For 13 days last semester, pro-Palestine supporters set up encampments — first at Alma Mater, then on the Main Quad — to demand the University cut ties with companies profiting from the war in Gaza.

These protesters are not alone. Student bodies at over 100 colleges in 30 states around the country have pressured their administration to be held accountable for their investments as well as partnerships with Israel.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a surprise invasion of southern Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and abducting 250. In Israel’s subsequent bombing campaign and invasion of Gaza, the military has killed 36,000 Palestinians,  with over 1.7 million internally displaced, and the enclave is also facing a severe food and humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. 

In January, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide in Gaza. Eight months into the war, the International Criminal Court now seeks arrest warrants for war crimes against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leadership. 

On April 28, Students for Justice in Palestine at the University published a list of demands on their Instagram. They asked the administration to divest from corporations profiting from the occupation of Palestine, cease collaborations with corporations involved in the oppression of Palestinians and publicly disclose all of its financial assets.

So, what do these calls for divestment mean and what would potential divestment look like? 

The University is well endowed 

The University has two large pools of money: the University of Illinois System and the University of Illinois Foundation. 

University of Illinois System

The first, the University of Illinois System, holds $4.9 billion in assets as of fiscal year 2023. This $4.9 billion is split into the Operating Pool and the Endowment Pool. The Operating Pool — composed of revenue from tuition, state funding and grants — makes up $3.72 billion, and the Endowment Pool — worth $1.07 billion — comes from private gifts and donations. 

UIS is managed by a board of trustees, who set investment policies and appoint members to oversee committees such as the audit, budget, finance and facilities committees. The UIS is a public body, and information about the UIS’s portfolio was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. 

University of Illinois Foundation 

The second pool, the University of Illinois Foundation, serves as the fundraising and private gift-receiving organization of the University. In 2023, UIF had an endowment worth $2.73 billion. However, unlike UIS, the UIF is not a public body under the FOIA and the exact contents of the organization’s investments are unknown. 

Institutional ties to the war in Gaza and Israel

Money Out

The UIS portfolio held $21.3 million in assets tied to companies involved in the war in Gaza and Israel in fiscal year 2023. These assets consisted of investments in the following companies. 

• $20.3 million in BAE Systems PLC., Boeing Co., Northrup Grumman Co., Caterpillar Inc. and Lockheed Martin Co. These companies are present on the Action Center for Corporate Accountability’s divestment list of publicly traded companies that “enable or facilitate human rights violations or violations of international law” in Gaza. 

• $443,000 in State of Israel securities in the form of a corporate bond and an international government bond. 

• $643,000 in Expedia Group, linked to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank in a 2020 report by the United Nations. 

Much of the UIS’s money is placed in the hands of third parties. These external managers, known as asset management companies, set and manage their own investment funds. 

Most notably, UIS invested a total of approximately $387 million in two funds managed by BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest asset manager. These two funds were the ACS US ESG Insights Equity Fund, in which the UIS invested $228 million, and the ACS World ESG Insights Equity Fund, which holds the other $159 million. 

According to BlackRock’s website, the engine manufacturer GE Aerospace represents 1.56% of total holdings in the US EGS Insights Fund and 1.42% of total holdings in the World ESG Insights Fund. 

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded a $684 million contract to GE Aerospace, the legal successor to General Electric, to manufacture helicopter engines for the U.S. Navy and Israeli military in 2023. 

Thus, the 2023 UIS portfolio holds at least an additional $5.8 million, related to war in Gaza, managed by BlackRock. Combined, there is a sum of $27.2 million in University investments linked to the war in Gaza and Israel in FY 23. This number is a lower bound and excludes any investments in the UIF portfolio. 

Money In 

University connections to some of the previously mentioned companies also extend beyond institutional investments by UIS. Several of these companies support the University through donations, projects and academic programs. 

According to their website, the Grainger College of Engineering’s industry partners include Boeing, Caterpillar and RTX Co. (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Co.). In 2023, Boeing — one of the world’s largest defense contractors — pledged $300,000 over the next three years in support of the Center for Sustainable Aviation at the University. 

Caterpillar, which has supplied armored bulldozers to Israel for decades, operates a satellite office based out of Research Park. Last November, the Champaign-Urbana chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized a student and worker demonstration at the Caterpillar office in support of Palestine. 

