Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is recognized nationwide as a day of liberation — a day when Americans can celebrate their freedom during the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday and spend the day embracing the U.S. spirit of barbecue and fireworks.

Looking back to the 18th century when America’s founding fathers were still toiling to declare official nationhood, the Fourth of July was an intricate political affair.

Early in the Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress, the governing body of America’s 13 colonies, voted in favor of independence on July 2, 1776. A unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence was passed legally two days later, marking the U.S.’ first day of political autonomy from Great Britain.

The Declaration of Independence was the American people’s first formal assertion of their political rights as a governing body. Written largely by Thomas Jefferson, the document produced an idea of collective American identity and experience in just 1,320 words.

Coincidentally, John Adams, the second U.S. president, and his successor Jefferson both died on the 50th anniversary of July 4 in 1826. Former president James Monroe would die exactly five years later on Independence Day in 1831, according to the Library of Congress.

Following the Declaration of Independence, American citizens burst into immediate revelry, and the summer of 1776 was marked by concerts, bonfires, parades and the occasional celebratory firing of muskets and cannons.

Some colonists celebrated independence by holding mock funerals for King George III as “a way of symbolizing the end of the monarchy’s hold on America and the triumph of liberty,” according to History.com.

Massachusetts became the first state to adopt the Fourth of July as an official state holiday in 1781, and it would eventually become recognized at the federal level in 1870.

Patriotic celebrations became more common nationwide after the War of 1812 — the first time the U.S. and Britain fought since the Revolutionary War.

Independence Day is marked by fireworks shows across the country, with colorful explosions taking the cake as one of the biggest parts of the holiday.

The first organized firework celebration occurred on the one-year anniversary of the holiday in Philadelphia as all armed ships fired 13-gun salutes in honor of the original colonies.

Boston observed similar firework festivities in 1777 as the Sons of Liberty, an early group of revolutionary American colonists who opposed taxation without representation, set off numerous fireworks and shells over Boston Common.

Patriotism reigns over July Fourth, with the jubilant celebrations and expressions dating back 248 years to the very first American day of independence.

sg94@dailyillini.com 

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What is Juneteenth?

Two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln delivered his monumental Emancipation Proclamation, Union troops, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, rushed into Galveston Bay, Texas to inform over 250,000 enslaved black people of their freedom. On June 19, 1865, Granger issued General Order Number 3 which said that “in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

Despite the initial proclamation in 1863 and Granger’s June 1865 order, the Thirteenth Amendment, which legally abolished slavery in the U.S. (except as punishment), wasn’t ratified into U.S. law until Dec. 1865, months after the final hostilities of the war had culminated.

June 19, 1865 has since been colloquially deemed “Juneteenth” after Texas — the westernmost Confederate state — surrendered to the Union and joined a new America, at that time united only in name.

Juneteenth has also been called “Freedom Day,” “Emancipation Day” and “America’s Second Independence Day.”

How has Juneteenth been celebrated throughout history?

Juneteenth immediately became a holiday of jubilation and rejoicement for Black Americans across the United States. Celebrations stayed primarily within the African American community in early years, taking place in rural and religious areas.

A fundraising effort in 1872 led to the purchase of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas, creating the first public park for Black communities to gather and mark “the jubilation of the end of slavery in the Confederacy,” according to Voices of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Great Depression and other cultural shifts of the early 1900s led to a decline in the celebration and recognition of Juneteenth. Unless it fell on a weekend, the holiday passed generally unrecognized due to its lack of federal holiday status in favor of July 4th.

Juneteenth celebrations saw a strong resurgence with the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and the new generation of protestors brought attention to the historical significance of the holiday.

Juneteenth’s journey to federal holiday

Former Texas Representative Albert (Al) Edwards was the “catalyst for Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday now celebrated by Americans across the country,” according to Ebony magazine.

Edwards introduced legislation that would recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday in Texas, and in 1979 it was signed into law by the Texas State Legislature.

Often affectionately referred to as the “Father of Juneteenth,” Edwards committed much of his political career to pushing the official recognition and education of Juneteenth throughout the U.S.

Nationwide protests against police brutality in the 2010s revived momentum in the push for Juneteenth to be recognized as a federal holiday, and the legislation passed quickly through Congress in the summer of 2021.

President Biden signed the bill into law on June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth the first nationally recognized holiday since the adoption of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. The law was effective immediately, and America celebrated Juneteenth as a federal holiday for the first time in 2021.

What does Juneteenth look like today?

Today, many states and cities host parades, block parties, cookouts and other festivities to commemorate the historic holiday.

Juneteenth celebrations are often associated with the color red, exhibited through barbecue, a hibiscus-based tea and red velvet cake that features distinct culinary traditions.

