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GROUPS BRIDGE MINORITY GAPS Organizations provide needed support for minorities

OPINIONS, 4A

MONDAY October 6, 2014

HE’S GOT BRAWNS AND BRAINS

WES LUNT OUT OF PLAY FOR 4-6 WEEKS

UI law student competes on MTV’s ‘Are You The One?’ premiering tonight

LIFE & CULTURE, 6A

SPORTS, 1B

Illini quarterback fractured fibula in Saturday’s game

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

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Vol. 144 Issue 25

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Q&A: PHYLLIS WISE

Chancellor Phyllis Wise discusses Salaita and future Editor’s note: The Daily Illini Editorial Board sat down with Chancellor Phyllis Wise on Friday to talk about the state of affairs on campus. THE DAILY ILLINI: We know the University is currently undergoing a presidential search committee. What kind of person would you like to see fill the role of the next University president? WISE: I would love to see someone who is academically really well-respected and really has an excellent record as an academic leader. Also, someone who is ready to go out and do the external work, which is so important at the moment, ... but (someone) really ready to promote the University of Illinois to a broader audience. By that I mean corporate leaders, legislators, the governor, federal legislators, to really promote the value of the University. ... (I learned that) we did a lousy job of communicating and promoting ourselves in a bold but not boastful way. So I took it upon myself to spend a significant amount of time outside the campus, but the president should do it in spades. ', Following the recent Salaita controversy, 14 departments issued votes of no confidence. What would your response be to this? WISE: I’m saddened that this has happened, obviously, because no confidence really means that they have no confidence in my leadership, and I take that very seriously. I have met with faculty in all of the different colleges already. I had planned to do another listening and learning tour this fall, and when all this started hap-

pening, I decided I wanted to do it much more intensively. ... I hope we can have a good conversation and a better understanding and even if we don’t come to total agreement, we at least understand and respect each other. ', Despite saying donors had no influence on Salaita’s rejected position, many people insist they did. Do you have a further response to this? WISE: Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve tried to reemphasize that I was not at all influenced by donors. I was getting emails from both sides — to “hire Salaita” or “I’m so glad you didn’t hire Salaita” — and I never went back to check who those people were who were emailing me. ... I never went back and checked whether they had been a donor or whether they were possibly going to be a donor, whether we were talking with them already about a possible gift. As the state contributes less and less towards our overall budget, it becomes critical that we find other sources, otherwise it’s going to be on tuition and we already know how high tuition is. So, I’m looking for different sources of revenue and whether it is corporate donations or philanthropy from foundations or individuals, I’m always out there telling our story. The decision about Salaita was purely a personnel decision. It had nothing to do with specifically the Palestine or Israel issue. I would have taken the same action — I hope I would have used more consultation — but I would have taken the same action if it was someone who was for Israel as someone who was for Palestine.

SONNY AN THE DAILY ILLINI

Phillip Louie, junior in Engineering, gives a speech in front of the Union on Friday describing the efforts in Hong Kong to achieve democracy. Students are frustrated by the Chinese government’s use of force.

UI students rally for Hong Kong Supporters assemble on Quad to protest undemocratic policies BY SUYEON YANG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

University students gathered on the Quad on Friday and chanted “Give true democracy to Hong Kong” as part of a rally meant to show solidarity with prodemocracy protestors in Hong Kong. A booth was set up in front of the Illini Union displaying a large photograph of police officers spraying protestors with pepper spray. The group of supporters handed out fliers and yellow ribbons, which represent the official color of many suffrage organizations, and had conversations with passing

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

MEGAN JONES THE DAILY ILLINI

Annual fall seminar provides forum for poverty discussion BY CAMILLE MURRAY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Wesley Foundation and United Methodist Church held its seventh annual fall seminar on Sunday, titled “The Reality of Poverty Here at Home.” The panel of speakers for the seminar consisted of four distinguished University professors from a variety of different departments: Tom Ulen, Swanlund Chair Professor Emeritus in the College of Law; Craig Gunderson, Soybean Industry Endowed Professor of Agricultural Strategy in the college of ACES; Barbara Fiese, professor of Human Development and Family

Studies and director of the Family Resiliency Center; and Ruby Mendenhall, professor of Sociology and African American Studies. “The fall seminar offers a chance for people of lots of different backgrounds, ideas and interests to come together and relate, talk about a topic, and collaborate and work with these distinguished speakers to come up with ideas,” said Derek Attig, director of communications for the Wesley Foundation and Wesley United Methodist Church. The speakers gave presentations on several subtopics

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SEE POVERTY | 3A

government announced that three candidates for chief executive will be chosen by the Election Committee. Then, the people of Hong Kong can vote based on those candidates. “The Chinese government gave us a framework of how the election should be and it was completely different from what we’re asking for,” said Matthew Gieuw, senior in Engineering and member of the Hong Kong Student Association at the University. “Because we’ve already done everything, the protest is the only thing we could do right now. That’s why we have to occupy.” Fiona Chau, member of the Hong Kong Student Association at the

SEE HONG KONG | 3A

Professor celebrates 100 years, seeks more research funds BY ANDREW NOWAK

Chancellor Phyllis Wise sat down with The Daily Illini Editorial Board to discuss the Salaita controversy and other topics.