What calls for “divestment” really mean

Given the complexities behind University investments and multilateral links to companies involved in the war, what does divestment mean — both as an idea and a realistic course of action?

In itself, divestment is the act of selling off shares and stopping future investments in specific companies or a sector.

“Basically, you’re selling the current holdings you have, you’re restricting new investments … and you’re doing it in a manner that continues to meet your fund’s investment return targets,” said Dan Cohn, energy finance analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. 

Reasons for divesting can vary, but it is often to achieve a political, social or ethical goal. Alternatively, it can be for purely financial reasons. For example, Cohn said the movement to divest from the fossil fuel industry uses not only a moral argument against climate change but also an economic one. 

“The fossil fuel sector is no longer producing the kinds of financial returns for investment portfolios that it once did, and when you take a serious look at its future, the future looks pretty limited,” Cohn said. “We see divestment as being a practical way to limit endowment losses from fossil fuels.” 

Illinois Rep. Abdulnasser Rashid, the first Palestinian-American elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, pointed out that divestment is very targeted, citing Lockheed Martin as one instance. 

“One example is a university’s endowment investing in Lockheed Martin, a weapons manufacturer which is very much aware that Israel is using … its weapons to commit war crimes — yet it’s still supplying Israel with those weapons,” Rashid said. “A divestment call says that the University’s endowments should not be investing in Lockheed Martin and it is as straightforward as that.” 

Divestment from the war in Gaza is primarily based on ethical grounds — supporters say the University has a moral impetus to cease financially supporting companies complicit in genocide.

On May 10, Students for Justice in Palestine and Faculty for Justice in Palestine released a joint statement in which they argued this idea. According to the statement “The U of I System puts millions of dollars into the Israeli war machine and refuses to acknowledge it. The U of I System must be held accountable for its complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine.” 

Yet, divestment is not as clear-cut in execution.

Challenges to divestment 

The Board of Trustees, in charge of the UIS portfolio, is a fiduciary body and is responsible for the system as a whole, per their website. Thus, calls for divestment can conflict with the financial interests of the University. 

“Divestment by its nature undermines the diversity of investments,” said University College of Law Professor Lesley Wexler over email. “With the nature of modern investments, it often means selling not just stock in a single company, but getting out of a fund that incorporates hundreds of companies — only some of which might be ones that students wish to divest from.” 

George Taylor, sophomore in FAA, is a member of Students for Environmental Concerns and a pro-Palestinian supporter who acknowledged these difficulties. He compared the two ongoing divestment movements at the University. 

“With the fight to divest from fossil fuels, there are very specific companies … we could identify and then pose alternatives to,” Taylor said. “But with the war effort, we can divest from all the small companies that we want … but we’ll still be giving money to Blackrock, and Blackrock is gonna give money back to those (companies).”

Divestment from the war in Gaza also faces legal challenges. 

Known as anti-boycott, divest and sanction laws, these policies aim to take action against boycotts of Israel. Illinois’ anti-BDS law, the first of its kind passed in 2015, applies to the state pension system. 

“The Illinois retirement system must sell (redeem, divest or withdraw) all direct holdings of companies identified by the Illinois Investment Policy Board and it may not acquire securities of restricted companies,” Wexler said. “In other words, the Illinois pension system can’t invest in companies that are engaged in boycott activities towards Israel.”

Anti-BDS laws also vary from state to state. For example, in Ohio,  Revised Code Section 9.76 prevents state agencies from contracting with companies that divest from Israel. Therefore, per the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State University legally cannot divest from Israel. 

However, these financial and legal challenges have not impeded schools around the country from divesting.

Other schools have divested, and so has UI (in the past) 

Several other universities have agreed to take steps towards potential divestment, typically in return for student encampments shutting down. 

On April 30, Brown University became one of the first major universities to come to an agreement with protestors, with the Office of the President releasing a statement that declared Brown would act in two ways. First, the university would hear students’ concerns about divestment at a corporate meeting in May. Second, and more significantly, the Office of the President asked the school’s Advisory Committee on University Resources Management to write a divestment recommendation to be put to a vote in October. 

“The students and administration agreed that I will ask the Advisory Committee on University Resources Management (ACURM) to provide me with a recommendation on the matter of divestment by September 30, 2024, and this will be brought to the Corporation for a vote at the October 2024 Corporation meeting,” the statement said. 

