**Sources have elected to remain anonymous.**

In a fret of meetings, petitioning and discussions these past few weeks, members of the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, along with other School of Music students, staff, faculty and community members, have begun what they hope to be the end of a year-long process to demand the removal of Dr. Carolyn Watson from her position as the Director of Orchestras.

“The teaching assistants and students of the School of Music have endured relentless bullying, abuse, harassment, manipulation and retaliation under the baton of Dr. Carolyn Watson,” UIUC Musicians for a Better Orchestra stated in their latest press release.

Before Watson was hired into the position two years ago, she had resigned from the University of Kansas following alleged gender discrimination from the KU administration toward her. Upon her arrival in Illinois, she was immediately given tenure — a status typically awarded to educators who have completed four consecutive school terms but can be expedited through portable tenure. Ahead of both employments, Watson led, directed and collaborated on several orchestras and programs worldwide, receiving notable awards. 

Her resume and rank as tenured staff have and will pose complications for any efforts to request her dismissal from the position.

“For over a year, multiple students have tried to go through university channels to correct this abusive behavior, including Title IX, Human Resources, Office of Access and Equity and two School of Music Directors,” according to the UISO’s official petition website and statements to The Daily Illini. “Attempts have led to nothing.”

Since before her hire, students and faculty have had concerns regarding Watson’s reputation and teaching style. Many participants in these efforts are former students of Watson from her time at KU.

“I heard that the director of an orchestra had been hired from a school that I was familiar with,” a graduate student said. “I knew that the quality of the orchestra was pretty low and I was surprised to hear that she had been hired here.”

According to those who have performed under her at Illinois, her reputation has rung true and then some.

“She used her power as a conductor to humiliate and intimidate students who disagreed with her musical interpretations or program decisions,” an undergraduate representative of the UIUC Musicians for a Better Orchestra student said in a statement to The DI via Reddit. “(She) is currently taking action against one of our School of Music directors for standing up for us and working with us to try and correct this situation.”

Dr. Watson has failed to address any claims publicly or directly to the DI.

On April 30, as an official first step in a process that has been in flux since last spring, orchestra musicians, along with other School of Music students, staff and faculty, gathered in the Krannert Center for Performing Arts to march a petition with over 500 signatures — 84% of the orchestra — collected in one week to the dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, Kevin Hamilton.

The petition outlines the “significant incompetence” observed under Dr. Watson’s leadership, including exploiting and retaliating against teaching assistants.

“Dr. Watson has consistently failed to do the work to effectively run her programs, forcing her TAs to pick up her slack and work 40+ hours a week on top of their academics,” said an undergraduate student in an announcement on Reddit. “She has responded to TAs and administration who disagree with her by retaliation. This includes unfair grading practices and semester reviews, and comments made to prospective students and colleagues framing her TAs as bad students and difficult to work with.”

These labor grievances have been filed through the Graduate Employee’s Organization, a union for teaching and graduate assistants.

This was but a quarter of the concerns brought up in the petition. Watson has also been claimed to promote a harmful and unsafe learning environment.

“She gave musicians s— for managing injuries like tendinitis and carpal tunnel,” said another student in a statement to The DI via Reddit. 

Her communication practices have been seen as disrespectful in the classroom, in emails and directly to individuals.

“What should have been a ‘Hey, welcome to Illinois, these are the people to contact’ type email, which she did include, was followed with, ‘although they’re not very good,’ criticizing their musicianship, their personalities, their personal lives — anything that she could grab at, she was putting in that email,” said a faculty member during the march regarding an email sent to an incoming doctoral student.

These communications teetered past disrespectful, earning the term “disgusting” from orchestra members.

“She has made multiple sexually suggestive comments to me and invited me for one-on-one time,” said a student in a statement to The DI via Reddit. “With an indication that I could get a more prominent chair by sleeping with her.”

In a similar but otherwise unrelated situation, Dr. Watson, in response to a student’s rejection, “made comments to prospective students and colleagues in an attempt to frame (the student) as a villain and as someone who has ‘difficulty working with women,’” per a statement made by an undergraduate representative of UIUC Musicians for a Better Orchestra to DI via Reddit.

In addition to the unbecoming descriptions of her character, the petitioners and signees stressed the inefficient artistic practices of Watson.

“I spent two semesters in rehearsals with her and she never once made anything deeper out of the music,” a graduate student expressed while participating in the march. “There was never any emotion put into it.”

