Big Ten Champ
Track star Ashley Spencer motivated by coach and sister SPORTS, 1B
Unofficial officially starts Friday Read about restrictions, security and green drinks NEWS, 3A; FEATURES, 6A
Wednesday February 27, 2013
The Daily Illini www.DailyIllini.com
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 142 Issue 110
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Elections 2013
Prussing victorious in mayoral primary BY CORINNE RUFF STAFF WRITER
Incumbent Laurel Prussing defeated candidate Les Stratton in the Urbana Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday with 65 percent of the vote. Prussing will move on to the mayoral election April 9 to face Republican Rex Bradfield in her third race as the Democratic candidate. “I am very happy, and I appreciate the people that actually turned out to vote,” she said. Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten said voter turnout was significantly lower than expected, possibly because of the rain and snow throughout the day. By the end of the day, only 9.7 percent of registered voters, or 1,994 people, voted. “I’m not sure why,” he said. “It may have been the weather. It may have been a number of different things.” Les Stratton said he was disappointed with the low voter turnout as he had gone door-to-door the day before to encourage residents to vote. “I was thinking it would have been a lot closer,” he said. “I ran a good campaign, a clean campaign. It was strictly (focused) on the issues, and it was up to voters to come out, and essentially, it was
a referendum for voters to decide how we spend money.” While he does not plan to run again for public office, Stratton said he would continue to address the public safety needs in the Lierman neighborhood, known for being a high-crime area, in any way the community needs him. “I’m 62, and I am not interested in making a career out of politics,” he said. “I made my attempt to help the MAYOR LAUREL Urbana community, and PRUSSING I was defeated. I can live with that.” Although Prussing said she was happy with her win, she said she is now shifting her focus to these next six weeks of campaigning. “I feel very tired,” she said. “You wonder how people do it for president. I started collecting signatures in November. ... It’s pretty intense.” Redevelopment of the Urbana Landmark Hotel swayed Urbana resident Car-
See URBANA, Page 3A
ZOE GRANT THE DAILY ILLINI
Moderator Adam Joines stands between the candidates at the student trustee debate Tuesday evening in the Illini Union's Pine Lounge. Topics discussed ranged from student fees to a proposed renovation of Assembly Hall.
Student trustee hopefuls debate financial issues DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
An Assembly Hall security worker checks a student's bag as he enters Foellinger Auditorium on last year’s Unofficial St. Patrick's Day on March 4, 2011.
UI finalizing Unofficial security in lecture halls BY CHRISSY PAWLOWSKI STAFF WRITER
As Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day approaches, University police and the provost’s office are finalizing the list of lecture halls that will need security. Security will be present Friday in buildings with high capacity, including Foellinger Auditorium and the Lincoln Hall Theater, said Capt. Skip Frost of the University Police. “The whole idea with us is just to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand,” Frost said. “We want to make sure that, if people are going to enjoy the day, they take care of their classwork first, and there’s no disruptions.” John Marquardt, Assembly Hall event and safety coordinator, said Assembly Hall security has a contract with University police for Unofficial to ensure classrooms are kept under control. These security guards are not police officers,
but they will monitor the lectures and contact police if disciplinary action is needed. Marquardt added that Assembly Hall is not involved in the development of policy or enforcement tactics. Assembly Hall security will check bags or identification of disruptive students. Although beverages are not allowed in the auditoriums, security personnel will collect any beverage containers to ensure classrooms are alcohol-free. “We brief them what our expectations are ... to make sure nobody’s bringing in drinks and nobody’s causing major disruptions,” Frost said. “They have the ability to contact us directly, so we can address any behavioral issues in classrooms.” The classroom security procedures began a few years after the holiday was
See SECURITY, Page 3A
Assembly Hall renovation fee among candidates’ debate topics BY TYLER DAVIS STAFF WRITER
Financial issues facing both the University and current students dominated the debate among the candidates for student trustee hosted by the Illinois Student Senate and the Student Organization Resource Fee board Tuesday night. Six candidates are running for student trustee: Carey Ash, graduate student senator; Mike Cunningham, junior in LAS; LaDarius DuPree, junior in LAS; Ryan Gleason, junior in LAS; Shao Guo, vice president-internal of the Illinois Student Senate; and Brian Siegel, junior in media and student senator. The election for student trustee, who serves on the University’s board of trustees and shares a vote with the Springfield and Chicago campus student trustees,
will be held by online ballot on March 5-6. Cunningham said his longterm goal is to see a higher rate of employment for University graduates by utilizing the University’s alumni network. “I would want to bring (alumni) here, open it up for everyone who is an undergraduate to actually get their dream job,” Cunningham said. Siegel, a former Illini Media employee, said the state of Illinois is in debt to the University. He said the relationship between the state and the University needs to be strengthened, and funds should be made more readily available to the University. “All of the things and programs and everything we want to do to make the University better is going to take money,” he said.
