The Daily Illini: Volume 143 Issue 81

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DOES THE NFL COMBINE TRULY REFLECT A PLAYER’S ABILITY ON THE FIELD? POINT-COUNTERPOINT, 1B

MORE THAN RAGGEDY ANN Nnanna Egwu’s increased aggressiveness making a difference for Illini

SPORTS, 1B

TUESDAY February 25, 2014

Staff writer Declan spends 10 hours with Urbana firefighters What goes on during a typical day for Engine 24?

LIFE & CULTURE, 6A

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

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Rally demands trans-inclusive insurance plan for next year BY MEGAN JONES STAFF WRITER

A proposal to add gender confi rmation surgery to next year’s student health insurance plan was passed on to the University Board of Trustees — but not without reservations. At Monday’s Audit, Budget, Finance and Facilities committee meeting, in which the plan was passed, several committee members voiced concerns regarding the proposal. Concerns regarding medical ethics rose to the forefront of discussion as committee members discussed the permanent effects of the surgery and their uncertainty that 18-year-olds would be able to make such a decision. Additionally, members had reservations regarding the opinions of the parents of students. Committee members were also worried that 99.9 percent of the student body will not use the surgery and that some of that same percentage may be morally opposed to it. Stephanie Skora, president of Campus Union for Trans* Equality and Support (CUT*ES), and Justin Ostrowski , senior in LAS, joined the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs’ Student Insurance Advisory Committee in October in their efforts to add gender confi rmation surgery coverage to the student heath insurance plan, which has been a major goal for the CUT*ES this year. According to a presentation during the committee meeting, the cost of the plan will rise 14.6 percent if the proposal is approved — a $37 increase summing $291 for undergraduates. Graduate students will see a $48 increase for a total of $376. Student Trustee Mike Cunningham said the gender confi rmation surgery would contribute 0.9 percentage points to the rise. The surgery alone increases health insurance costs by $2.44 per student per semester and is uncapped, Ostrowski said. Skora added that hormones are covered in the current health insurance plan if the student was prescribed by a doctor. “If I went to somebody on the street and said, ‘Would you pay $3 to save a life?’ an over-

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Crowds of students gather at the Quad at 3 p.m. Monday in anticipation for Ellen Degeneres’ big surprise. Students are dressed in costumes of all types and are sitting on shoulders in an attempt to see what Ellen has in store.

Ellen Degeneres presents gifts to several UI costumed students on Quad STAFF WRITER

uperheroes and villains, princesses and gladiators, fish and gorillas all braved the below freezing weather and gusty winds to gather on the Quad and take part in a promotion hosted by Ellen DeGeneres on Monday afternoon. Ellen asked attendees via Twitter to arrive at 3 p.m. dressed as their favorite movie characters for a promotion inspired by the upcoming Oscars. A live conversation with Ellen via satellite to a television set up on the Quad began at around 4:30 p.m. A few dressed-up people, chosen by Ellen’s staff, were invited to show off their costumes and asked to recite a line from the fi lm their costume was inspired by. A video of the event will be included in Wednesday’s epi-

sode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.� Tad Logullo, sophomore in Engineering, won the competition with his rendition of Heath Ledger’s Joker. His prize: a ticket to Ellen’s studio in Burbank, Calif., for her post-Oscars show on Monday, March 3. “The makeup took me about 30 minutes (to do), so I skipped class for it,� Logullo said. Logullo wasn’t the only student who skipped class to attend the event. Zade Hameed, sophomore in Engineering, said he skipped ECE 110 to attend the promotion. “It’s pretty much, if you want to be an electrical engineer, you need to go to that class. You can’t miss any lectures,� he said. “I was going to be here for five minutes and leave, then I got stuck.� It was nearly impossible not to get stuck in the crowd, as nearly

BRENTON TSE THE DAILY ILLINI

A representative from The Ellen DeGeneres Show speaks to the participants that were picked from the crowd before leading them back towards the “stage� during a surprise event on the Quad. 4,500 people huddled together on the Quad at the peak of the event, according to the production team. Some people travelled as far as two hours to attend. While not everyone could win a trip to California, a handful of other costume-wearers won

prizes such as a laptop, a PlayStation, an Xbox, a tablet and a couple $500 American Express gift cards.

Eli can be reached at ejmurra2@dailyillini.com and @eli_mur.

Unions legally empower faculty BY MARYCATE MOST STAFF WRITER

After spending six years as a member of the University of Florida Faculty Senate, Oscar Crisalle didn’t feel his voice was being heard by the administration. “The Senate is advisory,� said Crisalle. “The union has the force of the law behind it.� Crisalle, University of Florida Engineering professor and United Faculty of Florida vice president, visited the Grainger Engineering Library on Monday to discuss unionization with College of Engineering faculty and staff. Crisalle emphasized the legal power that

unionization has provided faculty at University of Florida and described this leverage as key to maintaining the quality of higher education. “We have access (to administrators),� Crisalle said. “You don’t have access. You will be out there in the lobby, waiting until they can talk to you.� The Campus Faculty Association invited Crisalle to speak to inform Engineering professors about the potential outcomes of unionization. Recently, the CFA has gathered support for unionization by going door-to-door around campus, speaking with faculty

and staff about the benefits of unionization. The next step toward unionizing would be for the CFA to ask faculty to sign union cards, said CFA Vice President Rick Laugesen. If more than 50 percent of faculty sign the cards, the campus would unionize. During his presentation, Crisalle cited scenarios in which the union has been helpful to certain faculty at the University of Florida, referencing professors who have published research or books while working at the university. “At the University of Florida, the university gets 50 percent of the royalties and the rest is dis-

tributed among faculty and graduate researchers,� he said. “That (percentage) is all negotiated in an agreement, and I have the right to negotiate that agreement.� However, not all University of Illinois faculty members believe that faculty unionization is a possibility. “The University owes me half a million dollars in unclaimed teaching money, and I don’t expect to get any of it because we don’t have a union here, so I think I have been screwed over for 28 years,� said Engineering lecturer Richard

SEE UNION | 3A

University to educate students on smoking ban BY JESSICA RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Change is still underway after the University became a smokefree campus on Jan. 1, as the University’s Wellness Center will train the first round of smoke-free student ambassadors on Friday. The student ambassadors will learn about the details regarding the ban including available resources and how to enforce the policy in a diplomatic manner, said Michele Guerra, director of the Wellness Center. Students interested in becoming ambassadors must go through a hiring process for the unpaid volunteer position. If chosen, they will be responsible for promoting the policy; however, Guerra said everyone should participate. “Everybody should feel empow-

ered to let (smokers) know that this is a smoke-free campus,� she said. There are nicotine replacement therapy stations provided by the Illinois Tobacco Quitline throughout the campus to help those who want to quit. “There are a lot of support mechanisms provided for students,� Guerra said. Additionally, the smoke-free campus website includes a campus map that shows smoke-free boundaries and the location of eight different nicotine replacement stations that have been set up since Jan. 1. University administration is not the only party that has adopted this policy in the Urbana-Champaign community, either.

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Student ambassadors contacted Michele Guerra, director of the University’s Wellness Center Q Students were required to send in their resumes and cover letters Q They were later contacted for an interview with Guerra and Sarah Sommer, Smokefree assistant Q Closed training will take place Feb. 28 for volunteer student ambassadors who have been hired Q The next round of smokeQ

SEE SMOKING | 3A

DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS

INSIDE

Hiring process for smokefree student ambassadors

free ambassador search will begin after spring break

Horoscopes

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Opinions

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Letters

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Crossword

SEE GENDER | 3A

STAFF WRITER

At a rally outside of the Audit, Budget, Finance and Facilities meeting, Carol Ammons, candidate for the 103rd state representative race and Urbana City Council member, spoke in support of adding gender confirmation surgery to the student health insurance plan. Ammons had already planned to attend the event before Justin Ostrowski, senior in LAS and proponent of the addition, invited her to speak. “I was part of the civil union organizing, I was also a part of the county board when we passed the resolution for civil unions,� she said. “But I’ve been supportive of our community — all of our

Members of the community are encouraged to complete a Smoke-Free Campus noncompliance form on their website Q The option is provided for an individual or for a general location Q

Feedback

The Wellness Center welcomes feedback on how to better promote the smoke-free campus policy Q

SOURCE: MICHELE GUERRA, UI WELLNESS CENTER AND CAMPUS RECREATION

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Life

Q Listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-5) Q Arises when a person feels uncomfortable in the gender they were assigned at birth Q The only treatment is transition through hormone therapy or related surgery, which includes counseling Q For many, hormones are the first step as it changes voice, alters body hair, changes fat distribution and stops menstrual cycle for men Q If untreated, gender dysphoria causes severe mental health issues and is linked to suicide rates of 41 percent Source: American Psychiatric Association

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community — for a long time.� In her speech, Ammons highlighted the importance of equal coverage for everyone. “I don’t believe it is my responsibility to tell you what your medical needs are, nor is it your responsibility to tell me what mine are. But we know that we have specific needs as different genders, different people, different cultures and different ethnicities,� she said. “And all of those should be able to be covered by our health insurance. That’s the responsibility of our officials.� Ammons is running against Sam Rosenberg in the primary scheduled for March 18.

Eleanor can be reached at eablack2@dailyillini.com.

@THEDAILYILLINI

THEDAILYILLINI 5A

Gender dysphoria’s only treatment: transition

Ammons speaks in support of rally BY ELEANOR BLACK

Non-Compliance Forms

@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS

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SADIE TEPER THE DAILY ILLINI

BY ELI MURRAY

0RUH RQOLQH To hear the chants and see the signs of the demonstration, watch the video at www.DailyIllini.com.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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The Daily Illini is the independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The newspaper is published by the Illini Media Co. The Daily Illini does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University of Illinois administration, faculty or students. All Illini Media Co. and/or Daily Illini articles, photos and graphics are the property of Illini Media Co. and may not be reproduced or published without written permission from the publisher. Editor-in-chief

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Night system staff for today’s paper Night editor: Darshan Patel Photo night editor: Joseph Lee Copy editors: Sari Lesk, Natalie Leoni, Summer Burbridge, Kevin Gibbons, Johnathan Hettinger, Manny Chituru Designers: Toreey Butner, Daniel Chung, Sadie Teper, Keely Reiwick Page transmission: Harry Durden

POLICE

WEATHER

Champaign

University

Q Criminal damage to property was reported to the Acacia house, 302 E. Armory Ave., around 2:30 p.m. Sunday. According to the report, an unknown suspect broke a window at the fraternity. Q Burglary from motor vehicle was reported in the 300 block of East Armory Avenue around 12:30 p.m. Sunday. According to the report, four cars in a parking garage were broken into and had a window broken out. All the vehicles were locked. Q A 23-year-old male was arrested on the charges of domestic dispute and domestic disturbance in the 2400 block of North Neil Street around 2:30 a.m. Monday. According to the report, the victim and suspect were involved in a domestic dispute and the suspect was arrested.

Q Theft was reported at the Campus Recreation Center East, 1102 W. Gregory Dr., around 11:30 a.m. Friday. According to the report, a student reported that someone had stolen his backpack, which had been left in an unsecured locker. The backpack and its contents have an estimated value of $250. Q A 49-year-old male was arrested near Lincoln Avenue and Green Street on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court around 1:30 p.m. Saturday. According to the report, the man was arrested on the LaSalle County warrant after being pulled over for a traffic violation.

Urbana Theft was reported in the 1900 block of North Lincoln

Compiled by Miranda Holloway

BY NANCY BLACK

beauty arises.

TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)

TODAY‘S BIRTHDAY

Today is a 7 — Your input makes a difference. Support your partner. Postpone a trip. Use your common sense regarding changes at work. Keep digging for the clue, and work together. Test your hypothesis. Family comes first.

considerations. Make secret plans for a jump on the competition. Postpone travel for a day or two. Craft a message expressing the heart of the endeavor.

Q

HOROSCOPES

For success at work and home this year, take disciplined actions. Seldom has your creativity been so inspired, especially through August, as career gets lifted to a new level. Balance between work and family with organization, communication and partnership. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) Today is an 8 — A new income possibility arises with creative inspiration. Stick to practical goals, and take quiet action. Stay home and handle important homework behind the scenes. Don’t drop out exercise and health routines. Create something of beauty.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) Today is a 6 — Don’t make a promise you won’t keep. Don’t avoid promising from fear of failure, though. If you’re going to risk, make sure it’s worth it. Get support, for a wider view. Self-discipline, plus your big heart, earns success. Today is a 7 — Stick to basics. Don’t gamble or speculate. Consider the effort involved. Do the homework. Don’t be late for a family affair. Keep confidences. Circumstances play a big role in your decisions. Find balance and harmony.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18)

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) Today is a 6 — Creative collaboration thrives. Together, you see farther. Gather essential facts, supplies and an articulate message. Call an experienced friend, for private advice. Simplify your routine. Apply discipline to what you love, and discover the sweet spot.

