TOUCHDOWN TIMES
A DIVERSE TAKE ON TRADITION
TORNADO HITS HOME
There is more to Thanksgiving than the classic turkey and cranberry sauce.
Last Sunday, a major tornado ravaged through the hometown of a Daily Illini editor. Opinions, 4A
LIFE & CULTURE, 6A
THURSDAY November 21, 2013
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
Quinn signs gay marriage bill BY MONIQUE GARCIA CHICAGO TRIBUNE
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday signed a historic measure into law making Illinois the 16th state in the nation to allow gay marriage. The Democratic governor put pens to paper at a desk that his administration says President Abraham Lincoln used to write his first inaugural address. That speech, delivered on March 4, 1861, as the Civil War was unfolding, called on Americans to heed “the better angels of our nature.” “Love never fails and I’m going to sign this bill right now,” said Quinn, who used many pens to sign his name to the bill so that those who helped pass the measure could have a souvenir. The bill signing capped a gay rights push in Illinois that has gained major momentum since 2005. That year, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a gay rights
measure into law — a bill that had failed to pass since 1974. In January 2011, Quinn signed a civil unions measure. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and several statewide elected officials were on hand. “It’s time to stop planning rallies and start planning weddings,” said Democratic Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon. Republican Judy Baar Topinka said it took both parties to get the bill passed. One Republican voted for the bill in the Senate and three in the House. “They were there,” said Topinka, who went on to add she’s available to be a “flower girl” at gay weddings and “will even waive the fee.” More than 2,000 people packed into the University of Illinois-Chicago Forum to watch the signing ceremony. Casey Cameron, 38, traveled from Downstate St. Elmo, saying it represents a huge step forward
for the gay rights movement given the intense fight that took place just years ago to ensure gays and lesbians had equal access to housing and employment opportunities in Illinois. “It took a long time and a very tall mountain to get that, and to finally see this is quite an amazing bit of accomplishment for the state,” Cameron said. Cameron also noted the significance of same-sex marriage being legalized in Lincoln’s home state. “The whole vision of Lincoln was setting free an entire group of oppressed people, and that’s what’s happening today in his state, which is also my state.” Seth Hannen, 20, of Downstate Tremont, said he hoped the new law would give hope to gay teenagers facing adversity by demonstrating they are equal to their peers. “I grew up in a very small, con-
servative school district. I was the first out kid in my school district and I was teased a lot for who I was,” Hannen said. “If we make this legal, it normalizes it, it makes it more of an accepted thing and that will filter into the rest of society so in ten years that boy who was like me in high school won’t have an issue.” The stage was decorated in several dozen flags, alternating between the U.S. flag, the state flag and rainbow flags representing the LGBT community. Seats were adorned with programs and miniature rainbow flags featuring the outline of the state of Illinois. The celebratory tone was a marked departure from late May, when the legislation stalled in the House to the bitter disappointment of advocates who had been pressing for a vote on gay marriage since shortly after Illinois legalized civil unions in 2011.
Criminal charges have been fi led against the man behind the wheel of an accident that killed one University student and injured another on Oct. 9. Willie Craft Sr., 58, of Urbana, was charged Friday with two counts of aggravated DUI and one count of reckless homicide with a motor vehicle, according to the Champaign County Circuit Clerk. Julie Ogle, spokeswoman for State’s attorney Julie Rietz, confi rmed that there was cannabis in Craft’s system.