Ash returned to this point later, explaining that the state is broke and cannot even pay its workers. He said he would like to bring all three University of Illinois campuses together to solve the system’s problems. “Waiting on the state of Illinois will get us nowhere,” Ash said. “The University of Illinois is independent of its own right, and though the state may sink, this ship will stay afloat.” The trustee candidates also voiced their opinions on a possible Assembly Hall renovation referendum question that asks for $25 per semester in student fees. Guo, sophomore in DGS, explained that he dislikes this referendum question, stating that Assembly Hall has not yet reported to the student senate where exactly these fees would go. This concerns Guo — if ISS does
not know where these fees are going, neither would the average student, he claimed. “It’s unacceptable for them not to come and talk about their budget, it’s unacceptable for them not to even come to the senate — not even broadcast on their website item-by-item on what our money would go towards,” Guo said. “Shame on them. Shame on Assembly Hall.” DuPree also had problems with the student fee, saying that Assembly Hall is fi ne the way it is. “They’re asking for the students to pay for it?” he asked. “That’s outrageous.” Gleason said the designs for the renovations look amazing, but the cost is too high for students. “To many students here who rely on loans, grants, that $50 means maybe one less book, that $50 means maybe one less night out — for what?” Gleason asked. “For a student that potentially doesn’t even attend Assembly Hall.”
Tyler can be reached at tadavis2@dailyillini.com.
Assembly Hall fee would charge students $25 for 30 years BY LAUREN ROHR STAFF WRITER
The addition of a $25 Assembly Hall renovation fee for the next 30 years will have a place on the spring 2013 referendum. The Assembly Hall Student Referendum Committee received more than 3,300 signatures on its petition, meaning the question will appear on the March 5-6 ballot, said Adam Joines, chair of the Campus Student Election Commission. The commission has yet to fi nalize the language of the question. The committee will need a majority vote in favor of the fee in order for it to move forward. “We’re hoping that this is an issue that
INSIDE
brings out more voters than normal,” said Claudia Christy, chair of the committee and sophomore in AHS. “Everyone should know what’s going on with the University, and the best way to voice your opinion about it is by voting.” If passed, the $25 fee will be evaluated by the Student Fee Advisory Committee, and the amount will be adjusted if necessary, said student trustee David Pileski. It will then be added, starting in fall 2014, to the general fee students pay every semester. Kent Brown, associate director of athletics, said University officials will take out a bond for the $160 million renovation. The funds from this fee would make up about
17 percent of the cost of the entire project, he said. The total cost of the project has not been disclosed to the public. “This is one of the largest construction projects that will ever be on this campus, and the students are a big part of the usage of that building, in terms of entertainment, athletics, concerts, graduation, all those types of events,” Brown said. “Students now have an opportunity to build a legacy of supporting an iconic building that everyone’s very proud of.” But some students believe that not enough communication has been relayed
See ASSEMBLY HALL Page 3A
GRAPHIC SUBMITTED BY THE ASSEMBLY HALL STUDENT REFERENDUM COMMITTEE
Po l i ce 2 A | H o ro s co p e s 2 A | O p i n i o n s 4 A | Le t t e r s 4 A | C ro s swo rd 5 A | Co m i c s 5 A | H e a l t h & L i v i n g 6 A | S p o r t s 1 B | Cl a s s i f i e d s 4 B | S u d o ku 4 B