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THE DAILY ILLINI
WEDNESDAY October 9, 2013
The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
75˚ | 49˚ Vol. 143 Issue 26
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MTD goes even greener with solar panel installation BY BRITTNEY NADLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Champaign-Urbana MTD will soon install solar panels on top of its garage at 803 E. University Ave. The Illinois Department of Transportation recently signed off on a $1.1 million contract that will allow the project to be completed next year. The project involves purchasing and installing a solar panel array on the roof of MTD’s maintenance department. During the prime solar season, the solar panels will produce enough electricity to power the entire maintenance department, said Karl Gnadt, MTD’s director of market development. “In fact, it will produce more electricity than what the maintenance department uses,” Gnadt said. MTD’s excess solar energy will earn energy credits from Ameren, a holding company for many power and energy companies. During winter months, earned energy credits can be cashed in for power, which will drastically lower outside energy usage and costs, Gnadt said. “When the days are shorter and cloudier and we’re not generating enough power to power the entire building, then we’ll cash in those credits, so to speak, with Ameren, for the makeup power,” he said. Gnadt said the state of Illinois will pay 65 percent of the cost of the project, and MTD will cover the remaining 35 percent, as outlined in a grant agreement that began July 1.
HUBERT THEODORE THE DAILY ILLINI
University student Xiuying Cai shares her thoughts about the recent death of graduate student Mengchen Huang during a candlelight vigil at the Alma Mater on Tuesday. The vigil also put a spotlight on campus domestic violence.
A VIGIL AGAINST VIOLENCE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The candle light vigil for Mengchen Huang, a University graduate student who was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend on Sept. 27, was held around the Alma Mater on Tuesday night. A crowd of people stood in a semicircle around a single microphone. “I decided to come here because I heard this story — I’m not personally attached to it and didn’t know her — but I thought it would be a good thing to do and honor her memory,” said Angie Pittman, graduate student. The Women’s Resources Center sponsored the event and gave people the chance to speak about not only Huang’s death, but also about the issue of domestic abuse. Pat Morey, director of the Women’s Resources Center, said when she started speaking out against domestic abuse 30 years ago, she never thought
that domestic abuse would still be such a problem today. Morey urged the crowd not to forget the images of domestic violence and to become aware of the signs of abuse to prevent tragedies like Huang’s death. “Remember the black eyes, the broken limbs, the sleepless tortured nights, the bloody misshaped noses and purple lips,” Morey said. Simple actions can make a big difference, she said. “Revolutionary action is calling the police when you hear banging and screaming,” Morey said. “Revolutionary action is shouting when you see someone being beaten. Revolutionary action is giving a woman a number for a hotline.” When a group began singing a West African song, members of the crowd quietly chimed along, put their hands on the neighboring person’s back, and swayed to the slow
SEE SOLAR | 3A
As ridership increases, fuel consumption drops The Champaign-Urbana MTD has undertaken many ecofriendly projects, earning them membership in the United States Green Building Council since 2008. Below is a graph that shows just one example of how the company continues to go green — despite ridership increases, fuel consumption has decreased.
Stanton can be reached at polansk1@dailyillini.com.
“Revolutionary action is calling the police when you hear banging and screaming. Revolutionary action is shouting when you see someone being beaten.”
12,500,000
840,000
12,000,000
830,000 820,000
11,500,000 810,000 11,000,000 800,000 10,500,000 790,000 10,000,000
9,500,000
GALLONS OF DIESEL
BY STANTON POLANSKI
tempo of the vocals. Morey gave anyone in the crowd a chance to stand in front of the two spotlights before the Alma Mater to explain how they felt personally about the death of Huang. Jessica Nicholas, graduate student, shifted her weight back and forth and took quick gasps of air as she spat out a poem by memory. Others approached the microphone, some individually and some in a small groups, to sing songs and to express their feelings. “I need a friend to come up with me because this is hard,” one speaker said while holding hands with another speaker. “It’s been on my mind all week,” with her eyes glimmering in the light because of tears forming. Freshman Mew Jiang said she came to the vigil because Huang was a teaching assistant for her art history class. She couldn’t believe when she heard the news. Still in disbelief, Jiang said Huang was more than just her TA — she was a friend.