Her technical skills and abilities as an educator allegedly fall short as well. According to the petition, Watson lacks preparation, does not teach efficiently and as a conductor, ambiguates her hand gestures.

“I’ve heard that she has joked about not studying or preparing for rehearsals,” the same student said. “Her conducting was never very clear or prepared.”

Among a heap of unfavorable opinions, some of Watson’s pupils of orchestras’ past have taken with them fond memories but remain sympathetic.

“I played under Dr. Watson’s leadership about 10 years ago and only had pleasant experiences with her,” said a former student of Watson’s in a statement to The DI via Reddit. “I’m really sad to hear that she is abusing her power now in this position.”

While Dean Hamilton was not on campus to receive the petition in hand, the march did bear fruit. 

On May 8, UIUC Musicians for a Better Orchestra, alongside labor representatives from the Graduate Employees’ Organization, met with Hamilton and other leaders across the FAA. During the meeting, a list of demands was shared as well as the consequences if these demands were not met.

Dean Hamilton and his administration reviewed the petition and supplemental material and requested a follow-up meeting on Tuesday, May 14. In this meeting, Hamilton provided further information on the University’s due process and grievance offices but was unable to meet any of the students’ demands.

At the time of this release, the petition for Dr. Watson’s removal has amassed over 1,000 signatures. As a supplementary measure, a 41-page Title IX report is in the process of being filed.

This process may see further delay as the College of Fine and Applied Arts ushers in a new dean. Dean Hamilton was appointed Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation in February and is seeking a replacement.

As this develops, UIUC Musicians for a Better Orchestra has requested bi-weekly updates from the School of Music.

**This is a developing story.**

Updated May 22, 11:47 a.m. : An earlier version of this story was incorrect when stating “In response to the student’s refusal,” indicating that Watson’s response was to the quote preceding it when in fact, it was in response to a different student’s experience and retaliation.

ms98@dailyillini.com

The post Harmony without harm: UI Student Orchestra demands better leadership, removal of director appeared first on The Daily Illini.

Following last night’s showers, Sunday brings more manageable weather and lots of activity on the Main Quad, north of the encampment.

ms98@dailyillini.com 

The post UPDATE: May 5, 5:30 p.m. appeared first on The Daily Illini.

**The student has elected to remain anonymous for safety reasons.**

A student representative camping out on the Main Quad spoke with The Daily Illini about their experiences inside the encampment over the last couple of days, along with how they hope the encampment is viewed by members of the community. 

“We definitely plan on staying,” the student said. “We’re hoping to get more people to sleep here so we can sustain the camp longer. It seems like more people are going to come, especially without the possibility of rain.”

The student encouraged those interested in the encampment to join them, emphasizing the laid-back environment the place is trying to promote.

“We want to let people know this is a chill area. If you need to study here or take a nap, go ahead. We have a library if you need to read,” the student said. “We’re going to screen a movie … which I’m personally really excited for.”

While the protesters aren’t approaching passersby to join, they welcome any who inquire to stay.

“We always tell them they’re welcome to any food snacks if they want to lay down, even if they want to sleep in a tent,” the student said. “I just don’t know how safe it is for (us) to ask people.”

The group continues to stand firm in its position, with plans to continue indefinitely until negotiations are made to their liking. Even with the weather last night tents remained dry and they haven’t run into problems worth noting. 

“I think it was my tent that got a little rain in but there was night patrol and I was like ‘Could you guys put a tarp on my tent?’ And it was perfectly fine,” the student said. “We have shifts. We make sure everyone gets enough sleep.”

However, the student noted that conditions make sleep sometimes difficult.

“I tried to go to sleep and it was hard to because (there are) so many unknowns,” the student said. “I just got anxious.”

The encampment acknowledges that burnout is a potential but they are set on avoiding that by considering everyone’s condition.

“Every decision we make, we make together with the full camp. We always make sure to get temperature checks and (ask) how they’re feeling,” the student explained. “We want to make sure everyone’s the most comfortable protesting.”

With the encampment on the Main Quad approaching its third day, hygiene and other needs are vital. So far, protesters have had systems in place for dealing with this.

“For bathrooms, well, during the day all the buildings were open. I don’t know if I should disclose where we go at night just in case it’s a risk,” the student said. “We try to go home and change and shower as fast as humanly possible. When we’re away from the camp for too long, we get anxious.”

