The Daily Illini Volume 150 Issue 30 Feb. 4

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THURSDAY February 4, 2021

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Vol. 150 Issue 30

UI automates test processing TEKMILL decapping robots handle saliva vials

BY MONA ALRAZZAQ STAFF WRITER

The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is shifting toward a more automated approach to processing COVID-19 saliva tests with the usage of four robots to enhance the test. The lab has processed 1,231,143 saliva samples of COVID-19 as of Jan. 31, delivering an average of 10,000 test results per day from Jan. 21 to Jan. 29.  Dr. Timothy Fan, member of the SHIELD team and professor of veterinary clinical medicine, said that this semester will be heavily robotic as the team looks

for a “hybrid sweet spot� or balance of automation and manual handling of samples.

Two decapping robots invented by TEKMILL, a contract design and fabrication business located in the University of Illinois at Research Park, and two liquid handling robots purchased separately, have been extremely successful in “increasing the fluidity of tests� and also heavily increased the automation of the processing samples. Fan says that the team “didn’t really begin to tranSEE ROBOT | 3A

PHOTO COURTESY OF VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY

A robot processes COVID-19 saliva tests in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. The lab has delivered an average of 10,000 test results per day between Jan. 21 and Jan. 29.

Grade options result in boosted GPAs Nearly 18% of students opt for Credit/No Credit option in at least one fall class

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MATT TROHER THE DAILY ILLINI

The extension of Credit/No Credit deadlines for the past two semesters has resulted in unprecedented GPA increases in colleges across the University. According to University data obtained by The Daily Illini, the average GPA across the University for the Fall 2020 semester was 3.50, compared to an average of 3.33 in Fall 2019.

For Spring 2020, the average semester GPA was 3.47 compared to an average of 3.32 in Spring 2019. Because of hardships placed on students by the COVID-19 pandemic, the University chose to extend CR/NC and drop deadlines for both the Spring and Fall semesters of 2020.

In Spring 2020, students were allowed to drop a course or elect CR/NC

until May 6 — the last day of instruction. For Fall 2020, the University’s first fully hybrid semester, the drop deadline was extended to Dec. 18, the last day of finals, and the CR/NC deadline was extended to Jan. 5 — after semester grades were released.

When a student elects CR/NC for a certain course, they receive credit for that course without their grade counting towards their GPA. Courses in the College of Law, Carle Illinois College of Medicine and the College of Veterinary Medicine are not included in the academic policy modifications and therefore were excluded from data presented in this story. Grade information from the School of Information Sciences was only provided for Fall 2020 and is not included in any comparative data.

Many students took advantage of the extended deadlines. In Spring 2020, 11,722 students, 25.24% of the student body, elected the CR/NC option for at least one class. Fewer students elected the option for Fall 2020, with 8,869 stu-

CADE WHARTON THE DAILY ILLINI

Underemployment is pervasive in Illinois the study and professor at Penn State University, Abington College. For example, the study found that being underemployed is tied to having trouble paying housing expenses. Almost one in four workers surveyed had trouble paying housing expenses in the last year, including almost one in five white workers, one in three Latinx workers and four in 10 Black workers. This was found to be more common for part-time, temporary, contract, and on-call workers and for hourly and non-salaried workers than full-time employees.

Although the study was completed shortly before the current recession began, Golden says the study is still relevant because the sectors involved with the recession are those that have issues with underemployment. Bruno says the current employment problem will only aggravate the underemployment problem. “The poor response to (the pandemic) has generated a recession that has cut deeply into peoples’ hours,� Bruno said. According to Bruno, this is especially true for industries hit hardest by COVID-19 restrictions, such as

BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA STAFF WRITER

A recent study finds underemployment to be pervasive in Illinois and is attributed to bad work scheduling practices by employers. The study, co-written by Alison Dickson, professor in Labor and Employment Relations, surveyed over 3,000 employed workers at the end of 2019 across 23 different SEE GPA | 3A industries, including those covered by Chicago’s Fair Workweek Ordinance. The Chicago FWW ordinance was designed to directly address problematic work schedules.

The Chicago FWW ordinance is considered to be one of the best in the country because it covers the most industries, according to Robert Bruno, director of the Project for Middle Class Renewal and professor in Labor and Employment Relations.

Problematic work scheduling includes having little advance notice of schedule, irregular shift times, little to no scheduling input and schedule changes after posting. “What we find is this usually quite strong association between characteristics of these poor quality schedules and peoples’ well-being,� said Lonnie Golden, co-author of

COVID-19 variant found in Champaign County University sees 66 new cases on Monday, new semester high

BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA STAFF WRITER

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District has verified several cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 in Champaign County. This variant has a higher rate of transmission than other SARS-CoV-2 variants and has the “potential to increase the U.S. pandemic trajectory in coming months,� according to the Center for Disease Control. First identified in the United Kingdom, B.1.1.7 has since been detected in 12 U.S. states and 30 countries, according to the CDC. “We are following closely to see if there is evidence that infections by this variant cause more severe disease or death. Based on the information available now, the vaccine will still be effective. Continued masking and vaccination when it is your turn remain our

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CAMEROK KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Student Anirudh Nandella deposits his completed University COVID-19 test into a receptacle at the ARC on Monday. The new COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant has recently appeared in Champaign County.

best path to defeating this virus as quickly as possible,� said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Department of Public Health director, according to a press release. CUPHD’s announcement came just days before a jump in campus COVID-19 cases. After two weeks with a daily average of 20 new cases of COVID-19, UI

reported 66 new cases on Monday, a single-day high for the new year, and the highest daily total on campus since Nov. 30.

The 66 cases came after more than 14,000 tests for the virus, also a single-day high for the new year and the most since Sept. 4.

Monday’s tests increase the semester total to 194

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cases, and the 2021 total to 635 new campus cases of COVID-19. To date, 5,278 students, faculty and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 on campus, after 1,251,787 saliva tests — including 200,000 in 2021. abhatt52@dailyillini.com

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SCREENSHOT OF ZOOM

Linda Moorhouse, chair of the Education Policy committee, discusses the day’s agenda. On Monday, the Senate Executive Committee voted to send the “Pass COVID/No Pass COVID” proposal to the University Senate’s meeting next Monday.

UI Senate considers ‘Pass COVID/No Pass COVID’ New proposal provides students grade leniency due to pandemic

BY WILLIE CUI

Maii Rashed

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Longform editor Zainab Qureshi longform@dailyillini.com

TODAY’S NIGHT SYSTEM STAFF Night editor: Matt Troher Copy editors: Hannah Stewart, Maggie Burnetti, Jillian Solomon, Zainab Qureshi, Elizabeth Wessel, Jennifer Orozco, Madalyn Velisaris, Brett Studer Designers: N/A Page transmission: JJ Kim Web manager: Samantha Roberson

On Monday, the University Senate’s Educational Policy Committee voted to approve a proposal allowing students to opt for a “Pass COVID/No Pass COVID” grade mode for the Spring 2021 Semester.

Under this propos-

al, EP.21.062, students receiving a grade of D- or higher in a course would be allowed to opt for a “Pass COVID/No Pass COVID” grade mode and receive credit for that course without it being used in GPA calculations.

Students who receive a grade lower than D- will be able to replace it with “No Pass COVID” under this proposal, with no effect on their GPA. While similar to the credit/no credit (CR/ NC) policies from the previous two semesters, under the newly proposed “Pass COVID/No

Pass COVID” grading regime, students who receive grades in the D range would still receive course credit if they opt for it, unlike CR/NC. As a result, the proposal would suspend CR/NC grading for this semester, and instead substitute it with “Pass COVID/No Pass COVID.” “We have learned that students who earned grades of D (D+, D, D-) over the last two semesters have struggled trying to understand if they should have elected CR/ NC or not,” the proposal noted.

Additionally, the proposal calls for extending the deadline to drop a course without a grade of W to 11:59 p.m. Central Time on “the last day of classes.”

However, the proposal notes that this extension will not affect the University’s course refund schedule.

The proposal will be sent to the University Senate for final approval at its next meeting on Monday. williec2@dailyillini.com

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Corrections In the Jan. 28 edition of The Daily Illini, we misidentified a bird in a photo on page A3. The caption told readers it was a robin but it was a cardinal. The Daily Illini regrets this error.

