Big man Mike Thorne Jr. had a big weekend for Illinois basketball PAGE 1B WEDNESDAY November 18, 2015
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Women continue as minority in Engineering Williams, senior in bioengineering and president of the Society of Women Engineers or SWE. “Definitely, the percentage and amount of women in engineering needs to be improved,” she said. “It’s still pretty dismal.” The low percentage of women makes it difficult for Williams to feel represented in her field of study. The apparent lack of diversity doesn’t help. “Being the only black woman in my classes, that can sometimes feel a little bit alienating,” she said. “It’s sometimes a little challenging in terms of being the only person. Sometimes it makes me feel like I have to represent my race or my gender ... which can be pretty stressful.” Williams said she has decided to use her situation to inspire other women to pursue engineering. “It just makes me more passionate about increasing the numbers,” she said. “I don’t want other people to have to feel that stress of having to represent more than just yourself.” There are gender biases attributed to the STEM fields that can make it difficult for a woman to pursue these programs, Pitts said. “I do think that because
BY CHRISTIN WATKINS STAFF WRITER
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE SINGSON
The Native American House hosted a “Make Your Own Moccasins” event on Tuesday. Attendees used deer or elk hide during the workshop.
Celebrating Native American month The Native American House hosts workshop to make moccasins BY AARON NAVARRO STAFF WRITER
The Native American House, NAH, sits amongst a block of culture. This month, the NAH is a little busier than usual. To recognize national Native American Heritage month, the house is sponsoring multiple events throughout November — from hosting Harvest Dinners at the dining halls to holding lunch discussions on “Dispelling Native Myths from Cannibalism to Deism to Imperialism.”
“The goal of this month is to not only bring the culture to Native American students away from home — to bring their culture to them — but then also to teach others about it as well,” said Beverly Smith, NAH assistant director. On Tuesday, NAH hosted a “Make Your Own Moccasins” workshop, where attendees measured, cut and stitched their own pair of moccasins. Facilitated by Lyn Youngbuck, a Cherokee ChiricahuaApache Meskwaki native, the workshop gave attendees two options for moccasins: an Eastern Woodwind style and a plain style. Youngbuck also hosted a quill bracelet workshop on Monday. “Quillwork is a lost art,
that’s why I picked it up,” Youngbuck said. “I’m sick of the beads, everybody uses them.” As the music videos of Native American-influenced electronic group “A Tribe Called Red” played in the background, about 20 students created their own pair of moccasins. Dannika Anderson, freshman in global studies, came simply because her friend asked her to. “She left right after she was done. She just texted me and said ‘Come make moccasins with me.’ And I said okay,” Anderson said. “It’s cool. I’m skipping homework to do this.” George Lowery, student in Business, was interested in the event and was encouraged to attend by a class.“I’m in a class about
diversity and inclusion, one that’s taught me to break some stereotypes,” Lowery said. “I more want to move away from appropriation and more towards appreciation.” “It takes as long as it takes,” to make a pair of moccasins, Youngbuck said. “To make a pair of moccasins like low-top eastern style center seams, those are pretty quick. You can probably whip one pair in about an hour-and-a-half, maybe two hours,” Youngbuck said. “Plain styles, there’s a lot more seams that go in, so they take longer. Those are a custom pattern to your foot, your foot is the pattern. So I guess
SEE MOCCASIN | 3A
KEVIN PITTS
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING PROFESSOR
STAFF WRITER
As children, many people have encountered a fascination with temporary tattoos. Whether that involved asking mom for 50 cents to get one from a tattoo dispenser or watching the fashion industry’s latest “flash tattoos” trend, tattoos are often a source of intrigue. Now for the first time, researchers at the University have redefined the concept of the temporary tattoo — this time to help patients. This tattoo essentially acts like a sensor. Instead of confining patients to their hospital rooms, the new innovation allows patients to carry on with daily activities while wearing the sensor for 24 hours. To achieve that function, the sensor was designed to be soft and flexible to contour to the skin. Siddharth Krishnan, a
SEE WOMEN | 3A
Campus total
College of Engineering
Ph.D. candidate in Engineering, explained the importance of the sensor’s durability. “We’re trying to make them soft, flexible and stretchable,” he said. “The moment we’re able to do that and conform it to the skin, we are able get a signal out of it.” Krishnan said the tattoo can also sense temperature and skin hydration levels. One of the objectives was learning how to map out blood flow on the surface blood vessels, using the soft sensor that configures to various skin textures, according to the team’s research report. To visualize how the device functions, Krishnan said to imagine a tiny heater on a table with temperature sensors at certain fixed loca-
BY DIXITA LIMBACHIA
Temporary sensor tattoo that tracks temperature and skin hydration levels that are used to monitor blood flow.
