An Illini shares the view from inside the student-athlete family PAGE B1 TUESDAY November 17, 2015
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
61˚ | 55˚
Vol. 145 Issue 51
|
FREE
Activist challenges gender binary BY CHARLOTTE COLLINS ASSISTANT DAYTIME EDITOR
Stephanie Skora speaks at a rally for the non-tenure faculty coalition on the Main Quad.
Stephanie Skora’s hair has been a point of issue for her. She didn’t want a short cut for fear of projecting the traditional male image, consistent with the gender she was assigned at birth, but something about growing the long tresses stereotypically expected of women didn’t fit her quite right either. “I wanted nice, long luxurious hair, I wanted a cute little braid,” said Skora. “And then I realized, why am I trying to conform to what people tell me femininity has to be? I’m going to make my own femininity.” Skora had gone from feeling trapped at home by her mother’s rules for how to keep her hair to feeling constrained at college by traditional notions of femininity. She had simultaneously grappled with what hairstyle and general look she thought would be fitting for her gender identity and what exactly that gender identity was. Now a student activist in her final year at the University, Skora comfortably identifies outside of the gender binary. As a freshman, she learned surgery wasn’t a required step for her to iden-
CHARLOTTE COLLINS THE DAILY ILLINI
tify as a gender other than the one she was assigned at birth, and for several years identified as a trans female. She said her gender and women’s studies major has led her down a path of self-discovery. “I started to question my own gender more,” Skora said. “I started to look at myself and think about who I was and how I identified, and I decided that ‘woman’ didn’t quite fit me anymore; ‘woman’ fit me like a size 10 shoe on a size 11 foot, and so I identified from that point on, and I still do, as a genderqueer woman.” Genderqueer-ness is an umbrella term for people who do not fit within the gender binary. While much of the western world recognizes male and female as the only genders, there are a variety of cultures throughout human existence that recognize many other genders. Sulawesi Indonesian natives called the Bugis recognized four different genders, while indigenous Siberian Chukchi people recognized seven genders outside of the binary. Even in North America, prior to the influence of European settlers, native tribes of the Great Plains were among
SEE SKORA | 3A
Refugees to be refused Syrian refugees denied entrance BY ALI BRABOY AND CHARLOTTE COLLINS STAFF WRITER AND ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Despite Gov. Bruce Rauner’s announcement to temporarily suspend Illinois accepting new Syrian refugees, there are many people within Illinois who believe more refugees should be accepted into America and at a faster rate. R au ner ’s Mond ay announcement was made in regards to the Nov. 13 Paris terror attacks, according to a press release from the Governor’s office. The Islamic State has claimed credit for causing the Paris attacks, and various news organizations are reporting that more than 120 were killed from the terror attacks. Illinois is now one of several states that is not taking in Syrian refugees. Texas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arkansas will not accept refugees either. On Sept. 16 — two months before Rauner’s announcement — in a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced the U.S. should be prepared to accept 100,000 Syrian refugees, far outpacing the number the administration stated it would accept. According to the Department of State, Illinois has accepted around 131 Syrian refugees this year. Syria’s civil war has led to many Syrians fleeing the country, and as of Nov. 3, there were 4,287,293 registered Syrian refugees, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. To be resettled into the U.S., one must be residing
prove they are not a threat to the U.S. Many refugees also face a culture shock, she said. Some of these refugees might not have had jobs in years, and refugee children might have not been in school for years either. Hlavna believes many are traumatized, and she said most are grateful to be able to get on with their lives. “They’re not a threat,” Hlavna said. Ben Marter, communications director for Durbin, said the senator is asking for a higher acceptance rate of refugees to be accepted in the U.S. and be able to be accepted at a faster rate. He
outside of their country because of persecution or a well-founded fear, according to the U.S. embassy’s website. The applicant must be able to prove they aren’t firmly resettled in another country. Deborah Hlavna, co-director of East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center in Urbana, said refugees face many challenges after being resettled. Most, she said, do not come over with more than a suitcase, and sometimes they come with just the clothes they’re wearing. She said the process to be accepted for resettlement in the U.S. takes quite a long time, and those refugees jump through hoops to
SEE DURBIN | 3A
Cities in Illinois that have accepted Syrian refugees in 2015
DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO
Students spend the day at the capital in Springfield for Lobby Day on March 15.
UI spending less on lobbying
Number of Refugees 16
City Aurora Chicago
79
Rock Island
1
Rockford Total
35 131
The University has reduced lobby spending in recent years BY SAMANTHA JONES TOAL STAFF WRITER
Higher education had the third-highest number of lobbyists among industries in 2014, according to a recent study from the Center for Responsive Politics. Higher education lobbyists came in third, following technology and drug manufacturing. Universities and colleges all across the country have representatives to push for the causes involving higher education, and Illinois is no exception. The University spent $280,000 in total lobbying expenditures in 2015, which is significantly
States that will not accept refugees as of Monday
KELSIE TRAVERS THE DAILY ILLINI
SOURCE: Department of State
less than what the University has spent in previous years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The University reached its peak in lobbying expenses in 2012 when it spent $510,000. Since 2012, lobby expenditures have reduced each year. Part of this money is spent on lobbying representatives, who relate various issues the University is facing to Capitol Hill. Lobbying is conducted at the local, state and national levels. And, despite the high number of paid university lobbyists, students still lobby for causes on their own. This year, Mitch Dickey, Illinois Student Senate president, has been lobbying representatives to renew the Monetary Award Program grant. Last week,
UI Lobbying expenses Colleges and universities employ more lobbyists in Washington than any industry other than drug manufacturing and technology. The University of Illinois’ total lobbying expenditures are: $280,000 -2015 $400,000 - 2014 $420,000 - 2013 Nationally, higher education employs the third most amount of lobbyists among industries in 2014: Health Products - 1,430 Electronics - 1,090 Higher Education - 1,020 SOURCE: THE CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS
SEE LOBBYING | 3A
Researchers develop app to help combat bullying BY LILLY MASHAYEK STAFF WRITER
Researchers are now looking to apps as a means to develop safer environments within high school communities. Project Student Opportunities for After-School
Resources, SOAR, will be looking at ways to improve schools’ learning environments in the coming years due to a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Justice to IRIS Educational Media, an Oregon-based behavioral research and
development firm. “The project is focused on the development and testing of a comprehensive school safety framework,” said Claudia Vincent, research associate at IRIS Educational Media. The app, available to stu-
dents, teachers and parents, will have several features including resources for the school community on restorative problem solving, a school climate survey, and a place to report issues that arise within the schools, Vincent said.
“It would be an application where they don’t necessarily have to go to the school office,” said Dorothy Espelage, co-principal investigator of the project and professor in education psychology. “We do see that youth in high school have agency, and they
do see what’s going on.” While the app is primarily focused on high school students, Brion Marquez, research associate at IRIS Educational Media, said that having a safe way for college
SEE BULLYING | 3A
OPINIONS
LIFE & CULTURE
SPORTS
Discussing sexual health
Getting into character
Cain emerging for Illini
Sexual assault, health issues must be considered after Trojan campus survey.
Champaign women play different characters during wrestling matches.
Freshman receiver goes over 100 yards against Ohio State in loss.
PAGE 4A
PAGE 6A
PAGE 1B
DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS
INSIDE
Police
2A
|
Opinions
4A
|
Letters
4A
|
Crossword
5A
@THEDAILYILLINI
THEDAILYILLINI
@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS |
Life
&
Culture
6A
|
Sports
1B
|
Classifieds
THEDAILYILLINI 3B
|
Sudoku
3B