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THURSDAY February 4, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

NEWS FROM 1A

ROBOT

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIN ZHAO AND BRIAN CUNNINGHAM

COVID-19 antibody test researchers present a 10x13mm assay chip and their PRAM instrument. In the top left corner, a PRAM image shows COVID-19 antibody molecules represented by black dots.

UI research team creates antibody test

New test could measure if patient had COVID-19 previously

BY ALIZA MAJID STAFF WRITER

COVID-19 vaccines are currently being administered to eligible groups but patients may want to monitor how their immune system reacts to these vaccines — and a new COVID-19 antibody test may be able to help.

Holonyak Micro & Nanotechnology Lab students on campus — Weijing Wang, Nantao Li and Congnyu Che — as well as Postdoctoral Researcher Bin Zhao and Professor Brian Cunningham are the lab team

responsible for this effective COVID-19 antibody test.

“Antibodies are the molecules that are developed by your immune system when it’s exposed to a new threat such as a virus,” Cunningham said.

There are people who have been exposed to COVID-19 but have little to no symptoms present and as a result, never received official tests. Those individuals can take an antibody test and find out if they had any COVID-19 antibodies in the past, which could reflect their immune system’s response to the vaccine in the future.

“We’re not trying to detect the virus or to determine whether you have it, but the test could measure whether you had COVID-19 in the past by the presence of antibodies or whether

their immune system could develop a strong immune response to vaccines,” Cunningham said.

The research group was originally working on a project funded by the National Science Foundation to develop a flu chip that would detect molecules in blood to determine the source of the illness.

“We actually began our efforts last March once the pandemic hit because we were working on another project previously,” said Postdoctoral Researcher Bin Zhao. “We thought to use our research and create a highly sensitive procedure that would detect the COVID-19 antibodies in the serum sample.”

This development has allowed the research team to further analyze other illnesses using similar procedures in order to detect

symptoms and potentially diagnose patients in the future.

“I think for the future we will be working on a procedure to detect both influenza and COVID-19. So if a person has a fever, hopefully in the future we can have a test that can distinguish whether this patient is actually having the flu or if they have COVID-19,” said Weijing Wang, a Bioengineering and Holonyak Lab graduate student.

The research team is working with a few companies that are interested in using this test as a diagnostic method. The group still needs more resource investments and FDA approval before they move forward and turn it into a commercial product. alizam2@dailyillini.com

is a very manual process, and you can get a repetitive stress injury if you’re doing too much of it manually,” Doub said.

The decapping robot created by TEKMILL was tweaked a few times in order to further enhance the testing process.

According to Fan, it was tweaked to take a more efficient path of decapping than it was originally created to take.

Fan says that they are hoping to move towards “70, 80, maybe 90 percent of our samples being handled with this more automated system” in order to alleviate pressure from lab technicians, allow them to reallocate their time and decrease the amount of labor they have to do.

He said steps of the process will always remain manual because of the need for “some human component” in order to visually inspect that sample and manually transfer the saliva. The team is pleased with the increased automation.

“We’re looking very much forward to automation to complement and facilitate the processes we’ve used since last semester,” Fan said.

sition heavily into using the decapping robots until the past few months.” This change was in part sparked by inspiration from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, a research hub.

According to Fan, a video shown by the institute which displayed a lot of robotics in their COVID-19 test processing system inspired the members of the team to move toward automating processes at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

David Doub, lab technician at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, explained the process in which the lab’s decapping robot lifts and decaps a tube before it places a barcode on the tube so that the liquid handling robot is able to read the barcode and place part of the sample into a 96-well plate.

The plate then gets loaded into a PCR machine.

Doub said that the increase of automation, specifically the University created decapping robots, saves technicians time, space and from a repetitive stress injury that could be a result of frequent manual decapping. monaa2@dailyilllini.com “To decap with a human

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underscores the importance, the urgency of doing it now,” Bruno said.

Although the Chicago FWW ordinance was enacted in July 2020, “disappointingly few” people are aware of it, says Golden.

“There’s gonna be this steady, painstakingly slow process of firms recognizing that they have to change some of their scheduling practices and employees being aware of their rights,” Golden said.

the hospitality and restaurant industries.

The study also analyzes disparities such as non-white versus white, young versus old and part-time versus fulltime workers. These inequalities are being exacerbated by the pandemic.

The paper advocates are adopting a statewide predictive scheduling law to improve worker well-being. abhatt52@dailyillini.com “The COVID pandemic just

Career Center continues remotely amidst COVID-19 pandemic

BY CHIEH HSU STAFF WRITER

Apart from taking hard classes and joining various RSOs, participating in an internship is an essential way to polish a student’s career.

Fortunately for UIUC students, the University’s Career Center still has a formidable array of resources to assist students on this journey — even remotely.

“Internships are beneficial because they allow you to build your knowledge and skills,” said Samantha Potempa, senior assistant director for employer engagement at the Career Center.

“They provide exposure to the world of work, and they allow you to make connections to professionals in your field.”

According to Potempa, most students intern during their sophomore and junior year, although some companies also have programs for freshmen.

“Each company has its own qualifications, but there are some general career com-

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GPA dents, 17.70% of the student body, earning CR/NC for at least one class.

One factor contributing to GPA inflation is the ability to select which courses to enact CR/NC on based on the student’s expected grade. Students earning low grades in some of their classes were more likely to elect CR/NC for that particular class, presumably to help boost their GPA. Of all students who earned a C in one of their classes, 43.38% elected to enact CR/NC. For students who earned an F in one of their classes, only 49.35% elected to enact CR/NC. Those who earned higher grades were less likely to elect CR/

petencies, or skills, that most employers are looking for,” said Potempa in an email. “You can find them on this website: http:// careerservices.illinois.edu/ competencies/.”

Because of COVID-19, all services and programs offered by the Career Center have moved online. The Career Center is still determined to help students build their best career path, according to Potempa.

“Many internships will be virtual again this year, and more and more companies are doing virtual interviews,” said Potempa. “We have resources to help you prepare for interviews such as our mock interview program and Big Interview, a prerecorded interview software that we encourage you to use.”

Via the Career Center’s Moodle page, students are able to submit resumes and cover letters for professional reviews. Each student can submit up to four resumes or cover letters and one personal statement per semester

for reviews. For Curriculum Vitae (CV), the Career Center recommends applicants to drop in the Zoom virtual service or schedule an appointment for a review.

Students can access the Zoom virtual service desk via the Center’s website and would be able to speak with a professional career advisor in real-time.

The Career Center is holding a virtual career fair prep with Addison Group representative on Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and another virtual career fair prep with Global Insight on Monday, Feb. 15 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. These workshops extend further into the semester and their topics include acing interviews and crafting powerful resumes.

“Start applying early, make sure you have a good resume and cover letter,” Potempa said. “We can review those documents for you at the Career Center.”

NC, as to have their grade count towards their GPA — only 8.26% of students who earned an A- elected the CR/ NC option.

The degree of GPA inflation during the past two semesters varied from college to college. GPA inflation was most prominent in the Division of General Studies, where the average GPA increased 3.04 in Spring 2019 to 3.41 in Spring 2020 — a 12% increase. This phenomenon was also highly prevalent in the Gies College of Business, where the Fall 2020 average GPA was 3.72 compared to the Fall 2019 average of 3.55 — an increase of almost 5%.

“The simple fact that we will have a record number of students on the Dean’s List and also Bronze Tablet tells you that GPA is going to

mean something different academic policy modificaduring COVID than it did tions was to ensure that before,” said Kevin Pitts, struggling students weren’t vice provost for undergrad- penalized too heavily if uate education. they didn’t do well in a class Pitts stated the CR/NC due to the pandemic, online policy was learning modified and all of in pa r t the associto help ated chala llev iate lenges,” student Pitts said. stress “I thin k during an one unforalready tunate side overbearef fect of KEVIN PITTS ing semesthe ver y VICE PROVOST FOR ter. He broad gradUNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION said that ing policy g raduate mod i f icaschools tions is a and employers will take reinforcement of the conCOVID-related factors into cept that grades and GPA account, although he’s not are super important. There sure what that will look is no doubt that employlike. ers and graduate schools “Our original goal with will take the circum-

chiehh3@dailyillini.com

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

The front of the Illinois Career Center on Wednesday morning is pictured above. The Career Center has continued to provide services remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“GPA is going to mean something different during COVID than it did before”

stances related to COVID into account, but we don’t know exactly what that will mean.”