University students. Priscilla Tse, graduate student in LAS and organizer of the rally, said the purpose of the rally was to support those currently protesting for universal suffrage in Hong Kong, and to “condemn brutal and unnecessary force” used by police officers toward the protestors. “When I was watching an on-air video of the protest, I felt like I was there although I’m not physically in Hong Kong,” Tse said. “By watching police releasing tear gas and pepper spray toward unarmed protestors, I was angry about this unjustness. Those pro-

testors sacrificed a lot, and I wanted to support them even from thousands of miles away.” The protestors in Hong Kong are fighting the Chinese-proposed framework for political reform for upcoming elections. Under the current system, the chief executive of Hong Kong, which is the highest position of leadership, is chosen by a 1200-member Election Committee. This committee is controlled by the 150-member Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which is under the People’s Republic of China. In 2007, the people of Hong Kong were promised universal suffrage for the 2017 election, but in August, the Chinese

Before guests gathered at his Urbana home to celebrate his 100th birthday on Saturday, University professor emeritus Fred Kummerow was more focused on finding funding for his Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s research than on his centennial. “I still need, right now, $15,000 a month to keep myself going,” Kummerow said. “And I’m having a hard time getting that.” In addition to what he needs, Kummerow receives $5,000 a month from funds generated by oil wells that were originally donated to the University by Ethel Burnsides decades ago. Burnsides also funded the Burnsides Research Laboratory, where Kummerow still works. “The Carle Clinic is willing to work with me on (Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s research) and give me samples of blood from these people,” Kummerow said. “But they did not have any money. And the University does not have any money either, they tell me. I am trying to get money out of the (University’s) Foundation. I got a couple of birthday cards from the Foundation, but I don’t want birthday cards, I want some money from them.” Kummerow gave sev-

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eral reasons for why he switched from researching heart disease to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s this year and said that he “felt that (he) was through with heart disease.” He also said that he wanted to research Parkinson’s disease because his wife, Amy, to whom he was married for 70 years, died of the disease two years ago. Another reason Kummerow has chosen to focus his research on Alzheimer’s disease is because he has a donor for his research. “I have a source of funding which gives me about $25,000 a year, who has Alzheimer’s disease, bad Alzheimer’s,” Kummerow said. Amy was also interested in the community and politics, and she was a precinct committeeman from 1970 to 2009 for the local democratic party. Kummerow said his birthday party would also serve as a fundraiser for Ann Callis’ congressional run. Jean Kummerow is one of three children to Fred. She said her father’s birthday was “pretty amazing” and that it was the first 100th birthday party she had attended. “He is not someone who likes a lot of attention on himself,” Jean said. “So since my mother was in politics, this seemed like a perfect way

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PORTRAIT COURTESY OF ANDREW NOWAK

University professor emeritus Fred Kummerow and his daughter, Jean Kummerow, wrote a book together titled “Cholesterol is Not the Culprit.” to celebrate: to have a fundraiser for a candidate that she would have supported and he would too.” Jean also co-authored a book with her father and an updated version was released in April titled, “Cholesterol is Not the Culprit.” Kummerow helped make her father’s research understandable to a general audience. The book is about what is healthy to eat and why, based on Kummerow’s research into heart disease and trans fats, which he has spent a large portion of his career researching. Fred said he hoped the book would start to make an impact. “All the physicians in the United States believe that cholesterol is the culprit and the only thing they have now is they give people a statin,” Kummerow said. Statin is a type of drug physicians prescribe that helps lower patients’ cholesterol. However, Kummerow said he believes trans fats, not cholesterol, is a cause of heart disease. Working on the book with

her father “was a challenge” for Jean, but not without its rewards. “I would keep searching and at times I would just have to give up because you can not get all of the scientific principles in plain English,” Jean Kummerow said. “But it was also interesting because I learned a lot and it was a nice way to spend time with my dad.” Lou Ann Carper, Fred Kummerow’s caretaker, said she helps him with his typing and answering his phone and emails. She said his 100th birthday is wonderful and that he is in good shape. “He just got reports back from the lab that he is terrific,” Carper said. “He is more like a 25-year old than he is a 100-year old.” While he was surrounded by guests during his party, Fred said 100 felt “no different than 99”, except that there wasn’t a party when he was 99.

Andrew can be reached at news@dailyillini.com.

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