“That’s the only number you need to know to have a sense of how far we need to go. We’re not headed in the right direction far enough yet.”
The amount of women enrolled in engineering is not reflective of campus-wide enrollment
UI students innovate blood tracking
COURTESY OF SIDDARTH KRISHNAN
Less than 20 percent of students enrolled in Engineering are women. But according to the Division of Management Information, the enrollment of women for Fall 2015 is up when compared to past years. “That’s the only number you need to know to have a sense of how far we need to go,” said Kevin Pitts, professor in the College of Engineering. “We’re not headed in the right direction far enough yet. We’re not headed in the right direction fast enough yet.” The issue of inadequate representation for women in engineering strikes a familiar note for Ashley
♀
♀
19%
45% ♂ women
women
♂ Freshman 2014 retention rates for College of Engineering
92%
Male Female
94.2% 0
20
40
60
100 percent
LEAH PEARLMAN THE DAILY ILLINI
SOURCE: Division of Management Information
SEE TATTOO | 3A
80
University to make meal plan credits more flexible, accessible BY VIVIENNE HENNING STAFF WRITER
Come January, University students will no longer have to trek back to the Ikenberry for lunch in between classes. At the start of the spring semester students will be able to use their meal plans outside of University dining halls. The Lunch Bunch, a committee composed of students has been meeting throughout the semester to discuss expanding the use of extra credits stored on student iCards. The extra credit expansion program — still in its pilot
stage — will be implemented at University dining halls, the ARC , the Quad Shop and the Starbucks in Illini Union. Brian Farber, executive assistant to Kenneth Ballom, the associate vice chancellor of student affairs, said the initial expansion is a way for the Student Affairs office to test the program’s infrastructure. Currently, the extra credits — which hold a value of $1 each — can be used in resident hall laundry rooms, dining halls and i-57 in the Ikenberry Commons. The committee is still waiting to hear feedback on what to call the program.
Farber said the program was made in response to students’ desires. Students said
“Rather than using any of the cafe credits or meals that students get in their din-
“We want it to be something that students would use, and trust and that thier families would trust.” BRIAN FARBER
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO KENNETH BALLOM
they were aware of programs similar to this on other campuses, and wanted the same options at the University.
ing program, they could add money to this extra credits program that would be able to be used at some vendors
like those in the Illini Union and in campus recreation,” Farber said. Farber said the program is still in the pilot stage because the committee needs to get a better understanding of what the volume will be and how to make the business model work. The committee needs to monitor the program to make sure all transactions are billed appropriately. “Many of (the venues) have significant volume, then we’ll have a chance to see our capacity,” he said. “Based on what we hope to be a huge success and (how) the software performs, there’ll be a
rolling adoption with other venues in the student auxiliary system.” The committee encourages students to provide them with feedback so that they can continue to build the program. Farber said they want know what kind of functions students need from the program and what would make it more user-friendly and accessible to them. “We want it to be something that students would use and trust, and that their families would trust,” Farber said.
vhenni2@dailyillini.com
OPINIONS
LIFE & CULTURE
LIFE & CULTURE
Salaita case lingers on
Healthy season for Lunt
Packing up presents
Post-settlement, academic freedom is not restored
Illini quarterback pushing team to bowl berth in second season
A local soup kitchen is distributing of gifts to underprivileged residents
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