BY MARYCATE MOST STAFF WRITER
With the state of health care rapidly evolving in the U.S., the University has decided to analyze its own health care system. This analysis led the University to restructure the Academic Health Center by changing senior positions within the center and by enforcing regulations set by the Compliance Program at the University. “A major difference with the University-based hospital is the integration of the educational mission with the clinical mission,” said Avijit Ghosh, professor of Business and senior adviser to President Robert Easter. “What this proposed initiative does is strengthen the connection of these missions.” The Board of Trustees voted at its Nov. 14 meeting at the University’s Springfield campus to eliminate the position of vice president for Health Affairs and replace it with the position vice chancellor for Health Affairs, based on a recommendation from Easter. Under this new plan, the vice chancellor of Health Affairs will report to Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares of the Chicago campus. This would also mean that the heads of the clinical care units and the deans of health science colleges at the University would report to the vice chancellor for Health Affairs, Ghosh said. I ncreased cooperation between the University system’s hospitals, clinics and health science colleges would benefit each party, he said. “By aligning the clinical and educational missions, the (Academic) Health Center can get better leverage with benefits of research and teaching with advanced medical care and address disparity of health outcomes,” Ghosh said. “At the same time, it will benefit the health sciences colleges with better integration of clinical practice into training.” This new organization will keep the day-to-day management of the clinical and educational facilities separate but would allow them more interaction on a broader scale, Ghosh said. “Overall, the proposed structure will allow more nimble organizational decisionmaking,” he said. Planning for this new system began last July, when Easter, Ghosh and Jerry Bauman, interim vice president for Health Affairs at the Chicago campus, met with health sciences colleges deans and the executive committee of the senate. They also held a town hall meeting to discuss the future of health sciences under the new system. “We’ve had quite a large conversation,” Easter said. “We are committed to those individual conversations.” The new plan is set to be completely laid out before the trustees at their next meeting on March 6, Ghosh said. “We still have a lot of work to do in putting this together,”
University to begin smoking ban enforcement in 2014 University officials plan to enforce the campus’ upcoming smoking ban through education and using existing disciplinary procedures for any breach in campus policy. Although police will not be giving tickets and warnings to students, University officials will evaluate whether these measures have been effective after three months. “The possibility of tickets and fines would be renewed at that point,” said Michele Guerra, director of University’s Wellness Center. “It’s a possibility in the future, but we’re not doing that from the get-go.” Renee Romano, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, added that Chancellor Phyllis Wise specifically asked for a re-evaluation after three months because “she wants us to make sure that we are serious about this and enforcing it.” The smoke-free campus goal began with a student referendum in 2011, when almost 63 percent of students voted to eliminate smoking on campus. After the vote, it was left up to Wise, who assembled a committee to make recommendations regarding the ban. The implementation committee is now at work as they gear up a communication campaign, which will begin in December before students leave campus for winter break, to ensure everyone knows what will be expected of them once the policy is enacted on Jan. 1. Around 20 to 50 student ambassadors will be trained as volunteers to approach people smoking on campus and inform them of the policy, give them a smokefree policy card and direct them to a smoke-free campus map, which
details where students can and cannot smoke. Although anyone can apply to be an ambassador, Guerra stressed the need for students to not only be able to speak accurately about the policy, but to also have the ability to speak diplomatically. The University is looking to make a cultural change, and other institutions who have gone through similar procedures told officials it takes about six months to a year for change to occur. If someone continually smokes on campus after already being spoken to about the policy, the University will follow the already existing disciplinary measures for breach of any policy on campus. Students would be reported to the Office for Student Conflict Resolution, and employees would be reported to their supervisor or campus’ Human Resources. A warning letter would be sent out first, followed by a progressive engagement of consequences, Romano said. “I feel confident about our strategy because we did talk to a lot of schools, and we learned from their mistakes,” Romano said. “We may have to adjust, and we may have some bumps in the road, but because of the research that Michele (Guerra) and others have done, we are pretty knowledgeable going into this.” Deputy Chief Skip Frost, of the University of Illinois Police Department, added that although the issue at hand is a policy and not a law, the police department will not forgo their role in assisting. “We’re going to be active in educating people about the policy, and we will address the behavior when it’s appropriate, but at the same time we’re not going to be the first ones responding when someone has complained about smoking,”
DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS Police
2A
|
University prepares for smoking ban As the smoking ban will take effect in January 2014, University officials will begin a communication and education campaign to ensure students and faculty know what is expected of them when the policy begins. Student ambassadors will be selected to apprach smokers on campus and inform them about the policy.
3 1
WINTER BREAK
Signs are posted around campus announcing the smoke-free policy. Student ambassadors begin training.
BEGINNING OF DECEMBER Student ambassador applications and interviews are held.
2
END OF TERM The smoke-free campus map will be available to students and faculty.
4
5
BEGINNING OF SPRING SEMESTER Signs are posted around campus announcing the smoke-free policy.
JANUARY 1, 2014 Smoke-free campus policy is in effect.
2A
|
Opinions
4A
|
Letters
4A
|
Crossword
The current enforcement plan is reevaluated.