At this moment, there have been no reports of serious reasons for departing the encampment such as exhaustion or illness among its members.

“Thankfully we have been OK,” said the student. “People have been really caring. You can feel a strong sense of community.”

ms98@dailyillini.com

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Amongst the unrest, Jews for Palestine UIUC have set up a Seder meal— a symbolic assortment of foods traditionally eaten on the first or second night of the Jewish holiday, Passover. 

The holiday started on April 22 and ends after nightfall on April 30.

The organization cited the meal’s significance as reasoning for the ceremony.

“Passover is about solidarity with oppressed people everywhere,” said the Jews for Palestine UIUC Instagram in a statement to The Daily Illini.

Members’ demands are in congruence with the messages of fellow protesters.

“We are here to demand the University divest from Zionist weapon manufacturers and institutions, disclose all financial assets, and grant amnesty to all student protesters,” they stated.

ms98@dailyillini.com

The post UPDATE: April 28, 8:35 p.m. appeared first on The Daily Illini.

**This has been edited for clarity.**

The Daily Illini: Why did nothing happen yesterday and why today?

Protestor: Yesterday, the admin immediately deployed all forms of police. They sent UIPD, Champaign County, Urbana, Mohamet and Parkland College police here. They forced Facilities & Services to remove all our stuff even when they didn’t want to, they did not feel comfortable, and they thought we were allowed to be there. Campus Faculty Association released a statement, they said they fully condemned the University’s actions of trying to remove us. We have a lot of faculty here to support us — they felt like what the police did was so disgusting over some tents.

DI: Are you referring to yesterday at Spurlock or Friday at Alma Mater?

Protestor: On Friday, at Alma Mater. No one went to Spurlock.

DI: Why is that? Do you know?

Protestor: The University Chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine will be putting out a statement with a lot more detail which will give you a lot more detail as to why we are sticking around here.

DI: You guys are meeting with the administration tomorrow at 5 p.m.?

Protestor: Some student organizers are meeting tomorrow to talk about divestment. I don’t know if you guys know this, but this University puts hundreds of millions of dollars into murdering children. They use our tuition money and they lie about it, and when we ask them and confront them, “Why are you funding this genocide? Why are you funding an illegal occupation?” These settlers tell us, “No, we are not in control of it. The University of Illinois Foundation is,” and “No, BOT is.” The BOT is comprised of admin Chancellor Robert Jones and President Tim Killeen. They’re just so wishy-washy, so back-and-forth, and we’re tired of it.

It has been almost eight months of an ongoing genocide that has been broadcasted in 4k. There is nothing that the admin can say, or any Zionist can say, that shows that the University shouldn’t stop funding this genocide. It’s completely disgusting and we are fed up with it.

DI: How long do you plan on staying out today?

Protestor: As long as we need to.

DI: Is there a reason behind the location change from Alma Mater to the Main Quad?

Protestor: Yes, for expansion. If we need to expand, it is much safer to be here. Usually, they threaten us with mass arrests and tear gassing, so we are hoping this area will keep us protesters safe because, clearly, the admin does not care about us. It was Tim Killeen who was pushing to mass arrest us right away. We have no support from the admin, they can lie and say that they care about our students, but police were assaulting other student protesters. We have it on video, we care about one another. I hope it shows you that there are a lot of messed up issues within UIPD, they need to be defunded. Our main point is divestment and to keep all eyes on Gaza because Israel is trying to invade. Over a million people have been displaced, like 1.3 million displaced Palestinians, and we need to protect them.

DI: There’s a charter bus out there, did people bus in?

Protestor: Chicago allies, many came out. Minimum of 50, possibly more. There are a lot of people mobilizing, like ISU. The bigger the crowd, the safer we are.

DI: On Friday, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Jim Hintz, negotiated with some protestors. Could you give us insight on that?

Protestor: It was not a negotiation, it was more of a, “You have to either leave and disperse, or we will mass arrest everyone and spray tear gas.” As negotiators, we wanted to do what we felt was most safe for all the protestors, which was to disperse and reconvene with a stronger newer plan. So yeah, they can say we agreed it was negotiations we have countless times when admin has gone back on their word when they have blatantly lied to us. They sent out three Massmails about the Palestinians, about the genocide — they tell us they’re pointless, they’re useless, it doesn’t matter. I would like to add that during the negotiations, the chancellor sent out a Massmail, purposely endangering the students. So it was not a negotiation. It was more like them commanding us to do stuff. It was pouring heavy rain. We still have 100 to 200 people out there ready to stand for this.