Galveston, Texas will screen a documentary and host live music and lectures through the week of Juneteenth this year, while in D.C. the National Archives will put the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 on display for free, according to the Washington Post.

In a White House briefing, President Biden proclaimed June 19, 2024 the official day of observance where he called on “every American to celebrate Juneteenth and recommit to working together to eradicate systemic racism and inequity in our society wherever they find it.”

sg94@dailyillini.com 

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Reports of near-zero visibility from blowing dust in several central Illinois cities have led to the closing of many major highways, including sections of I-57, I-72, I-74, I-155 and I-474. Law enforcement has warned that the impact is life-threatening.

Champaign County is one of the nine counties affected, and the National Weather Services advises delaying travel or exiting the highway before the dust storm arrives.

“There is no safe place on a highway when a dust storm hits,” the alert stated.

UPDATE: 8:20 p.m.

The emergency weather alert was downgraded from a dust storm warning to a blowing dust warning, which will last until midnight. The alert stated that visibility is still severely limited and advised people suffering from respiratory problems to stay indoors until the alert ends.

The alert also recommended that in the event of blowing dust, drivers should pull to the side of the road and put the vehicle in park.

“Pull aside, stay alive,” the alert stated.

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The Daily Illini spoke with a media representative from the encampment for updates. 

**This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The individual has elected to remain anonymous for safety reasons.**

DI: Can you tell me what happened last night?

Student representative: There was an altercation with some counterprotesters, and the counterprotesters then called the police. We were a little freaked out that the police thought it was going to be related to the encampment, and they were not whatsoever. We were worried the police were going to come and raid us. We got a little spooked, but everything was resolved. They had no correlation to us, so we’re all good.

DI: Was there any sort of physical alterations?

Student representative: I think it was more just like a shout. The counterprotesters were trying to instigate something, and then they found the right guy to push up against that would give them a response.

DI: You guys have been meeting with Vice Chancellor Jim Hintz a lot these past two to three days. Can you tell me how those conversations are going?

Student representative: Yeah, we’ve just been in negotiations. He’s kind of the messenger to get through to the chancellor. We tell Hintz our demand, he goes back, (administration) responds and he comes back.

DI: Could you give me a glimpse into what your demands look like?

Student representative: Yeah, we have them posted on social media. We want complete divestment, to cut off all ties with anything related to Israel and we want amnesty for all students. We want disclosure. This is a public university, and you can easily search out where the investments go, but it is so confusing. You need the Freedom of Information Act to get into more specifics, and then when you’re there, it’s just so much editing. You would need a whole divestment research team to fully understand everything; even then, it’s still confusing because we have a lot of investments in Black Rock, but Black Rock itself does its own investments with the money. So it’s indirectly probably going to Israel, but we can’t access that as much because Black Rock controls it.

DI: Are there any negotiations or offers from their end that you guys would be willing to abide by or something you would be willing to agree with and step down from? 

Student representative: I feel like when that time comes, I will probably have an answer, but as of right now, we are going to continue strong with the encampment and with our goal of divestment.

DI: Can you tell me about the speaker that was here today?

Student representative: There are always those weird speakers who come and tell everyone they’re all going to hell. One lady on the quad would come and have a big sign that said, “You’re going to hell if you’re a homo or a female.” It was literally just like that. He saw there was a big group of people there, and he took it upon himself to walk back and forth and yell stuff. They’re really hard to get rid of because this is a public university, and technically, he can be here. He was just a random person. 

DI: Can you tell me how you guys feel about a state representative coming to support?

Student representative: That was really nice. I know State Representative Abdulnasser Rashid has always been very supportive. We actually brought him down last semester to talk about Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions in Illinois, so he’s always been a great support. I’m very grateful. State Representative Carol Ammons has also been a huge support. I know she’s been talking to the president and is on our side, protecting student protesters and working on any amnesty for us because we’re expressing our First Amendment rights. So yeah, it was very heartwarming. It was nice to see that we truly have the support of so many people. We have faculty, RSO and grad student support. It feels like everyone on this campus is supporting us, and I hope the admin is starting to realize that. Are they going to burn bridges with all the faculty and the facilities and services people to protect a foreign entity and continue bombing kids in Palestine? It’s nice to see and know that we have the full support of the community.

DI: Now that today is the first official day of finals, have you seen any dropping in numbers?

Student representative: Not really. I think a lot of people come during our teach-ins, so I always anticipate the numbers to come in during that time. If any of us need to study, we go somewhere safe to study, but it’s still close to the encampment. So, in case anything happens, we’re on call to come back.

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The Daily Illini spoke with Christopher Svochak, the man who spoke into a megaphone on the Main Quad at 12:50 p.m. Svochak was not affiliated with the encampment, and the encampment members were instructed not to interact with him. 

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

DI: What is your reason for being here today?