Great American Smokeout encourages smokers to quit
The smokeout will be used to communicate smoking policy terms at locations open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Q Quad, features cessation specialist Q Ikenberry Dining Hall, features pet therapy Q CRCE, features games Q Beckman Institute Atrium, features a concert and aromatherapy Participants are encouraged to ask policy questions and trade their cigarettes for a treat. SOURCE: MICHELE GUERRA, UI WELLNESS CENTER DIRECTOR
really helps because ... (when) you are withdrawing, you are having physical reactions,” Romano said.
SEE SMOKING | 3A
5A
|
Comics
5A
|
Life
FREE
Craft’s next court appearance will be Dec. 6. “He will be told what he’s charged with and what the penalties are,” Ogle said. “He will enter a plea and then we’ll go from there.” Craft drove across the sidewalk on Lincoln Avenue several times, hitting two female students. The accident killed Mimi Liu and injured Spandana Mantravadi. At the time of the accident, Craft was cited for improper lane usage and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
Ghosh said. “And there is a lot of work to do with faculty talking about how we will actually incorporate and implement this.” The University Healthcare System Committee also addressed changes made to the Compliance Program within the University. The program is a federal initiative made to prevent billing fraud and ensure personal health information security, said William Chamberlin, Compliance representative and director of the Institute for Patient Safety Excellence at the Chicago campus. “The Compliance plan represents a sorely needed overhaul that is vital for the integrity of the medical enterprise,” Chamberlin said. “It really needs to be a comprehensive program that helps employees conduct operations ethically, legally and according to regulations.” Chamberlin said the Compliance Program would start to align regulations at the University with those at the federal and state levels. This would include more frequent employee screening processes and more documentation of interactions between doctors and patients, he said. “The federal government takes this really seriously,” Chamberlin said. “Bills are driven by not only what you are doing for a patient, but what you document you are doing for a patient. There are big changes coming down the pipe that relate to that — big changes in the organizational systems that the state government, or federal government, use for diagnosis.” To improve the strength of Compliance, the University will develop more authority positions within the program and a more “aggressive” staff, Chamberlin said. Compliance officials at the University will also be responsible for monitoring the progress within the medical system and will conduct audits. Some trustees were concerned that Compliance enforcements would force physicians and nurses to spend a larger percentage of time than they already do working on paperwork and documentation rather than with the patient, Board of Trustees chairman Christopher Kennedy said. “How will we work to develop a balance between Compliance and compassion?” Kennedy asked Chamberlin. “The last time I’ve seen a medical professional, they’ve spent the whole time looking at a laptop, rather than having a full-on interview. It’s very off-putting from a patient perspective.” Chamberlin will address some of the ways in which Compliance will balance both increased demands for documentation with quality doctor-patient relationships at a future board meeting.
MaryCate can be reached at most2@dailyillini.com.
@THEDAILYILLINI
THEDAILYILLINI
@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS Horoscopes
MARCH 2014
SCOTT DURAND THE DAILY ILLINI
SOURCE: MICHELE GUERRA, DIRECTOR OF UI WELLNESS CENTER
Frost said. A reporting mechanism, established on the smoke-free campus web site, will allow students and faculty to report violations of the policy and allow ambassadors to respond. A virtual campus map will also be included on the web site, allowing students to see where they can and cannot smoke. “There will be folks who, for whatever reason, refuse to go along with the program (and) don’t want to comply with the policy,” Frost said. “For those instances where it elevates itself from just a conversation about the smokefree campus to heated verbal and possibly physical exchanges and conflicts, then of course the police would be there to mediate that.” Nicotine replacement therapy will be available for sale at various locations on campus, including the Quad Shop within the Illini Union, the Activities and Recreation Center and the Student Dining and Residential Programs building. “I used to be a smoker, and when I quit smoking, I used nicotine replacement therapy, so it
6
|
UI restructures health care program
FOLAKE OSIBODU THE DAILY ILLINI
STAFF WRITER
Vol. 143 Issue 51
DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT
Nathan Runnells, Clark Hall residence director, and Melissa Zak, sophomore in LAS, bow their heads during a vigil hosted by the Campus Union for Trans Equality and Support (CUT*ES) at Anniversary Plaza on Transgender Day of Remembrance on Wednesday.
BY MEGAN JONES
49˚ | 44˚
Charges filed against man involved in fatal Lincoln Avenue accident
Remembrance for transgender victims
INSIDE
INSIDE
&
Culture
6A
|
Sports
1B
|
THEDAILYILLINI Classifieds
4B
|
Sudoku
4B