This has been going on for far too long. It’s disgusting. We are all complicit. We need to speak up right now. If not now, then when? I think it’s very important for you to realize Israel is getting away with this. What are they going to do next? The whole world is at risk right now. If designers stay, if they are allowed to do what they have done to the Palestinians, especially in Gaza for the past eight months, and no one has said anything, no one has lifted a finger, what are they going to do to the rest of the world? Who’s going to stop them?

DI: We did speak with the vice president for Illini Students Supporting Israel, and also the rabbi. One of the things they mentioned was the chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” which they believe to be anti-Semitic. Could you speak on that?

Protestor: The chant has been used for the past 75 years. It means from the Dead Sea to the river, Palestine will be free. This means Palestinians can rightfully return to their homes, can walk freely through Palestine without checkpoints, they aren’t detained for the dumbest things that aren’t shown in broad daylight. They aren’t kidnapped, and their homes aren’t raided. There allowed to go pray at the mosque without getting beaten.

I’m Palestinian, my grandparents were kicked out in 1948 during the catastrophe, and I have not been able to return. It is because of the of the laws that Israel has. And even if you have done things properly, they still can detain you and prevent you from entering Palestine. Just the freedom of people being able to freely move throughout their own homelands is not anti-Semitic. Recently, they have been trying to spew anti-Semitism because people have realized that the anti-Semitism argument is so false. There are so many Jews here, we are going to hold Shabbat prayer here today. There are so many Jews in support of Palestine and a free Palestine. 

DI: Do you know what time the Shabbat prayer will be held here?

Protestor: I’m not 100% sure, there is a committee that is organizing all the plans and agenda for the day.

DI: Do you plan on putting up structures once again, like in front of Alma Mater, or are you going to stay away from that? 

Protestor: That is to be determined.

jessiew4@dailyillini.com

ms98@dailyillini.com

athenal2@dailyillini.com

The post UPDATE: April 28, 2:52 p.m. appeared first on The Daily Illini.

President Joe Biden enacted a $95 billion national security package on Wednesday, which includes a provision to ban TikTok in the United States if China-based parent company ByteDance fails to divest in the app.

Biden signed the bill into law following the Senate’s 79-18 decision Tuesday night, with 15 Republicans and three Democrats voting against it. 

ByteDance must decide to either sell their U.S. assets entirely or lose access to their 170 million users in the U.S. They have nine months to figure out a plan, which could be extended another three months by President Biden if substantial progress is observed. 

This decision was driven by the widespread fear of surveillance from China among United States legislators. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fl, Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that the bill’s passing will bring a much-needed change to the country.

“For years, we’ve allowed the Chinese Communist Party to control one of the most popular apps in America that was dangerously shortsighted,” Rubio said. “A new law is going to require its Chinese owner to sell the app. This is a good move for America.”

However, this law is far from a decisive move. A myriad of problems could arise during the processing period and even after.

TikTok’s price creates a barrier to purchase, considering the U.S. portion alone is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars. Despite this, several potential buyers have aspirations to leap on the opportunity.

“It’s the largest entertainment and business network in America as it stands today, so it’s of great interest and great value,” said former “Shark Tank” judge Kevin O’Leary. “It’s a very interesting deal, and I like it.”

TikTok and the Chinese government are in firm opposition to such a sale and have plans to inhibit this process from getting that far.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the ban “would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate seven million businesses and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy annually.”

In concurrence with TikTok, the Chinese commerce ministry intends to challenge the law.

On Friday, the Cyberspace Administration of China indirectly retaliated against the bill by catalyzing a removal of Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store, according to Apple. The government mirrored the U.S. Congress in citing national security concerns as their reasoning.

Other U.S. officials took dissenting positions to the ban, claiming that the loss of the app would do more harm than good.

“We have people, communities that are able to organize, that are able to meet, that are able to find space for their businesses to grow (on TikTok),” Representative Summer Lee said. “We need to actually think about what the consequences of that are, not political consequences alone.”

meghna4@dailyillini.com

ms98@dailyillini.com

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Since last Saturday, independent campaigners have set up shop around the Illini Union and the Main Quad in support of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

Using the slogan “Cancel Student Debt,” they have been attempting to earn student signatures to bring Kennedy closer to having his name on Illinois’ presidential ballot in November. However, Kennedy’s name is nowhere to be found on the booth’s signage.