Svochak: Well, I’m here to speak the message of Jesus Christ first. I know there’s a lot of Muslims, Palestinians and Hamas supporters here, so I’m here to preach the message from Jesus Christ to them and everybody else too. I’ve seen people that are homosexual here. I’m preaching to that perspective too. Jesus wants to save all those people and transform them from lies into truth. 

DI: Have you studied these situations at all?

Svochak: Yeah, absolutely. I actually went to Michigan last week, and over there it’s way bigger than this, so I know what’s going on very in detail. I know the history of this, all the war and everything. I’ve studied it.

DI: Were you invited to speak at this encampment?

Svochak: No, I wasn’t invited, but neither were the people who put their tents up. So that’s one of the reasons I came here. I can freely speak here and they can too; that’s fine. But they’ve done something illegal by putting up structures. We all know on Friday (the police) evicted them and there were arrests and everything else.

DI: Do you agree with what is going on here?

Svochak: I don’t agree with a lot of the ways things are being done. I think that there’s a lot of people here believing lies who aren’t being encouraged to challenge what they’ve been told is true. I’ve gone around, and I’ve talked to some people here, but most of the people I’ve been able to talk to are from outside the encampment, because the encampment organizers, even on their Telegram, are being told not to engage with the police and with other counterprotesters. That’s what it says on their Telegram chat.

DI: Can you tell me anything specific on what the protesters believe is true that you disagree with?

Svochak: Well, they’re being specifically told to say that there have been over 40,000 children and women who lost their lives in Gaza on the Palestinian side. That’s their primary issue. Palestine should be free from Israeli oppression is what they’re saying. What they don’t understand is Hamas is using those people as an elaborate ruse and scheme, just like Hitler used the Nazis. They’re doing the exact same thing and lying to them, telling them not to have their truth challenged like I’m trying to challenge. If somebody can’t speak against the truth, why is that? That’s why I’m here. I know that they’re probably not going to talk to me if they have their leaders going around saying “Don’t talk to them, don’t talk to them, don’t talk to them,” because they don’t want to have their lies challenged.

You know, if lies are challenged, they get exposed, and the Bible even talks about that. People don’t come to the light because their deeds are gonna be exposed. They’re just so doused in their lies. They’re trying to cling on to anybody who will believe them and justify it. I think some of them know it’s a lie, but I’m here to expose that and to tell people the truth so that Jesus can set them free — not just from that, but from their own personal lies and deceit. Jesus can set people free, and that’s why I’m here. I’m sure some people here have heard some of those counterarguments from being in America, but I’m here to say it even louder from a Christian perspective.

**According to ABC News on May 3, “The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials, and the territory’s entire population has been driven into a humanitarian catastrophe.”**

DI: So you’ve spoken with Palestinian supporters right now?

Svochak: Yes.

DI: Have you spoken with Israeli supporters?

Svochak: Yeah. I know people. More people than just myself. I know personally people that are not from Palestine, but from different parts of the world in the Muslim faith. I don’t know people that have lived in Israel, but I have some personal Jewish ethnicity contacts. Some of the Jewish faith, some not.

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**Due to Svochak yelling “liar, liar” over Rashid’s press conference, only the first 50 seconds of Rashid’s statement was able to be understood and transcribed.**

Abdelnasser Rashid, State Representative for Illinois 21st District, gave a press conference to the protesters at the encampment. Rashid was joined by Carol Ammons, State Representative for Illinois 103rd District, along with protesters. Several faculty members were present wearing shirts saying “Protect our students.”

“Hi, everyone. My name is Abdelnasser Rashid. I’m the state representative for the 21st District of Illinois, and I am so proud and so honored to stand here in support and solidarity with the protestors. I want to let all of you know that you are participating in the rich tradition of protesters — part of the American DNA. Generations of students before you were set up in camps just like these to protest the Vietnam War, to fight for civil rights and to protest apartheid in South Africa. You are carrying on that incredible legacy of fighting for peace and for justice, and you should be honored for that. You shouldn’t be maligned — students before you were maligned; the protesters before you were maligned. They’re going to fight back against it because we’re fighting the fight for peace and for justice.”

sg94@dailyillini.com

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The Daily Illini spoke with Christopher Randolph Morris, junior in LAS, about his interaction with the speaker. Morris is not a member of the encampment, but he supports it.

DI: Are you a part of the encampment?

Morris: I don’t know. I’m here frequently, but I don’t necessarily consider myself part of anything. I just follow truth.

DI: Why did you decide to engage with the speaker?

Morris: I’m Christian, and I often follow what I feel like I should be doing at a certain point in time. I saw him speaking, and it felt like he was trying to pervert Christianity because he claims himself to be a Christian as well. It seemed as if he was attacking my Muslim brothers and sisters, so I felt it was important to engage.

