LEAVING HIS MARK ON THE ILLINI
Dining hall workers emigrate from Greece, find balance
As Illinois turns its focus to the Big Ten Tournament, Jon Ekey reflects on his season in Champaign.
Dimitris and Maria Yfantis enjoy keeping busy while working for the University.
LIFE & CULTURE, 6A SPORTS, 1B
THE DAILY ILLINI
WEDNESDAY March 12, 2014
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The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 143 Issue 92
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UI preparing for potential funding cuts University could lose out on $80 million reward from budget BY MARYCATE MOST STAFF WRITER
The Illinois State Board of Higher Education has indicated that a 12.5 percent cut in state funding to state universities may be foreseeable in the next year, University spokesman Tom Hardy said. “Nothing has been settled or determined yet,” Hardy said. “This is a possibility. It would have a broad impact if it happens, but it is important to say that it is very preliminary.” The potential cut to the University’s funding would come as a result of the expiration of a temporary income tax increase that is set to end in January, Hardy said. In Fiscal Year 2014, the University is set to receive $647 million from the state of Illinois, the same total as FY2013. With a $647 million appropriation, a 12.5 percent cut would mean the University would lose out on $80 million annually. Over the past five years, the appropriation has dropped from $697 million to $647 million, a $50 million, or seven percent, decrease. Revenue from state appropriations accounts for 14.5 percent of the University’s overall budget. In his address to the Urbana-Champaign Senate on Monday, Roy Campbell, Senate Executive Committee chairman, discussed steps senate leaders and administration will take to counter potential budgetary diffi culties, specifically in regard to pension reform costs and cuts to state funding. Campbell emphasized
the importance of shared governance in this process. “It is not necessarily possible that we can give you our instant comments on this, because sometimes it can get very complicated, but those discussions do exist,” he said to faculty senators. Chancellor Phyllis Wise also addressed concerns about pension and state funding in her remarks to the senate. “It is very important to consider in the face of the uncertainties related to the pension that the administration is working really hard to try and fi gure out ways that we can have fringe benefits that are very comparable and competitive with our peers,” Wise said. “The possible sun setting of the income tax that was supposed to happen at the end of 2014 is something that we have to plan for and make sure that we have accommodations to deal with that very substantial cut in our budget.” The University will know whether the cut in state funding will be occur in May after the governor and state legislators decide whether to extend the temporary tax increase. The State Board of Higher Education does not have a fi nal say regarding the income tax but plays an advisory role in the decision. “The State Board of Higher Education does planning and recommendations and develops budgetary parameters to the governor,” Hardy said.
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Julio Luna prepares a crepe at Crepe De Licious in the basement of the Illini Union on Tuesday. The restaurant is set to close this semester.
Crepe De Licious, restaurant in Illini Union, to close March 21 BY ANDREW YOON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A popular campus restaurant will be forced to shut down on March 21, after failing to meet contractual obligations with the Illini Union. The restaurant, Crepe De Licious, opened in the Illini Union food court in July 2010 and has become popular because of its unique menu and fresh ingredients. Lori Holmes, manager of vendor contracts at the union, said they are terminating the contract because of business reasons, despite the restaurant’s popularity. “I would be happy for him to stay,” she said. “He’s not doing a bad job — he just hasn’t met the standards of his contract. “We have sent him several
MaryCate can be reached at most2@dailyillini.com.
warnings, but if you don’t meet the obligations, you are breaking the contract.” Owner Rakesh Chopra started the business after he approached the Canadian company about opening a chain in Urbana, but he eventually made his own variation of the restaurant to retain creative control over the menu and ingredients. After a health decline in 2012, Chopra gave up management to local business owners. When he returned in the summer of 2013, he found that the restaurant was six months behind in paying rent and utilities, Chopra said. “At fi rst, (the Illini Union Board and) I agreed to pay $500 a week to catch up in what I was behind in,” Chopra said, “And then they started asking me to speed up the payments.”