Today is a 6 — Put your heads together to get to the bottom of a situation. A revelation leads to proposed changes. With responsibility comes strength. Avoid risk and travel. Put your heart into your work, play by the rules and

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) Today is a 6 — An opportunity arises for your group. Listen to all

Today is an 8 — Follow a hunch to avoid possible breakdowns. Don’t give away all you know. Spend carefully, and budget to bring a passion project to life. Change your tune, and sing in harmony with creative partners. Today is an 8 — Rely on someone stable to discover the missing piece. Apply self-discipline to distractions. Assume authority, and put your heart into it. Do a good job, despite annoyances. You’re getting wiser. Encourage love and harmony.

Today is a 6 — Link up with a creative partner to get to the heart of the project. Consider all possibilities, and think huge! Let your passion flavor the work. No shortcuts... follow all steps, and polish carefully.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20)

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21)

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19)

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) Periodical postage paid at Champaign, IL 61821. The Daily Illini is published Mondays through Thursdays during University of Illinois fall and spring semesters, and Mondays in summer. New Student Guide and Welcome Back Edition are published in August. First copy is free; each additional copy is 50 cents. Local, U.S. mail, out-oftown and out-of-state rates available upon request.

Avenue around 9 p.m. Sunday. According to the report, the victim called to report the theft of her phone. Q An 18-year-old male was arrested on the charge of trespassing at Carle Hospital, 611 W. Park St., around 7 a.m. Monday. According to the report, the man was banned from the hospital the day before. When he refused to leave, he was taken into custody. Q Criminal damage to property was reported in the 200 block of West Main Street around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. According to the report, an unknown offender broke the window on a victim’s vehicle with a brick. Nothing appeared to be taken or missing from the vehicle.

Today is a 6 — Plan your road ahead. Consider well being, health and family. Take on a project that inspires. Do it for love, not money (although that could come). Your past work speaks well for you. Keep it cost-effective. Create beauty. Express your love.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) Today is a 6 — Taking on more responsibility leads to fatter account balances. Dress for the part. Practice your art. Something you try doesn’t work. Get help from family and friends. New possibilities open up. Let your light shine.

HOW TO CONTACT US TUESDAY 25Ëš | 1Ëš Mostly Cloudy

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CORRECTIONS In the Feb. 24, 2014, edition of The Daily Illini, the article “13th district by the issues� incorrectly attributed Erika Harold’s quote on the environment to Michael Firsching, and incorrectly attributed Firching’s quote on minimum wage to Harold. In the Feb. 24, 2014, edition of The Daily Illini, the article “13 district by the issues� misspelled George Gollin’s name as George Collins. The Daily Illini regrets the errors. When we make a mistake, we will correct it in this place. We strive for accuracy, so if you see an error in the paper, please contact Editor-in-Chief Darshan Patel at (217) 337-8365.

Corrections: If you think something has been incorrectly reported, please call Editor-in-Chief Darshan Patel at (217) 337-8365. Online: If you have a question about DailyIllini.com or The Daily Illini’s social media outlets, please email our Web editor Folake Osibodu at online@dailyillini.com. On-air: If you have comments or questions about The Daily Illini’s broadcasts on WPGU-FM 107.1, please email our managing editors, Maggie Huynh and Ryan Weber, at onair@dailyillini.com. Employment: If you would like to work for the newspaper’s editorial department, please fill out our form or email employment @dailyillini.com. News: If you have a news tip, please call news editor Lauren Rohr at (217) 337-8345 or email news@ dailyillini.com. Calendar: If you want to submit events for publication in print and online, visit the217.com. Sports: If you want to contact the sports staff, please call sports editor Eliot Sill at (217) 337-8344 or email sports@dailyillini.com. Life & Culture: If you have a tip for a Life & Culture story, please call features editor Alison Marcotte at (217) 337-8343 or email features@ dailyillini.com. Photo: If you have any questions about photographs or to suggest photo coverage of an event, please call photo editor Brenton Tse at (217) 337-8560 or email photo@ dailyillini.com. Letters to the editor: Letters are 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. The Daily Illini reserves the right to edit or reject any contributions. Email opinions@ dailyillini.com with the subject “Letter to the Editor.�

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THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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Black proposal leads to Golden Goose Award BY ALEX SWANSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Feb. 15, 2014, the Association of American Universities recognized Dr. Larry Smarr with the Golden Goose Award for his work as a physicist at the University in the 1980s. At the time, Smarr was primarily studying black holes but felt he didn’t have the full research resources he needed to effectively do so. After speaking with his colleagues who had similar problems, Smarr recognized that there was a widespread need for greater computing power at the University. As a result, Smarr and seven cosponsors submitted the Black Proposal, named after the color of its cover, to the National Science Foundation in 1983. In the proposal, Smarr stated that the United States had fallen behind Europe in terms of computing power, causing many American intellectuals to be forced to leave the country in search

of more accessible and afford- fits for society. This award has able computing power. recognized research that led to He argued that the Univer- diabetes medication, a kidney sity needed a governmentally donor matching program and funded computing center so laser technology. that researchers wouldn’t need Smarr’s proposal caused to apply for grant money just the federal grant to fund the to have comNational Cenputer time. If ter for Superhis proposal computing was approved, A p pl i c a t i o n s this computing a nd consecenter would quent ly t he bec ome the world’s first fi rst of its kind web browser, in a United without which States academthe world today ic environment. would be very In response different. to S m a r r ’s LARRY SMARR Although GOLDEN GOOSE WINNER supercomputproposal, the ing was not his National Cenmain research ter for Supercomputing Applications was focus at the time, Smarr said created at the University. the founding of NCSA had a The Golden Goose Award is significant effect on the way meant to honor research from research was conducted at the the last 60 years that has had University. major and unintended bene“We were a national center,

“People from all over the country that would come in over the Internet and use the computer.”

for this University system, and there is an international eye on this institution,” Skora said. “There’s a precedent. (Not passing this) is whelming amount of them would say yes,” said Skora, a trans* against the University’s nonjunior in LAS. “These surgeries discrimination statement.” Ostrowski added that “moralare the only way to correct the gender dysphoria that people ity, in this case, is a mask for have and are an essential part discrimination.” “First of all, gender confi rof actually being able to continmation surgery would never be ue their lives.” More than 140 students gath- done unless it is deemed medered outside the committee ically necessary by a physimeeting, holding signs and yell- cian,” Romano said. “And if a ing chants as they held a dem- person needs that surgery and onstration to show that students they don’t get it, that could lead to very serious stand behind consequencinclusive health es, not the care. least of which To help is depression counter the 20 or suicide. So degree temI think that it peratures, is, for some of Chip Austin, our students, a trans* gradan equity issue uate student, and a social returned after justice issue.” a brief absence The student with a warm STEPHANIE SKORA health insurcup of coffee. PRESIDENT OF CUT*ES a nce pla n The drink cost is t y pic a l ly $2.34, which updated every he emphasized is only 10 cents less than the six years; however, the plan has undergone review because surgery fee. “It’s a very, very small addi- the addition of more benefits is tional fee to include this cover- required by the Affordable Care age, and we don’t see why any- Act. The current insurance plan one would oppose it,” Skora said. will expire at the end of this “We’ve tried to educate the peo- academic year. Cunningham said a common ple who would be opposed, but misconception is that because they haven’t listened to us.” After the Board of Trustees it is reviewed every six years, approved the surgery for the the board needs to add it right University’s Chicago campus in now. He said the surgery can be May, students began to wonder added at any time later on and why the Urbana campus does that this would not be the only not offer similar benefits, said opportunity. Within the Student Insurance Vice Chancellor for Student Advisory Committee, the facAffairs Renee Romano. “We are a fl agship institution ulty members, including the

FROM 1A

GENDER

“These surgeries are the only way to correct the gender dysphoria that people have . . .”

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SMOKING Mike Doyle, executive director at the University YMCA, said they adopted a similar policy in an effort to be consistent with the University’s code. The decision came about after discussion last fall regarding what the impact would be to the YMCA after the campus went smoke-free. It is still too early to say that a lot has changed since the campus went smoke-free, Guerra said. The University’s goal right now is to get the word out. Announcements are made during events to let attendees know that they are not allowed to smoke. The rule is now also incorporated in rental agreements for renting University property. Nathan Mei, junior in ACES, said despite the ban, he still has seen community members smoking. He believes the non-compliance is due to students not receiving a punishment for their actions. “They smoke because they don’t care,” Mei said. “I don’t think it’s possible for them not to know the campus is smoke-free with all the signs and constant reminders. If they were fined, I think it would

director of McKinley Health Center, supported trans* coverage unanimously. However, problems arose when Skora and Ostrowski realized that the Audit, Budget, Finance and Facilities Committee, a sub-committee to the Board of Trustees, could potentially strip the surgery from the plan. “There are certain people on this committee that oppose this coverage and want to tell the board not to approve it and the board listens to them very closely,” Skora said. “Their voice will be weighed very heavily.” Ostrowski began to worry when he heard Cunningham held reservations. Cunningham said he was concerned that there is not enough student support and he was made aware of the addition only five days before the meeting, which the committee had been planning since the end of last school year. “Students have no idea that this is going on. I’ve talked to the students who sit on the Student Health Advisory Board (of McKinley Health Center) had no idea that this was being brought in front of the Board of Trustees,” Cunningham said. “My fear is that there is not enough student involvement. If this issue is that important, which I think it is and the trans* community thinks it is, then there’s a lack of understanding to me why these conversations didn’t begin in August.” Other schools within the Big Ten that already have gender confi rmation surgery include the University of Michigan, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Northwestern University, Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University.

be different.” Although the University student code has not yet been amended, students are still obligated to follow all University student codes and policies, said Renée Romano, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. Guerra and Romano both said they are using experiences gathered from other Universities that have implemented similar policies to guide them here at the University. “What we’re trying to do is change a culture — not just enforce a rule,” Guerra said. Following spring break, temporary signs will be posted near the most non-compliant areas reminding members of the campus community of the smoke-free campus policy, Guerra said. When considering what the future holds for the University’s smoke-free policy, Mei believes new students should be well-educated and informed. “I think there should be explicit information provided to new students educating them about the smoke-free policy,” he said. “If new students aren’t educated then the hard work from the University will go unnoticed.”

Jessica can be reached at jramos34@ dailyillini.com.

so we had people from all over the country that would come in over the Internet and use the computer,” Smarr said. “On the campus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, we had several hundred faculty members, students and staff who logged on and did something. It made quite an enormous impact on the research for a very broad set of faculty on the campus.” Peter Wolynes, a cosponsor of the Black Proposal and professor in the Department of Chemistry at Rice University, echoed Smarr’s comments, saying that the NCSA “allowed us to recruit first-rate computational scientists, many of whom are still there.” Barry Toiv, vice president for public affairs for the Association of American Universities, described the uniqueness of this award. “This award is not only about great science or research. It’s

about telling the story about how science works — you can’t predict where science is going to go,” Toiv said. “It’s also about sending a message to policy makers and to the public that sometimes odd-sounding research will be funded, and it doesn’t mean it’s not important or that it won’t lead to great things.” Anyone is able to make a Golden Goose Award nomination through its website , though self-nominations are not permitted. The research must have been federally funded or funded by grants and had a large societal benefit. The research must also have seemed unusual at the time it was conducted. Both research teams and individuals can be nominated, and nominations can occur after nominees have died. A panel of accomplished scientists and engineers will review the strongest candidates before selecting the awardees, who are

PHOTO COURTESY OF LARRY SMARR

able to attend a ceremony on Capitol Hill. Smarr is a Computer Science and Engineering professor at the University of California, San Diego.

Alex can be reached at amswans2@dailyillini.com.