DI: Do you agree with anything that he was saying?

Morris: I agree with certain points that he was making, but I think he took a lot of things out of context and tried to flip it. I believe that he is close to the truth in believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but I think he was trying to manipulate things to get to his point quicker instead of being patient and loving and kind.

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Jews for Palestine UIUC released a statement about the ongoing encampment outside of Foellinger Hall. Cosigned by CU Jews 4 Ceasefire, Jews for Palestine UIUC has expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Calling on core Jewish traditions, they state that they are “grounded in the belief that the only way forward is by reaching for each other and ending the lie that Jewish safety requires Palestinian suffering.”

Jews for Palestine UIUC celebrated Passover and Shabbat from within the encampment, advocating for the encampment’s commitment to supporting their Jewish identities through Kosher food options and welcome spaces for prayer.

They claim unequivocal support for the encampment’s demands and right to protest. More information can be found on their Instagram page.

sg94@dailyillini.com 

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Every 21 days, William Hohe, junior in Media, sits down and plans their outfits for each day of the following three weeks. Utilizing their expansive wardrobe and accessories, they wake up every morning with a carefully curated outfit.

Hohe is known for their founding of the Circular Fashion Expo and various other artistic endeavors in the Champaign-Urbana area.

Having been raised Catholic, Hohe explores intersections between religious upbringing and queer identity as a central theme in their art.

“I feel I’ve always wanted to be an artist, and I knew from a really early age that’s what I wanted,” Hohe said. “My love of art came from that curiosity met with the friction of the unserious perspective of what it takes to be an artist.”

Hohe grew up in a family where every moment was photographed and recorded in photo albums, exposing them to photography at a young age.

“That was a very archival process, and that inspired my love of photography,” Hohe said. “The idea of the perception itself changing based on who’s taking it and how you want it to be taken is what got my start with photography.”

Hohe looks to Keith Haring, an artist whose pop art emerged in the graffiti subculture in New York City during the 1980s, as one of their biggest artistic inspirations, with multiple tattoos of his artwork on their body.

“His way of looking at art was so unconditionally inclusive,” Hohe said. “He was making art for himself, but at the same time, he didn’t really care how it was received, and I love that.”

Since arriving at the University, Hohe has been a pivotal part of The Fashion Network (TFN), an RSO dedicated to “fostering creative collaboration between individuals and groups interested in fashion on campus and in the community,” according to TFN’s LinkedIn.

After joining TFN during their freshman year, Hohe worked with some students to found the Circular Fashion Expo (CFE), the University’s largest fashion exhibition. CFE debuted at the Siebel Center for Design in Spring 2022.

“We wanted to make this event that celebrated sustainability action, which is circularity — keeping that elongated lifespan of garments and fashion alive,” Hohe said. 

TFN has since put on five CFEs, with the most recent one on April 27. Hohe stepped down after four semesters as lead organizer, taking a backseat to operations and assuming the role of art and design director.

“I’m just excited to see this spin people bring to it because I’m at a distance,” Hohe said. “I’d be their adviser and have their questions answered, but I’m excited to see the new creativity that comes.”

Hohe hopes to spread CFE beyond the University, and they plan on staying involved after they graduate.

Looking forward, Hohe will spend this summer on the road, driving across the country with money from a grant they received in the fall.

“I’m just trying to follow what I like right now and see where that leads me,” Hohe said. “I hope to end up with some kind of photo book. I want to hold something in my hands and be able to say, ‘I made this.’”

Hohe has started applying to MFA programs, and they will have various exhibitions around campus in the fall. Beyond a career in the curation of art, they envision becoming a teacher.

“I never thought of myself as a teacher until really recently,” Hohe said. “I would love to do some education for art or influence some type of younger audience. Providing that to someone would be awesome.”

With a wide range of interests, Hohe believes in the importance of being a multi-hyphenate person, especially as an artist today.

“Looking at the media of art, each media really speaks to each other,” Hohe said. “I think of myself more as a photographic thinker than a photographer because I use so many other forms of art to curate.”

Being an artist encompasses every aspect of Hohe’s life, and they have made a lasting mark on the University. With just one more year left before graduating, Hohe looks forward to continuing to create art with a core sense of authenticity.

“I have this dire, relentless need to keep creating and producing in a way that leaves an impact,” Hohe said. “I hope that leaves an impression on people.”

sg94@dailyillini.com 

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DI: Just a brief summarization of what you were talking about, sir.

Wood: Sure. So today is May Day, and May Day, of course, is what we call the real Labor Day because it’s in honor of the workers who were massacred by the Chicago Police at the Haymarket Square in Chicago. It’s a day that around the world, people recognize that workers are always fighting for their rights to humanity and the right to make decisions for how they live their lives. 