Dean’s List eligibility is limited to the top 20% of each college’s class determined by that semester’s GPA. However, more than 20% of a college’s students can be included on the Dean’s List if a large number of students earn the same semester GPA, possibly due to the limited number of grade permutations.

The reduction in the number of letter grades has resulted in less variation in a given class’s grade distribution, leading to an increase in the number of students listed on their respective Dean’s Lists.

Fall 2020 saw an average of 35.16% of a college’s student body make the Dean’s

List, compared to an average of 22.34% in Fall 2019.

This increase was most drastic in the College of Media, where 40.53% of the student body earned Dean’s List honors in Fall 2020, compared to 19.04% in Fall 2019, a difference of 21.49%.

Every college across campus saw an increase in the percentage of its students named on their respective Dean’s Lists.

The UI Senate is currently considering grading policy modifications for the Spring Semester, including the possible implementation of a new “Pass COVID/No Pass COVID” grade, which would allow students to elect credit options for classes where they received a D or D- as well. mtroher2@dailyillini.com

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THURSDAY February 4, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

LIFE & CULTURE

Champaign Public Library adjusts for CU ‘Grab-and-go’ opens, virtual educational programs continue for patrons

BY JENNI KALLENBACK STAFF WRITER

The Champaign Public Library has been offering curbside pickup of library materials, electronic resources and online webinars since it closed last March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with the decrease in the region’s COVID-19 positivity rate, the library opened for grab-and-go service on Feb. 1 and will continue to offer virtual educational programming.

Patrons can now browse and check out books at the library and use computers for an hour per day. People can still make use of the curbside pickup option or request a book bundle for children and teens, where librarians gather a personalized set of books for pickup.

“Our whole philosophy during the pandemic has been to provide as much service as we can, safely, because we want to keep our staff and our public safe, so that’s been our balance,” said library director, Donna Pittman.

The use of curbside pickup and electronic resources was very popular while the library was closed for in-person services. Pittman said the library saw more than 5,000 pickups just in Dec. Patrons can access

ebooks, movies, music and other e-resources through the library’s website using apps such as Libby and Kanopy. The library also offers virtual programming nearly every day of the week for children, teens and adults.

“One of our major missions is literacy. Lifelong literacy has to start someplace,” said Mike Rogalla, children’s services manager.

Rogalla said programming for babies, toddlers and preschoolers is based on best practices in early childhood education. Storytimes for children are streamed on Facebook live on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and then archived on the library’s YouTube channel.

“There’s a lot of things we can do and a lot of things we can model that’ll make entering school, whether it’s at preschool or kindergarten, that much easier for a child,” Rogalla said.

The library also offers programming for aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners and job seekers.

Madeleine Wolske, a business librarian, helps connect people with library databases that contain information on market research and trends, for example, and holds webinars that are currently focused on marketing. “(Because of the pandem-

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Business Librarian Madeleine Wolske helps a patron of the Champaign Public Library on Wednesday morning. The library has recently reopened limited in-person services.

ic), a lot of people are trying to transition their brick and mortar business to the web,” Wolske said.

Webinars can explain how to create a website and market a business to its target demographic.

Wolske is also on a small and diverse business council that connects minorities

with small business development resources. She says a library’s role can be to sort through all of the information that is available to people and give them a place to start.

“My goal is to connect anyone and everyone with library resources so everyone can succeed,” she said.

Jordan Neal, a career librarian, helps people apply for jobs, create resumes and cover letters and connects them with professional development resources. She sees virtual programming and other services as an equalizer within the community because anyone can access

them at no charge.

“We serve a really diverse audience and we can’t make a lot of assumptions about the resources they have access to or who they’re connected with, we just try our best to fill the need,” Neal said. jk31@dailyillini.com

UI graduates struggle with transition into workforce

BY MACKENZIE STEPHENS STAFF WRITER

After graduation, new alumni find themselves typically choosing one of three options: find a job and start working, go to graduate school or take a gap year. This year’s graduates have extra considerations, attempting to factor in the impact of the pandemic.

With businesses and organizations closing, downsizing and changing, many new graduates had to learn how to acclimate to unique circumstances in the workforce. They had to embark on the beginning of their careers in a way that has never been experienced before.

Jessica Gruen, LAS graduate from Dec. 2020, mentioned how the pandemic caused her to feel nervous about what would happen for her after school had ended.

“I felt very nervous. One of my older sisters graduated back in the recession around 2011 which was a bad job market, and the job market I was applying into was even worse so that just felt really bad at the time,”

JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI

Gruen said.

She said that due to the condition of the job market that she wasn’t sure of whether or not she would find something to do after graduation.

However, as a Molecular and Cellular Biology and Psychology major, Gruen

felt excited for the opportunities that were growing in the medical field.

While still deciding whether or not to apply to medical school, she said she felt hopeful that the pharmaceutical and biotech industries will be booming in response to how COVID-19

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has impacted them and is inspired by how many people are beginning to notice the industries’ importance in our world.

A s graduates acclimate to an entirely online application and interview, the need to become creative and explorative has

increased. Without being able to attend in-person career fairs, networking events and interviews, it is hard for graduates in the time of COVID-19 to get a grasp on how to form connections with the companies and organizations they wish to work with.

Utilizing apps such as LinkedIn and Handshake are helpful, yet they do not enable the personal connections and relationships that can make a big difference in the interview process.

Alexa Heitzman, graduate of the College of Media, stated that she found a unique way to stand out from other applicants as she began looking for employment by cold-calling companies she was interested in. By showing initiative, she said that interviewers and recruiters expressed how they felt impressed with her method.

Add it ion a l ly, upon accepting a position as a project coordinator at a startup firm, she emphasizes the importance of personal connections.

“Even one of my jobs

now as a project coordinator required me to hire somebody else. I put up an application on LinkedIn and within an hour we got like 50 applications. The person we ended up hiring was actually someone who reached out to me,” Heitzman said.

“Even if you’re going for a big job, just reach out to the recruiter and can get any sort of connection to get you the next level.”

In addition to altering the way graduates go about finding jobs, COVID-19 also endangered many students’ aspirations to find work in different states or countries. With the many restrictions on travel keeping people at home, many graduates had to change their plans of applying elsewhere and focus on finding employment closer to them. Moving around the country, changing locations and working in an unfamiliar place was not as easy as it had been in the past.

Steph Maurer, College of Media graduate, hoped to find a job in New York after SEE GRAD | 5A

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

5A

Peanutters program shells out good time

BY ELIZABETH SAYASANE FEATURES EDITOR

Every year, nine recent college graduates pack up their belongings and hop aboard one of the three Planters Peanuts NUT mobiles for one year. This peanut-shaped vehicle is bright yellow and travels across the country promoting the Planters Peanut brand. For the past several years, at least one Illini alumn has been one of the nine Peanutters.

The most recent of the Illinois Peanutters is Tyler Towne, or Ty the Nut Drivin’ Guy (his designated Peanutter name), who is in the middle of his year-long position. Towne graduated in late May from LAS with a degree in communications.

“We drive across the country on our 26-footlong peanut on wheels making people smile,” Towne said. “We do that through a couple different ways, primarily through community service efforts, or small community-based events.”

Towne’s experience has differed a little from previous NUT mobile drives because of COVID-19. They started in July instead of June and have had to focus on smaller-scale projects as opposed to large events.

Several aspects of the job convinced Town to accept the position.

He represents a large brand every single day. He gains experience in marketing and media as he appeared on radio and TV to talk about Planters. He is responsible for planning events and schedules. In addition to all this, he is paid to travel the country for a year.

“I thought it was kind of a unique and interesting opportunity,” he said.

He first heard about this

PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER TOWNE

The Planters Peanutters wave from the Peanut Mobile while on the road. Tyler Towne, one of the peanutters, along with his coworkers recently made a stop in Champaign.

opportunity in one of his public relations classes as a senior when the Peanutters came to recruit soonto-be alumni.

One of those in the class recruiting new Peanutters was Dan Corry, or Pecan Dan, an Illinois graduate from the class of 2019.

Corry graduated in May of 2019 from the College of Media with a degree in advertising. He worked with the NUTmobile from June of 2019 to June of 2020.

Just like Towne, Corry was in a team of nine Peanutters who were split into teams of three. Each team was assigned a region where they would work before switching up around the six-month mark.

“I think some of the most rewarding days were when

we were at places we had no idea existed and realized that there was a whole culture that we got to step into,” Corry said.