MEGAN JONES THE DAILY ILLINI

Carol Ammons, Urbana City Council member and candidate for the Illinois General Assembly 103rd District, and Justin Ostrowski, senior in LAS, stood with demonstrators outside the Audit, Budget, Finance and Facilities meeting, where committee members were discussing whether to include gender confirmation surgery to the student health insurance plan. “One of the arguments being made in opposition to the coverage is that it’s just a small number of students who are pushing this through back alleys and through administrative committees — that the student body isn’t actually behind this,”

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UNION Keane. “They’ve been blowing smoke for years about unions here and I don’t think they are going to do anything at all. I think it’s all fluff — I think it’s all smoke and mirrors.” Professors Nick Burbules, Jeff Brown and Joyce Tolliver issued a statement on Jan. 24 asking faculty to reconsider what unionization would mean for the University before deciding to sign a union card. In a earlier interview, Brown said the shared governance system has served its purpose at the University. “We have a very strong system of faculty governance on this campus,” Brown said. “Our leadership has been very inclusive of faculty concerns on a wide range of issues — I see virtually no ben-

Skora said. “That’s not true. Student body is overwhelming behind this.” The board will discuss approving the proposed plan at its March 6 meeting. Ostrowski plans to continue promoting an online petition, which has more

than 2,400 signatures, and will be sent to the board. A similar demonstration will be held during the board meeting.

efit and a lot of potential negatives (to unionization).” Burbules and Brown said their main concern is that “premier faculty” who oppose unionization may be inclined to leave if faculty unionize. “Unionizing the faculty would require every faculty member to be represented by the union and pay dues — even if they did not support the union itself,” Burbules said. Burbules said those who oppose unionization have not had the opportunity to voice that concern. “There is a real groundswell of concern and opposition that is growing and it has happened very quickly,” he said. “We are doing this not out of our concerns, but because there are hundreds of faculty who don’t have any means of expressing their concern.” CFA hopes to convince faculty that negotiating through collec-

tive bargaining will give them a stronger voice among administration, specifically regarding matters such as staff benefits, hiring procedures, campus policy-making and negotiating grievances. Laugesen clarified one of Crisalle’s points, explaining that the rights to both negotiate with administrators and control course content would still be voiced through the UrbanaChampaign Senate. “The union contract would guarantee that those rights reside with the faculty through the faculty senate,” Laugesen said. Crisalle was clear on the message he wanted University faculty to hear. “Control your destiny,” he said. “Don’t let the administrators make the decisions for you.”

Megan can be reached at majones5@dailyillini.com and @meganash_jones.

MaryCate can be reached at most2@dailyillini.com and @marycate_most.

‘Choking’ smog becomes worse for Beijing residents BY STUART LEAVENWORTH MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

BEIJING — China’s capital region remained swathed Monday in a cloud of choking smog, prompting a rise in hospital visits and sales of indoor air purifiers and reports of rare industry shutdowns. China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection on Sunday dispatched inspection teams to shut down and fine polluting industries in the region, and there were reports that regulators had idled a major concrete kiln and other factories outside Beijing. But the shutdowns did little to end a four-day bout of heavy particulate smog. Nor are they likely to ameliorate skepticism among residents and outside experts about China’s commitment to environmental protection. Alex Wang, who teaches law at the University of California, Los Angeles, said China had extensive environmental laws on the books and an increasingly sophisticated ability to monitor sources of smog. “The problem is not a lack of knowledge about pollution sources,” said Wang, who previously headed the Beijing office of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Rather, the problem is that environmental regulators lack sufficient authority to deter polluters

from violating the law.” Beijing’s 5 million vehicles are an increasing contributor to the city’s air pollution, but the biggest sources are thought to be industries, smelters and utilities outside the city that use coal as a power source. On Beijing’s worst days, the smell of coal soot hangs heavy in the air. At 6 p.m. Monday, the air monitor at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing reported that levels of so-called PM 2.5 contaminants — fine particles produced by coal burning that pose the worst risk to human health — had topped 400 micrograms per cubic meter. That’s about 16 times higher than the World Health Organization deems safe, and about five times higher than recent soot levels in Los Angeles. Beijing’s recent smog bout started more than a week ago and intensified Friday, when authorities issued a code orange alert, reserved for heavy smog that lasts for at least three consecutive days. It was the first time authorities had issued such an alert since they established the color-code system — with red reserved for the absolute worst conditions — last October. While Beijing residents are accustomed to periods of filthy air every winter, the latest pall is testing the patience of many in

the city. “Beijing’s air is so bad,” one Beijing blogger, Ming Hui, wrote on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. “What are the relevant government departments doing? ... Should enterprises and businesses that emit pollutants buy air purifiers for the people?” According to a report Sunday in the Beijing Morning Post, the number of people going to the respiratory wards of various hospitals in the city has increased 20 percent to 50 percent since Friday. On the street Monday, pedestrians outfitted in masks were far more visible than the week before, although a large number — mainly men — wore no protection and could be seen enjoying the outdoors by lighting up cigarettes. Health-minded Beijingers have good reason to be skeptical about continuing official pledges to protect their lungs. While China has shown that it can clamp down on emissions — it did during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing — the government’s ambitious industrial growth targets, powered by the world’s largest consumption of coal, trump its environmental goals. And far too often, Wang and other experts say, the government doesn’t want to risk blowback from industries or even citizens by enforcing environmental laws.

During the recent Chinese New Year celebrations, for instance, Beijing warned that it would ban fireworks if the resulting smoke might contribute to already unsafe smog levels. On Feb. 14, the final day of the celebrations, no such ban was ordered, even though conditions were smoggy. That night, Beijing was ablaze with fireworks and smoke. Within a few hours, levels of fine particulates spiked above 400 micrograms per cubic meter. China’s widely publicized pollution is blamed for a drop in tourism last year, and industries facing shutdowns on smoggy days complain that they can’t remain competitive. Yet the smog appears to be good for one industry: businesses that sell air purifiers. Staterun China National Radio, quoting a store employee, reported Monday that sales of the machines had tripled at one Beijing electronics store in the last few days. More than one Weibo blogger on Monday extolled the benefits of using air purifiers, which can cost more than 15,000 yuan — $2,500 — in major Chinese cities. “Now I’m sitting in front of it and breathing in as much as I can,” wrote Pink Lipstick 2011. “I want to squeeze out the haze I breathed in the lungs yesterday, and put fresh air in.”

STUART LEAVENWORTH MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

China’s landmark CCTV buiiding, where state television is housed, could barely be seen in this photo of pedestrians walking near the Guomao subway station in Beijing on Monday. The CCTV building is one of the city’s most recognized pieces of architecture.

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Faculty strike deprives students of education they deserve

Quick Commentary delivers bits of relevant and important issues on campus or elsewhere. We write it, rate it and stamp it. When something happens that we are not pleased with: DI Denied. When something happens that we like: Alma Approved.

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egarding the faculty strike at the University of Illinois’ Chicago campus last week, nothing has really changed — so far. The members of the UIC faculty union walked out for two days after months of little progress and a legally filed intent to strike. The walkout affected some classes taught by both tenure-and non-tenure-track faculty. Fortunately, classes taught by graduate students were uninterrupted, and by Thursday, all classes were back in session. As classes continued the next day, the UIC United Faculty union representatives were back at the bargaining table with UIC officials and lawyers. We may not know for a while how the strike leveraged bargaining in favor for the union, but, whatever the outcome, students lost class time that they paid for. Even if the strike worked in favor of the union, a faculty strike on the Urbana campus may not have the same result. The demands by Urbana faculty will be different from those of the Chicago union, and the administration will bring its own set of bargaining chips to the table. Both campuses, though, are asking for increased wages and job security for non-tenure faculty. To hammer out the dispute over faculty wages (especially the pay of the lecturers whose minimum salary is $30,000) at UIC, the union and administration bargained with each other last week and on Monday, and they’ll meet again in a week. We should be clear: We always support a better lifestyle for workers in any industry, and we hope that faculty members on all University of Illinois campuses continue to receive wage increases as they have for years. We do not support faculty members who would neglect their teaching responsibilities as leverage against administration. This may not be the last strike at UIC. Even if the administration and the union come to agreeable terms, the union will demand more; the administration will push back harder. Once you strike, you can’t go back. The animosity lingers, and no amount of handshaking and pleasantries will ever repair the relationship. The strike last week may have been the first of its kind at UIC, but it very well could be the primer for more in the future. Through all the bargaining that will follow, we ask that both sides don’t lose sight of their main mission: providing an education for students. Without competitive wages and job security, the University of Illinois system cannot attract and retain the quality faculty that students deserve. But students can’t be served at all if there is no professor standing at the front of class. And that’s true for both UIC and UIUC.

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$/0$ $33529(' Campus rumbled with anticipation and excitement on Monday as Ellen DeGeneres teased us all with a slew of tweets telling us to be on the Quad at 3 p.m., dressed as our favorite movie characters. As a result, many of us looked like fools as we neglected to wear jackets, sported face paint, carried homemade props and essentially made ourselves look ridiculous for a chance to get on camera. Meanwhile, our assistant editor regrets her statement in her column last week about the “unremarkable� content the Quad Cam shows especially considering that how it provided those of us who didn’t attend a front-row seat in all the action. Although if you’re as short as our editor, you had an hour-long view of the back of people’s heads. Great.

An update on the week’s most creative and unique headlines: “Anne Hathaway, Is That A Pantsuit?� Well, does it look like a pantsuit? Get over yourself, people. She’s a woman, and if she wants to wear pants, she’s gonna do it. If only we saw men brave enough to sport Uggs and crop-tops. “Paula Deen Rides Robert Irvine Like A Bull, Apologizes For Scandal� The true scandal here is a lack of dishes comprised of 90-99 percent butter. “Kim Kardashian Would Like To Show You The Laser Removal Of Her Stretch Marks� When her show has been laser removed, then we can chat about news-worthy stories.

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Monday marked the Season 6 premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race� (if you don’t know what that is, just sashay away). We look forward to seeing some of the country’s finest queens competing for the esteemed title of America’s Drag Superstar. Put your glasses on because some serious shade is about to be thrown around this season. And don’t forget, if you don’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love someone else? Can I get an amen?

As of the last few days, it seems we do not have to ice skate or swim to class anymore! For the first time in what seems like forever, we are able to actually walk to class on the sidewalks in regular shoes without the perpetual fear of slipping and falling and disgracing ourselves in a bout of public humiliation. For a while, we were starting to think those walking conditions were a part of some twisted University version of the Sochi Olympics.

UI should be more transparent with professor evaluations THADDEUS CHATTO Opinions columnist

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ny college student will tell you that registering for classes can be a difficult time. One of the more commonly used tools for registering for classes is referring to ratemyprofessors.com Students can give ratings to their university’s professors on this website and it claims to be “built for college students, by college students.� According to the website, ratemyprofessors. com is the largest online outlet for professor ratings. The user-generated content makes the website the most trafficked site “for quickly researching and rating professors� across the United States. However, I don’t think relying on Ratemyprofessors.com is always a safe bet for registering classes. The information on the website can be helpful for students wanting quick and informal feedback on the professors of their potential courses. But the ratings of professors seem to only take certain aspects into consideration such as a professor’s easiness, clarity and helpfulness. These limited categories don’t provide much validity to justify the ratings given. And the comments and ratings by some students can be irrelevant to a professor’s teaching ability such as indicating a professor’s “hotness.� For some reason, students can rate the “hotness� level of a professor on the website. Although not included in the overall quality rating, regardless, a teacher’s physical appearance should not have influence on his or her ability to educate students. But I guess if you want to take a class with the hottest professor on campus,

you can find out who he or she is on the website. Ratemyprofessors.com can be helpful for those looking for a class to get an easy A, but it should be more than that. The idea of the website should be a tool for students to make informed decisions when picking classes with insightful comments and quantifiable data that students can see. I think the University should make its course evaluation data public and easily accessible to the student body population. It should be as accessible as ratemyprofessors.com is but with better quality of feedback and comments. Currently, the University has its own student course evaluation called the Instructor and Course Evaluation System, more commonly known as ICES forms. These evaluations allow students to give anonymous and honest feedback to professors and the overall quality of the class. Professors see the results of these evaluations, but they have the choice to have the results go public. According to the University’s Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning website, a professor must indicate whether he or she wants the results to be published by the Illinois Student Senate. The ICES data of some professors can be found on the Illinois Student Senate’s website under the ICES data tab. The problem is that I don’t think most students know about this because not all of the professor’s evaluations are on the website. The latest information available is from Spring 2012, where only 46 professors have their ICES forms available to view. Understandably, some professors don’t want their ICES evaluations data published to the public. These professors’ reputations may be tarnished publicly, simply because students bash them on ratemyprofessors.com, for reasons such as being tough graders or assigning large amounts of work. When, in reality, being a tough

grader or assigning lots of work is subjective to the student: Perhaps the teachers’ instruction style and class structure don’t match the students’ learning methods. But that doesn’t change the fact that some of the student evaluations on ratemyprofessors. com are not of high quality and the sample size of students’ ratings are small. For example, I looked at the most rated Communication professor here on campus and that title belongs to Robert McChesney, who teaches courses such as Political Economy and Communication. His overall quality is a 3.6 out of 5.0 and no student rated him as hot. But, the number of ratings is only 30. That is an incredibly small and biased sample of students considering he has taught courses here at the University for several years now. And anyone could add ratings to a professor on ratemyprofessors.com. Although I’m not sure how often it occurs, students that have not taken the course can also submit ratings. The University should look to Temple University, which recently created a new course-rating system. Temple has made public the course and teaching evaluations of all 2,500 professors and instructors at the university. The evaluations are accessible to freshmen and new transfer students as well as all other students who graded their professors during the spring semester. This University needs to make the data of ICES forms available to the students because it can give them better information to select classes. Instead of relying on ratemyprofessors.com, students should have a place to see statistically valid information of professors that match their educational desires.