“We need a million signatures across 50 states,” Kennedy said in a recent social media post. “We are establishing a huge grassroots effort to accomplish that.”

The campaign effort on campus, simply a table and two hired contractors, is fueled primarily by Kennedy’s promise to eliminate all $1.77 trillion of student debt and his passion for marijuana legalization.

In Illinois, Kennedy will need 25,000 official signatures to be considered a candidate. The campaign table has seen success, accumulating over 100 signatures in each four to seven-hour shift over the past seven days.

Kennedy has solidified his name on nine state ballots as of today, adding himself to Michigan’s just this Thursday.

Kennedy formed the independent political party “We The People” in January to obtain ballot access. In general, his favorability stems from his independence and relatively depolarizing features.

His addition to state ballots raises concerns for presumed front-runners, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who struggle to gain a strong majority in battleground states like Michigan. His presence on these ballots could prove spoiling as the race between the two becomes neck-and-neck, making every state count.

ms98@dailyillini.com

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Ahead of Memorial Stadium’s 100th anniversary, Illini fans now have the opportunity to immortalize their legacy in the foundation of Grange Grove with the purchase of a personalized brick that will be laid in the walkway of the popular tailgating grounds. 

Fans are given the option of two different sizes — 4 inches by 8 inches and 8 inches by 8 inches — and the inclusion of a Block-I inscription at a higher price. All purchases come with a replica brick and an official program plaque to keep.

The Memorial Stadium Brick Program is now live on its website. 

Proceeds will contribute to activities set to take place throughout the year-long 100th-anniversary celebration starting this upcoming football season. 

Simultaneously, season tickets for the 2024 football season were released starting at a lower-than-usual $100 to commemorate the centennial.

ms98@dailyillini.com

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Champaign County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a motor vehicle accident in Somer Township near Thomasboro, Illinois that resulted in the death of 33-year-old Molly Zabinski of Palatine at approximately 8:15 p.m. Sunday night.

“Upon arrival, deputies found an unresponsive person (Zabinski), and immediately started providing CPR,” stated the Champaign County Sheriff in a recent press release.

Zabinksi, heading east, was reported to have entered the westbound lane of Leverett Road “for an unknown reason” when she collided head-on with a passenger car driven by Jordan Robinson, a 21-year-old from Sydney, Illinois.

Four others, including a three-year-old accompanying Zabinski and three individuals from Robinson’s vehicle, were involved in the crash — all of whom sustained non-life-threatening injuries. 

According to the Champaign County Coroner’s Office, “Zabinski was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital Emergency Department in Urbana where she was later pronounced deceased at 8:57 p.m.”

This accident remains under investigation by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office and the Coroner’s Office.

Following the accident, Zabinski’s family started a fundraiser to support her three-year-old daughter.

ms98@dailyillini.com

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Alex Epstein shared his version of the appropriate reaction to climate change in the Illini Union on Tuesday. Epstein, a graduate of Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, is an advocate for fossil fuel expansion and the author of “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels and Fossil Future.” The event was made possible through the Young America’s Foundation and the Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Foundation.

The correct response to climate change has risen to the pinnacle of political debate and public worry. As a result, commitments like the Paris Agreement have emerged as a shared plan across nearly all United Nations countries to curb climate change through the reduction of emissions.

As for individual ideologies, consensus is less common. Epstein shared his views with University and community members offering a different perspective that hails from his background in philosophy. 

“Nobody ever has a problem and says ‘Let’s call a philosopher,’” Epstein said. He noted that he believes that his background in philosophy has enabled him to see global warming in a way that formally taught climate scientists can not.

“Climate science turns out to be a minor aspect in this issue,” Epstein said. “Scientists share thoughts and they share facts, but I don’t think most people think about how to think about it. You don’t need to go to university; anyone can develop expertise on anything.”

Epstein’s argument is that contrary to popular opinion, fossil fuels’ benefits outweigh their negative effects and should be harnessed more than ever to combat climate change consequences. In the long run, Epstein is interested in nuclear energy’s potential.

“I think that we should be using more fossil fuels, not forever, but for the near future,” Epstein said. “I’m arguably the biggest advocate in the world for nuclear, but if we do it wrong right now, it delays progress. If we get rid of fossil fuels right now, I think it’ll ruin the world.”