It’s a very special day across the world, and so I was speaking about the history of how that came about and how it was related to the recent suppression of protesting in different parts of not just the United States but across the world.

DI: Is there anything else you would like to say on the subject matter that you maybe weren’t able to touch on in your speech, or just anything in general that you think The Daily Illini should hear from you?

Wood: Well, the first thing is I want to thank The Daily Illini for being out here and really just doing a great job covering such an important moment on our campus. When I was a graduate student here and was one of the presidents of the GEO (Graduate Employees’ Organization) Union, it was something that was kind of not expected. When we saw an injustice, we protested. We saw that there was a problem in the world or a problem on campus, we protested. We had the right to speak out. So it’s incredibly discouraging that this recent crackdown of protesting both here and across the world devalues not just the humanity of the students and others who are protesting, but it devalues our very mission as a university of higher learning where we’re supposed to embrace the things that our students are learning, the things that our students are exercising and understanding when they see injustice in the world. So we’re here to support our students, and we’re here to support their exercising of their rights.

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The encampment outside Foellinger Auditorium moved the sign labeled “UIUC Liberation Zone” farther north on the Main Quad, expanding the encampment to about 40 tents.

The Daily Illini spoke with a student representative from the ongoing encampment.

DI: So the sign was moved. Can you tell us a little about what’s going on?

Student representative: Oh, yeah. So the sign was moved because clearly the encampment is expanding, which is a very good thing. I’m hoping that the more the encampment expands, the more pressure it puts on the University to be more willing to meet with us to discuss our demands.

DI: So what is the symbolism behind the sign?

Student representative: Essentially it started off with Columbia SJP, and they were mirroring some student protestors in the 80s or 60s who had a Liberated Zone. So then Colombia started their encampment off with a Liberated Zone and then the national SJP call came out to everyone, so that essentially just started the encampment. It’s a Liberated Zone because, you know, it’s the area for divestment.

DI: How far are you hoping to go with the sign?

Student representative: I mean, the whole Main Quad. That would be nice. I don’t know, I think it’s not so much the sign is our perimeter. It’s kind of just there. I think as encampment goes the sign will go further. I mean, the goal is always divestment, so hopefully, we just go halfway and we get divestment.

DI: Do you have a head count on how many people you have in here right now?

Student representative: Right now? I don’t know. I want to say — because there’s some people in tents and some people on the other side — I want to say maybe 50 people right now. I’m really glad a lot more people have been starting to sleep at night here. I think that’s also why they moved the sign, so they can fit in more tents as well.

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DI: Can you tell me a little bit about what happened here?

Shapiro: With regard to the overall event?

DI: With your personal experience right now that just happened.

Shapiro: Are you talking about the student that spat? I only saw him briefly. He said something about killing children. I didn’t kill any children. No one here killed children, but obviously that’s not what he’s referring to, right? He’s referring to the situation in Gaza where you have Israeli Defense Force soldiers going in and targeting Hamas, and as a result of it being a war, there are innocent civilians dying. I by no means condone that that’s not okay, but at the same time, I mean, that’s war. I ask why is the war happening? What’s the cause? And this is a direct result of Hamas terrorists going into Israel and killing 1,000 Israeli civilians, not military targets, civilians. So obviously there has to be a response. You cannot just have terrorists living next door, and so the choice was made to send the IDF to go target Hamas. When we were fighting Germany in World War Two, we were targeting their military just as Israel is targeting Hamas, and unfortunately innocent civilians are going to die. I mean, urban warfare is a complicated thing. Once again I’m not excusing the deaths of civilians or the deaths of children, but understand this is a result of Hamas. The deaths of those children are not nearly as much on the IDF as it is on Hamas. Had Hamas not come into Israel and literally burned children alive in their cribs we would not be in the situation.

DI: Can you give me a little bit of a play-by-play of what happened with the pro-Palestinian protester today?

Shapiro: He came by and he just spit his drink out at us and called us baby killers. I mean, just disgusting. But, you know, it kind of shows I want to talk about two things. Number one, we’re not scared to be here. You don’t see us wearing masks. You don’t see us covering our faces. You don’t see us hiding our identities. You see that in the encampments, right? But we’re proud to be here. Number two, no one here wants any violence against those students. We purposely chose this location right here so there’d be no confrontation. This is not a counter-protest. We’re not trying to make a statement necessarily against the encampments. What we’re doing here is we’re proud to be Jewish, and when they come over here and spit on us and call us “baby killers,” I think it’s pretty obvious who’s in the right.

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The Daily Illini spoke with a representative from SJP about their schedule for the day.

DI: Could you just talk to me a little bit about what your schedule looks like today?

SJP Representative: Faculty for Justice in Palestine has put together a really good itinerary for us. We have a corner set up right now for studying. A lot of graduate students are actually helping the kids that are here. We’re obviously going to have poster-making. We’re gonna be screening a movie tonight, and we have different educational things going on as well as a brief on what’s going on in Gaza right now.