Thaddeus is a senior in LAS. He can be reached at chatto1@dailyillini.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thaddingham.

Prescription drugs shouldn’t always carry negative stigma STEPHANIE YOUSSEF Opinions columnist

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ast summer, I discovered that I have high cholesterol — it’s a genetic issue that comes from my dad’s side of the family. Since discovering this, I have made significant changes to my eating and exercise habits, but, in addition, I was prescribed a medication to lower cholesterol levels that I will have to take for the rest of my life. Nowadays, there are many stigmas surrounding prescription medications and a certain level of shame that comes with having to take them. This is especially true for young people, who are assumed to be healthy and resilient. I have lost count of how many times I have heard, “Oh, I’m so sorry� or “Oh, but you’re so young,� or have been given a pitiful look after telling someone that I take daily medication. It’s not the fact that my medications come as pills or that I have to take them every day that people find so shocking. I could be taking a general multivitamin pill regularly and nobody would think twice about it. It’s the fact that I am 19 years old and my pills come from a pharmacy in a little orange bottle. This is not to say that I am trying to trivialize prescription medications. Certain treatments come with harsh side effects that severely impair one’s quality of life and should not be taken lightly by the user. However, what I am referring to is the misconception that the need for young people to take medi-

cations is a choice or a sign of weakness as opposed to a biological problem. Most of these stigmas stem from the growing problem of prescription drug abuse by young people and the concerns over growing addiction trends and illegal drug markets. The potential for becoming addicted to a medication when used long-term or the use of drugs by individuals without a written prescription are issues that constantly plague the health industry. The issue of drug abuse is especially true concerning the sharing and selling of psycho-stimulant drugs, like Adderall, on college campuses and the abuse of pain and sleep medications that can be gateways to more serious substances. Adderall, itself, is sometimes seen as unnecessary or harmless because of how it’s talked about, but many young people need it for treating chronic conditions such as ADHD. However, drug abuse is not always the case with prescriptions. In fact, most of the time, it’s not. Unfortunately, the bad reputation given to prescription medications among young people because of abuse still affects those who actually have to take them to treat medical issues. Doctors and paramedics make treatment decisions based on pertinent medical history; if I am ever in need of emergency medical services and paramedics ask my friends if I am on any medications, their answer could influence the medical care I receive. Unfortunately, I, myself, have been conditioned into hiding all of my prescription jars in a drawer whenever my friends come over to avoid being given looks of disapproval or be told for some reason that I am “too young� to be needing medication. Having to take a prescription medication is not a character flaw.

If it is possible for someone like me, under the age of 65, to have high cholesterol, then I should not be seen as “too young� to take the steps necessary to treat the biological condition. At the same time, the fact that I take pills out of a little orange bottle doesn’t necessarily mean that my quality of life is severely damaged — or that I can’t study as well as others can for an exam, or that I can’t play sports as well as others can, or that I can’t go out and have fun. Despite my ability to live a regular life, with the perceptions people have about prescriptions, I am still somehow looked at like glass or like some charity case. A little orange bottle with my name on it doesn’t indicate I am about to shatter. I know some students with asthma who do not carry their inhalers because they would rather risk the onset of an asthma attack than let others know they are taking medicine. There is no reason to look at a student taking medicine like they have some marked functional impairment. By no means should the negative perceptions about prescriptions prevent someone in need of medications from taking them. The solution to this issue begins with people realizing the judgments they may have passed on students carrying around little orange bottles, and being conscious of not continuing to carry those misconceptions. Get educated on the prevalence of young people taking medications for justifiable chronic conditions. Understand that abuse and addiction don’t always follow young people with prescriptions. Also, to students like me with their names on the prescription bottle: Don’t let the fear of stigma prevent you from taking care of your health.

Stephanie is a sophomore in LAS. She can be reached at opinions@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.

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‘Develop a healthier relationship with food’ BY MARA SHAPIRO STAFF WRITER

College kids love their food, and this University’s students are no different. While many students can try to fit all the food groups into their diets, not everyone knows how to effectively. Luckily, the Counseling Center will be putting on a workshop to get students in the know. The workshop, titled “A recipe for a healthier self: developing a healthier relationship with food,� will be held in room 405 of the Illini Union from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Counseling Center Paraprofessionals team will be hosting the workshop. According to Wilson Yip, Paraprofessional team member and senior in LAS, the Counseling Center puts on many diverse, psycho-educational workshops. Paraprofessionals decided to host the workshop, which they also held in 2012, because it coincides with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Students who are a part of the Paraprofessionals organization, a three-semester-long program of psychology classes, came up with the idea to hold the event again. “The relationship with food is a big issue, not only in college, but for everyone else in the world too,� Yip said. Michelle Gao, graduate student in the School of Labor and Employment Relations, is the graduate assistant of the Paraprofessionals organization. She said she believes students should attend the workshop because it includes nonbiased, scientific education. “This workshop, as all CCP workshops do, will approach this topic from a strength-based, holistic and psycho-educational approach,� Gao wrote in an email. Yip explained that the work-

shop will have self-assessments on attendees’ relationships with food. There will be a scoring system as well as discussions on internal factors, such as how age and gender affect eating. Emotional statuses will also be a topic, as well as food restrictions. Beyond these issues, social media’s affects on body images and external factors, such as family and culture, will be a focus. Packets of health-related information will be available for students to take home. Yip acknowledged that many factors that can influence how students perceive food. “Stress affects how we eat and choose food,� he said. “Emotions also have a great affect.� Yip and Rachel Park, fellow Paraprofessionals member and junior in LAS, have been conducting a month and a half’s worth of research on relationships with food.

Signs of an eating disorder include, but are not limited to: Q comments about “feeling fat� or feeling overweight Q weight loss and control of food discussion is a primary focus Q evidence of binge eating Q evidence of purging Q food rituals Q skipping meals Q hiding body with baggy clothes Q excessive exercising Q drinking a lot of water or using excessive amount of mouthwash, mints or gum

How can you help?: Q learn about facts and myths about weight, nutrition

Park said she believes that solely dieting does not make a healthy relationship with food. “College students don’t have time to eat or just gobble it all down,� Park said. Park and Yip’s research delved into studying different cultures and habits when it comes to food, as well as age, gender, mental health and emotions. Yip said culture is a major factor that affects eating style, For example, if a student is used to eating at a certain time while they are at home, it may be hard to adjust to their schedules while in college. Park said that there was no “set way to have a healthy relationship with food,� but that she believes the workshop will help students examine their lifestyles more closely.

Mara can be reached at meshapi2@dailyillini.com.

and exercise Q ask him or her what you can do to help Q be kind and non-judgmental Q ask if he or she would be willing to talk to a professional Q remind him or her that recovery is possible

What not to do: Q Don’t invade his or her privacy Q Don’t ask for weight changes Q Don’t insist that the person eat all of his or her food at the table Q Don’t make food the focus of your conversations Q Don’t offer more advice than you can give

STAFF WRITER

Under Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and a symphony of fireworks, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach passed the Olympic torch to Pyongyang’s mayor, as Bely Mishka, the polar bear Olympic mascot, blew out Sochi’s Olympic flame. And with it died the Olympic furor rife with geopolitics, bad hotel rooms and, most importantly, human rights dilemmas. The games ended well for Russia. They ended up as leaders in both gold and total medals won. President Bach spoke to the world on Sunday as the Winter Olympics in Sochi were drawing to a close, and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for hosting an “excellent� winter games and recognized “a new Russia ... efficient and friendly, open to a new world.� The Russians had never before hosted a winter Olympics, hosting only one summer Olympics as the now-defunct USSR. When the location of the games was selected seven years ago, nobody expected a Russian history lesson. However, this is exactly what happened. The world wanted to give Russia a chance to showcase itself. This was an Olympic games run by a widely considered autocratic ruler with an agenda. This time around, the stubborn fifth Olympic ring opened after synchronized dancers glowed and teased the world. There are currently no Russian laws that prohibit the discrimination of the LGBT community. In fact, laws passed in summer 2013 allow police officers to only arrest or detain tourists whom they suspect as being gay or suggestive of progay propaganda. It was a winter games that promised something spectacular on the political spectrum. University Slavic languages and literature Professor Harriet L. Murav does not find these laws particularly startling. “I think they’re not surprising, but that there is a particular history of intolerance that goes back to soviet times,� she said. “Liberalism in former soviet Russia doesn’t really mean the same thing that it does here.� There had been a discontinuation of the gay rights discussion as the games went on, something that dissatisfied many human rights activists. “NBC promised to give adequate coverage to the horrible situation LGBT Russians are facing, but so far little has aired during actual Olympic programming,� said Charles Joughin, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign based in Washington, in a story in The Washington Post. The buildup to the games in Sochi were promising to garner political controversy ever since

Putin passed numerous antigay laws back in summer 2013. In response, President Obama sent three openly gay athletes in the U.S. delegation for opening ceremonies - retired tennis icon Billie Jean King, twotime Olympic hockey medalist Caitlin Cahow and figure skating champion Brian Boitano. On the opening day of the Olympics, Google joined the fight by sporting a rainbow-colored doodle on its homepage with athletes as the letters. In the beginning, there was subtle protestation. Germany fashioned rainbow uniforms for the opening ceremony. Canada and Sweden sponsored ads backing their gay athletes. Olympians, like figure skater Ashley Wagner, spoke out about human rights. Despite the furor, the scene died down as news channels that covered a majority of the games, like NBC, focused more on corruption, worker exploitation, run-down hotels, yellow tap water and geopolitics. There was no John Carlos moment of the 1968 Olympics. The movement fizzled out. And why not, right? A whopping 84 percent of Russians support Putin’s laws, according to a study done by The Washington Post. However, Murav questions these polls and their accuracy. “One survey by a western media outlet may not actually capture the complexity of responses to these issues efficiently,� he said. “I have a feeling the number is below 80 percent ... you have to bear in mind that Russian citizens who are 50 years old or more are very sensitive to giving their true beliefs to poll takers because they grew up in soviet times where having the wrong opinion had consequences on your life. ... In Russia generally anything that isn’t completely mainstream is fairly precarious.� However accurate this figure may be, the issue hits home for many University students and LGBT community members. “I think (these laws are) terrible ... I think they’re a step back for the LGBT community,� said Elliot Cobb, freshman in FAA. “Well, I imagine it’s just something that’s engraved in them, in their culture. ... I think it’s just kind of a shift the world needs ... to be more accepting of the LGBT community.� There were talks about the U.S. reciprocating what the Russian, then Soviet Union, government did in 1984 when it, along with 14 other allied countries, boycotted the Los Angeles Summer Olympic games at the height of the Cold War. “It’s unfortunate that we chose to have the Olympics there and then the laws were passed,� Cobb said. “It creates this awkward conflict. Do we attend this? It’s hard for gay athletes and gay supporters to get there and ... it just created

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD ACROSS

1 With 72-Across, what the answers on this puzzle’s perimeter form 5 Beech and birch 9 “Yay!,� in a text message 13 Drink served either hot or cold 14 Qualified 15 Iberian river 16 Any hit by the Everly Brothers, e.g. 17 Swarm (with) 18 Brief reminder 19 Performs, as historical scenes 21 Turkish hospice 23 Taunt 24 Moved smoothly 26 Fictional Flanders and Plimpton 28 Not worthy of 32 Hack’s vehicle 35 Nancy Reagan’s maiden name 37 2007 documentary about the health care system 38 Wilson of “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou� 40 Put back to zero, say 42 Latin musician Puente 43 Celebrate noisily 45 Inspiration for Old Major of “Animal Farm� 47 Summer clock observance: Abbr. 48 Florida home for Hemingway 50 Caddie’s pocketful 52 Brew, as tea 54 Indonesian currency 58 Certain paint protector 61 Heed 63 Curve in a crown molding 64 Dress ___ (impersonate) 66 Nostalgic style 67 Writer Sarah ___ Jewett 68 Ski resort in Salt Lake County 69 Leaking, as a faucet 70 Nutcase 71 Take a gander 72 See 1-Across

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13 Telephone attachment 20 Chest material 22 ___ Health magazine 25 Part of AWOL 27 Gracefully thin 29 ___ wash jeans 30 Times Square booth sign 31 Knee-slapper 32 One may pop on New Year’s Eve 33 Bide-___ 34 Group of beauties 36 Ending with advert 39 Magazine launch of 1933 with a hyphen in its name 41 Wedding cake parts

44 “___ thousand flowers bloom� 46 Car gear 49 ___ relations 51 Suit company founded in Australia 53 Student of Socrates 55 Emcee’s delivery 56 Take ___ (travel) 57 Basketball target 58 Diner employee 59 Farming: Prefix 60 City NNE of Tahoe 62 “Babette’s Feast� author Dinesen 65 Mideast grp.