Similarly, the University of Minnesota agreed to hear students at a board meeting and make their investments more transparent — again in return for their encampment closing. The Evergreen State College in Washington declared they would explore potential divestment by creating a committee of students and faculty tasked with reviewing investment policies. 

Union Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Columbia University in New York, became the first school to adopt a divestment plan when, on May 9, the Board of Trustees endorsed policies by Union’s investment committees that directly target investments in Israel. 

According to a statement by Union, the policies include “revising the section of our investment policy statement section pertaining to responsible investing to include an overt reference to the Israel-Palestine hostilities, in addition to current robust policies regarding fossil fuels, military weapons, private prisons, etc.”

The policies also target Union’s externally managed investment, with Union “directing our investment managers to exclude those companies from the portfolios managed on behalf of Union.”

While there have been discussions between protestors and the University of Illinois administration last semester, they have not reached any agreements to divest. But the University of Illinois has divested in the past. 

In the 1980s, there was a large push for divestment from companies profiting from apartheid in South Africa. Protesters built a shantytown on the Main Quad, staged mock riots and sent out postcards calling for the release of South African political prisoners. 

In 1987, after having defeated previous motions, the Board of Trustees agreed to divest, however, the move was largely viewed as symbolic, as the total divested was just $3.3 million.

What then, would divestment actually accomplish? 

In this context, Rashid said he believes divesting even a small amount of money can snowball into a much larger effect.   

“Three million here and 10 million there and 100 million here — it will add up and will have an impact economically and financially on the companies that are being divested from such that they change their policies and no longer supply Israeli weapons,” Rashid said. 

Rashid added students and grassroots movements calling for divestment make a tangible difference beyond the finances. 

“They’re educating so many people about what’s happening and what has been happening to Palestinians for decades, and that itself is a major victory (to help) change the hearts and minds of generations of people,” Rashid said. 

Institutional divestment also sends a signal to the rest of the market in general, Cohn noted.

“There’s people who say when you (divest), institutional investors are basically telling the rest of the market this company is not that creditworthy, and I think that’s true,” Cohn said.

Looking ahead

Beyond the University’s financial priorities and potential legal issues, creating a comprehensive divestment policy plan is not a simple task.

“It requires some due diligence to make a specific plan and it requires some deliberation about that plan to make sure it’s done right,” Cohn said, speaking broadly on divestment.

Still, if the University plans to divest — as many hope it will — it will have examples from other major universities and its own history of divestment as reference. 

For now, Rashid, who visited the encampment at the University with fellow Illinois Rep. Carol Ammons, emphasized the need for transparency and dialogue between protestors and University administration. 

“I encourage the students, faculty, administrators and trustees at the University to work together in good faith to make sure that the investment of the University … are in line with their values,” Rashid said. “There should be real engagement by those who are in decision-making positions with the students and the faculty who are asking for divestment.” 

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Mordy Cadaner, rabbinic intern at Illini Chabad, provided The Daily Illini with a comment on the state representative’s speeches. 

**This interview has been edited for length and clarity.**

DI: Can you tell us why you guys invited state representatives down here?

Cadaner: I wasn’t really involved in the decision-making of that. I’m here like every other student. I think it was just to give clarity and to reassure our students that (we are doing) everything in our ability — including the leadership of the Jewish community here and the University — to ensure a safe and peaceful environment for all students here. 

DI: State Representatives met with administration earlier today, what are your hopes that come out of that conversation again?

Cadaner: Just clarity and making sure that the University is not being blindsided or whatever by personal vendettas and making sure that they’re sticking to school policies and again peaceful environments for everyone to live happily and safely in our campus.

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Illinois State Representatives Bob Morgan, Daniel Didech and Tracy Katz Muhl gave a press conference at the north end of the Main Quad in solidarity with Jewish students at the University. 

The Daily Illini spoke with Morgan, representative for the 58th District, about antisemitism on university campuses and his conversations with the University administration.

**This interview has been edited for length and clarity.**

DI: What made you come down here today?