DI: What movie are you screening tonight?

SJP Representative: We’re unsure currently.

DI: Is there anything specifically, I know you guys have prayers scheduled, that you want to talk about?

SJP Representative: Yes. So obviously we want to tend to every religion, and we will continue to have prayer at every single prayer time. We also hosted a Passover (Seder) yesterday to ensure that our Jewish students were able to observe that, as well as we’re continuing to make sure that there’s accessible meals. Kosher meals, obviously meals without pork and alcohol, because obviously no alcohol or pork, and additionally vegetarian and vegan options. Trying to make sure that we’re accommodating to all of our crowds.

DI: Is there anything else you want to talk about for today or just in general?

SJP representative: We are just looking for support from our community right now. So even if you’re not staying here to camp, obviously we have food, we have resources and we’re honestly just here to educate the community about what’s going on in Gaza and why our University needs to divest immediately.

sg94@dailyillini.com

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FJP also rejected the implementation of the police force against “students protesting genocide.” Additionally, they condemn the University’s investments in corporations “instrumental to the waging of war and ongoing genocide.”

They called on the University to acknowledge student demands of divestment from weapons manufacturers, disclosure of financial assets and investments, end connections with genocidal corporations and provide amnesty for all student protestors.

The full statement can be found here.

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DI: We noticed that you were taking pictures in the background. There was a whole protest going on. Did that ruin any of your previous plans for pictures or did you just still continue with your grad pictures as usual?

Student: I would just continue with my pictures.

DI: And then do you plan to take pictures with that in the background or are you trying to, you know, just get the Union in the background?

Student: I just wanted them in the background too. I mean, it’s historical stuff. I think it is important. It’s just they have their own values, and I have my own values. I still support them.

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“So, you know, one of the things I’ve just done is made a call to (President Killeen) and asked him to send a message here,” Ammons said. “I reached out to (Chancellor Jones) as well that peaceful protest is the First Amendment right of all the students. They should not in any way, shape or form be arrested for peaceful protests on this campus.”

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Dua Aldasouqi: So I’m here with the C-U Muslim Action Committee. We’re a new organization in town. We are a group dedicated to supporting Palestinian rights and self-determination as well as other issues relevant to the Muslim community, and right now this is all of that. We’re out here to support our students. We’re out here to support what they’re doing as they are representing and bringing attention to Gaza and to the genocide that’s occurring right now by literally putting their bodies on the line. So we’re just out here in support.

DI: And how are you guys feeling? I know this has been an intense day. The cops have been very intense.

Aldasouqi: I was here this morning too when the cops were here. They came in, they took down those tents. These kids are not leaving. I apologize, these young adults are not leaving. They are here to stay as we’ve heard them chant so many times, and they are, you know, they’re just here for a conversation. They’ve been trying to get a hold of administration here since October, and administration has been basically dodging at every opportunity. They are not sitting down for a real conversation about this, and so the students feel like they have no other choice at this point than to put their bodies on the line like they are doing.

In terms of how I’m feeling — this is new to me, new to our generation. This is not new to America. People protest on campuses. This is what we saw in the Vietnam War and before that. But for us, I think for a lot of us now, it’s our first time witnessing this. It is incredibly eye-opening to see what universities are willing to do to their students. The police right now have either pepper spray or tear gas in their hands. They are gearing up in riot gear, and you know, I understand that the University is saying the problem here is the tent, the structures, but the extent that they’re going to silence these students who feel they have no other choice is something that’s really difficult to witness.

DI: Do you know how much longer you guys are gonna stay out here? Are you going to stay here into the night? Do you know at all when you’re planning on ending or anything like that?

Aldasouqi: Me specifically or the whole group?

DI: Just if you know.

Aldasouqi: I think the students are gonna be here until divestment. That’s the demand they’re making. That’s what they’re telling everybody, and that’s how long we’re going to stand with them.

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DI: Could you give me your name and your affiliation?

Omer: My name is Omer, and I am currently a senior on campus in the Gies College of Business. I am vice president of Illini Students Supporting Israel, and I am an active member of the Jewish community both through Hillel and Chabad.

DI: Could you speak on why you are here today?

Omer: I’m here to see what’s happening. I heard there was an encampment this morning, and I was absolutely scared sh–less. I came here to check and see what was going on and I’ve been coming back in bits since to see what’s been happening and I heard there was a rally going to happen. So I wanted to come here and make sure that Jewish students were safe on this campus.

DI: That kind of segues into my next question. So you are vice president for Illini Students Supporting Israel. Could you speak a bit more about that organization, maybe reactions from Jewish students and also the campus community to this organization?