The crossword solution is in the Classified section.

JOHNIVAN DARBY

SOURCE: NATIONALEATINGDISORDERS.

Winter Olympics end, LGBT struggle continues BY ELISEO ELIZARRARAZ

5A

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

a bad situation.� Leslie Morrow, director of the University’s LGBT Resource Center, said she feels there is still progress to be made, finding the treatment of the LGBT community in Russia “archaic.� “Obviously I find that it’s a human rights violation. Seeing that these laws are becoming more and more archaic and senseless, it doesn’t make sense to discriminate against someone based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,� Morrow said. Jessica Ratchford, sophomore in Engineering, feels the anti-gay climate in Russia is in large part due to President Putin’s regime. “They’re following a misguided ruler out of patriotism and loyalty to their country and just a lack of knowledge and understanding of their fellow citizens,� she said. Perhaps it’s also out of fear, Morrow said. Members of the Russian punk rock group Pussy Riot were publicly flogged by Cossacks after performing a protest song in Sochi on Feb. 19. “I think it’s really disheartening... It’s certainly presented as if it’s a united front,� Morrow said. “I remember them saying early on, ‘Oh, there are no gay people in Sochi.’ I think it’s ridiculous, and clearly there’s a climate that suppresses that fact, but the reality is (that) they are there, but it’s obviously not a safe place to be,� she said. Ratchford believes these laws are a step back in the struggle for equality and human rights. “These laws will be looked at (30 years from now) the same way as segregation laws are looked at,� she said. “It’ll be a part of history where we will look back and say, ‘That was a dark part of our time, we’re shameful and regretful.’� Despite these facts, Ratchford has high hopes for the future. “I hope that every time there’s discrimination against basic human rights that we learn to accept each other a little more and learn that just because we’re different that doesn’t make us any less human,� Ratchford said. “We should’ve learned it the first three times around, that sex doesn’t make us different, that race doesn’t make us different . . . maybe third times a charm.� In 1936, the Nazis shocked the world as Berlin hosted the summer Olympics. The world temporarily turned a blind eye to Hitler’s anti-Semitic campaign. The rest was history. Sunday night the curtains closed. The somber feeling of having to wait two years for another Olympics descended. The expensive games ended and the human rights issue haunting the games was effectively swept under the rug. The rest of the world looks forward.

Eliseo can be reached at elizarr2@dailyillini.com.

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LIFE CULTURE

Counseling Center puts on ‘A recipe for a healthier self’ In light of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, turn to Page 5A to learn more about how you can better your relationship with what you eat.

6A | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

THEDAILYILLINI

KEEPS THE FIRE AT BAY What just 10 hours means for a firefighter working on campus BY DECLAN HARTY

W

STAFF WRITER

hen the red and blue lights flashed through my bedroom window, it did not take long for the blaring of the horn

to follow. Despite being woken up in my bedroom by the fire truck at 2 a.m. with Engine 24’s horn ringing through my head, it was then that I realized how much of a commitment it is to be a firefighter at Station Four of the Urbana Fire Department. One day earlier, I walked into the firehouse’s bay, located at 1105 W. Gregory Dr. in Urbana, at 7 a.m. to see what the men described as “the changing of the guards� from the first to the second shift. Already getting the maroon truck ready, the firefighters were preparing themselves for the 24-hour shift. For the next 10 hours, I would go on five total calls and be introduced to the lifestyle of a firefighter and the culture of the Urbana Fire Department’s Engine 24. “It is a family,� said Lt. Keith Schafroth of the Urbana Fire Department. “Just like any other family, you have brothers and sisters, and, though you may not always get along with them, they’re family.� With over a third of their lives spent away from their families, the men have missed countless basketball and softball games, concerts and Christmases. “It takes a strong family to put up with it,� Schafroth said. Even though they are away from their families, the men and women of Station Four do what they can to provide a home away from home. While shadowing that day, I was able to see the dynamic of the family. They spend lunch around the house’s kitchen table, watching a fishing show on TV, as sandwiches and leftover meatloaf was consumed. I heard them share casual jokes, the strong bond between the men was close to that of brothers. “If you can’t have fun at work, don’t go,� Schafroth said. The fun began early that day, as the men teased me that most people who ride-along do not see any action. But the fear of the joke becoming a reality continued to cross my mind as the first two and a half hours of the shift were spent going over the do’s-and-don’ts of the day. It was exhilarating when the Gamewell System finally began to blare.

The radio that had been strapped to my belt screeched, causing me to jump, but the men didn’t hesitate to react as I just tried to follow. I am not sure if it was human instinct or the countless years of fire drills, but I immediately began to run with the men toward the truck. Thirty seconds later, we were out of the garage, on the truck and on our way to the scene. The truck had a Block I logo on each side and a University of Illinois sticker on the windshield.

“It is a family. Just like any other family, you have brothers and sisters, and, though you may not always get along with them, they’re family ... It takes a strong family to put up with it.� KEITH SCHAFROTH LIEUTENANT

As I sat inside the truck behind the roaring engine, which was overpowering any sounds that weren’t through our headsets, the men glanced through the traffic for the best possible route to get to the scene. All the while, the driver dodged city buses, snow plows and students. “When we have to go to a call that is in the heart of campus, depending on if it is passing period or not, it makes it a bit challenging because of all of the foot traffic,� said Phillip Edwards, fire marshal and formal engineer at the Urbana Fire Department, who was not on duty that day at Station Four. “Our sense of awareness is heightened because there is a greater chance of someone walking out in front of you because they are not paying as close of attention.� The call was to the Early Child Development lab. Both Mike Jannusch, the firefighter on duty, and Schafroth stepped out of the truck to investigate the call, helmets in hand. Schafroth’s is red to show his ranking over the other two’s black helmets, but all three have a gold eagle perched on top. We were there on the scene within

three minutes — a minute earlier than the ideal four-to-six minute response time for a call, according to Edwards. Though the call did not end up being anything too involved, we were quickly on the move again to back up another Urbana Fire Department Engine for a call at the Chemical and Life Sciences Lab. As we sat in the truck waiting on further instruction from dispatch, the men described the remainder of the day. Chores, a stop at the main Urbana fire station on Vine Street, a trip to County Market, lunch and more chores. Each day, no matter who is on duty, Jannusch said that there is a typical regimen. On Mondays, the firefighters go around to buildings on campus and inspect for safety hazards and to familiarize themselves with the buildings. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, the firefighters practice with live fire and tech training, something they wish they did not have to do. “For what we train and what we do, a good day for me is a bad day for somebody else,� Schafroth said. Fridays are filled with either inspections or inventory. But this Friday was filled with inventory. As Jannusch and Schafroth cleaned the house and floors of the bay, the rest of the men ensured the truck was adequately packed for any type of call. One-thousand feet of fiveinch hose, 400 feet of three- and twoand-a-half-inch hose, an emergency medical technician bag (not a needle out of place), a few additional air tanks and anything else they might possibly need on Engine 24. With a few regular calls littered throughout the day and a trip to the firehouse on Vine, everything was beginning to slow down midafternoon. The men asked if I’d like to try wearing full firefighter gear. I was soon weighed down in boots, the jacket with “Urbana FD� stitched across the back in highlighter yellow letters, pants and the black helmet, which sat heavy on my head until it ached. Then came the air pack, which typically weighs 17 to 20 pounds, according to the men at the house. After verifying that I was not claustrophobic, they slid the mask over my head to hide the majority of my face. When my mask was finally sealed to the air tank that was perched on my hips, I finally understood why they wanted to make sure I was not claustrophobic. Within minutes, I was uncomfortable with my breathing and was sealed in by the black rubber edges of the mask, a terror some men cannot handle in a real fire.

JOSEPH J LEE THE DAILY ILLINI

Top: Lieutenant Greg Kingston prepares for a call on campus. Lieutenant Kingston spoke on how there may be no calls during their 24 hour shift or a non stop day. Bottom: A firefighter’s helmet hangs in the cabin of the fire truck along with all other equipment they may need during a call. This 254 department being one of four firehouses in the Champaign-Urbana area. “When we have all our gear including extra hose and everything, it is not uncommon to have an extra 80-100 pounds added on to our own body weight,� fire marshal Edwards said. Smoke typically fogs the clear plastic of the mask, causing firefighters to feel more sealed in. It is something that some men can never get over in the academy.

“When we have to go to a call that is in the heart of campus ... our sense of awareness is heightened because there is a greater chance of someone walking out in front of you because they are not paying as close of attention.� PHILLIP EDWARDS FIRE MARSHAL

But despite the combined 49 years of experience between the three men, the risk still remains. With an average 10 to 12 calls a shift and more than 5,000 calls received at the Urbana Fire Department last year, the men face a variety of risks within their house’s boundaries. Station Four is the primary responder for the campus community

south of Springfield Avenue, north of Windsor Road, west of Race Street and everything east from the railroads that cross Neil Street. The men face a variety of calls on a college campus, including ones involving emergency medical issues, alcohol, early morning hours and chemical leaks. According to the International Association of Firefighters, the most common risks of being a firefighter include heart attacks, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, hepatitis and stress. But with all of the risks of the job, the men stay humble. Though many men may go into the field for a variety of reasons, they all have one thing in common — the desire to help. “I always liked helping people,� Jannusch said. “It is constantly doing something, there is always something to do all the time. There are never two days the same.� But even with the anticipated high number of calls during severe weather and events such as Unofficial, Schafroth continued to say that “you can’t schedule emergencies� throughout the day. You never know what to expect. This is why it was hard for me to feel anything but appreciation for the truck and the men inside, as I stood at my window watching them pull away from the scene down Daniel Street. As the red and blue lights began to fade, leaving me with only the sight of the two Block I flags on the back of the truck, I was reminded of what Schafroth said to me early that day. “The ultimate goal is to go home from where we came from tomorrow morning.�

Declan can be reached at dharty2@dailyillini.com.

1B

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SPORTS

Egwu proves Groce right to place trust in him

Power rankings DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT

Editor’s note: Every week, The Daily Illini basketball staff ranks the basketball teams in the Big Ten 1-12 and compiles the lists into its own Big Ten power rankings.

Center’s increased fight starting to show on court

1. MICHIGAN (LAST WEEK 4)

Michigan sits atop The Daily Illini power rankings after topping Michigan State for the second time this season. The Wolverines (19-7, 11-3 Big Ten) grabbed sole possession of the conference lead with the victory. Nik Stauskas scored 25 points for Michigan in the 79-70 win over the Spartans on Sunday.

