MONDAY October 24, 2016
THE DAILY ILLINI
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The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 146 Issue 19
UI Foundation receives more gifts, fewer large donations Student GOP leadership hopes to make club ‘great again’ after presidential bank account scandal, anti-Trump post
BY MEGAN JONES STAFF WRITER
Donations to the University of Illinois Foundation dropped 10 percent during the last fiscal year, totaling $224.7 million. Donations reached $224.7 million in cash gifts, pledge payments, annuities and estate distributions for fi scal year 2016, according to Walter Knorr, treasurer of the foundation. The $224.7 million includes gifts to all three University system campuses. In 2015 donations hit $251.5 million, with $259.5 million in 2014. “We are very fortunate we have a large donor base that cares deeply about the University and we’ve (had) another pretty good year,” said James Moore, president and CEO of the foundation. He said despite the drop in donations, the University has processed more gifts this year than ever before with a 1 percent increase in the number of gifts at 159,256. “This is more than we’ve processed in the year before and some years you just don’t get as many of the big gifts,” he said. Donors designated the following amounts: $61.6 million for research, $32.4 million for academic programs, $29.2 million for student support, $19.9 million for facilities, $12.2 million for public service, $5.2 million for faculty support and $4.6 million for other areas, according to a news release. $59.6 million was designated for unrestricted use to either a campus, college, department or program. Use of the funds is up to the dean or unit head. The University system’s combined endowment also dropped from $2.5 billion in 2015 to $2.43 billion this year. In part, this is due to the impact of the “Brexit” vote in June. “We have a globally diverse fund with investment positions in Europe and around the world that were impacted by the global economy. It was a global economic event and it
BY ADAM KAZ STAFF WRITER
On the day of his resignation as president of Illini Republicans, Chris Piper received an email from the University of Illinois Police Department. Unbeknownst to him, Piper’s peers had contacted the police regarding his involvement in a private bank account scandal. As the president, Piper, a junior in LAS who is taking the semester off, held the organization’s funds in a private bank account. Two members, Debbie Bernal, junior in AHS, and Kathleen Brown, graduate student in LAS, took issue and alerted the police. In the email, University Police Officer A. J. Martin informed Piper and Brown that it isn’t illegal for RSOs to hold off campus bank accounts. After talking with the University’s RSO office, Martin said it’s in fact very common. “It is especially common due to the
lengthy time it takes to get reimbursement from the University,” Martin said in the email. “It is, however, a violation of rule to take funds from activities held on the University of Illinois campus to an offcampus bank.” At the insistence of club members, Piper resigned as president, but he believes they wanted more than just a resignation. “There’s an end goal of hurting me personally, trying to get my reputation tarnished, to drag my name through the mud (and) to make me have to go through a potential investigation,” Piper said. However, some members of Illini Republicans believe legal actions against Piper are justified. Some members, like sophomore in Engineering and LAS Benjamin Correll, thought the illegality couldn’t be ignored. The initial problem was that they didn’t want to involve the police. “We all respected Chris and didn’t want
him to get kicked out of the University, but decided it was the proper action to take,” he said.
A Rocky Start
The conflict within the political club began even before the start of the semester, according to Piper. Since he planned on taking this semester off, Piper ran for re-election on a joint ticket with Stephanie Menezes, junior in MCB, last spring. After a unanimous victory, Menezes became president for the fall semester while Piper worked in Marion, Illinois, for the Illinois House Republican Organization. Menezes declined to comment on this article. While Piper is expecting to return to his position as president this spring, conflict between the two presidents and the executive board make it clear that that would be
SEE GOP | 3A
HANNAH AUTEN THE DAILY ILLINI
The Illini Republicans and Illini Democrats debate hot-button issues. Acting president of Illini Republicans Stephanie Menezes, second from left, has yet to resign amidst scandal.
SEE UIF | 3A
Social justice new focus for club BY KAREN LIU STAFF WRITER
WENYUAN CHEN THE DAILY ILLIN
Over 60 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease have been reported on campus.
Hand, foot and mouth disease spreads at University DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT
University officials have reported more than 60 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, a viral infection most commonly associated with children under five years old. This disease is caused by a virus of the enterovirus variety, a nonpolio strain of virus called Coxsackie A16. “This is the first time significant numbers of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease have occurred on campus,” McKinley Health Center Director Dr. Robert Palinkas, said. “Cases among college age
people are pretty rare.” Martina Guerrero, junior in Engineering, is worried about the spread of this disease. “Everyone is getting sick this time of year,” she said. Hand, foot and mouth disease can be spread through close physical contact, coughing, kissing, sneezing and contact with common surfaces. The symptoms usually begin three to seven days after the initial infection. It is also most common to see in the late summer and fall seasons. “Early symptoms are fever, then
rash and mouth ulcers follow,” Palinkas said. “Some patients have classic symptoms, but others may vary and some even have the disease without any symptoms at all.” Students on campus agree that washing their hands more frequently is important and something they will take seriously. They wonder what else can be done. “Other than (handwashing), I don’t think there’s much else one can do,” Brian Xu, freshman in
SEE DISEASE | 4A
The Young Women’s Christian Association came to campus in 1884, acting as a housing facility for the female students on campus. Andrea Rundell, the executive director of the association at the University, said that its original mission was to make sure young women had an adequate support system when they were far away from home. While the association started as a religious group, it has evolved into an organization that aims to help women of every race, gender identity, sexual orientation and religious affiliation; it has become an organization fighting for social justice. “Over time, this organization has sort of just looked around and said: ‘what we’re gonna do is advocate for people, not just providing a shelter,’” Rundell said. “Our mission now is eliminating racism and empowering women, promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.” As one of five chapters located on college campuses, the University’s associaton organizes different events and programs for young women. The Women in Leadership program is a year-long internship that offers professional development training, chances to do group consulting work with local nonprofits organizations and opportunities to build relationships with professional women in the community.
The association also works with the Women’s Resource Center in hosting “Hot Topics Dialogues” — a program aimed at creating public forums for students to freely discuss timely issues and exchange ideas on social justice. The next Hot Topic event will take place on Oct. 24. The topic is called “Beyond Trump: Race, Gender and the Election,” which will discuss the upcoming election, with an emphasis on issues of power and oppression. Another upcoming project is the community reading of the book “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros. The reading will take place on Oct. 26 at the Florida Avenue Residence Hall library. Ke’Ana Lanpkins, the YWCA read intern, said that the reading not only heightens students’ awareness of the presence of YWCA, but also encourages dialogue connecting topics related to students’ lives. As part of the community reading program, the YWCA will also be hosting an open mic night on the second floor of Ikenberry Commons, next to The Caffeinator, centering around the main topics discussed in the book: intersectional identities, gender roles, sexuality and dreams. When asked what is the most important message that the YMCA is hoping to get across to the students, Lanpkins said:” We’re here for the students.”
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