Getting the ball rolling Keys to success for basketball’s fresh face OPINIONS, 4A
The Daily Illini
Monday April 2, 2012
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Vol. 141 Issue 123
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Event unites minorities for racial discourse Black and Latino Male Summit empowers, educates
we’re putting black and Latino men in a positive atmosphere In J. Cole’s song “Sideline to the front.” Story,” he raps, “I wish someThe event was co-hosted by body made guidelines/On how La Casa Cultural Latina and to get up off the sidelines.” the Bruce D. Nesbitt African This Saturday, about 200 men American Cultural Center. gathered to try to accomplish Rivera said the day-long just that at the University’s event consisted of 16 worksecond annual Black and Lati- shops covering many different no Male Summit, which adopt- topic areas: health and welled the theme “A Sideline Sto- ness, coalition building, leadership and identity being four ry” after the song. The event drew primarily of the primary issues. black and Latino men, though She also said the summit there were men and women of served two main purposes. all races present. Students and “It’s all about the empowfaculty came erment a nd to the Unieducation of black and Lativersity from schools across no men,” she Illinois a nd said. “It’s also even as far as supposed to Wisconsin and be a retention type of workIndiana. shop; giving Rory James, the students director of the Bruce D. Nestools to empowLIZETTE RIVERA, bitt African er themselves director of La Casa Cutura Latina American Culand continue tural Center, on.” said this year’s summit includKeynote speaker Victor ed many more Latino men, Rios, associate professor of which is important because sociology at the University of they go through many of the California at Santa Barbara , same struggles as black men. spoke about his research on “These are two populations the minority population and that we could address at the his time as a gang member. same time because there are He said the great disparsimilar issues,” James said. ity between the percentage Lizette Rivera, director of of black and Latino youths in La Casa Cultural Latina, said jail compared to white youths the event’s theme, “A Side- shows a problem with how line Story,” holds a special young minorities are treatmeaning. ed in the U.S. He said “mass “It’s a play on words where incarcerations” and racial problack and Latino men are usu- fi ling are the results of several ally not in positive news, and factors working against black they’re not headlines; they’re and Latino males. kind of left to the side,” she “There’s a systematic stripsaid. “So this time ... we’re putting everyone in the forefront; See MALE SUMMIT, Page 3A BY THOMAS THOREN STAFF WRITER
SARI LESK THE DAILY ILLINI
Chanel Cavalier VanCartier, a female impersonator, performs during the Illini Union Board’s Drag Race. VanCartier drove in from Iowa to perform in the show on Friday. Held at the Illini Union, seven female impersonators performed at the show, often leaving the stage to interact with the audience.
Looking beyond gender stereotypes: Drag shows about art, not orientation BY SARI LESK ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Meet Marcus Wilder. During the day, he works as a bartender in a sports bar and pool hall. At night, he works for Caterpillar, Inc., building dump trucks. Students and community members met Wilder on Friday night at the Illini Union but may not have realized it. At the Drag Race last Friday, the audience met Wilder as his alter-ego Ceduxion Carrington . The show, which students and Champaign-Urbana residents attended, was sponsored by the Illini Union Board. The audience members greeted the seven female imperson-
ators with applause, cheers and monetary tips as they performed to songs by Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé and more. On stage, the performers elicited reactions from the audience. Offstage, they talked about the art of drag and its purpose in society, breaking down the stereotypes associated with it. “Gender identification is a part of (what) it is,” Wilder said. “And I think a lot of people think, because we do this, we want to be women. I think we want to be respected as impersonators and the males that create our alter-egos.” Wilder said this is the big-
UI, campus groups host Sexual Assault Awareness Month events BY CLAIRE EVERETT STAFF WRITER
Men wore high heels and made laps around the Quad on Friday to show their support for an end to sexual violence. The Women’s Resource Center hosted the event, called “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.” Ryan Jenson, sophomore in Engineering, said he participated because he thought it was a good cause and a funny way to show support. At the end of the event, women participants joined the men for their fi nal lap. “The fact that all these guys are coming out and raising awareness is really powerful,” said Meg Hickey, senior in FAA. “It’s a good way of showing the awareness and seeing how many people on this campus really care.” Sexual Assault Awareness Month begins April, and several campus organizations are hosting events for it. This week, the “Red-Flag Campaign Kick-Off Event” will take place on the Quad at noon Monday. Red fl ags, which are meant to symbolize warning signs in a relationship, will be scattered around the Quad. The event is intended to get students talking more about such issues and to notice the campaign posters around campus. Matt Webb, senior in Engineering, is planning on attending the event. “It’s an important issue because there are people who don’t realize emotional and
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gest misconception about drag queens. He specified that Ceduxion is “only out on the weekends” and that the rest of the time he is Marcus. Wilder noted that female impersonators are stereotyped as feminine, but he believes most of the people he performs with are “pretty masculine gay men.” He said that femininity is something they actually have to tap into. “That’s another stereotype: everybody thinks all drag queens are feminine in and out of drag, which is not the case,” Wilder said. In addition to misconceptions about drag queens, Wilder said
More on-air: For more information about the drag show last Friday, tune into the 5 p.m. newscast at WPGU 107.1-FM.