BY JOHNATHAN HETTINGER STAFF WRITER

Raggedy Ann and Nnanna Egwu don’t have too many similarities. Raggedy Ann is 16 inches tall, one inch thick and weighs .5 ounces. Nnanna Egwu is 6-foot-11, considerably thicker and weighs 250 pounds. So when Illinois’ starting center, defensive anchor and largest player was treated as such by Purdue on Jan. 15, head coach John Groce wouldn’t tolerate it. Groce didn’t single Egwu out when he said the Boilermakers threw his team around “like a bunch of rag dolls.� But there’s an expectation that Egwu can do better than zero points, four rebounds and four fouls on 0-for-7 shooting. There’s also an expectation that Nnanna will not get thrashed by an opponent, like how A.J. Hammons did when he scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. When Illinois gets outrebounded 23-7 in a single half, responsibility falls on Egwu’s shoulders — if he’s not grabbing the rebounds, he should at least block out so his teammates can run in and grab the misses. The three 3-point misses in the Purdue game brought Egwu’s consecutive long-range miss streak to 11. He hadn’t scored in double-figures in more than a month, shooting 29.3 percent over the streak. And his offensive struggles were starting to leak over to his aggressiveness, and Groce said it wasn’t acceptable. Still, Groce never doubted Egwu. He had seen the difference his starting center could make in a game. He had seen Egwu work on his jump shot, as he made 23,000 jump shots over the course of a summer. He had seen Egwu develop into a Big Ten-caliber big man as a sophomore, even before adding 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason. And he knew he would have it again, even after he had been treated like Raggedy Ann. “He works so hard,� Groce said at the time. “He just has to stay with it. There’s no one that feels worse about that than him.� The next game wasn’t any better — Egwu fi nished with zero points, just two rebounds and four fouls in a loss to Michigan State. When freshman Maverick Morgan showed a spark of life on offense, scoring four points

SEE EGWU | 2B

2. MICHIGAN STATE (LAST WEEK 3)

3. WISCONSIN (LAST WEEK 2)

4. IOWA

(LAST WEEK 1)

5. OHIO STATE

(LAST WEEK 5)

Ohio State might be the hottest team in the Big Ten not located in Lincoln, Neb. The Buckeyes (22-6, 9-6) have won six of their last seven, including wins over Wisconsin and Iowa. A four-game losing streak in January is the only thing keeping Aaron Craft and company from the Big Ten title hunt. BRENTON TSE THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois' Nnanna Egwu pins an Aaron Craft layup against the backboard during the game against No. 22 Ohio State at State Farm Center on Feb. 15. Egwu has proven his worth in recent games.

POINTCOUNTERPOINT IS THE NFL COMBINE NECESSARY? NFL Combine showcases abilities, gives executives 1st look at players MUBARAK SALAMI Staff writer

Q

uite frankly, I struggle to remember the difference between liberals and conservatives. But that doesn’t mean politics aren’t important. The same is true for those who think the NFL Scouting Combine is meaningless. They think it doesn’t prove or show anything, that it’s just players participating in stupid drills. Those people are wrong. While it consists of academic examinations that test a player’s mental capacities and football intelligence, the physical drills have become the face of the combine and overshadow these assessments. These drills are specifically tailored to help NFL executives determine how a player’s athletic ability translates to the field. The 40-yard dash, the most famous drill, gives teams an idea of how fast a player is. The NFL is built on speed. Coaches want to draft a “gamebreaker,� someone

It’s an opportunity for players to showcase their mental and physical skills. who is a scoring threat every time he touches the ball. This importance was seen in this year’s Super Bowl, when Percy Harvin returned the opening second half kickoff for Seakhawks touchdown, effectively putting the game out of reach. Seattle traded for Harvin because he was known as a “home run hitter,� someone with elite speed. Harvin ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at his combine in 2009 and was thus drafted in the fi rst round. The drills also gauge a play-

er’s overall athletic ability. The bench press might help a coach determine a lineman’s blocking strength. The vertical jump could aid a scout in predicting how well a linebacker might deter quarterbacks from throwing over him. Every drill is important. And sure, the combine shouldn’t be the “end all to be all.� A fast 40 time doesn’t automatically make a star running back. Twenty-eight reps on the bench press don’t always equate to a star linebacker. But NFL executives know this, so they don’t overreact. They just know how to analyze numbers. It’s the “common� NFL fan, media, and the public who overhype players or put too much stock into their measurements and statistics. Executives have already done their homework and watched fi lm on these players. They know the physical tests don’t tell the

SEE POINT | 2B

Lack of consistency in the NFL Combine makes process useless NICK FORTIN Assistant sports editor

T

he NFL Scouting Combine doesn’t matter. Players can choose to compete in a number of tests, both physical and mental, including the bench press, vertical jump and most scrutinized of all combine events, the 40-yard dash. In other words, it’s an overpublicized spectacle that sends some prospects’ draft stock soaring and some falling for almost no reason at all. The tests don’t even have anything to do with football. It may be great to see which prospects can run fastest in a straight line for 40 yards, or who has the highest vertical jump, or who can record the most reps bench pressing 225 pounds, but when are any of those specific tests relevant to football? Chris Johnson is one of the best examples of an NFL player who had a great combine that transferred into a great career, but for every Johnson there are hundreds of other potential players who are athletic freaks but don’t have what it takes to compete at the next level. While athletic ability is impressive to see displayed, the tests have no basis for determining

whether a football player’s athletic ability will transfer to the field. Jadeveon Clowney, the South Carolina defensive end who recently ran a 4.53 40 yard dash, has news organizations such as Sports Illustrated talking. And yet, Clowney will practically never be running for 40 yards at

No basis for determining if a football player’s ability will transfer to the field.

6. NEBRASKA (LAST WEEK 6)

The aforementioned Cornhuskers extended their five-game winning streak last week with victories over Penn State and Purdue. Nebraska (16-10, 8-6) has worked its way back into the mix for a bye in the Big Ten Tournament. With winnable games against Illinois, Northwestern and Indiana remaining on the schedule, it’s not such a far-fetched idea.

7. MINNESOTA (LAST WEEK 8)

A home loss to Illinois and a thumping at Ohio State really hurt Minnesota’s chances at an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. But there’s still time for the Gophers (17-11, 6-9) to right the ship. A win at home against Iowa on Tuesday would be a good start. A loss could spell trouble in Minneapolis.

8. PURDUE his position. Defensive ends make their money by being quicker off the line than their offensive counterparts, thus being able to take down opposing players. In short, Clowney’s speed would be better tested in the few yards that separate him from the quarterback, not 40 yards. Another reason why the combine is meaningless is that it almost never provides a level playing field for all of the athletes at a given position. Take the ongoing draft debate about best quarterbacks. The three top candidates are Louisville’s Teddy Bridewater, Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel and Central Florida’s Blake Bortles. The combine’s setup gives participants the ability to pick and choose which events they want to compete in. While Bortles chose physical tests like the 40 and vertical jump in addition to throwing to actual receivers, Manziel chose not to throw and Bridgewater chose to neither throw nor run. Sure, it’s nice for the combine to bring the best NFL prospects to one place for NFL scouts to evaluate them together, but players picking and choosing what to showcase doesn’t allow for a level

SEE COUNTERPOINT | 2B

(LAST WEEK 7)

9. INDIANA

(LAST WEEK 9)

10. NORTHWESTERN (LAST WEEK 10)

11. ILLINOIS

(LAST WEEK 12)

12. PENN STATE

(LAST WEEK 11)

2B

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

FROM 1B

EGWU for the Illini, a reporter asked Groce if Egwu’s contributions on the defensive end were really that much more than Morgan. Groce said he knew Egwu could do better. And he did. Against Ohio State in the next game, Egwu’s stats jumped back up — 10 points, nine rebounds, two blocks — the closest he had gotten to a double-double since the first game of the season when he had 10 and 10. Through the next four games, Egwu was slightly improved on the offensive end, but his rebounding was still subpar — with five, three, four and four rebounds in the four games. Egwu went to Groce and told him he wasn’t happy with the way things were going. Groce told him to do something about it. Against a small Nebraska frontcourt, Egwu took advantage to the tune of 12 rebounds. But he scored just four points. In the second matchup with the Buckeyes, Egwu had a careerhigh 14 rebounds. Aga i nst M i n nesota on Wednesday, Egwu came out and scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first half. He had neutralized the Golden Gophers bigs. Groce couldn’t afford to take him out. “One of the keys has been keeping him around 30 minutes,” Groce said. “Normally, I would pull him out right before the 12 or the eight-minute (media timeout) just to give him a blow. He was so good I told him he would have to ride it out. He said, ‘Coach, I got you.’ Boy, did he ever.” Egwu put it all together for his second double-double of the season — 14 points, 11 rebounds. For good measure, he added four blocks, and Illinois picked up its first win over a team not named Penn State in 2014. “For Egwu, the numbers do show how well he played, but that does not even do it justice,” Groce said following the Minnesota game. “He was great offensively, defensively, on the glass, and was a presence around the rim. He had that look in his eyes of being very confident.” Egwu had proved Groce put his trust in the right place.

Johnathan can be reached at hetting2@dailyillini.com and @jhett93.

FROM 1B

COUNTERPOINT playing field. In fact, Bridgewater and Manziel not throwing at the combine creates more questions than answers. Why didn’t they throw? Why didn’t Bridgewater run? Does any of it matter? Ultimately, the combine tests nothing football related, and it doesn’t give scouts anything substantial to use with its format, which is exactly why we shouldn’t care about it anymore. If you want an accurate picture of these prospects, forget the combine and let the athletes leave it all on the field during their pro days.

Nicholas is a sophomore in Media. He can be reached fortin2@dailyillini.com. Follow him on Twitter @IlliniSportsGuy.

FROM 1B

POINT whole story. Another part of the combine involves medical examinations and face-to-face interviews, which are just as important as the physical tests. The medical exams give teams the chance to review a player’s injury history. After all, the NFL is a business, and no one wants to draft damaged goods. The interviews are like job interviews. Executives can meet the man behind the helmet and find the best player for the job. The combine is more than judging athletic ability. It’s an opportunity for players to showcase their mental and physical skills in an attempt to impress NFL personnel and earn their dream jobs. The combine is a comprehensive audition — and an important one. Don’t write something off just because you don’t understand it. Take the time to learn about its many components. But above all, give it the time it deserves and understand its importance. Politics 101.

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Rowing takes home gold at CIRC BY CHARLOTTE CARROLL STAFF WRITER

Its introduction speaks for itself: “Anything you’ve ever seen anyone do on an erg at the gym, they’re probably doing it wrong, so forget that.” Junior Katie Ruhl recalled her coaches telling her this on the first day of club rowing tryouts. Called so by rowers, the “erg” is the indoor rowing machine athletes use to train and also compete on. But its popularity has transitioned the erg to the hands of the average gym rat, a rather poor one, according to how the Illinois men’s and women’s rowing team’s coaching staff introduces the machine to prospective rowers. With dedicated morning practices five days a week, the teams have managed to perfect its skills on the erg and closed out the 16th annual Chicago Indoor Rowing Championship (CIRC) on Saturday with five first place gold finishes and two tournament records. So when it comes to first learning how to use the machine and then taking those skills over to the water, junior Katie Ruhl knows a little something. A novice, she joined the rowing team only this year after being approached as freshman at the ARC by members of the team who yelled, “Hey! You look like you can row.” Two years later, Ruhl realized she needed a workout schedule and something that would physically push her to become a more well-rounded individual. And that’s where she originally used

Executives can meet the man behind the helmet and find the best player for the job.

The victories were sweetened with two competition records from both graduate student Niels Geertson, who finished in 6 minutes, 33.4 seconds and the men’s varsity team who completed the relay in 6:56.0. But both Geertson and Ruhl finished the indoor season undefeated after winning gold at the Indianapolis and Illini Indoor Rowing Championships. Using the Illini Indoor on Feb. 8 as a showcase for the upcoming spring season, Illinois competed against each other in a 2,000 rowing machine battle. Illinois won three golds on Jan. 25 at the Indianapolis Indoor Rowing Championships. The feat was an entire season in the making. “As far as the training aspect goes, it is really a culmination of everything they’ve done,” head coach Erik Kroeker said. “It’s one last opportunity to see how far they’ve gone. It’s really a great preseason preview of what we’re going to see when we’re out on the water. You really do see how powerful the competition is.” The Illini took second in the collegiate novice lightweight men’s category, the open men’s category and the women’s open relay. Additionally, they took third in the collegiate novice lightweight women’s category and the collegiate novice women’s category. With the indoor season over, the Illini are looking to get back on the water after a successful fall season. The novice women’s team went undefeated against club varsity teams and the novice men’s team took gold at the Quad Cities Classic for the second year

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH LEE

Lucas Gonzalez, a sophomore in Engineering, races a 2k race against other Illinois’ Rowing athletes at the Illini indoor on Feb. 2, 2013 at the ARC gym. in a row, while taking bronze at the Head of the Rock. The women’s four-plus team finished 15th at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, which earned them a coveted guarantee entry in the 50th anniversary race next year. The Illinois rowing teams will return to the water soon in preparation for their first water races of the spring season set for March 29 at the John Hunter Regatta in Gainesville, Ga. “I think we’re going to have some of the strongest competi-

tions this year,” said senior Chris Marr, who competed in men’s collegiate open relay as an individual and the men’s collegiate relay team which took gold. “We all have this kind of the attitude that usually doesn’t come about in a team until the final weeks before big competitions. But we kind of already have this attitude of working together and trying to be as fast possible.”