Morgan: As a U of I grad, I always want to come to campus, but in particular, since October 7, it’s been very difficult. Over the last six years since I’ve been the state representative, there have been a number of antisemitic incidents on campus — antisemitism happening outside of the classroom and more troubling inside the classroom. We’ve been working closely with University leaders, Hillel and Chabad to make sure we’re supporting any way we can. A lot of Jewish students that I hear from and their families are concerned about campus, concerned about finals, concerned about commencement and concerned about the world. It’s a little thing just showing up, but showing solidarity is something that we were able to do on our way to Springfield.  

DI: You guys met with the University administration earlier. Can you tell me about those conversations you had?

Morgan: Without getting into specifics, we’ve had a lot of conversations over the last six years with the University, and I would say our message has been pretty consistent: reassuring the safety of Jewish students in the classroom first, on campus as well and doing what we can to make sure we are protecting students and protecting free speech, which at this moment is sometimes challenging. Commencement is again on the minds of a lot of families around not just the U of I campus but around the country, and just making sure the University is planning for that and doing its part to make sure Jewish students are feeling safe. 

DI: Did you guys talk about the encampment during your meeting with the administration?

Morgan: Not particularly. Again, this is about Jewish students feeling safe on campus; that’s why we’re here. We can only do so much as people who are not students but people who are here to bring the weight of legislature and elected officials who are Jewish to show that we are paying attention and we care; we are thinking of them and showing them they are not alone. I remember — as a Jewish student — when the Intifada broke out, and there were very significant protests that happened on campus. There were Israeli flags that were burned and sprayed with red paint, there was a casket of a pretend baby carried around the campus, there were a lot of chants that were very harmful and there were swastikas that were put on campus. I remember what that feels like, and I remember the benefit and the importance of having those around me demonstrating that they’re there to support me and show that support; that’s what we’re doing. 

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Illinois State Representatives Bob Morgan, Daniel Didech and Tracy Katz Muhl gave a press conference at the north end of the Main Quad in solidarity with Jewish students at the University. 

The Daily Illini spoke with Tracy Katz Muhl, representative of the 57th District, who gave a comment on the encampment and conversations with University administration. 

**This interview has been edited for length and clarity.**

DI: You met with the University administration earlier, can you tell me a little bit about the conversations that you had with them?

Muhl: The administration invited the three of us this morning to go over how things have unrolled, their security plans and their graduation plans. That’s front of mind for the families back home in the district. We get a lot of messages right now asking for a safe and meaningful graduation for the students who missed it during COVID-19. I was happy to hear that that’s already happened at the Chicago campus.

DI: How do you feel about the encampment that has been going on on campus for the past week?

Muhl: I respect and honor all students’ right to protest both sides of the lawn here and count on the University to enforce the safety rules that they put in place to make sure everybody can do that properly.

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At noon, Illinois State Representatives Bob Morgan, Daniel Didech and Tracy Katz Muhl gave a press conference at the north side of the Main Quad to express solidarity for Jewish students at the University. 

The Daily Illini spoke with Daniel Didech, representative for the 59th District, about his views on University administration, the encampment and the role of First Amendment rights in protests.

**This interview has been edited for length and clarity.** 

DI: What was the reason for you coming down to Champaign-Urbana? 

Didech: We are here today to show support for really the entire University community, but specifically the Jewish community that, not just in Illinois, but across the country, has been alarmed by the rise in some of the uncontrollable campus demonstrations.

So we’re here to lend our voices to the University administration and the faculty and the students to express our beliefs that we can respect the First Amendment rights of all students to make their voices heard. But, at the same time, everybody has to follow the University policies, and there should be consequences for people who don’t follow the University policies.

DI: You met with the administration earlier before your press conference, can you tell me a little bit about what you talked about?

Didech: We, myself as a legislator and the entire Jewish caucus, have a relationship with the administration that we consider a partnership. We’ve met with them at least half a dozen times over the past few years to talk about the rise of antisemitism on campus and what they can do and how we can be partners in addressing that. It’s the same thing we talked about today. 

How can we continue to allow Universities to be a place where people can speak their minds and persuade people and have their voices heard, but without turning it into an environment where Jewish students and their parents feel like it’s not safe for them to be on campus. 

That is the continuing conversation that we are involved in with the University administration today.

DI: At the press conference, students representatives of Jews from Palestine are here holding signs. Can you give me a statement about that?

