18TH ANNUAL EBERTFEST AT VIRGINIA THEATRE APRIL 13-17 SEE INSERT MONDAY April 11, 2016
THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM
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Vol. 145 Issue 86
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Students demand changes Non-Tenure
Faculty Coalition explores strike
Organizations appeal to UI leaders to act on issues of racism
Overview of the events: April 5
BY MEGAN JONES
Tuesday afternoon Trump chalking on main quad
Thursday night Facebook group forms public Facebook page and releases statement in response to Alpha Phi and Acacia post“Not Just a Party at UIUC”
Non-tenure faculty hope to show University administrators the importance of their work by exploring striking in the near future. The Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition Local 6546 voted to explore striking through a committee and will continue to call for labor action, said Union President Shawn Gilmore. The earliest a strike would begin is April 18. The strike is not “openended,” meaning that the strike will only last for a few days and can include a series of actions such as rallies, picketing, a building strike or a one-to-three day work stoppage. “We are very closely tied to the undergraduate body. … One of the things that is important about a strike in education is minimizing the impact on students but also making clear why the impact is what it is,” Gilmore said. “If we do strike and you do withhold your classes, it’s important to not leave students up in the air about what that means.” Gilmore said faculty would likely either remove material or reschedule it to compensate. He also mentioned people who run research labs will have to decide what to do with ongoing projects. The coalition represents around 500 non-tenure track faculty and an “overwhelming majority” voted in favor of striking. Gilmore was unable to release the total vote count. Members would be
April 7
BREAKING DOWN THE NON-TENURE FACULTY COALITION
April 5 Tuesday night Independent student activists form Facebook group to respond to Trump chalking
April 6 Wednesday afternoon Group post photos of alleged racist Greek events
April 6 BRIAN BAUER THE DAILY ILLINI
Wednesday night Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson issues mass mail in response to Trump chalking
April 7 Thursday morning Dr. Jonathan Inda, chair of the Department of Latino/Latina studies responds to chalking in statement
April 7 Thursday afternoon Alpha Phi and Acacia respond to alleged racist photo
April 7 PHOTO COURTESY OF MUHAMMAD YOUSUF
BY JOSEPH LONGO STAFF WRITER
A recent string of alleged racist incidents have left student activist groups on campus demanding action from the campus community and the University administration.
Call for Action
Last Friday, Black Students for Revolution and Students for Justice in Palestine comprised the second wave of student activists to demand change. The organization stated that it was aware the Facebook page was a hoax but still chastised the University’s use of Massmails as a way to deal with racism on campus. “To this university’s administration: you have repeatedly disregarded our humanity and safety to coddle the feelings of racist students and alumni,” the statement said. “Your inability to uphold your duty of valuing and protecting students, faculty, and staff of all races and religions has pushed us into an absolute loss of faith in the institution that we attend.” Both student groups called for action from the campus community. “We ask that you join us in the streets, the classrooms, and online to combat the institutional corruption and widespread hate which is endemic to our campus and communities,” the statement said. The statement was in response to the
creation of the Facebook page, “Humans Against Homicidal Apes.” The page addressed the independent student activist group “Not Just a Party at UIUC” that condemned an alleged racist event and photo by members of the greek community on campus. “We hereby dispute the notion that Acacia and Alpha Phi, two magnificient (sic), civilized organizations, perpetrated any crimes against the campus community,” “Humans Against Homicidal Apes” said. “Indeed, by dressing up in costume to imitate such uncivilized beasts as Apes, Muslims, and Mexicans — these fine young men and women actually helped to create a social movement, demonstrating against the violence perpetuated by these untamed demons,” the statement said. The page also posted, “Join us if you want to see Trump elected president, so he can rid us of our infestation and Make America Great Again! By Great Again, we mean pre-1865!” Friday evening, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Renée Romano released a statement addressing “Humans Against Homicidal Apes Illinois.” Romano said the Facebook page aims “indefensible and inexcusable racist insults at members of our campus community.” Romano stated the University is cur-
Thursday night “Humans Against Homicidal Apes Illinois” Facebook page forms in response to activists
• Multi-year contracts to increase employment security. Currently 19 of the union’s members have multi-year contracts but could be available for 200-300 people • Opportunities for promotion and professional support • Protection of academic freedom • Salary improvements — pay has been frozen since 2014. • An evaluation system to receive feedback on job performance each year SOURCE: UNION PRESIDENT SHAWN GILMORE
re-polled before authorizing an open-ended strike. The union has met with the University 28 times for bargaining, three times for side meetings and had two sessions with a federal mediator. Campus spokeswoman Robin Kaler said the University is disappointed the union feels the vote was necessary, adding this is the fi rst of several steps that would be taken before the group could strike. She said the strike would happen only after both groups reached an impasse in negotiations.