Charlotte can be reached at cmcarro2@dailyillini.com.

Baseball’s individual successes lessened by losses BY NICHOLAS FORTIN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

For the second week in a row, the Illinois baseball team’s losses diminished the individual success of its players. Junior Drasen Johnson, a relief pitcher turned starter in the offseason, said although he was happy with his first win as a starter Saturday against Coastal Carolina, he was more concerned with the fact that the Illini finished the weekend with a losing record. “It was nice to get the win,” Johnson said. “Defense made a lot of nice plays. I made a few key pitches to get a couple of strikeouts with men on. Overall, it was nice, but we came out with a losing record again, which was not fun.” Johnson has played well in his first two appearances since

moving into the main rotation. In his first game of the season against Georgia State, Johnson threw a career-high 10 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings and left the game with a 5-4 lead. In his second against Coastal Carolina, he threw 6 2/3 innings to go along with five strikeouts and a win. Both Johnson and head coach Dan Hartleb liked the improvement they saw from the pitching staff as a whole over the weekend. “Especially the first two days, we were ahead in the count,” Hartleb said. “I thought we threw much better pitches, location-wise, we were down in the zone and we got a number of ground balls, which we didn’t have last week. The pitchers made progress, which is good. It’s encouraging and it’s some-

thing I think they’re very capable of doing.”

Offense fails to capitalize The Illinois baseball team had a hard time scoring runs this weekend. A week removed from putting up 29 runs in its season-opening series, the most the Illini had scored in an opening series in over four years, Illinois offense was stagnant for most of the second weekend of the season, managing just five runs. Illinois scored in just two of the 27 innings it played in throughout the Caravelle Resort’s Baseball at the Beach tournament. Junior outfielder Will Krug said the scoring drought could be partially linked to an inability to move runners over and capitalize on opportunities.

“When you do have guys on, especially when you get them to second and third, mentally, getting those runs in is a huge boost,” Krug said. “When we can, we have to make the most of it. That’s just something we’ll continue to work on and have worked on. Moving runners, hitting behind runners and stuff like that. Complain all you want, but when it comes down to it, you just have to execute.” The Illini left 27 runners on base on the weekend, three more than the team did in its first weekend of action.

Communication key to success Aside from producing runs and capitalizing on runners, Krug said the Illini will also need to communicate better on the field increase their win total.

“We can communicate a little bit more,” Krug said. “For the most part it was decent. We had certain times in certain games where the focus just isn’t all there, which happens sometimes.” Johnson added that Illinois took steps forward in other areas of the game, including on the mound, but emphasized that the team will continue to work on communication in order to have success. “We do the same things every day, working on the fundamentals,” Johnson said. “Talking, letting everyone know what they’re doing, staying on the same page and we just need to translate that into the game.”

Nicholas can be reached at fortin2@dailyillini.com and @IlliniSportsGuy.

Booker named Big Ten Player of the Week BY CHARLOTTE CARROLL STAFF WRITER

Alex Booker didn’t let her first at-bat against Creighton get her down. Booker, who started the game off with a strikeout, made history soon after by recording the program’s first cycle by hitting a single, a double, a triple and a home run all in one game. She went 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs. Booker, with her record performance, was named Big Ten Player of the Week. It is her first career weekly honor and the first for the Illini this season as well. Booker not only got her job done on the field but helped motivate other players. Whether it was driving in the leading runs in the 4-2 victory over Texas-Arlington or cracking a joke from the outfield to make her pitchers, such as freshman Brandi Needham laugh and relax at the mound, Booker aided her team throughout the whole game. “We know that we’re fighters, and we won’t go down that easily,” Booker said. “Don’t count us out. We will strike. Just knowing and believing that any part of our lineup can really get it done is, I think, the most important part of our hitting philosophy and game strategy in general.”

Illini offense strikes later in games Following a 4-3 loss in the ninth inning to Texas Tech on Saturday, Illinois was able to

return to the field on top of its game against Missouri-Kansas City. “We just didn’t execute,” Sullivan said of the loss to Texas Tech. “We got away from our game plan a little bit and didn’t get the job done. You have to learn from those losses and we got right back to our style of play. But I was really happy to see how we responded after that game.” With seven runs on 11 hits, Booker went 3-for-4 leading the Illini with a double, a stolen base and a run. Sophomore Allie Buach, freshman Jade Vecvanags and freshman Ruby Rivera had two hits apiece against Missouri-Kansas City. Bauch went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double and an RBI. Vecvanags doubled twice, scored, and drove in a run Rivera was 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two runs. In the 4-2 win against TexasArlington, Bauch went 3-for-4 to finsh the weekend with a .615 batting average and .923 slugging percentage. Rivera got her second home run of the season and went 2-for-4 in the victory.

It’s all in the doubles The Illini are leading the Big Ten in fielding double plays with 11 total, which is over two times the number recorded by the second place teams , Michigan State and Iowa, who are both tied with five. They also lead the conference in doubles with 19. In a 7-0 victory against Missouri-Kansas City, Illinois tied

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Alex Booker became the first Illini to hit for the cycle in Saturday’s game against Creighton. She went 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs. a school record with five doubles in one game. They turned two double plays in the game against Missouri-Kansas City and the loss to Texas Tech as well. In a 9-1 win against Creighton, Rivera had two doubles and Vecanags recorded her third double in two games. “It means we’re really playing well,” head coach Terri Sullivan said. “Sometimes we are in the right place at the right time position wise. Our pitchers are

really pitching pitches that show they trust their defense to make plays.” With a mentality to close out Sundays strong which Sullivan stressed is so critical to softball, the Illini are looking to keep the momentum rolling as it turns to its next tournament. “Knowing that winning on Sunday carries, it carries over into the next weekend,” Booker said. “As much as we’d like to say we can clear our memories,

we all know that when you are coming off momentum you are coming in hot for the next weekend. Going into California with two huge wins will be quite nice. Just playing with heart and playing with passion. We’re playing for more than just us out there. We’re playing for Illini pride and Illini nation.”

Charlotte can be reached at cmcarro2@dailyillini. com.

Women’s golf team finishes 8th in weekend tournament BY ASHLEY WIJANGCO STAFF WRITER

Mubarak is a junior in LAS. He can be reached at msalami2@dailyillini.com. Follow him on Twitter @justmubar.

the erg on that first day of practice after ignoring it all that time before. “You literally are like blank slate, watch exactly what they are doing,” Ruhl said. “So then you get on and you feel super robotic and you try to do what they are saying, but you don’t have any type of flow.” About six months later, Ruhl has found the flow and was one of the first place gold finishers this past weekend. CIRC consisted of individual rowers racing 2,000 meters on indoor rowing machines and a 5x500 team relay race that concluded the day. A competition that brings together teams from across the Midwest, Illinois competed against Big Ten rivals such as Northwestern, Purdue, and Michigan State, among others. The Illini took four individual golds and then went on to win gold in the men’s open 5x500 relay. The men’s open relay team had slower individual times coming into the competition than Purdue and Michigan State, thus surprising the crowd when it won. “For me personally, I get a lot more anxious and nervous for indoor competitions,” Ruhl said. “You’re able to see the screen and know exactly where you stand in the race at all times. There is no guessing.” Illinois finished first in the collegiate novice lightweight men’s category, the collegiate novice men’s category, the collegiate novice lightweight women’s category and the open women’s category. Illinois varsity men’s squad took first in the men’s open relay.

There was a sense of dissatisfaction present in head coach Renee Slone’s voice. An eighth place finish for the Illinois women’s golf team was disappointing, especially for a team who finished below fifth in the fall. “We just did not bring our A-games and left a lot of shots out there,” Slone said. The Illini scored 875, 11-overpar, in a field of 14 teams at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz., from Feb. 23-24 at the Westbrook Village Golf

Club Vistas Course. Senior Ember Schu ldt emphasized the fact that the course itself was said to be straightforward and without many tricks. Along with this advantage, Illinois had a practice round Saturday to get a feel for the course; however, it wasn’t as much help as it could have been. “It still requires just as much focus as any other golf course,” Slone said. “And I don’t know if some of that created a false sense of security or lulled players into a lack of focus.” One of the things that stood

out were the greens. Slone mentioned they were firm and played slower than what the Illini are used to. Because of that, Illinois needed an aggressive mind set on the greens. Slone was unsure as to why the golfers struggled to keep that mind set, but the team was stuck assessing itself after the tournament. This was something Illinois took from the practice round but was unable to take advantage of in the first two rounds. The final round, which took place on Monday, fared better, though.

After the lack of aggression to begin, the team really discussed the importance of it and acted upon it. The Illini also practiced on the putting green after the upsetting first two rounds. Illinois scored 292 and 293 in the first two rounds and went down to 290 for the last one. While the eighth-place finish itself was a disappointment, the Illini strived to improve every day, making that one success they could take away from the competition. While the team’s finish was not up to expectations, freshman Stephanie Miller tied three other golfers for sixth place by scoring

213, three-under par. The one thing Illinois will take from this tournament, though, is to take advantage of the opportunities given to it. “In realizing that when opportunity is staring you in the face, you need to step up and be aggressive,” Slone said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to take advantage of every single opportunity, but it will certainly give you a greater opportunity to do so.”

Ashley can be reached at wijangc2@dailyillini.com and @wijangco12.

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

3B

Early season issues still challenging hockey BY SEAN NEUMANN STAFF WRITER

The Illinois hockey team is still dealing with the same issues it was in October. During that month, the Illini went 1-6-1 — the team’s worst stretch of the season. They weren’t capitalizing on scoring chances and allowed too many on defense. Although the No. 18-ranked Illini have been posting a 6-61 record since returning to the ice in January, the team has still faced familiar difficulties against top-25 ACHA teams — losing eight of its last 10 matchups against ACHA teams. Illinois’ most recent test against a ranked opponent ended in a 10-3 loss to No. 17 Lindenwood on Friday night. “It wasn’t a lack of effort or

a lack of heart or anything like that,” captain Austin Bostock said after the game. “It was just a lack of execution.” Illinois had 46 shots on net in the 10-3 loss, but only managed to convert on three. Lindenwood scored 10 goals on just 33 shots, forcing Illini head coach Nick Fabbrini to pull second-team All-American goaltender Nick Clarke from the game. Fabbrini agreed the blame for the loss was not on effort, despite being outscored 9-2 in the final two periods on the way to a first-round elimination from the CSCHL conference tournament. “I have a hard time being upset with the way we played,” said Fabbrini, who’s tried to motivate his team to give a full effort for the entire 60 minutes

in games all season long. Illinois’ defensive core has Illinois has looked better been together throughout the since mid-December, but six entire season, with the duos of its past eight of Mike Evans wins h a ve and Josh Bakcome against er, and Cody u n r a n ke d von Rueden and Will Nunez te a ms. T he in the top four I l li ni sta r troster slots. ed the season Von Rueden 6-0 aga i nst said the longunranked and term defennon-Division I sive pairings teams before have made the losing eight of defenders play their next 10. more comfortFriday night’s CODY RUEDEN ably as the sea10-3 loss was FRESHMAN DEFENSEMAN a poorly timed son has gone c a l lback to on. October, when The brightthey were shut est spot in Illiout three times and lost six nois’ game all season long is the games by multiple-goal margins. confidence in each other on the

“It has to be our time to capitalize on the other team’s mistakes more than they capitalize on ours.”

ice, which was the most apparent in its biggest wins, shutting out defending national champion Minot State 2-0 and coming from behind to beat Ohio 4-3 in overtime. “I would say our top four defenders are one of the top (groups) in the country,” said von Rueden, whose résumé speaks for itself. Von Rueden leads the Illini in assists (26) and sits at second in team points (32) as a freshman defenseman. “We do eat up a lot of minutes and coming down the stretch, our whole D-core is going to have to be extremely strong if we want to make a push to win the national championship,” he said. However, the Illini have won just two of their last 10 games against ACHA top-25 opponents,

getting outscored 42-21 in that span. But with two full weeks of practice to prepare for the ACHA national tournament, von Rueden said the team will head into the tournament by treating it like a new season. “We just have to fine-tune the little things, like burying the chances when we have them and strong defensive play,” von Rueden said. “Overall, hockey is a game of mistakes. Whatever team capitalizes on more of the mistakes from the other team is going to win the game. It has to be our time to capitalize on the other team’s mistakes more than they capitalize on ours.”