Didech: They absolutely have the right, just like anybody else, to make their voices heard and to advocate for a cause that’s important to them. But, we have to make sure that everybody has those rights, right?

You know, some of the problems we’ve seen on other campuses with these permanent encampments is they monopolize the public forums — you’re only allowed to express your views if they fall within what that group believes is the correct view. I think we need to avoid it here at the University of Illinois.

It is absolutely legitimate. I think this is the right place for people who feel that way about an international conflict to express their views, but people who feel a different way should have the same right to express their views as well. Or even if they don’t want to express their views, they should be able to do what they need to do without a constant stream of disruption.

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Day four of the student encampment has started similarly to the previous three days and follows an uneventful night on the Main Quad. 

Since the protest in front of Alma Mater on Friday, interactions between the University administration and community demonstrators have relaxed. Protesters began placing tents on the south side of the Main Quad on Sunday afternoon near a sign that read “UIUC LIBERATION ZONE.”

Protesters were left undisturbed in the three days since they moved to the Main Quad and have seen minimal interactions with the police and other demonstrators. The number of tents in the encampment has more than doubled from roughly 20 to around 47. 

After repeated attempts fell through, negotiations are still at a standstill between the University administration and protesters. Protest groups, including the Students for Justice in Palestine, have repeatedly stated that the University is responsible for conversations not occurring. However, the University put out a statement on Sunday stating that protesters refused an offer for discussions.

At 8 a.m. today, SJP released a “UIUC Encampment for Palestine Report,” in which it discussed the protestors’ experiences and laid out its demands for the University administration.

“We demand the University of Illinois System, invest in students and community rather than genocide,” the statement read. 

The report also stated that “The administration violated labor law by forcing building and service workers to suppress student speech, removing tents surrounded police.” 

Following the heated protests between police, protestors and Facilities & Services workers on Friday, the Campus Faculty Association, along with the Non-Tenure Faculty Union Coalition, released statements in which they condemned the University for sending building service workers into the protests.

“This attempt to force our amazing BSWs to participate in the suppression of a political action is woefully irresponsible and unacceptable in trampling on the human, civil, and labor rights of any individual on this campus,” the CFA’s statement read. 

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Temperatures have begun to drop on the Main Quad as day two of the encampment draws to a close. Small clusters remain speckled throughout the encampment, however, activity has largely settled down with many protesters heading into their tents for the night. 

Day two was relatively uneventful compared to activities from earlier in the weekend, with minimal police presence and protesters largely left alone. At this point, there are still no negotiations occurring between the University administration and members involved with the encampment. 

Several attempts at negotiations have fallen through, including a meeting between protesters and the University originally scheduled to occur Monday afternoon. Both parties are currently claiming the other is responsible for conversations not moving forward.

Reporters from The Daily Illini will continue providing updates throughout the night, along with livestreaming on Instagram. 

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The statement began with “We respect the rights of freedom of speech and expression and remain committed to providing a safe environment for all members of our community.”

The statement then discussed that University policies do not allow camping tents on the University Campus. When this policy is broken, the University will inform whoever breaches the policy “and instruct them to remove these items pursuant with negotiated timelines.”

“If our request is ignored, university staff are authorized to remove the items,” the statement read. 

According to the statement, anyone who interferes with this process is subject to consequences, including possible immediate interim suspension for students and arrest when criminal law is violated. 

“Demonstrators who do not violate university policies are allowed to remain on a public space as long as they continue to abide by university policies and state and federal laws,” Kaler stated.

According to Kaler, the University’s actions so far “have been and will continue to be focused on keeping our campus community safe and providing our students with the best possible educational experience.” 

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“We appreciate it so much, it is so great to see that among these admins … and faculty that do not support us, and demonize us, there are really great faculty … great educators that are willing to extend their support as much as they can, and they’re willing to be publicly supportive of us,” the representative said. 

The representative said they hope that with support from the FJP,  the student encampment will have more leverage in achieving its mission. 

“I’m hoping that they can use this as leeway in our negotiation process to get a divestment. I also think that just by having such strong support with people that are educators in the school, that the school relies on, is really important because they’re kind of forced to hear out their faculty,” the representative said.

A link for the FJP’s statement can be found here. 

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Chancellor Robert J. Jones issued a campus safety update at 11:31 p.m. Friday, stating that the University administration had reached a “peaceful resolution to end the demonstrations outside the Illini Union.” 