PASSENGER RIDES
Mourning for graduate student puts spotlight on domestic violence
The project components have been ordered and are expected to arrive within the next six to eight weeks, Gnadt said, adding that during December, the company will begin looking into installation. A local Champaign business, Glesco Electric, will install the panels. “We’re going to set up a fully functional (system). I would say about 60 percent of the roof up there ... gets covered by solar panels,” said Phil Lowery, vice president of Glesco Electric. “That power will only be used for the MTD. It doesn’t go back in on the grid, it just gets used for lights and heat and cooling in the bus maintenance facility.” A total of 1,212 4-by-3 foot panels will be installed over a period of three months, Lowery said. Champaign-Urbana MTD has been a member of the United States Green Building Council since 2008. Gnadt said the Green Building Council is an entity that recognizes organizations who take steps to make their facilities as sustainable as possible. Illinois Terminal is preparing to register as an official United States Green Building Council LEED Existing Building Project in 2013, according to MTD’s website. MTD previously installed a white roof constructed of materials that reflect more than 70 percent of sunlight on its administration facility in 2010, Gnadt said. This reduces the amount of heat absorbed and
780,000
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
770,000
PAT MOREY
DIRECTOR, WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER SOURCE: Karl Gnadt, MTD director of market development
Urbana mayor proposes overhaul, significant budget cuts for fiscal year
EUNIE KIM THE DAILY ILLINI
Female representation in STEM fields lacking BY ZARA SIKANDAR
BY ELI MURRAY
Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing proposed a reformed budget that sees $811,500 in budget cuts for fiscal year 2013. Under the proposed budget, Urbana would see $343,000 in revenue increases from the city’s quarter-cent sales tax increase. The city’s budget would also see $950,000 in cuts, save two amendments that would spend $142,000. The proposed budget would fill the $1 million deficit with an excess of $154,500. Budget cuts netting the city $178,500 include closing the police front desk from 11p.m. – 5 a.m., cutting a legal consultant to half-time and two public works employees taking on extra responsibilities after one employee transferred to another county position. A significant portion of the
SEE BUDGET | 3A
Police
2A
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Elizabeth Hsiao-Wecksler is an associate professor of mechanical science and engineering. She joined the University in 2002 as a tenure track faculty person. Hsiao-Wecksler is one of five female researchers out of over 50 tenure-track faculty in this program. “It took mechanical engineering department 130 years to hire a female engineer in a 10-year tenure track,” she said. Though 43 percent of University professors, associate professors, assistant professors, visiting staff, postdoctorates, clinical faculty and administration and management staff are women, gender inequality is often seen in the areas of social sciences and technical studies, according to a University Division of Management Information report. Female professors are more prevalent in the social sciences, and their represen-
Mayor Prussing’s proposed budget would bridge the current $1.14M deficit and leave an extra $154,500 in the city’s general fund
BUDGET DEFICIT CUTS
REVENUE INCREASE
$953,500
$343,000
SALES TAX INCREASE
$178,500
$500,000
decrease to health insurance budget
$5,000
cuts to public works, legal and police front desk
$214,000
smaller transfer to pension fund
$56,000
saved on salary cost of replacing retired police officer
2A
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Opinions
4A
in excess after budget has been bridged
EUNIE KIM THE DAILY ILLINI
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Letters
4A
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Crossword
5A
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Comics
5A
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Life
Faculty gender demographics by tenure status
Male Q Non Tenure — 322 Q Temp/Adjunct — 82 Q Tenure Track — 247 Q Tenured — 1009 Female Q Non Tenure — 246 Q Temp/Adjunct — 44 Q Tenure Track — 182 Q Tenured — 416
SOURCE: DIVISION OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
tation in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields remains limited. Hsiao-Wecksler explained some of the reasons behind gender inequality in academic technical studies.
SEE STEM | 3A
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$154,500
saved from the delay of filling three positions
SOURCE: City of Urbana | Office of the Mayor
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