One particularly memorable town was Plains, Georgia where Corry’s team went for The Peanut Festival. Corry and his fellow Peanutters were surprised to realize that this festival was large enough to attract former President Jimmy Carter as their officiant.

During Corry’s term, Planters Peanuts also made national news when they released a dramatic film killing off Mr. Peanut ahead of their Superbowl commercial slot. Corry said the branding for this stunt was intense.

The team set up a funeral for two weeks in between

his death and rebirth.

“They shelled out for that campaign; gave us a full new uniform of an R. I. Peanut shirt, prayer candles, funeral wreaths and stuff like that,” he said. “We made national news, got to do live television ... that was a very unique experience for my year that I’ll never forget.”

Corry was also brought to this opportunity by yet another Illinois alumni, Bradley Smith, who graduated in 2018 from the College of Media with a degree in advertising.

Bradley worked with the NUTmobile from 2018 to 2019 and went by the name Peanut Brittle Brad.

“It was a shell of a time, as we like to say in the peanut butter world,” Smith said. “It’s something that

I will never forget.”

Currently, Smith works for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as a program development manager. He said his experience as a Peanutter has opened doors for him professionally because it was an instant conversation starter.

This would then give him the opportunity to talk about all his other skills and accolades. Smith connected a lot back to the skills he learned at the University. He also said that is part of the reason why Illinois students are so frequently chosen to be one of the nine members aboard the NUTmobiles.

Smith said he wanted to recruit from campus because, “As an Illinois alum myself, I knew

the work ethic and the assiduousness of Illinois students.”

The current NUT mobile drivers are working to recruit the next group of Peannutters. The iconic bright peanut car was on campus the last week of January, with Peanutters visiting classes and sharing the opportunity with those graduating in the next couple of months.

“It’s such a special program and I wanted to share it with the people that mattered,” Smith said. “I think, for me, that was my fellow classmates and future generations of Illini that could go through this experience and truly embark on an adventure of a lifetime.”

FROM 4A

outwards and completely change my strategy to start looking for jobs in Chicago.”

Maurer missed out on opportunities she was hoping to experience, yet she said that in the end, her job taught her that your first year looking for a job doesn’t have to be perfect. She emphasized how upcoming graduates should own the fact that they were able to conquer going to college throughout a pandemic, which is an

achievement not many have in their repertoire.

COVID-19 graduates are not alone in their struggle to navigate the beginnings of their future careers and should be proud of how far they have come. Maurer advised graduates to remember that, “It is a really really big world and there will be a job for you out there, but it might not be what you expect.”

GRAD

JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI

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graduating.

“My dream is to work in New York, and I had all of these applications open, Maurer said. “I had a couple of interviews that were going pretty well in New York, but I knew that even if I were to get the jobs, especially as April passed and the COVID-19 situation wasn’t improving, that I really needed to extend

eis3@dailyillini.com

mas24@dailyillini.com

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 N.B.A. stat 4 Number of stripes on la bandera mexicana 8 Relay, e.g.

13 Oscar-winning actor for “Moonlight” and “Green Book” 14 Chew (out) 15 Actress Clarke of “Game of Thrones” 16 Rapper MC ___ 17 Plant that lacks true roots and leaves 18 Be surpassed by 19 Broker’s request for funds 21 Averts, with “off” 22 Product with the slogan “Trust the power within” 24 James Merritt ___, pioneer in American lithography 25 Modest 26 Digital currency 28 Foot with a short part and a long part 29 Places to crash 30 Layer 31 Goes downhill 33 Game that’s 100% luck 36 ___-vivre (ability to live elegantly) 37 Modern know-it-all 38 Epic collapse 39 Literally, “way of the gods” 41 Capital of Italy’s Apulia region 42 Sums set aside, say 44One of 64 divisions of Louisiana 46 Highlighter of tihs clue?

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PUZZLE BY DAVID J. KAHN

48 Certain tailored suit 49 Capital of Fiji 50 Not-so-great grade 51 Put together, as assets 52 Send off 53 Like Haydn’s Symphony No. 12 54 Squirming, maybe 55 Goes out with 56 Something to take or hang

DOWN

1 Chicken ___ (certain entree, informally) 2 District attorney’s offering, maybe 3 Game with sets and runs 4 Diner or sleeper 5 Adjust, as skates

6 Two under 7 Local economy makeup … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme 8 Faces of the digital age?

9 In relation to 10 Big roll 11 Informal times, in ads 12 New Mexico’s ___ Ski Valley 15 Legal limits?

20 Chow 23 Quantity equal to about seven glasses of wine 25 Minor market move 27 Shipload 29 :-( 31 Winner of a record 26 Oscars 32 Ab ___ (from the start)

33 Went forward without a plan 34 Manhattan’s SoHo has a noted one 35 Where swimmer Katie Ledecky won four Olympic golds 36 “Flash Gordon” and others 37 Pine (for) 38 Woodchuck of the western U.S. 39 A one-hit Wonder he’s not 40 Violently temperamental sorts 41 Titan of industry 43 Froth 44 Old man 45 Shrouded 47 Razor-sharp

The crossword solution is in the Classified section.

6A

THURSDAY February 4, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

OPINIONS Abandon notion of unconditional presidential loyalty

THE DAILY ILLINI EDITORIAL

NICK JOHNSON COLUMNIST

P

KAITLIN MIKRUT THE DAILY ILLINI

Failure to test deserves discipline Updated consequences target noncomplying students

T

he only hope of a swift return to normalcy is compliance with University guidelines, not defiance. For all the money the University invested into its testing apparatus, the rise in cases on campus last semester evinced a number of uncooperative students, who elected instead to get tested less frequently than was required.

As a result, the University has issued a new warning: fail to respect the testing requirements and you may lose more than just building access. In a new Massmail, the University pleaded with students to test at least twice a week and warned otherwise that “students who are out of compliance may also lose access to University Wi-Fi,

Zoom, Compass and other technologies.” The thought of only having access to Illinois_NetGuest should strike fear in each student.

Some students have expressed concern over the University’s increased precautions, but if the prospect of losing building access has not properly deferred the student body from behaving poorly during the pandemic, then this is the logical next step.

It may be an idle threat, but what student so badly does not want to test that he or she would take that risk?

Besides, the administration will almost certainly warn students that they are at risk of losing these privileges, rather than surprising students by sud-

denly locking them out of Zoom or Compass. But nonetheless, this warning should have no effect on you so long as you are a student who meets that minimum threshold for testing twice a week.

Students should note that if you are off campus and the University is aware of that, you are not at risk of losing these privileges. This caution is specifically targeting students who refuse to test and still live locally, who exist as a threat of spreading COVID-19 among the student body. And although mortality rates among young adults are low according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these students put University faculty and Cham-

paign-Urbana locals at risk of contracting the virus.

Ultimately, the outrage over the new COVID-19 measures is overblown. The demands of the administration aren’t ill-intentioned or unreasonable, one must remember that the purpose is to mitigate the spread of this virus that soon will have existed on campus for a full calendar year.

Testing biweekly isn’t damaging to one’s mental health the way prolonged isolation is, so testing is the way to stop the bleeding, so to speak. When it comes to doing your duty as a student and member of the C-U community, test and you’ll never have to worry about the consequences.

Better musicians should perform at Super Bowl NOAH NELSON SENIOR COLUMNIST

In

early February each year, fans from across the nation gather around any TV screen they can find to watch the two best NFL teams collide at one of the professional sports’ most monumental stages: The Super Bowl. The event also includes the famous halftime show, which has become part of the blockbuster program in its own right over the last few decades.

For this year’s show, The Weeknd is scheduled to perform the roughly 12-and-a-half-minute halftime show. As it’s an ok choice for the event, there are plenty of other musicians out there who PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT GAUTHIER/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS should perform one of The Weeknd performs during the 59th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los music’s most coveted days Angeles on Feb. 12, 2017. Columnist Noah argues there are more deserving artists than The of the year.

Weeknd to perform at the Super Bowl.

Artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Perry, who invited Missy at. To go down in histoare household names, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus Elliot and Lenny Kravitz; ry and say you played on even if you don’t listen and Justin Bieber have Madonna, who invited the same stage as Prince, to their music at all. The never performed at the Nicki Minaj and LMFAO; Paul McCartney and Lady case isn’t the same with Super Bowl halftime and Coldplay, who invited Gaga can be a once-in-aThe Weeknd. show, and they are some Beyonce and Bruno Mars. lifetime opportunity. I He’s a great artist with of the biggest artists in The show is a milestone would play the show in a an even better career music today. It’s surprisfor any artist who wishes heartbeat, not to etch my ahead of him, but he just ing that none of them to leave a lasting legacy, name in the show’s prohasn’t reached the ranks have taken the stage, and not only on their career lific history, but for the of becoming a household quite frankly, it’s a little but on the show itself. It’s fans — the ones who gave name. Who knows, maybe sad too. the most-watched live musicians their start in he will in a few years, but Over the years, globperformance each year, the first place and have certainly not now. al superstars have perconsistently reaching helped become global Nevertheless, in hope formed at the halftime over 100 million viewers phenomenons. that The Weeknd’s perforshow, including Michael for almost a decade. One It’s safe to say that The mance knocks it out of the Jackson, The Who and would think that a much Weeknd is not as big of a park, those who choose The Rolling Stones. In more famous artist would name as those mentioned to headline the halftime recent performances, art- be booked to perform. above. Not everyone in show should pick better ists have even brought The Super Bowl halfthe world knows who he musicians in the future. guests out to perform time show should be one is, as opposed to others with them on certain of the highest honors any who have performed in Noah is a junior in Media. numbers, including Katy musician could perform the past. Those musicians noahen2@dailyillini.com

there. The president serves every single American citizen regardless of their political ideologies or voting history.

For the sake of consistent diction, it’s safe to say the president is everyone’s “guy.”

Though it may be to the chagrin of his opposers, by definition, President Trump was America’s “guy.” The United States electoral system that has been used to select a new president since the country’s birth determined that Donald Trump was the right man for the job. Many might feel differently two impeachments later, but the election results remain true.

The problems arose when his most loyal supporters lost sight of that fact and hailed President Trump as their own personal vanguard of justice and liberty instead of as an agent for all people of the United States.

In adoring Trump so unremittingly and praising his every decision, they hampered the public’s ability to collectively check him and lowered the standard for his performance.

None of this argument is to say that being supportive of a president is antithetical to an efficient or responsive government.

Obviously, groups of citizens with differing moral and political values will perceive the actions of the president in different ways.

If the president champions a legislative agenda that aligns heavily with what a certain group of citizens believes should be done, they are rightfully entitled to their excitement and support of the president’s actions. The same goes for those who perceive the president’s actions as contrary to what they believe is best for the country, as they may rightfully be displeased.

The keyword, however, is “actions.” The last four years saw a large sect of the American public root their allegiance in the president himself as opposed to the actions he took during his time in office, which led to the fan-like attitude that diminished the public’s accountability power by never even allowing a negative thought about the president to cross their minds.

Now, Joe Biden is everyone’s “guy.” Although it is highly unlikely that a similarly passionate band of unceasingly loyal Biden supporters will emerge, the American people must collectively close this chapter of tireless loyalty to any president in order to encourage effective governance and leave no opportunity for something as catastrophic as the Capitol siege to occur ever again.

residential elections always seem to bring to the surface the deeply sowed hostility that lies within America’s two-party system. The structure of the campaign process is largely to blame — beginning as early as the primaries, the formula to emerge victorious consists not only of candidates selling their skills and agendas but also lambasting their competitors.

As a result, an almost fanlike attitude indicative of professional sports is liable to form within voter blocks of respective candidates.

Rather than focusing on the immeasurably important task at hand — determining who is the best fit to lead the United States of America — many people can get far too caught up in supporting “their guy.”

The dishearteningly prevalent “my guy” mentality harms the American public’s mechanisms to promote accountability in D.C. and is detrimental to good governance. If supporters of a victorious candidate cling more firmly to their allegiance to the president than they do their allegiance to the U.S, a number of negative consequences are sure to arise.

First and foremost, such staunch loyalty will inevitably result in poorer performance from the president. Although many rightfully have their reservations about former President Donald Trump, this claim is not unique to him — it applies to anyone to hold the office.

If the entire citizenry tracks the president’s actions with a watchful eye, that is upwards of 328 million pairs of eyes holding him accountable to do the job and do it well. However, when half of the country’s citizens are blindly loyal to the sitting president and will go to great lengths to justify his every action, the public’s power to hold him accountable is dreadfully weakened.

In this scenario, not only are there fewer citizens dedicated to ensuring the leader of the people is performing his job effectively, but such efforts to promote accountability are being actively mitigated by the relentless supporters who inexorably contest the validity of every single critique being made about “their guy.”

Such people with a fanlike mentality aimed toward the president are missing the point — it could not matter less whether someone supported the victorious candidate in an election because whoever is elected to office does not only serve Nick is a sophomore in LAS. the people who put them nmj5@dailyillini.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

U.S. President Donald Trump turns to reporters as he exits the White House to walk toward Marine One on the South Lawn on Jan. 12 in Washington, DC. Nick contends cult of personality harms the president

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS | opinions@dailyillini.com with the subject “Letter to the Editor.” The Daily Illini reserves the right to edit for length, libel, grammar and spelling errors, and Daily Illini style or to reject any contributions. Letters must be limited to 300 words. Contributions must be typed and include the author’s name, address and phone number. University students must include their year in school and college.

1B

THURSDAY February 4, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

FRAZIER, COCKBURN TRANSCEND IN WIN

BY JACKSON JANES ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

After one of the best performances of the season, Illinois looked slow and sluggish throughout the first half at Indiana, and the team eventually entered halftime trailing by seven. Since the Illini typically find their groove in the second half of games, it seemed like it would be another one of those games. Though Illinois pulled out the 75-71 win, it wasn’t pretty, and they needed an extra five-minute overtime period to get the job done.

One of the most important talking points from the win has to be the fact that the Illini played the final seven minutes and 40 seconds without their best player, Ayo Dosunmu. After fouling out on a controversial charge with just under three minutes to play, the Chicago native was forced to watch the rest of the game from the bench. A late surge from senior Trent Frazier helped the Illini avoid upset at Assembly Hall, where the team hadn’t won since 2010, proving this squad is capable of grinding out results even without their star player.

Struggles on both ends of the court plagued the Illini throughout the game, but they made baskets and got stops when they needed them the most, a quality of a top college basketball team. Let’s take a look at eight key Illini performances from the nail-biting win.

Note: the referees will not be making an appearance in this game’s grades, but you can imagine what I thought of their performances. Fifty-four total fouls in a rivalry game is absolutely absurd.

TRENT FRAZIER As a senior, Frazier has been through the ups and downs with this Illinois program. After two years of disappointment, the Florida native didn’t jump ship, and it looks like he made the right choice after back-to-back outstanding performances, helping this squad solidify its place in second place in the Big Ten. After a season-best 24 points on Friday against Iowa, Frazier followed it up with another impressive display, going for a team-high 19 points, including four three-pointers.

He was one of the biggest reasons why Illinois left Assembly Hall with a win.

After going for just three points in the first half, Frazier came out firing in the second half, scoring 15 points in the sec-

ond half on 67% shooting. But, most importantly, the senior guard hit two huge three-pointers in the span of under a minute to knot the game at 64, eventually scoring the Illini’s final 10 points of the second half to send the game to overtime.

Frazier is also one of the Illini’s most reliable defenders, often tasked with guarding some of the opposition’s best scorers. On Tuesday night, Frazier came up big once again, bringing energy on defense while also forcing two turnovers, both of which came in the second half. If Frazier can consistently put up impressive numbers for the Illini, this team will be dangerous come March.

A

KOFI COCKBURN Like Friday night’s game against Iowa, Cockburn struggled of the ball, holding Jackson-Davis to just seven points after the in the first 20 minutes of play, scoring just six points while break while scoring eight points, including a huge dunk allowing fellow sophomore Trayce Jackson-Davis in overtime to seal an Illini victory. The 16-point, to score 12 points before halftime. The Kingston, 10-rebound performance is Cockburn’s 12th douJamaica, native looked off his game defensiveble-double of the season, which is the most in all ly, constantly getting caught out of position, of college basketball. while he also struggled grabbing rebounds Getting a complete game out of the sophomore and silky passes from teammates under center is going to be important going forward, but the basket on offense. if Cockburn can consistently put up these kinds of Something changed after halftime, numbers, the Illini will be one of the teams to beat in however, as Cockburn stepped on both sides the postseason.