According to the announcement, protesters will be relocating to the space west of Gregory Avenue and north of Oregon Street where Spurlock Museum is located. 

“This location will limit the disruptions to campus operations. The demonstrators will restrict their activities to a strictly defined area. We also will be able to maintain a wider area of separation between the demonstrators and our academic operations on Monday,” the Massmail stated.

Jones acknowledged that this decision will likely cause frustration among community members, stating “I made this decision after careful and lengthy consultation with our police department, the university administration and local authorities.”

Demonstrations at Spurlock will be permitted until the conclusion of a previously scheduled meeting between protest organizers and administration on Monday at 5 p.m. 

There was a clear understanding between the protestors and University staff that there would be “immediate action to disperse the group if their activities present any new safety risks or violations of state or local law,” the Massmail stated.

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I’ve been out here for a lot of the afternoon just making sure it does not devolve because the last thing we need is to have our Jewish community (or) Palestinian community hurt. It’s certainly a demonstration. But, you know, I’ve been meaning to sit down and try to understand how can the student government better help our Palestinian community, our Jewish community, make sure that the students feel comfortable in this university (and) have the support they need.

DI: Have these organizations reached out to you personally or the government, in general, to ask for advice or tips?

Lopez: Not yet, but we’re reaching out to them. At least, I know I am on a personal level and (on) a professional level as the chairman of this committee. I can’t speak to anyone else in the government, but I would not be surprised if they would. It’s a tough situation and, you know, we need the voices, we need the perspective. We can advocate for what they need.

DI: Have you, as far as today, had any updates with any people that you’ve been in contact with that you can talk more about?

Lopez: Not really, I’ve been following this since early morning when it started. I’ve been kind of coming back and forth between here and (the) Union just to try to see what’s going on. My main concern is, with these, there’s often the fear that it may become anti-Semitic and, obviously, you can’t accept that, (it) is never acceptable.

(We are) ensuring that we can find ways to support our communities that they (are) talking about. More specific ways, more than just generally like, supporting, maybe, specific programs or plans that the government has been involved with. I’m not aware of any specific plans at this time. The new session just got sworn in. I’m about two weeks into the job. So we’re still working it out, but I would be very surprised if we didn’t have anything out eventually to remedy any issues that may arise.

DI: Would you happen to know (the) motivations behind the protests that we have today? Especially regarding the encampments? Why are they so focused on setting up camps?

Lopez: I would not be able to speak to that. I’m not a part of the organization, I’m not affiliated with the organization that set this up. I don’t even know who it is. My impression is that they’re following the example of Columbia and NYU and other related universities around the country. I’m hearing a lot about divestment. I’m hearing a lot about transparency and stuff like that. And so my impression is they’re doing it to get a response from the University. But beyond that, I don’t have anything.

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United States and state flags on the University campus and other public buildings will be flown at half-staff until April 29 in honor of Luis Huesca, a 30-year-old officer of the Chicago Police Department who died on Sunday. 

According to a press release from the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, Huesca “tragically died in the line of duty on Sunday, April 21, 2024, as he was returning home from a shift in Gage Park.”

The announcement of lowering the flags came yesterday when Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered all flags falling under the Illinois Flag Display Act — an act that requires United States flags be placed in schools and other public buildings — to fly at half-staff from sunrise on April 24 to sunset on April 29. 

In a Facebook post earlier this week, Pritzker mourned Huesca’s death.

“A terrible loss as we cope with the death of Officer Luis M. Huesca, who was just two days shy of his 31st birthday,” Pritzker said. “Thinking of his family and fellow officers as we mourn the passing of a dedicated officer.”

During a news conference Sunday morning, the Chicago Police stated that Huesca died by gunfire. However, at the moment, little is known about the circumstances surrounding Huesca’s death. 

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The University of Illinois Police Department sent out a Campus Safety Notice on Tuesday in response to an attempted sexual assault that occurred at midnight on Saturday. The notice was released per the Clery Act, which requires universities to disclose information about specific crimes including sexual violence.

The notice outlined the attempted sexual assault and stated that specific details about the identity of the person would not be released. The notice also stated that the name of the fraternity house was not provided to the police. 