Max Rizzo, graduate student studying physics, harbored skepticism about the speaker’s legitimacy, especially when speaking on such impactful topics.

“He doesn’t have any scientific credentials in the field of climate science,” Rizzo said. “He doesn’t participate in the field.”

Despite this, Epstein held to his methodology and believes that commitments toward net zero emissions are detrimental to society and that fossil fuels’ cruciality is not being considered.

“I think it’s one of the most destructive ideas humans have ever come up with,” Epstein said about mainstream solutions. “They don’t talk about the unique benefits of fossil fuels, so we’re going to make mistakes.”

In Epstein’s eyes, governments have already made these mistakes in the form of subsidiaries toward alternative energy sources.

“We, as taxpayers, get taxed a bunch of money to keep solar wind companies afloat,” Epstein said. “They provide electricity whenever the sun shines or the wind blows. Solar and wind can go near zero at any given time.”

Much of the talk was spent discussing the cost-effectiveness of fossil fuels, with Epstein describing the incomparable affordability and efficiency of the natural resource. He continued to describe more benefits that he claimed to have never heard of before doing his own research.

“Fossil fuels are crucial to food in a way that we have no near-term replacement,” Epstein said. “Geniuses figured out how to use natural gas — which is quite abundant — to create synthetic fertilizer and power mechanized agriculture.”

Gillen Wood, professor in LAS and associate director at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment, expressed an opposing viewpoint.

“The changes in precipitation can’t be predicted,” Wood said. “Growing corn is impossible if there are a certain number of days in the summer above 95 degrees (which causes) deep systemic changes in our food systems.”

However, Epstein claims to have an answer for all the negative effects of increased production of emissions.

“Fossil fuels help us master climate,” Epstein said. “Even if we made drought more common in some places, the level of mastery is so great it doesn’t really matter. Our climate mastery is much greater than our climate challenges. As long as that’s here, it doesn’t really matter how much we change the climate.”

He used air conditioning and irrigation as examples of society’s ability to tame the global climate and bring relief to those affected by its consequences.

However, Epstein believes there may be an overreaction surrounding the consequences and that the effects of climate change will taper off.

“There’s no real plausible argument that warming is going to be some huge threat; additional CO2 leads to less warming,” Epstein said while referencing a graph relating the rise in global temperature to CO2 emissions. “CO2 levels will rise, and life will get better and better.”

Despite claims that CO2 leads to less warming, Epstein explained why warming shouldn’t be looked at as a bad thing.

“More warming means fewer deaths from cold,” Epstein said. “The warming is concentrated in colder places; you generally want to be warmer where people are super cold.” 

Wood, along with the majority of climate scientists, has found firm footing in the belief that warming is certainly, at a minimum, a threat.

“We’re already in the age of consequences as it has to do with carbon waste in the atmosphere,” Wood said. “Developing countries in South and East Asia are coming up against a critical sort of livability.”

Wood strongly believes that an argument for fossil fuels lacks consideration for future generations making it unethical and immoral.

“Epstein’s ethical universe is the world of the present and the near future,” Wood said. “Halting the transition will delay the benefits to a point where we’re beyond two degrees or even three degrees of warming, at which point civilization begins to really suffer.”

Despite how it looks, there are overlaps of ideology between Epstein and the climate science majority. Wood acknowledges they can agree on the value of fossil fuels and the fear associated with leaving them behind.

“It has never simply been about the waste … it’s about what it has enabled us to do,” Wood said. “Why would we ever give it up? It’s scary to contemplate, but morally cowardly not to.”

Bill Kline, who handles programming and stakeholder relations for the Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government, said the talk provided provocative and insightful information.

“It is a learning opportunity,” Kline said. “There are legitimate discussions to be had about the externalities, but I thought he did a fair job of bringing things to the table to consider.”

But for others like Rizzo, Epstein’s lack of accreditation, among other things, made it difficult to accept his findings.

“The title of the event, ‘A Moral Case for Fossil Fuels,’ was shocking,” Rizzo said. “It seems very obvious that he’s largely a propagandist. Science is tedious. You publish a paper and it’s more than likely that no one will read it. What’s easy is being a propagandist — worrying about participation and audience reception instead of scientific accuracy.”

Epstein concluded his thoughts by considering the actions of China and their reasoning for excessive fossil fuel production.