Omer: So I think I can speak on the Jewish community. I don’t want to speak for any other communities on campus, but I know that Jewish students are not only scared, we are terrified. We are horrified. They are currently chanting for all Zionists to leave and they have gone beyond targeting just Israel, as they so call themselves, and have started attacking and targeting Jewish students on this campus. I know that we’ve seen how this can get very out of hand at other campuses. We saw a Yale student get stabbed in the eye. We saw instances on other campuses where this has gotten violent and extreme, and as a leader, I thought it was important to come make sure that the rest of the Jewish community was safe. So I’m here to make sure this doesn’t get out of hand and that Jewish students can also feel safe here because (the) campus is also their home.

DI: What do you think can be done to both protect the safety of Jewish students, but also allow others to exercise their First Amendment rights to protest?

Omer: I 100% think that everyone has the right to protest and we’re not here to shut down this protest. I also believe in supporting the Palestinians and I believe in making sure that they get access to food and water because it’s not fair what’s happening to them. I think the way to go about it though is what’s important here. You cannot go about calling for genocide. They are here chanting for “Free Palestine from the river to the sea” which was recently passed in a bill in Congress that says that that is an antisemitic trope and that it calls for the genocide of Jews and it should not be used. It simply goes to show that they are anti-Jews. They’re not anti-Israel. It’s gone past that. They are not pro-Palestinian, they’re anti-Israel and anti-Jewish and it’s spread to a much larger problem.

I think it’s just important to make sure the way you do this. You’re not supposed to have tents like this when they had a permit to protest on Green Street. I’m happy that they had the ability to do that. They did it the right way. This is not that. They did not get the proper procedures to do this, and they did not do it properly. They are currently here preparing to wait out the police and have to fight with the police. If you’re in that type of situation, then you’re not in the right. You should be doing this legally. I think everyone has a right to protest, it’s just simply about doing it in the right way and not calling for the extermination of Jews. If you want to help Palestinians, say that. Advocate for that. Show ways that I can do that and I can help them.

Do not say that all Zionists should leave this campus and that all Zionists are not welcome here. Do not call for the extermination of Jews because that will not help the Palestinians. Do not call for the extermination of Jews because that will not help the Palestinians. A does not lead to B. If you’re going to chant here and if you’re going to protest, make it something useful. Make it something progressive and something that will actually lead to real progressive change.

Omer: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” They’ve chanted it multiple times today. It has been recorded in their own lives. They changed it at the protests that happened a couple of days ago on Wednesday as well. So it is a very well-known whistled trope.

DI: What has been done by the University or by the Chabad to protect the interests of Jewish students?

Omer: Starting with the University, they are trying to get involved and help us. They are trying to make sure that they’re able to still protest and use their First Amendment right while still keeping students safe. I know that this type of situation is really difficult for the University. I know that it’s hard to not take a side, not to take an extreme, and we see the hard work they do. I’ve met with many admin over my four years here talking about ways to better help Jewish students, and I know that they are really trying. Chabad and Hillel can only do so much. They are not student organizations, they are in organizations that are worldwide. They don’t have a specific affiliation here with campus, and as much as they try, the only thing they can really do is create a safe space for us. And it’s hard when we don’t really feel safe on campus.

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For the first time since 2013, No Comment A Cappella will be competing in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) finals on April 27 in New York City.

Yes — these are the same ICCAs featured in the “Pitch Perfect” franchise. And yes, No Comment has gone just as far as the Barden Bellas in the first movie.

After placing second in the semifinal round and initially not advancing, the a cappella group was named this season’s Wild Card champion two weeks later.

The Wild Card takes place after nine regional semifinal rounds, allowing all second and third-place groups to apply. The top group across the board wins the title of Wild Card champion and advances to the ICCA finals.

No Comment won this title, promising them a spot on the finals stage this upcoming weekend.

No Comment will be one of 10 competing a cappella groups, up against seven other American groups, a group from the United Kingdom and one from Toronto.

Hillary Collins, No Comment’s president and choreography chair, appreciates the group’s ability to be both light-hearted in their friendships and serious about the music they create.

“We do try and lock in as much as we can, and we’re very intensive,” Collins said. “But it honestly just makes us better. It makes us all want to push each other to sound better as a whole group.”

No Comment has performed four songs at each round of the competition, making minor musical and choreographic adjustments with each round they advance.

The group will sing “Meeting the Master” by Greta Van Fleet, “Knights of Cydonia” by Muse, “Snow Angel” by Renée Rapp and “First Light” by Hozier for their final performance of the competition season.

“‘Knights of Cydonia’ by Muse is my favorite by far,” Collins said. “Mitchell (group member) completely just reimagined and brought to life a new form of the original song.”

Riya Sudana, junior in Business, is excited to take the stage with her music family and show the group around New York City, where she spent a large portion of her childhood.