SEE STRIKE | 3A
With the option to explore striking on the table, the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition would hope to show University administrators how a lack of their labor would impact the University.
UNION REPRESENTS 500 MEMBERS
April 8
80% teaching faculty
Friday morning Black Students for Revolution and Students for Justice in Palestine issue statement in respones to “Humans Against Homicidal Apes” page
555 DAYS the union has gone without a contract
April 8
40% of undergraduate classes are taught by non-tenure track professors
15% research faculty 5% clinical faculty
Friday afternoon Vice Chancellor Renee Romano issues statement about online racist attacks
7 DAYS is the earliest the union could strike APRIL 27 is the next bargaining session with a federal mediator
SEE CHANGE | 3A
KELSIE TRAVERS THE DAILY ILLINI
SOURCE: Shawn Gilmore, president of the union
Student trio travels through Europe
Resolution could bring free menstrual products BY CLAIRE TEXTOR STAFF WRITER
University group to use Red Bull as currency
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALISON MO
Redbull Challenge Team Adrenillini (from left): Alison Mo, Nina Rajcevic, and Nirali Nahar.
BY LAUREN SCAFIDI STAFF WRITER
One hundred and sixtyfive teams, seven days and one question: “Can you make it?” This question will be the motivation for team adrenILLINI as they make their way around Europe for the next seven days competing in the Red Bull Can You Make It? challenge. Alison Mo and Nirali Nahar, both seniors, and Nina Rajcevic, a junior, are the three University business students comprising adrenILLINI.
AdrenILLINI arrived in Europe Monday and will embark upon their journey starting Tuesday at noon. The students will have to give up their cash, credit cards and phones for a week, all in exchange for 24 cans of Red Bull. While Red Bull is commonly used as an energy drink, these cans of Red Bull will serve a different purpose. They will be used as currency. For the 165 teams coming from all over the world,
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the cans of Red Bull as currency will be used for food, transportation, housing and anything else they may need along the way. “Red Bull is obviously not worth that much in monetary value,” Nahar said. “The biggest thing is to sell our story and explain why we are doing what we are doing.” Every day, the teams must check in at major cities that serve as “checkpoints,” where they are given 24 more cans of Red Bull each time.
The teams are only told their start point and end point. The cities they stop at in between are completely up to them. “There’s only so much we can prepare for this, because there’s a huge element of unexpectedness involved,” Rajcevic said. “We know we are starting in Prague and ending in Paris, but everything in between is to be determined.” Since the whole trip will
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Women spend $120 on average each year on pads, tampons and other menstrual products. As an Illinois Student Senate resolution points out, that’s roughly enough money to buy two text books. “More states have tax exemptions for chocolate than they do for menstrual products,” said Farah Chalisa, senior in LAS and coauthor of the resolution. The Illinois Student Senate passed a resolution that works with McKinley Health Center to help provide free menstrual products to women in the upcoming semesters. “Our initial idea was to get McKinley to offer free menstrual products to anyone who needs them,” Chalisa said. Chalisa said McKinley offers condoms for free, but doesn’t offer feminine products. “It’s always bothered me that there are not resources available. Because this doesn’t apply to the male
population, it seems like it’s not important,” Chalisa said. However, Chalisa and other sponsors of the resolution said administrators at McKinley responded positively to this proposition and are doing what they can to make these products available. “A lot of times with university stuff you get caught in red tape, but they seemed to be really receptive and they want to work in the interest of the students,” said Tara Chattoraj, sophomore in LAS and sponsor of the resolution. “We thought there was going to be some resistance, but they’re looking for the money right now.” The average price of tampons and pads doesn’t include the cost of other products that are similar for many women such as pain relief medication and heating pads. “Every time I go shopping, I spend twenty something dollars on products and I’m lucky to be able to afford that, but for many
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