“Why does China have so many coal plants in the pipeline?” Epstein said. “Because fossil fuels are uniquely cost-effective. This energy freedom allows for innovation for alternative energy sources.”

Where Epstein looks to China, Wood advises against their examples.

“In North America, the emissions have flattened or even decreased since the ’90s,” Wood said. “These efforts are more than offset by Asia. Our efforts here (in the U.S.)  have almost no effect. The planetary outcome will depend on what happens in Asia.”

When all is said and done, both thinkers wish for the best future, but with different ways of getting there.

“I think we inherited an imperfect climate that’s imperative to master,” Epstein concluded. “If we go to net zero, billions of lives will be ruined.”

With the shared sentiment of saving lives in mind, Wood signs off with his strategy.

“To offset the most serious impacts for the middle of the century we should be on a kind of war footing,” Wood concluded. 

ms98@dailyillini.com

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She is the daughter of Zeus, twin sister to Apollo, the slayer of the giant Tityus, killer of Orion and the 15-foot-tall bronze fountain outside of where you have bowling class.

Bow in hand, Diana, goddess of the hunt, animals and fertility, overlooks passersby as they deliberate between an iced or hot mocha from the Illini Union Starbucks. She observes a vase decorated with depictions of women hunting boar. In the surrounding pool, three scantily clad marble figures of demons and women give her attention that is otherwise nonexistent in the mortal world.

This detailed piece was built by famed Swedish sculptor Carl Milles and given to the University by Time Inc. and the class of 1921. 

To fully understand the campus’ favorite fortune of a fountain, one must be able to grasp the history of such a structure.

Fountains began as means for drinking, bathing and washing for the residents of cities, towns and villages. However, please don’t take this as an excuse to try out your new 12-in-one shampoo in front of unsuspecting Illini Union goers. The goddess is known for her unprovoked cruelty, and you’ll probably be met with a paralleling harshness from public safety. 

As the world changed, so did fountains. They took the shape of pious structures in Nepal, represented paradise in Islamic gardens and became associated with the source of purity, wisdom and innocence in the medieval age. So maybe a dip in the water wouldn’t be such a bad idea for some of you. 

In their current form, fountains are purely decorative odes of the past. Diana being a reminder of the University’s alumni and our fervent love for campus wildlife like our squirrels, geese and many other exotic creatures.

I’m sure you’ll grow sick of your abroad friend’s photos in front of the Trevi fountain in Rome, so maybe, take a minute, risk there being a long line for Just BEE Acai, and take a photo in front of Diana to show them more proof that Champaign is just like Europe, maybe even better.

Aside from upstaging your friends, be sure to stop and appreciate our campus’ favorite dispenser of water, at least in our fleeting months of warmth, or any fountain, as humans have for millennia. 

ms98@dailyillini.com 

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Tomorrow, polls will open at noon for the election of a new student government. These annual elections result in a complete turnover of the Illinois Student Council along with the student senators and Student Organization Resource Fee Board. Elections run until Thursday.

Four pairs of candidates are in a race to fill the shoes left by current Student Body President Abby McGuire and Vice President Alex Koscielski. Each duo finds themselves built upon a foundation of mental health advocacy and increasing student financial security; however, their differences are what may be the deciding factor in this race.

Presidential candidate Jack Lemorte and running mate Alyla Ditiangkin differentiate themselves with goals of decreasing targeted acts of violence, increasing post-graduate opportunities and ensuring food security on campus. According to the two, implementing their aspirations would take the form of increased access to pre-professional clubs and distribution of meal tickets. 

Competing candidates, Bill Liu and James Yang plan to leverage their technical expertise to aid in environmental sustainability and promote diversity and inclusion, which they say are at the heart of their campaign. Collaboration with dining halls to reduce waste, promotion of multicultural events and improving disability accessibility are on this partnership’s agenda if elected.

Carter Cohen and Viktoriya Dragnevska, former student representatives from ACES, plan to expand student safety and environmental and community advocacy, accomplishing this through the enhancement of the SafeWalk program and adjusting the Illinois Promise Scholarship for economic shifts.

Hunter Farnham and Rudy LaFave distinguish themselves from the common goal of financial security with a commitment to increasing the student worker’s minimum wage to $15. The two also seek to be more transparent with the council’s finances and transform the University into the sustainable technology leader of the Big Ten.