“New York is like a second Chicago to me,” Sudana said. “I’m pretty well versed in the city, and I’m just really excited to see everyone experience Times Square for the first time.”

No Comment has plans to spend time with Michigan State University’s Capital Green A Cappella, the other Great Lakes group taking the stage for the finals.

“One thing I love about not only U of I a cappella, but all of a cappella, is everybody is so kind and just loves to make music,” Sudana said. “Capital Green was so genuine and kind to us. They were rooting for us to make it to New York as it was, and when we finally did, we immediately started making plans.”

Collins described the group’s rehearsal process as they prepared to take the stage on Saturday, focusing on cleaning the piece and working on the intention behind the performance.

“More than anything, we’ve just been cleaning the music and kind of flipping it back to its bare, naked self,” Collins said. “We all kind of just agreed we wanted to leave something we were proud of on the stage in New York.”

Sudana echoed similar remarks, saying she focuses on living in the moment and ensuring her hard work pays off.

“I think we’re prioritizing soaking up this moment and having fun, and just reminding ourselves that we are so lucky to be going to the finals,” Sudana said. “We’ve earned it.” 

More information about the upcoming ICCA finals and other No Comment performances can be found on the group’s Instagram.

“We always say in the group that you’re not just doing it but that we get to do it,” Sudana said. “We get to make music all the time with our best friends. It’s a privilege and a gift, and it’s really exciting.”

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For the first time since before COVID-19, the Illini 4000 (I4K) presented the Portraits Project on Apr. 18 at the University YMCA. Ten physical portraits were featured, detailing the narratives of American cancer patients, survivors, family members and caregivers.

Over 200 stories can be found in the I4K website’s archives, each one collected by members of the RSO during their annual cross-country bike ride.

Since their first ride in 2007, University students have cycled across America every summer, raising money for cancer research and spreading awareness about the disease.

I4K was first realized by two University students studying abroad in 2006. Jon Schlesinger and Anish Thakkar met one another biking in Singapore and began working together to start I4K soon after.

Named for its commitment to an annual bike ride across the country, I4K cycles over 4,000 miles between the University’s spring and fall semesters.

Emily Gonzalez, sophomore in the Media, serves on I4K’s executive board as the Director of Portraits Project. Gonzalez used her personal experience from riding in 2023 to garner a diverse collection of narratives for the gallery.

“We have portraits displayed from the past three years,” Gonzalez said. “It’s just a way for people to come in and really read the stories that we’ve collected over the summer.”

I4K has successfully raised and donated over $1.3 million since its founding in 2006, donating to beneficiaries such as the Cancer Center at Illinois, David Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and other foundations dedicated to promoting cancer research and advocacy.

The I4K website notes that the Portraits Project is “a unique trademark of the Illini 4000 and demonstrates that there is much more to (its) organization than fundraising and cross-country bike rides.”

Olivia Ross, sophomore in LAS, will be the ride leader for this summer’s upcoming ride. After participating last year, she is excited to return to the ride as a mentor to new cyclists.

“I’m just there to make sure that everyone gets home and across the bridge safely,” Ross said. “And to make sure that we all know what we’re doing and doing things carefully.”

Ross initially joined I4K at the beginning of her freshman year, drawn in by the RSO’s message and her personal experience with family members having cancer.

Ross said her grandfather fought cancer for a few years, and her grandmother spent over 10 years battling into remission only to soon find out she had it again.

“When I was a kid I didn’t think it was that big of a deal because of the grace she just held herself with,” Ross said. “I remember her being such a free spirit and putting her soul into everything and seeing the beauty in everything.”

Unfortunately, Ross’s grandma lost her fight during COVID. Unable to visit the hospital and say goodbye, Ross struggled to find closure.

“I felt like (I4K) is kind of a way to give back and really do justice to something that I felt like she would have been interested in doing,” Ross said. “This is something she would have loved.”

Gonzalez lost her godfather to brain cancer during her sophomore year of high school and used his memory as her fuel on I4K rides.

“I took him with me,” Gonzalez said. “He was really in the forefront of my mind every day during the summer when I biked. He was the reason that I biked.”

Neither Ross nor Gonzalez ever considered themselves to be cyclists or athletes before joining I4K, but they built the stamina and capability to ride with the support of fellow I4K members.

“I was barely an athlete, but I at least wanted to give it a go and see if I could do it,” Ross said. “But I’m really looking forward to being somewhat more of a stable support system for the people on the ride this summer.”

A group of 18 riders will depart from New York City on May 25, set to follow a route across the country where they will finish on Aug. 10 in San Francisco.

“I think this club is super important,” Ross said. “It’s such a unifying experience. No matter who you are or where you’re from you have something that you can relate to with anyone, and I think that’s so beautiful.”

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