Issuu

ILLINI ON THE BUBBLE HEADING TO CHICAGO Illinois opens Big Ten tournament vs. Michigan

SPORTS, 1B THURSDAY March 12, 2015

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

WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

U.S. EPA moves to protect Mahomet Aquifier

STAFF WRITER

Easter supports College of Medicine

SONNY AN THE DAILY ILLINI

Huff, a black labrador mix, chews on a toy as he waits for his training to resume at the Khan Annex on Tuesday.

New puppy on board Illini Service Dogs team welcomes new puppy Huff BY MICHELLE REDONDO STAFF WRITER

Big, brown puppy dog eyes are no match for the Illini Service Dogs team. The puppies with mischievous and playful glares will transform into patient and welltrained dogs who are given the opportunity to help another person. Started as a project by Bridget Evans in 2010 when she attended the University, Illini Service Dogs has since grown into a Registered Student Organization that serves the disabled community. Last Quad Day, it received over 800 signatures and 200 applications, but only 65 were chosen to be a part of the team. Because of this growing attention, the organization received a new puppy, Huff, a black Labrador mix, in late December.

SEE DOGS | 3A

LIFE & CULTURE

Net Neutrality

Engineering Open House opens with new exhibits and tours

Pi day honors rare centennial occurrence with dessert

PAGE 3A OPINIONS

Ramifications of Chancellor’s Salaita decision considered

PAGE 4A

DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS

INSIDE

Huff was rescued by Great Lakes Lab Rescue and given to Turning Point Labradors, a central Illinois breeder, until they could find a home for him. Illini Service Dogs receives puppies from breeders, rescue shelters or community members. “It’s hard to tell with puppies if they’re exactly what we’re looking for, but we do look for personality and motivation right away,” said Kendall Cox, senior in Engineering and president of Illini Service Dogs. “Huff is a good one.” Before puppies like Huff are placed with a person in need, they are trained for up to two years. Each dog has a primary trainer that lives and trains with them and a secondary trainer to help them a few hours a week.

While Huff is only five months old, his trainers said he has made rapid progress. During training sessions, he is close to mastering the basics and his secondary trainer, Brenden Horwitz, junior in ACES, has been working with him on “touching.” Touching is a skill service dogs learn to push handicapped plates that open doors. “Patience, loyalty and being able to adapt to a lot of situations are essential (skills),” Horwitz said. “They need to be able to continue being a service dog and doing their job even in public and large groups of people.” The foundation of each trainers’ job is to fundraise, since the dogs are given for free. Cox explained that without money, there would be no dogs. “We need money to take care of the dogs. We are dog trainers, and we are also

NEWS The Daily Illini interviews Professor Dan Schiller

Rep. Rodney Davis, R-13, speaks to reporters in Champaign on Wednesday about the EPA's decision to protect the Mahomet Aquifer as a Sole Source Aquifer.

FREE

BY ABIGALE SVOBODA

STAFF WRITER

JOSHUA WINTERS THE DAILY ILLINI

Board of Trustees to vote on College of Medicine

BY JOSH WINTERS

SEE DAVIS | 3A

Vol. 144 Issue 92

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Rodney Davis praises recent sole source aquifier designation State, local and federal representatives praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to designate a segment of the Mahomet Aquifer as a sole source aquifer, SSA, fulfilling a long-time goal of Illinois lawmakers. “This designation makes clear the importance of the Mahomet Aquifer and will hopefully help further the bipartisan efforts of state and local officials to protect the main source of drinking water for more than 700,000 residents throughout Central Illinois,” said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-IL 13. The aquifer’s status as an SSA has been the subject of much discussion, due to Area Disposal Company’s permit request to dump toxic Polychlorinated Biphenyls, or PCBs, in the Clinton Landfill, which sits just above the aquifer. The EPA’s definition of sole source designation means the agency recognizes the aquifer as supplying “at least 50 percent of the drinking water consumed in the area overlying the aquifer,” and that there are no alternative water sources “that could physically, legally and economically supply all those who depend on the aquifer for drinking water.” Mahomet Aquifer’s new status as an sole source aquifer requires the EPA to review all projects within the designated area that receive federal funds to assess the likelihood of a potential contamination to ensure the aquifer remains unpolluted. “Sole Source designation will protect our Aquifer now and for generations to come,” said State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-103, in a

61˚ | 41˚

Two-day event opens Friday to public

PAGE 5A

@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS

President Robert Easter said he was as skeptical as anyone when discussions began on a potential Urbana College of Medicine. But after reviewing the report and others from the Academic Senate and the University Senates Conference, he said he was assured the proposal would be beneficial for the University of Illinois. Easter recommended the Board of Trustees vote in approval of the proposal at the Academic and Student Affairs committee meeting on Monday. He said he grappled with the decision for over a year, making a final determination based on the proposal’s economic feasibility and how it would affect the University of Illinois’ land grant mission, as well as its research and educational mission. It was clear that the college would advance the University’s missions, Easter said, but its economic feasibility was not as apparent. Eventually, Easter said he determined the proposal

University takes steps to improve enrollment In the past ten years enrollment has increased 10 percent across all University campuses, however, University Vice President Christophe Pierre said more enrollment is not reflected in the yearly freshman yield. In an effort to reverse the

steadily decreasing yield, the University has implemented several strategic changes, including changing to a single admissions date at the Urbana campus, Pierre said. The change was experi-

SEE BOT | 3A

PHOTO COURTESY OF PULKIT BUDHIRAJA

Ph.D. candidate Pulkit Budhiraja experiences the immersion of a three-dimensional virtual reality game.

Physical, virtual worlds blend with technology MADISON JOHNSTON STAFF WRITER

Pulkit Budhiraja, computer science Ph.D. candidate, created an add-on to virtual reality technology to allow for specific aspects of the physical world to be coheIllinois Geometry Lab sive with a user’s virtual reality experience. and Mathematics His add-on to Oculus Department celebrate Rift’s technology allows Saturday at Altgeld Hall for users to see portions of the physical world, such as PAGE 6A a cup, while also being in a

THEDAILYILLINI

would be successful without hindering other University programs, including the existing College of Medicine on the Chicago campus. If the Board of Trustees approves the college at its meeting Thursday, the proposal will be presented to the Illinois Board of Higher Education for approval. If approved, the University will enter a binding contract with the Carle Foundation for its $100 million contribution to the college over the next decade. Additionally, the University has a plan to obtain $135 million in donations over the next 10 years. Trustee James Montgomery expressed concern that other programs may suffer while donors contribute to the College of Medicine. However, Chancellor Phyllis Wise said an unnamed alumni who had not previously donated to the University has promised $10 million. Easter echoed it is important to pay attention to donors’ passions and that some alumni may not be have been inclined to donate

virtual reality game. The University is offering a virtual reality course for the fi rst time this semester, CS 498SL. The course, taught by Steven Lavalle, professor in computer science, aims to establish an understanding of the technology and how to develop virtual reality content. “I consider it to be a kind of mixing of engineering

@THEDAILYILLINI

SEE DRINKING | 3A

THEDAILYILLINI