MONDAY March 13, 2017
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 146 Issue 48
LGBTGreek provides safe space BY KAREN LIU STAFF WRITER
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Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman fired men’s basketball coach John Groce on Saturday. Whitman announced an immediante national search for the next head coach.
Groce’d out
BY MATT GERTSMEIER ILLINI HOOPS COLUMNIST
Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced the fi ring of John Groce on Saturday. Groce was in the midst of his fifth season as head coach for Illinois. The Illini were (18-14, 8-10) under Groce this season. Until a replacement is found, assistant coach Jamall Walker has been elevated to the role of interim head coach. Whitman thanked Groce
for his leadership in a press release. “Under his leadership, regrettably, we were not able to sustain the level of competitive excellence that we expect at the University of Illinois,” Whitman said in the release. “But that should do nothing to detract from the many wonderful things John has done on behalf of Illinois Basketball during his tenure. We wish John, Allison, and their three children nothing but the best,
and we thank his staff and their families as well for their many contributions to our program. All will be missed.” Groce, Illinois’ 17th coach in program history, had an overall record of 95-74 and 37-53 in the Big Ten. Amongst Illinois coaches, Groce had the seventh worst win percentage. In five years Groce never had a winning Big Ten record. Illinois’ best Big Ten regular season under Groce was seventh place.
The Illini appeared in one NCAA Tournament with Groce during his fi rst season as head coach. Groce, hired in late March 2012, had a roster entirely composed of Bruce Weber players and commits during the 2013 tourney appearance. Illinois qualified for two NIT postseason tournaments in the last five years, but its best result was advancing to the second round.
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Four sorority members are working to help LGBT women feel more comfortable in the Greek community. Claire Oosterbaan and Sarrah Spohnholtz from Alpha Chi Omega, Teresa Anderson from Kappa Delta and Devin Weiss from Alpha Delta Pi founded LGBTGreek last semester. LGBTGreek provides a safe space for LGBT members within the Greek system, Oosterbaan said. LGBTGreek is trying to make the Greek system more open toward students identifying as LGBT. “We just keep hearing these really moving narratives of individuals being like, ‘I’m gay and in Greek life. I don’t know if there’s more out there or are those two mutually exclusive,’” Weiss said. However, not everyone shared positive experiences of being queer in the Greek system. Oosterbaan said she had a relatively hard time coming out. Oosterbaan said a girl who identified as an LGBT member from Alpha Chi Omega had to drop out of the sorority because she felt unwelcomed. The national headquarters of Alpha Chi Omega recently released an inclusive message toward LGBT members, Oosterbaan said; however, the University has no resources specifically for LGBT members in the Greek system. The founders hope that through an organization like LGBTGreek, members of the LGBT community would be less hesitant to join the Greek system, and instead fi nd support and acceptance. “A sorority, by defi nition, is
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Divestment rejected, voter turnout increases BY GILLIAN DUNLOP STAFF WRITER
JESSICA JUTZI THE DAILY ILLINI
The model of the new Siebel Center for Design is displayed in the Link Gallery in the Art and Design Building.
Siebel Center will connect students on campus BY KAREN LIU AND LUKE COOPER STAFF WRITERS
University Professor Andrew Singer from the department of electrical and computer engineering has been appointed the interim director at the Siebel Center for Design. As an entrepreneur, Singer founded two communication network technology companies. He is the Fox Family Professor in electrical and computer engineering and the director of the College of Engineering’s Technology Entrepreneur Center. An international search will be conducted for the center’s inaugural director. “We’re looking for someone who is dynamic, someone who is excited about design thinking, someone who is excited about
helping the University of Illinois to have a one-of-a-kind center like no other at any other university of its scale,” Singer said. Singer will guide the development of the center’s signature programs, help foster design thinking and education throughout the University and lead the planning of the center’s $48 million home. The Siebel Center for Design is a campus-wide hub for studentfocused thinking and learning, founded in October 2016 as a $25 million gift from the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation. The center is planning to undergo construction beginning this summer, which is estimated to last 18 months. The center aims to create an environment that emphasizes
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technology, creativity, purpose and collaboration. The planned location for the center is between Huff Hall and the Art and Design Building, which Singer said is not without a reason. The facility is being made for all students on campus to have access to it. “Its location was chosen to really be central to where students are across our campus, and it is not an engineering facility,” Singer said. “It’s meant to stitch together students from LAS, Engineering, Business, Art and Design and ACES, so its location is really central to a lot of the design activities that already go on across campus.”
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Unofficial election results predict Raneem Shamseldin, junior in Business, will be the next student body president. Shamseldin and her running mate, Joe Domanski, received 2,638 votes, while Bobby Knier, junior in LAS, and his running mate, Laura Saldivar, received 1,992 votes. “Raneem is definitely qualified; she has the best interests of the students,” said Ron Lewis, current student body president. “You have people who do it for the name or title, but I’m 100 percent sure Raneem did this for the students and she wants to make it a better place.” This is the first year since 2004 that the student body president was elected by the students. Previously, only student senators were allowed to elect the president. The change comes from the implementation of
the new constitution within the Illinois Student Government. Voter turnout increased significantly this year. Knier said that voter turnout is usually 3,000 to 4,000 people. This election, however, had almost 6,400 in total. Although the increased turnout may be because of the student body president being elected at large, it could also be due to the divisive referendum questions. “There was a huge focus on connecting the community more,” Lewis said. “Having (almost) 5,000 people vote (for student body president) adds legitimacy and builds the connection we hope to have.” Even though Knier lost the election, he was also pleased with the turnout. “I cannot complain about getting 2,000 people engaged in what I believe in,” Knier said. “I’m doing my thing and people are respond-
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