there are also misunderstandings about drag shows. He said many people view drag shows as a “gay thing,” but they are not orientation-based. Citing the movie “To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar,” starring actors Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes, Wilder classified drag shows as entertainment forums. “We can get Hollywood’s
“It’s all about the empowerment and education of black and Latino men.”
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See DRAG SHOW, Page 3A
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University MBA students host 5K run/walk April Fools’ race benefits Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Sexual Assault Awareness Month events this week The Women’s Resource Center, along with many other supporting organizations, is sponsoring a host of events this week for Sexual Awareness Month. Here’s what’s coming up this week: ! Red Flag Campaign KickOff Event: Monday at noon on the Quad ! Illini Art Therapy: Monday from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at the Women’s Resource Center ! Let’s Talk About Sex: Tuesday at 7 p.m. in ISR, Townsend Room A ! Sex Signals: Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the ARC Multipurpose Room 6
BY KRIZIA VANCE STAFF WRITER
verbal abuse go along with physical abuse,” he said. On Tuesday, a “Let’s Talk About Sex” workshop will be held at ISR Townsend at 7 p.m. The workshop, led by two counseling center paraprofessionals, will focus on communication promoting consensual sex by playing a game with candy. Jenson learned about Sexual Assault Awareness month at the Friday’s event. “I don’t know too much about the events, but I’d like to go to more,” he said. “There’s such a high rate of sexual assault, and it’s an embarrassment for men. If I could do anything to stop it, I don’t see why I wouldn’t.”
In their ongoing effort to help the people of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the Graduate Marketing Association, a group within the University’s MBA program, held their first April Fools’ 5K run/walk this Sunday to raise money for the Kola Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the lives of the underprivileged youth of Pine Ridge. The proceeds from the race will be used More online: for bringing For more three stuinformation, dents from video about the the Pine 1st annual April Ridge Indian Fools’ 5k run/ Reservation walk race held by for the ACES MBA students, Apprenticevisit our website at ship ProDailyIllini.com gram, said James Cantu, MBA student and director of fundraising and special events for Kola Foundation. The money will cover all the expenses for the students. “We needed something that was going to generate enough money for us to pay for their expenses when they get here,” Cantu said. Prior to the race, the group raised $2,250, Cantu said. Around 94 people preregistered for the event, and about 20 people registered the day of the race. The race isn’t the only fund-
NATHALIE ROCK THE DAILY ILLINI
James Cantu, MBA student, presents Ron Lavaire with a trophy for finishing first in the April Fools’ 5K. Lavaire finished with a time of 16:37:6 at the Illinois Arboretum on Sunday.
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raiser the group holds. They are also donating school supplies for the students, said Trent Pelman, MBA student and chief marketing officer for Kola Foundation. Last year, they held a coat drive. Ron Lavaire, a teacher at Urbana Middle School, came in first place in the competition. He said he saw the event as opportunity to supplement his marathon training. “I gained a little speed for marathon training,” Lavaire said.
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Coming in second, David Groeber, freshman in Business, said he found out about the event through a friend, who helped organized the race. “I haven’t raced in a while, so I’d thought it’d be fun,” Groeber said. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, located in South Dakota, is one of the poorest communities in the country, Pelman said. Sarah Zigman, MBA student and the director of education for
the Kola Foundation, said she ran to support her group’s cause and classmates while having a good time. “I think it’s important (people) choose to participate to make awareness for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation,” Zigman said. “So if we create that awareness for a lot of people in the community that aren’t aware of what’s going on in reservations in the United States ... we’ve done our job.”
Po l i c e 2 A | Co r r e c t i o n s 2 A | C a l e n d a r 2 A | O p i n i o n s 4 A | Le t t e r s 4 A | C r o s s w o r d 5 A | Co m i c s 5 A | S p o r t s 1 B | C l a s s i f i e d s 3 B - 4 B | S u d o k u 4 B