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MONDAY February 22, 2021

THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

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Vol. 150 Issue 34

University reinstates dismissed PhD student School reduces sentence after fierce backlash from campus

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois student Samantha Rubin takes a University COVID-19 test at the ARC on Feb. 1. The testing method may soon expand to more places in the local community.

Saliva test expansion excites locals BY VIVIAN LA STAFF WRITER

As the University works on expanding COVID-19 saliva testing to the surrounding community, some locals are looking forward to being able to take advantage of the new opportunities. “We are hopeful that within the next couple of weeks, working with our community partners, we will start testing first responders, some employees of local governments and schools, some underserved groups and dependents of university employees,” University spokesperson Robin Kaler said in an email. John Garvey, French teacher at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School, said this will be a good thing for the community. Employed by the University, he said his family would

take advantage of this opportunity. Garvey tests biweekly through the University and received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine through the school as well. “I think it’s very efficient, very accurate,” Garvey said. “I think it’s great compared to what the general public has to do to even get a test.” His wife, Barbara Oehlschlaeger-Garvey, works as a program director for the Champaign County Forest Preserve and was vaccinated through the local health department. Oehlschlaeger-Garvey said if she hadn’t been vaccinated, she would definitely get tested, but she thinks this will be a great service for the surrounding community. “It would really be a boon to the community,” she said. “Testing is key.” Oehlschlaeger-Garvey said she and her husband, in their

60s, worry about their health more these days. “We’re right at the cusp of being the really protected people (at age 65),” she said. “I’m at the top of the younger people. Not that that’s young.” Garvey said from his perspective as a teacher, he imagines a lot of students at the high school who likely have family that work at the University will make use of testing if it becomes available. His only concern is that people are starting to become too complacent too quickly, he said. “We’re seeing multiple times already, this whole cycle of ‘Okay, everyone’s better, so we’ll go have parties and restaurants,’” Garvey said. Luke Bronowski, University Laboratory High School physcal education teacher and coach for school basketball and tennis, said it would

matter what age requirements they put for testing, but overall thinks it’s a great idea. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the University to share a great resource that they invented on campus,” Bronowski said. “It can help a lot of people with regular, rapid testing that’s easily done and is less invasive than some of the nasal stuff.” Bill Sullivan, SHIELD member and part of a team that helped develop the Safer Illinois app, told The Daily Illini last week that the University is trying to create a new app to support this community testing. Kaler also said that there are a lot of “logistical and technical issues” when it comes to trying to expand testing. vla2@dailyillini.com

UI test regime spreads to new campuses BY ALIZA MAJID STAFF WRITER

The SHIELD Illinois program continues to expand the saliva-based test nationwide as more facilities and universities notice how accurate and accessible this testing is and request these services. Many universities have adopted saliva-based testing for their locations in order to crack down on COVID-19 cases on their campuses and create a safe environment for their community. “Currently, there are 14 colleges and universities utilizing the SHIELD Illinois saliva testing system, along with two companies,” said Ben Taylor, Marketing and Communications lead at SHIELD Illinois. Most of the clients are in-state: Northern Illinois University, Illinois College, Eastern Illinois, Knox College, Loyola University Chicago, Eureka Col-

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois student Seth Patterson receives the tube for his University COVID-19 test at the ARC on Feb. 1. The University saliva-based COVID-19 test has expanded nationwide.

lege, Elmhurst University, Wheaton College, Dominican University, Lewis University, Monmouth College, North Central College and Millikin University all have

adopted the saliva tests nia have all started using this semester. thousands of saliva tests Out-of-state, University on their campuses as well. of Wisconsin, University of Several mobile labs Maine and Shippensburg University in PennsylvaSEE REGIME | 3A

Church of the Living God hosts walk-in vaccine clinic THE DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT

In an effort to vaccinate underserved communities in the area, Carle Health and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District partnered to host a walk-in vaccine clinic on Saturday at the Church of the Living God. The church clinic — located at 312 E. Bradley Ave. in Champaign — was open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. “We’ve been partnering with Church of the Liv-

Police

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEO

ing God to address health care needs and disparities for some time and bringing vaccination opportunities directly to those who need it most is a natural extension of our reach,” said Jonathan Woods, Carle’s executive director of Community Health Initiatives. Another 1,217 people in Champaign County received their first dose of the vaccine on Friday, while another 905 received CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI their second dose. A Champaign County resident receives the Moderna COVID-19

A picture of Ivor Chen posted by the Graduate Employees’ Organization petition is pictured above. Chen was reinstated at the University on Feb. 16, with massive support from the student body.

INSIDE

Features: Students address racism in FAA

Sports: Dosunmu records second triple-double

PAGE 5A

PAGE 1B

vaccine at Church of the Living God on Saturday. Walk-in

SEE VACCINE | 3A vaccinations were offered at the location that day.

DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS

INSIDE

Chen did not know the site was on University property. On Dec. 21, Chen received a Disciplinary Charge Notice for COVID-19 testing non-compliance. This was the first non-compliance warning Chen received throughout BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA the semester, according to STAFF WRITER the GEO. The University of IlliDuring the spring semesnois has agreed to reduce ter, Chen applied for and the punishment for a received a testing exempfourth-year international tion from McKinley Health Ph.D. student who was dis- Center. missed from the University “The issue with the for COVID-19 testing non- COVID exemption in the compliance, reinstating fall was that it also wasn’t him at the University. well advertised,” Kai ShinIvor Chen, graduate stu- brough, graduate student dent in Engineering, was in Engineering and GEO dismissed Jan. 29 for one representative said. “And year at a disciplinary hear- we’ve heard from some ing held by the Office of Stu- University administradent Conflict Resolution. tors that actually to a cerHis case caught the eye of tain extent this was intenthe student community and tional. They didn’t want Graduate Employees’ Orga- to hand out a lot of these nization at the University, exemptions.” and a petition supporting Chen believed that since his readhe was a mission g r a du at e reached employee 18,000 signot work“In the end, it was an natures in ing on a matter of campus, honest mistake.” days. he was not Accordrequired KAI SHINBROUGH ing to the to test , GRADUATE STUDENT GEO, on accordIN ENGINEERING Feb. 16 ing to the the SenGEO. ate ComE l l ie mittee for Fujimoto, Student Discipline recon- graduate student in AHS vened to “evaluate new and GEO representative, information” related to his said the messaging by the case, modifying the origi- University regarding who nal disciplinary order to a has to get tested “was very dismissal held in abeyance unclear.” or probation until gradua“I mean, as graduate tion, two 1,000 word reflec- employees we’re both stutive essays and 25 hours of dents and employees so community service. Ivor saw the email that said In Fall 2020, Chen lived that employees, if possible, with his immunocompro- should work from home and mised mother in C-U while thought he was included in working remotely. Accord- that,” Fujimoto said. ing to the GEO, Chen did Chen must complete not leave his house except 80 hours of community for essential activities. service, two 1,000-word According to the GEO, ref lective essays, show Chen’s visa status was evidence of successful acarevoked as a result of the demic or work history durdismissal and he and his ing his year of dismissal mother are subject to and petition to reenter the deportation. University after one year. Throughout the fall Chen was also issued semester, Chen took three a trespass notification tests to confirm he was which prohibits him from negative. setting foot on University On Dec. 11, Chen tried to property. enter a building on Univer“It’s an incredibly dissity property to take a cer- proportionate discipline tification test by the Soci- for someone who was folety of Actuaries. Upon lowing the guidelines in the learning he would need a spring (of ) 2021 when they negative COVID-19 test were clearly communicatresult, Chen left the buildSEE PHD STUDENT | 3A ing. According to the GEO,

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