Chopra said he didn’t want to raise prices on his food to keepup in the increased payments for the student’s sake. “It’s the student first, business second,” he said. “Higher sales don’t necessarily mean higher profitability. I have made-toorder fresh quality ingredients for an economical price for students. Quality ingredients means a higher food cost. I serve free coffee and tea to any student — even those who do not buy anything.” Crepe De Licious is the only restaurant in the food court that serves a Muslim menu with “Halal” food, and this is one of the reasons why Fera Mohamad, junior in LAS, toyed with the idea of starting a petition to keep the restaurant open. “There is no hesitation buy-
ferent races can be interpreted as STAFF WRITER acts of nonphysical aggression — Several students who took part can affect students psychologicalin the silent protest Being Black ly. She said she supports students at Illinois met with University offi- in their efforts to address racial cials on Monday in an effort to climate issues on campus. address race issues on campus. “I know how difficult and chalDuring the meeting, students lenging that could be,” she said. voiced their concerns to Renee “As a faculty (member), I am comRomano, vice chancellor for stu- mitted to creating a campus clident affairs, and Charles Tuck- mate in which all students feel er, vice provost as though they for undergradare respectuate education ed and valued and innovation. members of the They expressed community.” that they want Neville said more than a disit is important cussion — they that students want action. begin to articuStudents were late and define primarily contheir expericerned that the ences. This University does would consenot require any quently eduform of diversicate the camHELEN NEVILLE, pus by showing ty education for COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY CHAIR graduation, an that racism still issue that Romahappens, and it no said falls in could begin to Tucker’s purview. bridge the gap between racial “I always think it’s important communities on campus, she said. to hear from students about their “We need to push for ways to experiences because until you establish meaningful connechear it directly from a person, tions and interactions across you can’t really appreciate what racial groups that create a perthey’re talking about,” Romano sonal, meaningful relationship,“ said. Neville said. To be more informed, Neville Helen Neville, counseling psychology chair in the College of recommends students take coursEducation, said issues of racial es dealing with topics of diversimicroaggression — a theory that ty, a suggestion students made to interaction between people of dif- Romano and Tucker.
“We need to push for ways to establish meaningful connections across racial groups.”
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Some of Neville’s research focuses on black racial identity. She has found that experiences with racial microaggression can have a negative effect on a person’s psychosocial well-being. Through meta-analysis, a method that hopes to identify patterns within studies, she has found that there is a relationship between perceived racism and higher levels of depression. Neville is interested in finding ways to overcome this. She said addressing the concern through activism and providing social support can be helpful. “It’s important to address it (the issue of racial microagression) ... to acknowledge that it actually happens,” she said. “People try to create an ideology that race doesn’t matter, it’s not important. What we know, and another part of our research, is that it’s not true.” Neville also said the University should focus on increasing the representation of the black community. Black students currently comprise about 5 percent of the campus’ student population, according to the Division of Management Information. The most recent data compiled in the 2007 cohort from DMI states that black students hold the lowest six-year retention rate at 71.9 percent. The students involved in Being Black at Illinois will continue sharing experiences of racial acts of microaggression through posters while their mouths remain
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Tuesday’s numbers suggest a higher turnout than normal for a primary BY ELEANOR BLACK STAFF WRITER
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0RUH RQOLQH For more information regarding the protest and faculty meetings, visit DailyIllini.com.
taped shut on the Quad for the rest of the week. Neville said the silent statement helps to increase people’s awareness about students’ experiences, as it puts a face to some of the experiences so that people can develop a sense of empathy. “It’s empowering for students to name their experiences,” she said. “It can inspire (people) ... to also take a stand.” Romano said the group of students agreed to have further conversations regarding inclusivity. The students plan to regroup and discuss their next step. She expressed that listening to their experiences and getting a sense of their experiences on campus was a good idea.
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DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT
U.S. News and World Report’s rankings for 2015 were issued Tuesday, placing the University in a six-way tie at 41st for national universities, maintaining the school’s ranking from last year. The other schools tied with the university were Boston University, Lehigh University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of California Santa Barbara and University of Wisconsin-Madison. In a three-way tie with California and Wisconsin, the university ranked 11th among public universities, also no change from last year’s ranking. Other rankings for the univer-
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Jessica can be reached at jramos34@dailyillini.com.
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sity in the report included coming in sixth for best engineering graduate school, 26th for education graduate school, 35th for business graduate school and 40th for law schools. Princeton University, Harvard University and Yale University rounded out the top three spots, respectively, on the National University ranking list. “We know that prospective students pay attention to rankings, and it’s always nice when they recognize our excellence,” said Robin Kaler, University spokeswoman in an email. “However, they do not represent the metrics by which we measure our success and impact.”
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Illini Union is that any voter (registered in Champaign County) can vote there no matter where they live,” Hulten said. “So they don’t have to figure out where to vote, they can just go to the Union.” This applies to all early voting locations, which election judges David “Dutch” Powell, of Champaign, and David Hickman, of Savoy, said has
UI holds onto No. 41 rank
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With one week until the Illinois general primary, the early voting station located in the Illini Union opened Tuesday at 10 a.m. It is one of eight early voting locations in Champaign County and is mandated by law as the campus early voting location, said Gordy Hulten, Champaign County Clerk. “The nice thing about the early voting location in the
PORTRAIT OF AJA BECKHAM BY KEVIN VONGNAPHONE
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Andrew can be reached at ayoon4@dailyillini.com.
Early voting open for business in Illini Union
Student protesters address racial inclusivity with faculty BY JESSICA RAMOS
ing food from here since the price is so low and the taste is very good,” she said. “The owner takes the time to remember students as well, and this encourages me to come here more.” Chopra intends to leave campus on good terms and thanks his customers for their continual support. “As a small business owner, I may not have the backup of the larger corporations, but I have my students, who are like my kids, backing me up. That itself may not save my store, but the support really touches me. I want to thank all the students who have patronized Crepe De Licious and wish all of them well.”
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