See our whole blizzard gallery online at DAILYILLINI.COM THURSDAY, February 25 , 2016
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 145 Issue 75
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Local activist groups to rally for indictment of CPD officer DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT
Members of the Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice and Black Lives Matter: Champaign-Urbana protest the non-indictment of Champaign Police Department officer Matt Rush on Friday. The demonstration will be held outside of the Champaign County Courthouse, 101 E. Main St., at 9 a.m., according to a press release from the groups. Rush has been a CPD officer since 2010; he was on trial for use of excessive force several times in the area. “Time and time again from Ferguson, to New York, to Chicago we have seen the failure to prosecute police. With each non-indictment comes the erosion of any notion of American ‘justice,’” the
release states. “The immunity granted to police often leads to total impunity. The police have been given too much power. As the public becomes increasingly aware of this, we are seeing expressions of outrage across the country.” The release states that State’s Attorney Julia Rietz did not interview Precious Jackson, one of Rush’s victims, and called the decision not to indict Rush “political manipulation.” Consequently, the group will rally to indict Rietz for failure to uphold justice; a press conference will follow. The groups are also collecting signatures on a petition urging Rietz to prosecute Rush. The petition has over 400 signatures.
SNOW WAY, MAN DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT
Campus was blindsided with a blizzard Wednesday after a remarkably warm weekend. But despite hundreds of closures and warnings from surrounding city governments, school districts and the Facility and Services department, classes were in schedule. The C-U community was estimated to get upwards of 10 inches from the storm. The Champaign-Urbana area was put under
watch for hazardous winter weather from early Wednesday morning until late that night. While University students trudged through the slush and wind gusts in excess of 40 mph, classes at other central Illinois universities like Illinois State University in Normal, Eastern Illinois University in Charleston and Parkland College in Champaign were not in session.
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UIPD discusses medical marijuana, regulations BY JOSEPH LONGO STAFF WRITER
Two years after legalizing medical marijuana, the state is just beginning to approve new patients. Yet as more citizens receive their medical marijuana cards, state colleges face a confl ict. Although the State of Illinois legalized medical cannabis use, the University of Illinois Student Code bans all forms of illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia on campus. “The illegal possession or use of drugs or drug paraphernalia is prohibited. While the use of medical marijuana has been legalized in the state of Illinois, the possession or use of prescribed medical marijuana is prohibited on campus property,” article 1 part 3 states. Because the University receives federal funding, it must abide by federal rules said Pat Wade, University of
Illinois Police Department spokesman. The Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Controlled Substances Acts of 1970 requires agencies receiving federal funding to be free of drugs made illegal at the federal level. “If we as a university say that we are going to allow students to possess marijuana on campus for either recreational or medical use, then we start to lose our federal funding,” Wade said. “Which includes things like federal aid and grants.” While this has yet to present a problem for the UIPD, Wade said he expects to see regulations on medical marijuana arrests in the future. “People have different opinions about whether it is a problem. Recreational use of marijuana is illegal,” he said. “As a police department our job is to enforce the laws as prescribed by the state legislator. I think when it’s a problem is cer-
Medical marijuana legal in 23 states
tainly a debate going on across the country right now, but we continue to enforce the laws.” Wade said the UIPD uses discretion when arresting students for drug or drug paraphernalia possession. In minor infractions, the department can decide whether to follow the protocol outlined in the student code or the state of Illinois laws. “Instead of arresting someone or getting them into the legal system, we have the option to deal with that violation internally as a university,” Wade said. “That way we still discipline students for breaking the law, at the same time not getting them into the legal system (or) blemishing their record when they’re looking for employment.” The University Public Affairs Office did not return calls for comment.
Marijuana legalized for recreational use Medical marijuana legalized No laws legalizing marijuana SOURCE: Governing.com
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RACHEL KAPLAN THE DAILY ILLINI
Project 500 leader reflects Clarence Shelley explains the University’s evolution of race, diversity
PHOTO COURTESY OF KAMIGAMI ROBOTS
University alumnus develops buildable toy robot for children Kamigami Robots were created to teach kids basic programming BY LILLY MASHAYEK STAFF WRITER
Buildable robots developed by a University graduate provide an interactive way for kids to learn handson programming skills. University alumnus and CEO of Dash Robotics Nick
Kohut co-founded the company in 2013 with two of his former University of California Berkeley labmates, Andrew Gillies and Paul Birkmeyer. They created a commercial robot that kids put together themselves, called Kamigami Robots. “Kamigami are small legged-robots that kids can build by hand, learn some basic programming on and play games with their friends and the robots through battle, or tag or building different behaviors,” Kohut said. “The whole thing was sort
of born out of a research project at UC Berkeley. We were developing robots for research purposes and we would take them to outreach events and science camps,” said Gillies, who serves as COO. “People were really excited and wanted to buy them and we saw an opportunity there to sort of develop the technology further and commercialize it.” He said Birkmeyer was the “brainchild” of the robot design; a paper he previously published was about
SEE ROBOTS 3A
BY DAN CORRY STAFF WRITER
When Clarence Shelley took on Project 500 at the University in 1968, he was asked to stay on staff for two years; nearly 50 years later, he’s still on campus. Shelley began working at the University, following the passage of the civil rights bill, as the director of the Special Educational Opportunities Program. “It was at the time of the trouble — the University as an agent of the faculty — in the time of our history when we seemed to be going backward,” Shelley said. “When the civil rights bill passed, which opened the campus to colored students to financial aid, special programs.” Shelley was hired by then-chancellor Jack Pelat-
son and tasked with helping the University increase the number of African American students for the 19681969 academic year. “The environment surrounding civil rights was tumultuous,” Shelley said, “and the University wasn’t immune to the chaos.” “We often make the mistake of thinking that the campus can be immune to the influence of negativity and we’ve finally gotten past that notion,” he said. “However, it was with the death of Dr.King in 1968, that energized all of the colored students decided to speak up.” In her book, “Black Power On Campus”, Joy Williamson wrote that the University didn’t recognize the issues black students faced until they voiced their concerns. “Black students were able to force the University administration into more aggressive action on other issues, such as creating a commission to hear black student grievances, hiring black faculty, reexamine
hiring processes for university staff, and devising outreach programs to the community,” Williamson wrote. “So I came on July 1 (1968), and realized that to begin a serious effort in the area so large as this, it was naïve of me to think I could fi x this place in 2 years,” Shelley said. “So of course 2 years became 35 and that is where we are today.” In the fi rst few years of his tenure, Shelley said he didn’t feel welcomed by the University’s African American community. He said the lack of connection between the campus and African American students, combined with the students being unprepared for a civil rights movement to occur, lead to disjointedness. Additionally, the fact that few African American students grew up in the area hurt their ability to connect with the Champaign-Urbana community. “We were naïve enough to believe that we could bring
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