A-

ANDRE CURBELO Like Frazier, Curbelo struggled to and getting to the free-throw line. His creativity and slick make an impact in the first half, scoring passing are what makes him so dangerous and that once again just four points while also picking up two proved essential to the Illini’s win on Tuesday. Though he personal fouls. Curbelo stepped up still lacks a bit of discipline on offense, often leading in the second half and in overto sloppy turnovers, the Puerto Rico native is one of time, however, finishing with 12 the most quintessential pieces to this Illini offense. points, the most he’s scored since Illinois needs Curbelo to keep putting togethhe went for 15 at Penn State on er solid outings like this moving forward, both Dec. 23. The freshman guard on offense and defense, and though he did have also grabbed five rebounds, had one turnover, he had three in each of the last two four assists and made two steals. games, demonstrating improvement and confidence Curbelo was one of the sparks the that will be important for both Curbelo and the Illini Illini offense desperately needed after a moving forward. slow first half, constantly drawing fouls SEE GRADES | 2B

B

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Jon Davis makes gains in cross country, stock market

BY CARSON GOURDIE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Everyone in America became their own Jordan Belfort over the past week.

Taking advice from WallsStreetBets, a subreddit where participants discuss stock and options trading, Robinhood users flooded low revenue companies with investments, causing stocks for troubled companies, including GameStop and AMC, to soar.

The result: Millionaires overnight.

Investing in these companies seemed like a callback to 2006, and staying in too long caused even further financial stress for a lot of Americans trying to get out of a hole. Luckily for redshirt senior Jon Davis, he was able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

A self-admitted financial junkie, who watches a lot of podcasts and Mad Money, Davis was able to make a

profit from the bull market while cementing his status as an All-American in cross country, as he finished second place in the conference championship over the weekend.

“I really couldn’t get away from it when we were in the hotel,” said Davis about the stock market. “I watched a lot of Bloomberg News and CNBC, and I was able to make some money this week.”

Davis invested heavily in the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which gained a lot of momentum from investors after being hyped up on Reddit. Though the stock never topped $0.10, it was less than a cent before it took off, so a large investment could still net a sizable profit.

While driving down to Shelbyville, Indiana for his cross country meet, Davis noticed his investment appreciated by 82% in just three hours, prompting him

to sell his shares immediately to guarantee a profit.

“My brain just flooded with dopamine,” Davis said.

But Davis’ stockbroking habit didn’t happen overnight. The Oakwood, Illinois native has been a player in the market for a while now, and he even purchased a lot of shares of various companies when the market tumbled in March due to the worries COVID-19 would have on the economy.

Though stocks fell hard in March, the market roared back in the summer before the Dow Jones hit an alltime high this January.

Davis, who is about to pay capital gain taxes on his investments, currently prefers making shortterm investments, hoping to cash in on his financial knowledge for immediate impact. However, his Dogecoin experiment even opened his own eyes.

“What I did this week

was very uncharacteristic,” Davis said. “I had some money to blow, and I thought it was a good time to buy Dogecoin. If you run that simulation with me 100 times, I think nine out of 10 times I don’t do it.”

After earning a profit, Davis thought about reinvesting his earnings into AMC and Gamestop, trying to ride the wave of unorthodox investing. But after a nice night’s rest, Davis decided to get out before it was too late.

While Davis was busy making successful investments, it didn’t distract him from the main mission: Representing his school well at the Big Ten championship.

Davis is by far the gold standard for the cross country team. While Davis finished second in the conference with a time of 24:01.8 in the 8k, the second-fastest Illini — Tyler Cushing — finished 50 seconds

behind him, placing 31st in the conference.

Davis isn’t one dimensional, however. The redshirt senior excels on the track, too, which earned him USTFCCCA Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year honors in 2018.

Davis is a top performer in track, but his heart belongs outside with cross country, as he appreciates the moments he’s created with his peers.

“I’ve won more track races than cross country, which is pretty sweet,” Davis said.

“Cross country, the team aspect of that is something super special you can’t quite get from track, so I value that.”

After finishing up his cross country career after next season, the former history major plans to graduate with a master’s in accountancy, hoping to translate that into a secure career at

an accounting firm, a far cry from his current investment style.

While Davis doesn’t plan on running a hedge fund, he’s by no means giving up his interest in the stock market; instead, he plans a transition into long-term investments once he gets a steady income.

Next up for Davis is an appearance in the NCAA national championship, which doesn’t occur until mid-March. Up until then, Davis will continue to represent the orange and blue on the track while probably continuing to keep an eye on Wall Street, though he doesn’t plan on being too risky.

“Don’t get caught up in the hype,” Davis said. “A lot of people lost money, and I could’ve very well been one of those people.”

@gourdiereport gourdie2@dailyillini.com

2B Thursday, February 4, 2021

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

FOOTBALL

Chase Hayden reconnects with Bielema to finish career

BY GABBY HAJDUK SPORTS EDITOR

To Chase Hayden, family is everything. As the son of former Tennessee running back Aaron Hayden, Chase grew up in a football family.

When deciding between several Power-Five offers as a high schooler, Hayden looked to his family for help. When he went through a coaching change at Arkansas, Hayden listened to his family as he navigated the transfer portal.

When he suffered an injury early into his first season at East Carolina, Hayden leaned on his family for support.

So when Bret Bielema formed a strong bond with Hayden and his tight-knit family during the high school recruiting process, the trust held between the three never waivered.

Hayden’s freshman year at Arkansas under Bielema was promising. In his first collegiate game, the former four-star prospect rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown against Florida A&M on Aug. 31, 2017. His production continued as over the first six games he rushed for 326 total yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry, tying the team high.

Then, things started to crumble. In the seventh game

FROM 1B

GRADES Ayo Dosunmu: B-

After being named Big Ten Player of the Week following his 25-point performance against Iowa on Friday, I’m sure many Illini fans had high expectations for the junior guard coming into Tuesday night’s late-night matchup with Indiana.

But Dosunmu didn’t show up to the occasion. The Chicago native finished with 10 points, tying a season-low (the other came against Minnesota in the team’s Big Ten season opener on Dec. 15), while also fouling out with three minutes to play. You can’t have the best player on the team

of the season against Auburn, Hayden fractured his lower leg on a career-high 40-yard run, ending his promising freshman campaign.

“It’s been a lot of ups and downs, battling through injuries and stuff like that,” Hayden said. “Just trying to stay even-keeled and keep a positive mindset … Really just leaning on my family for guidance.”

Fast forward five weeks and Bielema was fired from Arkansas, marking a brief end to his collegiate coaching career. And Hayden’s offseason would be filled with rehab and navigating a coaching change all while losing the reason he went to Arkansas.

“It was pretty hard because I have a great relationship with him, my family has a great relationship with him, so that’s really the reason I went to Arkansas,” Hayden said. “And then when he got let go and they brought in a new staff and you have to go through a coaching change, it was pretty tough for a little while.”

Hayden’s success under Bielema wouldn’t be replicated over the next two seasons at Arkansas, totaling just 290 rushing yards in 16 games leading him to the transfer

portal and later ECU. History, unfortunately, repeated itself as Hayden was injured just two games into the 2020 season. He then opted out of the season with a broken wrist. While Hayden originally planned to return to ECU in 2021, those plans were altered when Illinois announced the hiring of Bielema on Dec. 19.

Bielema, who kept in touch with Hayden through happy birthday texts and catch-up conversations every couple of months, quickly worked out a way to reunite with his running back.

“When he got the job I sent him a text and said congratulations and stuff,” Hayden said. “Then he got back with me and check and see how many scholarships he had.

So he followed up and then I got here.”

For Hayden, transferring to Illinois to play under Bielema was a no-brainer, in fact, it was really the only reason he entered the transfer portal in 2020 and came to Champaign. Not only do the pair have a longstanding relationship, but Bielema is a proven winner who has helped highlevel players advance to the pros.

Hayden will still have to

in foul trouble late in close games, especially with the Illini up by just two points at the time of his disqualification. I understand the refs didn’t cut him any slack, but silly fouls earlier in the game are inexcusable at this point in the season.

Everyone has an off night every once in a while, but I expect better from a veteran player on this Illini team. A 2-for-11 night from the field (he went 6-for-6 on free throw attempts) illustrates the junior guard’s struggles, but Brad Underwood has to hope Dosunmu can put this game behind him ahead of the team’s showdown with No. 19 Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon.