“On Tuesday afternoon, University Police received a report from a Campus Security Authority stating that an attempted sexual assault occurred at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, April 13, at a fraternity house. The name of the fraternity was not provided to police,” the report read.

This is the third Campus Safety Notice related to sexual assault this semester, with the other two being sent on Feb. 20 and March 28. 

According to UIPD, the purpose of this email was to heighten awareness about sexual assault and to help prevent future crimes from occurring. The notice also included resources for assisting sexual assault victims such as We Care, McKinley Health Center, Women’s Resource Center and more.

“For more information on reporting sexual violence or misconduct and how to support survivors, please visit wecare.illinois.edu,” stated the report.

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Jay Rosenstein, Professor Emeritus and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, spoke about the creation and legacy of his documentary, “In Whose Honor?,” at the University YMCA Friday.

The talk was a part of the University YMCA’s Friday Forum + Conversation Café, a weekly forum in which members of the public are invited to learn about and discuss a selected issue. 

Released in 1997, “In Whose Honor?” explores the harms of using Native mascots in sports, focusing on the University of Illinois’ Chief Illiniwek. The film highlights the experiences of Charlene Teters, a Native American artist and former graduate student at the University, in her efforts to protest Chief Illiniwek. 

The film is widely regarded as being significant in the push to remove Native mascots, including Chief Illiniwek, from sports.

Rosenstein began the forum by talking about his understanding of Native people, both as a child and through adulthood. Rosenstein, a University alum himself, shared how growing up, his understanding of Native people was based solely on popular culture, including Chief Illiniwek, and he had no real experiences with them. 

“I’d been to many football games, many basketball games, and I’d seen Chief Illiniwek many times, and I really never thought about it anyway or another,” Rosenstein said.

This changed, however, when Rosenstein, while at the YMCA, heard a group of Native people, including Teters, speaking about their experiences on campus. According to Rosenstein, that talk was the inspiration for his documentary. 

“This is the room where ‘In Whose Honor?’ began in 1989 or 90 … and the trajectory of my life changed forever,” Rosenstein said. “After hearing (Teters) talk, I was really stunned, and at that time, I was just starting to study documentary, and so I had this idea, which was, ‘This might make for a great film.’”

Rosenstein then spoke about the process by which he filmed the documentary, some of the issues he encountered and how it felt in the week before its official release, when he realized the impact the documentary would have. 

“All through that week, every newspaper, magazine, every periodical that I picked up had something about this film; it was like the whole country was talking about it,” Rosenstein said. 

PBS officially aired the documentary on July 15, 1997, as a part of its POV series. 

Next, Rosenstein spoke about the national support and backlash for the film. Since its release, “In Whose Honor?” has won several awards and has become an educational resource nationwide for teaching about race in America. 

Showing an image of the University’s 2007 decision to officially retire Chief Illiniwek, Rosenstein spoke about the wider movement to remove Native mascots from sports. 

“I played a small role in this,” Rosenstein said. “I do not want to over-inflate what my role was, but I did play a role, and I am very proud of it. This is a national movement that has gained a huge amount of traction, and the bottom line is we’re winning.”

Rosenstein ended the forum by discussing, in his eyes, the future of the University of Illinois’ mascots and the recent Kingfisher movement. Seeing a connection between what he did with “In Whose Honor?” and the Kingfisher, Rosenstein voiced his support for the new mascot. 

“What they’ve done is proven how hungry people are for a mascot … I am so proud of what they’ve done,” Rosenstein said. “This is becoming, without any official anything, the mascot of U of I.”

aidanm5@dailyillini.com

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Maize Mexican Grill located on the corner of First and Green streets will be closing in early June, with demolitions and building projects planned for the land on which the restaurant sits. This closing marks the end of the first restaurant location of one of Champaign’s most popular food chains. 

Maize Mexican Grill first opened in October 2011. In the time since its opening, the chain has grown immensely, now offering a food truck, a location in downtown Champaign, and, as of 2023, a location inside the Illini Union food court. Maize has also received several local food awards, including this year’s Best of CU award for Best Mexican Restaurant. 

At the moment, little is known about what these building plans specifically entail, but the restaurant will be demolished and there are no plans for rebuilding.

Armando Sandoval, owner of Maize, was informed by property owners about the demolition plans two years ago, but says he had an understanding that demolition was likely since Maize first opened in 2011. 