Sean can be reached at spneuma2@dailyillini.com and @Neumannthehuman.

Swimmers shake up record book at Big Tens BY MICHAL DWOJAK STAFF WRITER

The Illinois swimming and diving team made more than 20 changes to the top 10 all-time fastest individuals list during the four days of the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis. Senior Erica Lynn, junior Alison Meng and freshman Gabbie Stecker all made history during the weekend by breaking school records during the weekend. All three swimmers also made other top-10 times. Lynn finished with both the third- and fifth-fastest time in school history in the 100 breaststroke, 1 minute, 2.71 seconds and 1:03.95, respectively. She also finished with the thirdfastest time in the 200 breast (2:14.38). Stecker added the second(4:48.53) and fourth-fastest times (4:49.82) in the 500 freestyle, as well the eighth-fastest time in the 200 free with a time of 1:49.27 in her first appearance at the Big Tens. Meng recorded the thirdfastest time in the 100 butter-

fly with a time of 54.69. Three relay teams broke school records, while the other two made changes to the list. The 400 free relay team of Meng, Courtney Pope, Jessica Holz and Megan Marchuk finished with the seventh-fastest time (3:23.36) while the 200 free relay team of the same swimmers finished with the eighth fastest time (1:32.66).

Low final appearances hurt team The team only scored 79 points over four days of competition. Minnesota, who won this year’s title, finished with 760 points. The Illini only had six individuals and one relay team qualify for a final race out of the 21 events. No swimmer qualified for a final on the first day of competition, while Friday night had four swimmers qualify. Both Lynn and Stecker had two final swims, while Meng, Amelia Schilling and the 400

free relay team each made an appearance.

Diving continues to struggle The diving team continued to have a disappointing season when it failed to score any points over the weekend. The team has not won a single event this season. Freshman Olivia Kassouni led the team in the 3-meter dive at 247.05 and the platform dive at 176.90; however, the winners of the preliminaries in the 3-meter and the platform finished at 371 and 321, respectively. Sophomore Jessica Clifford led the team in the 1-meter dive with a score of 233.25, but placed 31st in the preliminaries, far below the winning score of 320.50. The divers will have about two weeks off as they prepare to compete in the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in Columbus, Ohio, on March 13-15.

Michal can be reached at dwojak2@dailyillini.com and @bennythebull94.

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Illinois’ Erica Lynn swims the 200-yard breaststroke during the meet against Kansas at the ARC Outdoor Pool on Nov. 9. She now has the third- and fifth-fastest time in school in the 100 breaststroke.

Coaching outbursts should not have repercussions PETER BAILEYWELLS Sports columnist

J

CHUCK LIDDY MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim gets in referee Tony Greene’s face and is ejected with 11 seconds left in the game against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., on Saturday. Duke won, 66-60.

im Boeheim lost his marbles Saturday night, and I don’t really blame him. Unfortunately for Boeheim, the rules of basketball are such that wacky actions and foul language of the sort he produced are subject to technical fouls and ejection. His reaction was in response to a questionable offensive foul call late in Saturday’s Syracuse-Duke game. The Blue Devils handed the previously No. 1 Orange their second straight loss, 66-60. Boeheim was ejected with 10 seconds left in the game with his team down by two points. And as Boeheim left the court, he took his team’s winning chances with him. That’s kind of wrong, don’t you think? It seems that sports would be a lot more interesting if, instead of drawing a technical foul or a penalty, the coach could just be ejected much like a manager in baseball. The NFL, NHL and NBA should all change their rules so that officials can eject coaches without incurring some penalty for their team. I am not advocating for coaches to behave more irrationally or act more disrespect-

ful toward referees. I just know that if Boeheim had been ejected without penalty, Syracuse just might have stood a chance at winning that game. His ejection effectively removed all hope of winning from the Orange. Penalties ought to be administered to players whenever they draw fouls for misbehavior, but that is only logical because they are the ones who are actually playing the game. In baseball, traditionally managers are thrown out of games when a call is made against their team, and usually getting thrown out is a mental tactic employed to inspire a losing team in a tight situation, or to get the fans of that team on their feet. Some of the funniest YouTube videos out there are baseball managers getting hot under the collar and doing ridiculous things to get themselves ejected. There are zero on-field penalties for a coach’s ejection in baseball. That said, winning without a coach is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Especially in a sport like basketball, having a coach sent to the locker room is not a simple thing to overcome. However, injecting another emotional aspect into the game is an interesting thing to do. With this fictitious rule in place for basketball games, coaches would be required to keep their cool for strategic reasons, and

if they think it is an appropriate strategy, they can blow up at the officials. Say Boeheim still gets ejected, but there is no technical foul assessed. Duke is given possession while up by two points. Syracuse stands a chance at getting a steal or forcing free throws, and if that one-and-one is missed, it has time to tie or win the game. Not great odds, no, but they are by no means as tough as the ones they dealt with after losing Boeheim to the locker room. Assistant coaches ought to also be exempt from penalization, which might make for an interesting addition to any sporting event. The youngest assistant coach could be designated as the fall guy. Anytime a head coach is looking to blow off some steam at the refs late in the game and get his home crowd fired up, he sends out the lowest-ranking coach on the team’s totem pole. Said coach lights up the refs, gets tossed and leaves to thunderous applause and a potential momentum swing. It might not work every time, but it sure would make things interesting. And what are sports if not interesting?

Peter is a freshman in Media. He can be reached at baileyw2@dailyillini.com. Follow him on Twitter @pbaileywells22.

Pay-for-play should benefit all Division I college athletes ALEX ROUX Illini columnist

In

today’s world of college athletics, the debate over whether NCAA athletes should be paid is a hot topic. Former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon is currently suing the NCAA for using his likeness in a video game without compensation. Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter is leading the charge in an attempt to unionize the Wildcat football team in order to receive financial security and improved safety benefits. The NCAA is

sweating because it might lose some of its roughly $900 million in yearly revenue to its athletes. The discussion is almost always focused on star athletes competing in the biggest sports on campus. As one of history’s most recognizable college athletes, Johnny Manziel and his signature recently became an arguing point in the debate after he was busted for selling signed memorabilia. Should he be able to make money by signing his own name? Maybe. Generally, companies have to pay their employees for their work. Either way, it’s looking more and more likely that the NCAA will have to change its ways once the lawsuits and hearings play out. But even if the NCAA

eventually is forced to compensate its athletes, the issue would be far from resolved. At Illinois, the football program generates the most revenue and the basketball program (usually) generates the most hype. These two programs have the most recognizable athletes on campus competing for its teams. But my job is to cover the other 17 sports teams on campus, the ones that generate little to no revenue and are played by athletes who couldn’t make money off their own signatures even if they tried. Athletes competing for these other 17 Division I sports teams put in the same rigorous work as the football and basketball players. They balance their

practice and game schedules with their academics while risking injury to compete; however, athletes competing for nonrevenue sports rarely factor into the national pay-for-play discussion. What happens if the football and basketball players receive compensation while the other athletes don’t? What kind of message does that send to athletes and fans of the nonrevenue sports? I can only imagine, say, the Illinois baseball and volleyball players wouldn’t be too thrilled at the idea of a fellow Illini’s value being worth more than their own. It’s easy to envision a rift on campus occurring if some athletes are treated as professionals while the rest are

amateurs. At some point in the next several years, you’ll probably be able to walk into a campus store and buy a Kendrick Nunn basketball jersey. It’ll most likely be displayed next to a Wes Lunt football jersey. Every year, the stars of our football and basketball teams have their jerseys sold to thousands of Illini fans. If these athletes could conceivably profit off their stardom in the near future, is it fair that someone like Jesse Delgado, a national champion Illini wrestler, wouldn’t have the same opportunity simply because of the prestige of his sport? A system of compensation for NCAA athletes will be complicated and controversial if it

ever comes to pass. It won’t be perfect, either, and I don’t have an easy solution for equally paying athletes for their services. Neither does the NCAA, not yet at least. But the pressure to overhaul the system is mounting, and they’ll have to come up with something soon. I can only hope the new system fairly considers and rewards all NCAA athletes. Their revenue and media coverage may not be comparable at a school like Illinois, but a player’s commitment and dedication to his or her sport is one and the same.

Alex is a sophomore in AHS. He can be reached at roux2@ dailyillini.com and @aroux94.

4B

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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Illini fail to make US national team

BY KIERAN HAMPL STAFF WRITER

None of the five Illinois men’s gymnasts who traveled to last weekend’s Winter Cup qualified for a spot on the U.S. national team. Only three Illini managed to reach event fi nals. Freshman Chandler Eggleston, sophomore C.J. Maestas and junior Mike Wilner qualified for the fi nals on Saturday, despite subpar performances on the fi rst day. In a preliminary that totalled gymnasts’ points to determine who made it to fi nals, the most unlikely Illini to make it was Wilner, who only competed in two events. Wilner would have needed to place either fi rst or second on rings and floor in all four rounds of the event to qualify for the national team. On the other hand, Maestas and Eggleston had much better chances of making the team heading into fi nals; however, both were unsuccessful, despite putting together solid routines. Eggleston won the vault title with a total of 30.450 from his two performances (15.100, 15.350). He also added two more top-10 fi nishes, taking eighth on

floor and a sixth on high bar. “I hit all of my routines, I didn’t fall, which was a big step in the right direction this year,� Eggleston said.

stas during the Winter Cup was his lack of performance time this season, having only competing in the all-around four times before last weekend’s event following a season-ending injury last season. “He came back from this 18-month, devastating, potentially career-ending injury on his elbow ... and that’s the last most of the U.S. national committee has seen of him,� Spring said. Even though the Illini didn’t accomplish their goals at the Winter Cup, they came back happy with what they accomplished and ready to improve heading into the NCAA championships. Spring emphasized how strong of an attitude the Illini competitors had throughout the event, even when they were not performing up to par. “In the end they fi nished great, they fi nished proud of walking off the floor,� Spring said. From here on out, Illinois’ sole focus is improving their routines to help make a deep push at the end of the year.

“I hit all of my routines, I didn’t fall, which was a big step in the right direction...� CHANDLER EGGLESTON FRESHMAN GYMNAST

Maestas, who was a favorite after making the national team two years ago, fell just short by only two points. He fi nished third on both rings and floor with combined scores of 30.550 and 30.400, respectively. Maestas added a 10thplace fi nish in the overall with a 169.600. “If C.J. had done any number of a hundred things slightly better, he would have moved up a couple spaces,� head coach Justin Spring said. “And so it was really frustrating.� Spring said the biggest issue for Mae-

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Kieran can be reached at hampl2@ dailyillini.com.

Freshman Chandler Eggleston performs his parallel bars routine against Ohio State at Huff Hall on Jan. 26. Eggleston failed to make the United States national team.

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Report errors immediately by calling 337-8337.We cannot be responsible for more than one day’s incorrect insertion if you do not notify us of the error by 2 pm on the day of the first insertion. All advertising is subject to the approval of the publisher.The Daily Illini shall have the right to revise, reject or cancel, in whole or in part, any advertisement at any time. The Daily Illini shall not be liable for failure to print, publish or circulate all or any part of any issue in which an advertisement accepted by the publisher is contained. The Daily Illini extends credit to classified advertisers as a courtesy.We reserve the right to set credit limits, to require cash in advance, and/or to require a completed credit application. The Daily Illini screens classified advertising to avoid misleading or false messages. Please be cautious in answering ads, especially when you are asked to send money. If you have a question or concern about any advertisement which has appeared in our paper, we will be happy to discuss it with you. Please call 337-8337. All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, and similar state and local laws which make it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement relating to the transfer, sale, rental, or lease of any housing which expresses limitation, specifications or discrimination as to race, color, creed, class, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, prior arrest or conviction record, source of income, or the fact that such person is a student. Specification in employment classifications are made only where such factors are bonafide occupational qualifications necessary for employment.

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Royse & Brinkmeyer, a premier property management company, is looking for stand-out people to join our team! You must have your own car, be dependable, and possess a willingness to learn. This position is seasonal; part-time immediately, becoming full-time over the summer. We’ll provide training – you provide the great attitude! Please submit resumes and letters of interest to employment@roysebrinkmeyer.com.

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