Giorgi Bezhanishvili: B-

On the surface, it didn’t seem like Bezhanishvili had the best of nights, scoring just five points while also fouling out following a questionable call late in the second half, just 16 seconds before Dosunmu eventually joined him on the bench. But the Georgia native brought energy when the Illini looked stuck in first gear coming out of the locker room after halftime, splashing a corner three to open the scoring in the second half.

As one of the older players in this Illini squad, Bezhanishvili’s leadership and passion often translate to the energy of the entire team.

Having someone like him in the team is essential to the team’s success, and his

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL MOSELEY/FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM/TNS

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Chase Hayden dives in to the end zone for a second quarter touchdown against the Texas A&M Aggies on Sept. 23, 2017 in the Southwest Classic. Hayden has recently joined the Illinois football team for the 2021 season.

compete for a starting spot, however, as running backs Chase Brown and Mike Epstein already have Big Ten success on their resumes.

But the comfortability with the coaching staff and a

determination to feel like his early freshman-year self gives Hayden confidence to finish the next two years out on a high note.

“It was an easy decision for me because Coach B was

here so I’m just going to try and come in and compete and earn a spot,” Hayden said.

performance against Iowa where he scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, including a late three-pointer to give Illinois the lead, Grandison looked like a completely different player on Tuesday night. The Holy Cross transfer scored five points and grabbed two rebounds, but slow defense and lackluster decision making nearly proved disastrous for Illinois, especially in such a back-andforth game.

Grandison’s confidence should have been at a season high coming into the game, but two turnovers in the first half led to Hoosier points.

The junior eventually settled in and improved his ball Jacob Grandison: C+ security, but indecisiveness Following a career-best on both ends of the court are

issues that certainly need to be addressed immediately.

Overall, it was a pretty average night for the redshirt junior, hence the rating, but Grandison looks like a promising addition to Brad Underwood’s starting lineup going forward.

impact often transcends both on and off the court. While he may not be the flashiest or most athletic player in this loaded Illini team, the junior forward’s role is pivotal for their success.

Though he is one of the most important players in this team, Bezhanishvili struggles with unnecessary fouls and bad decision-making on the defensive end, something that plagued him on Tuesday. He was also tasked with guarding some of the best Indiana scorers, and though he is 6-foot9, Bezhanishvili looked weak against Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson when Cockburn was out of the game.

@gabby_h11 ghajduk2@dailyillini.com

@JacksonJanes3 janes6@dailyillini.com To read the rest of the story, scan the QR code below

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3B

COVID-19

THURSDAY February 4, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

Recent graduates face shaky futures

BY ELIZABETH SAYASANE FEATURES EDITOR

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Student Jose Hernandez takes a University COVID-19 test at the ARC on Monday. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District confirmed 133 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday morning.

CU Health confirms 133 new cases Local, regional test positivity rates continue to drop, all but one Illinois region reaches Phase 4

BY ETHAN SIMMONS NEWS EDITOR

All but one of Illinois’ 11 regions have moved or returned into Phase 4 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan, the penultimate phase before widespread vaccinations allow for a return to typi-

cal activities.

All except for Region 4 have sustained a seven-day rolling test positivity rate below 8%, an intensive care unit capacity above 20% and a hospitalization rate that’s stable or decreasing.

In Champaign County and the surrounding Region 6, test positivity rates continue to drop — the sevenday average test positivity rate has slid below 5% for both, excluding the University’s tests.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District confirmed another 133 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, pushing the county active case count to 636.

So far, CUPHD has con-

firmed 235 new cases in February. On Monday, the district reported three additional deaths from the virus.

Meanwhile, another 138 people have been ordered to quarantine after potential exposure to the virus, while 129 have been released from quarantine.

Four more county residents have been hospitalized for the virus. As of Wednesday, 29 county residents are hospitalized for COVID-19.

At Carle Foundation Hospital, 58 people from Champaign and surrounding counties are currently hospitalized for the virus, including 11 in the ICU.

Across all Carle Health locations, 73 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19.

Here are the county virus totals as of Wednesday: • 16,604 cases (+133) • 636 active cases in isolation (+51) • 15,856 recoveries (+82) • 29 currently hospitalized (+4) • 112 deaths (+0) • 1,494,314 tests (+9,835) • 20,867 released from quarantine (+129) • 912 currently quarantining (+9) • 2,558 who tested positive after quarantine (+9)

top of that, the organization she interned at offered her a full-time position, which she accepted.

Kaur did say it was difficult to finish her final semester of college online.

“I try not to think about it too much because it can be upsetting,” she said. “I tried to kind of make the most of it and, you know, focus on things that I could control.”

She did say it was nice to not have to spend her final semester suffering through virtual recruiting.

One of Kaur’s roommates, she said, did have virtual recruitment and said it was incredibly stressful.

“She was doing a virtual info session, virtual interviews basically every week until she got an offer toward the end of the semester,” Kaur said. “It seemed like a very challenging process.”

All of this, she said, was exacerbated by the current competitive nature of the job market.

Even though Kaur is secured with a job, though, it does not begin until August.

In the meantime, she has moved back home to the Chicago suburbs. She is using the time to relax, take a couple of courses online, spend time with her family and focus on her hobbies.

With such tumultuous times, it is difficult to say what the world will look like in six weeks, much less six months.

Kaur, though, is taking a positive approach.

“I’m just kind of hoping, or a bit optimistic, about being able to actually go into the office,” she said. “My job involves a lot of travel too so it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out if we’re not able to travel or if we’re not able to go into the office, but I guess we’ll kind of find out.”

While every graduating class faces fears and anticipation for what life after college may look like, those who graduate during the time of COVID-19 have even greater uncertainty than those from previous years.

Some seniors last year were lucky enough to get a job offer in the fall or early spring semester before the pandemic threw many people’s plans out the window. Many seniors this year have had to cope with virtual recruitment events and canceled internships. They have no guarantees when it comes to what life will look like six months from now.

Surpreet Kaur, graduate in AHS, faced some of these challenges after her graduation last semester in December 2020. Kaur graduated from the College of AHS with a degree in Community Health.

While early last spring before the pandemic, Kaur planned to graduate in December, she still felt the impact of COVID-19 last summer as well as during her final semester.

One requirement for her major is to complete a certain number of hours with an internship. She had an internship planned for the summer, but because of the pandemic, they changed the program so it would only be one month long.

“I had to take a complimentary course through the University to fulfill that internship requirement,” she said.

“Which was obviously a little bit frustrating because normally I would have just had to go through that internship and not have to worry about extra work.”

Nonetheless, she was able to finish her requirement and graduated in December. On eis3@dailyillini.com

@esimmsnews ecsimmon@dailyillini.com

County vaccination rate ranks sixth in Illinois

Champaign continues through Phase 1B, averages 1,645 vaccine doses per day

for vaccinations across the state: 2.48% of the population is vaccinated as of Monday, good for sixth across all 102 Illinois counties.

All five counties ahead of it in vaccination rate — Adams, Calhoun, Piatt, Clinton and Scott — have a population below one-third of Champaign County.

BY ETHAN SIMMONS The county has adminisNEWS EDITOR tered 30,360 total doses of Champaign County con- the vaccine as of Monday, tinues to help set the pace also the sixth highest out

of Illinois counties. Just under 12% of the 209,983 county population has been vaccinated.

The county is posting a seven-day rolling average of 1,645 vaccine doses administered per day.

Champaign is barreling through Phase 1B of the vaccine rollout, which includes persons 65 and up, essential frontline workers like first responders, corrections officers and inmates, educators and

Welcome home, Illini.

We can do this.

We believe in you. covid19.illinois.edu

workers in public transit, food and agriculture, postal service, grocery stores, and manufacturing.

Phase 1A prioritized healthcare workers and long-term care facilities staff and residents. Next up is Phase 1C, which includes people ages 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions and other essential workers. @esimmsnews ecsimmon@dailyillini.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF SURPREET KAUR

Illinois graduate Surpreet Kaur poses for a graduation photo in front of Foellinger Hall. Kaur had difficulties finishing her final semester of college this past fall.

4B Thursday, February 4, 2021

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

5B

buzz calendar

BY RUKAYAH HUSSEIN BUZZ CALENDAR EDITOR

The buzz calendar is a compilation of events happening around the Champaign-Urbana area.

Follow our top picks in Monday’s and Thursday’s papers for activities to do on any night, from places to eat to things to watch.