“Since I opened, the first comment that somebody made sort of mentioned that (it) was the place where businesses came to die, and they were gonna tear it down,” Sandoval said. “Every year that I renewed my lease, I was scared that they were gonna tear it down. But I survived there, and it’s gonna be 13 years in June.”

According to Sandoval, the demolition was originally planned to begin last January, with the location’s closing playing a role in the decision to open a storefront in the Union. The demolition, however, was later pushed back to begin sometime in early June. 

“It was around the time that we made the decision to go into the Union,” Sandoval said. “I figured that they were gonna tear it down pretty quickly, so I wanted to look for another spot to have my employees still working … I thought it was gonna be happening in January but then they pushed it to June, so we ended up staying a little bit longer than we expected.”

News of the restaurant closing has spread throughout the community, saddening people who have grown to love the Maize on Green. 

“A lot of families that are in town literally come and say that they’re sad that it’s closing,” said Yoanna Hernandez, cashier at Maize on Green and senior in LAS. 

Hernandez shared that many customers prefer the Maize on Green to Maize’s other two locations, a fact which she attributes to the location’s homey feel. 

“We don’t know why, but a lot of people say that the food here is better than the one at the station or at the Union,” Hernandez said. “It’s all from the same warehouse, which is kind of funny, but since this place is more small, you just feel closer to the customer.”

As a senior graduating this May, Hernandez will not be severely affected by the restaurant closing. Hernandez looks back on her time at Maize fondly, saying that the job was a good experience and that it allowed her to connect with her culture. 

“I’m bilingual, I speak English and Spanish,” Hernandez said. “Sometimes Hispanics come that are only Spanish speaking, and it just connects me to my culture, because back home I solely speak Spanish, while here, I really don’t speak as much.”

Reflecting on his 13 years as owner of Maize, Sandoval stated he feels immensely thankful, first for how the restaurant itself has grown and, second, for how it has helped grow Mexican restaurants in the CU community. 

“I sort of feel that I brought something different to the community, just because (of) the way that Mexican restaurants were before I came in, and now the few changes that has happened, you know like I was the first one to come in and bring handmade tortillas and sort of take it away from Tex-Mex,” Sandoval said. 

Sandoval plans on commemorating the restaurant with a party later this spring. 

“We plan to be here until the end of graduation and things like that, so I want to make a big old party, just to celebrate the start and ending of my little spot,” Sandoval said. “(Maize) was my first business, and I’m very thankful to the student community and to the CU community.”

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Tasty, convenient and affordable are the three words one might use to describe Bangkok Thai Restaurant & Pho 911. 

Yummy food, streamlined service and a great price are only a few of the things that make this staple of Green Street so wildly popular. Situated between Fourth and Fifth streets, Bangkok Thai epitomizes what a restaurant should be.

Everyone can find something they love on its extensive menu of delicious entrees, and the portion sizes make it impossible to walk out hungry. Whether you’re ordering the crab rangoon, fried rice or eggplant, the food is served with a level of delectable consistency that is second to none. 

Beyond its food, Bangkok Thai provides its customers with a memorable experience. The restaurant is nearly always packed, buzzing with conversations and laughter, and its vibrant atmosphere floods you with a sense of warmth as you dig into your food.

If you want to expand your taste and get a new restaurant experience, head to Bangkok Thai with friends or treat yourself to a delicious meal on your own.

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The premise is pretty simple, but in an area dominated with restaurants following the fast-casual dining trend, Shawarma Joint on Green Street stands out as an example of exactly what a fast-casual restaurant should be. Allowing customers to quickly design their meals, eat out or get food to go has never been simpler.

Opened in 2021, Shawarma Joint serves Middle Eastern cuisine and is best known among students for two things: the delicious food and the immense portions.

The beef shawarma and falafel are notable favorites, but there are no wrong decisions when choosing something from its extensive menu of flavorful options. As stated, the generous portions make Shawarma Joint an ideal place for whether you’re looking to eat your fill, share a plate with a friend or take leftovers home.

But the positives don’t stop there — add to that their friendly staff, timely service and cleanliness, it becomes clear why Shawarma Joint was voted this year’s Best Middle Eastern Restaurant. 

aidanm5@dailyillini.com

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