. “All the teachers have been passing around pictures of him. He was really involved with the school, so a lot of the teachers still remember him fondly.” An account was created on GoFundMe on Tuesday, asking for $5,000 to host a funeral procession. By press time, more than $7,000 was raised. LaMalfa said the family will be donating the rest of the funds to LostNMissing Inc, an organization that helps families find missing persons.

SEE MEMORIAL | 3A

Learning the harsh reality of homelessness BY SARAH FOSTER STAFF WRITER

Cardboard boxes will line the sidewalks of downtown Champaign on Friday, as public figures and ChampaignUrbana citizens spend “One Winter Night” outside to simulate utter homelessness. “What can be more of a statement than that?” said Melany Jackson, executive director of C-U at Home. “Cardboard boxes are the stereotype of homelessness, and being downtown where there are businesses and normal foot-traffic, it’s definitely a talking point.” Jackson said a forecasted low of 32 degrees is not enough to stop the event’s fourth year, as well as the lessons that it teaches. “The first year I stayed in

One Winter Night 2015 schedule

5:30 p.m. - “Law Enforcement and Homelessness,”Urbana Police Department 6 p.m. - “Mental Health and Homelessness,” Community Elements

a box, it was miserable: 38 degrees, rained the entire night and sustained winds. (I) went home; took a hot shower. Then, climbing in that bed, tears just hit that pillow, knowing that people don’t have that,” Jackson said. “If it’s colder, we’ll shut things down at midnight, but that says something. What would

DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS

INSIDE

6:30 p.m. “Children/Youth and Homelessness,” Crisis Nursery and Roundhouse 7 p.m. - “Sheltering vs. Transitional Housing,” TIMES Center 7:30 p.m. - “One Man’s Story from Sheltered to Sheltering Others,” C-U

at Home 8 p.m. - “Panhandling and Homelessness,” City of Champaign and Partnering Against Homelessness 8:30 p.m. - “Women and Homelessness,” Courage Connection

you do if you didn’t have a place to go?” Though the freezing conditions are expected to return this year, Jackson is bringing new additions to the event. This year, the event will sponsor new presentations about homelessness from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Champaign City Council Cham-

bers, which are viewable by participants and the general public. There, displays from various community organizations will also be available. Along the streets, boxdwellers will have homelessness fact sheets to handout, regarding C-U at Home’s var-

@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS

SEE WINTER | 3A

THEDAILYILLINI

SARAH SOENKE THE DAILY ILLINI

Edward and Hannah Howelt serve as volunteers during C-U at Home’s One Winter Night on Feb. 21, 2014.

@THEDAILYILLINI

THEDAILYILLINI