Want to submit an event? Email calendar@readbuzz.com or message us on Facebook.

THURSDAY, FEB. 4

FOLXTALES

KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

The front of Taco Shack, located on Green Street, is pictured above. Taco Shack is a new Champaign restaurant offering quick Mexican cuisine.

Taco Shack opens on campus

BY BECCA BERTRAM STAFF WRITER

Restaurants seem to come and go on Green Street in Champaign, and students have had to say goodbye to some of their favorite food stops over the years. However, with every restaurant that closes, another opens with an even wider variety of foods to offer the student body.

Taco Shack is a new Mexican restaurant officially open on Green Street.

Taco Shack is located right next to bubble tea store Teamoji, a very convenient location for students. The restaurant offers various types of food items, such as taco trios, single tacos, burrito bowls, burritos, nachos and quesadillas. They serve steak, chicken and pork as protein options. If you’re not a fan of meat, you can try the vegetarian options, tofu or grilled vegetables, with your choice of a flour or corn tortilla.

I tried one chicken, steak and pork taco, and each one was generously filled.

There was so much meat that it was spilling out of both ends, but hey — that’s how you’ve gotten your money’s worth. I had to ask for salsa roja and guacamole to top my tacos, and there wasn’t much put on, so I would recommend asking for those toppings to come on the side. Both the salsa roja and guacamole were savory and had the right amount of spice to compliment the serving size.

The only problem I had with my tacos was the thickness of corn tortillas, which were very thin though two were stacked per taco. Maybe it is a common quality of corn tortillas, but I would suggest going for the flour tortilla not to have to eat your tacos in tiny pieces.

The best part of Taco Shack, besides the food, is the customer service that is provided. When I walked through the door, I was immediately greeted with a huge smile from the cashier, who was very engaging and asked about

my day. It is expected from a cashier, but the Taco Shack cashier was enthusiastic about my business, quickly took my order and started cooking it immediately.

Around five minutes after I ordered, another customer came in and ordered two burritos. Still, there was a shortage of tofu options, so the cashier listed substitutes for the protein and was readily prepared to deal with this issue.

To everyone and anyone who is constantly looking for new eats around the Champaign area, I would definitely recommend Taco Shack, as it has now become my second favorite taco place, next to Maize. Tacos are usually a perfect food no matter how it’s cooked, but I can promise that out of the amazing Mexican eateries, Taco Shack deserves a chance to join the ranks. rbl4@readbuzz.com

 5-11 p.m  Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana  Free FOLXTALES mingles eight, short folkloric stories — both traditional and modern — as the basis for an outdoor film project that will be projected onto the upper exterior of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ Foellinger Great Hall lobby. Each monologue features MFA student actors and has been recorded following Restore Illinois and University COVID-19 safety protocols, in its own visual and audio green-screen setting..

Live Virtual Class: Watercolor Pencils

 6-8:30 p.m.  A virtual event hosted by Parkland College  $99 for four classes Develop your style with the unique medium of watercolor pencils. They’re versatile, portable, non-toxic and they clean up with water. It’s a perfect opportunity for you to try your hand at painting, using skills you already have.

Professional artist Jackie Tice will introduce you to basic color theory and techniques specific to this medium.

FRIDAY, FEB. 5

Champaign County Forest Preserve District Snowflake Search

 All Day  Champaign County Forest Preserves, 109 S. Lake of the Woods Road, Mahomet, Illinois  Free Get out and explore your local winter wonderland in search of snowflakes! The Champaign County Forest Presere District, the Museum of the Grand Prairie and Homer Lake Interpretive Center have hidden 30 creative snowflakes and winter fun facts throughout CCFPD. Can you find them all? Bundle up and find as many as you can! Take a picture of your finds and share them on Facebook and Instagram pages using the hashtag #CCFPDSnowflakeSearch.

Prairie Skies Spotlight

 8 p.m.  A virtual event hosted by Staerkel Planetarium  Free Join us for this live-narrated tour of the wonders of tonight’s sky, with a particular focus on current events and audience requests. Find out what constellations and planets are visible tonight and how to find them. This show is updated seasonally and is intended for all ages.

SATURDAY, FEB. 6

Champaign-Urbana Winter Farmers Market  8-11 a.m.  Lincoln Square, 201 Lincoln Square, Urbana  Free Shop from all of your favorite, local, craft, food and farm vendors indoors at Lincoln Square Mall. Masks and social distancing will be required in the space, and limits on the number of shoppers that can be in the market area at the same time will be in effect.

SUNDAY, FEB. 7

Music by the Jokers! (Virtual Concert)

 4-4:30 p.m.  A virtual event hosted by Urbana Free Library  Free A performance by local favorites Dorothy Martirano and Armand Beaudoin, with introductions by Isabella Dorothy Martirano.

Super Bowl Sunday at NOLA’S

 5-10 p.m.  Nola’s Rock Bar, 119 W. Main St., Urbana  Free Enjoy great food and drink specials, plus swag giveaways throughout the game. Get your plans in order and reserve your table today by emailing info@NOLAsRockBar.com.

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6B

THURSDAY February 4, 2021 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

buzz

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAROUE BROOKS

A promotional image for the documentary ‘What About Me’ is pictured above.

‘What About Me’ changes perceptions of Black men New film spotlights minority outlook, is available on Amazon Prime

BY JILLIAN LITTLE BUZZ EDITOR

Black History Month is upon us once again, and it couldn’t come at a more sensitive time in American history. Race relations still prove to be a significant problem, especially considering the media’s misrepresentation of Black men. The creative minds at 5J Entertainment and executive producers have created a film to change these negative narratives and spotlight the American experience from a minority’s perspective.

The “What About Me” documentary, available on Amazon Prime for all of February, takes viewers into the hearts and minds of Black men. Despite their contributions to communities across the country, mass media has missed their stories.

“During the film, viewers will be taken on an unexpected journey into the daily lives, struggles and achievements of Black men who want to make a difference in their careers, families and communities,” said Taroue Brooks, one of the documentary’s executive producers. “We believe important film segments will inspire a national conversation about criminal justice reform, economic development, political power and modern-day racism. These dialogs are critical as the country has

entered into a historical period of civil unrest and transformation.”

Like many people over the years, Brooks has noticed the negative portrayals of Black men across mainstream media.

“I am frustrated that most news outlets only portrayed African American men as celebrities, athletes, criminals or victims of deadly police violence,” Brooks said. “This documentary creates a place where you can hear what African American men have to say in their own diverse voices about how they view their positions in American society.”

Planning for “ W hat About Me” began a year and a half ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic hindered its creative process.

Despite this, the documentary’s message was too important to not come to fruition.

“It was difficult,” Brooks said. “However, it is a sensitive subject matter, and we need to treat it as such.

Black men deserve to be represented, first class.”

By crossing social, economic and perceived intergenerational barriers, “What About Me” thrives on uncovering the unfiltered truth.

Some notable celebrities make appearances in the documentary as well, including actors Marcus Scribner of ABC’s “Blackish,” Timon Kyle Durrett of OWN’s “Queen Sugar” and Roshon Fegan of OWN’s “Greenleaf.”

“This idea of depending on the news to paint the only narrative of Black men being entertainers, athletes or criminals is not accurate,” Brooks said. “It was time that we hear from Black men about how we are viewed in America. So, I engaged my other executive producers, and we created this amazing documentary that is now on Amazon

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAROUE BROOKS

Taroue Brooks poses for a professional photo. Brooks is an executive producer on the documentary “What About Me,” which is currently streaming on Amazon for all of February.

Prime.”

Regardless of a person’s race, sex or religion, “What About Me” can prove to be a powerful watch for those who want to learn more about the ways Black men feel in today’s society.

“Everyone must see this

documentary, as it humanizes Black men. It also will offer other perspectives of who we are as Black men,” Brooks said. “Once empowered with more knowledge of Black men, there should be a shift in how we are viewed and treated.”

YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES FROM YOUR TIME AT COLLEGE. HOLD ON TO THEM FOREVER WITH THE OFFICIAL U OF I YEARBOOK.

Brooks wants people to leave the viewing experience with an enhanced appreciation for Black men and how they’ve been a part of America’s foundation.

“Black men are strong, powerful and resilient,” Brooks said. “We are pro-

viders, protectors and loving. Open your mind’s eye and look at who we really are.”

“What About Me” is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime. jel3@readbuzz.com

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