For a better overview of these candidates, visit their profiles or watch a recorded stream of their open forum from Feb. 19. 

Alongside the presidential positions, the Student Organization Resource Fee Board, student senate, student trustees and student representatives are all receiving a makeover. 

The Student Organization Resource Fee is a $5.50 fee collected from every student each semester that is used to help fund programs and/or services of registered student organizations. The board is established each year to allocate this collective budget.

The Senate is a legislative body composed of about 200 faculty, 50 students and 10 academic professional members. Its duties include but are not limited to the exercise of legislative functions regarding education policy, admission, athletics, research and inclusion.

Student representatives are more localized and are selected by their respective colleges to represent students’ interests within the college.

Only one student from the University is selected to be a student trustee and will join two other students from the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois at Springfield on the board of trustees. Among these three students, the governor selects one to have an official vote to use on issues of University health care, governance, budget and student affairs.

Interested students can vote online on the Campus Student Election Commission’s website starting tomorrow at noon. 

ms98@dailyillini.com

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Each semester, the threat of break-ins remains prevalent on the University campus. In the last two months, theft and property-related crimes have represented more than 45% of all reports to University police, according to the University of Illinois Police Department’s daily crime log.

Given its regular occurrence on campus, University police detective Tara Hurless shared some ways to prevent campus’ most common crime. 

“Theft is the number one reported crime on campus, but it’s 100% preventable,” Hurless said. “It is really prevalent and we need to take measures.”

Whether it’s a residence hall, apartment or house, the easiest way to prevent a break-in is by locking your door, but it doesn’t stop there, Hurless said.

“I know at a young age we’re all taught to hold the door open for the person behind us, but you don’t know who’s not supposed to be there,” Hurless said. “So even though it may seem rude, don’t let others piggyback off of you getting into a space that has you scan your card or use your keys to get in.” 

If you’re ever to lose your card or fob, it can be used to get into buildings under your name until you report it missing and the barcode can be voided, Hurless added.

“If you lose one of them, or they’re stolen, report that to the Illini Union Bookstore,” Hurless advised.

In the event that a break-in does occur, Hurless advised to contact University police immediately. They are here to serve students, just like any other service provided on campus, she said.

“Sometimes people don’t feel comfortable talking to the police, which I can understand,” Hurless said. “But we are here because if you don’t feel safe and secure, how are you gonna be successful in getting your degree?”

Hurless noted that there are many measures of support, including over 2,500 cameras throughout campus to help support student victims. 

Crime reports spike following breaks due to exceeding amounts of burglaries while students are away.

“Folks know that we go away for a month for Christmas, a week for Thanksgiving and spring break,” Hurless said. “We need to make sure people are locking their doors.”

According to Hurless, fraternities and sororities are optimal targets compared to other student residential housing due to their lack of security and high number of residents. Over this winter break, three fraternities’ houses were broken into within just two weeks, with at least one being left unsecured.

“They get broken into because you’re breaking into a house that has 25-plus rooms,” Hurless explained. “You’re getting a lot more stuff.”

Hurless also noted that theft isn’t limited to inside your apartment or residence hall either. There have been cases of theft in other buildings, including study and laundry rooms. 

“Some people will take your laundry out and push it to the side or they may just take it,” Hurless said. “At the library, if you leave everything unattended, someone’s gonna say ‘Oh, a Mac computer, I’m gonna permanently borrow that.’”

Hurless noted that whether you’re new to your housing situation or it’s your fourth year, it’s important to practice precautionary measures. She encourages victims of any crime to reach out and remember that University police are here to serve the student population.

“We need to make sure we’re reporting things so you have the right folks trying to help you out,” Hurless said. “We can’t fix things we don’t know about.”

ms98@dailyillini.com

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Protesters gathered in Hessel Park on Saturday in opposition to Israel’s siege of Gaza and promotion of an immediate and permanent ceasefire. The rally transitioned into a marching protest down West Kirby Avenue, crossing paths with traffic from the Illini men’s basketball game, stopping at South First Street and returning to the park.

Students, organizers and community members attended the rally and march. Various organization members and even the occasional toddler led chants and gave speeches.

The campaign is part of an international movement called Shut It Down For Palestine. The event was organized through a collaboration of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a nationwide socialist political party, and the Prairie Liberation Center, a new hub “fighting to empower the marginalized in Central Illinois,” according to its website, located in downtown Champaign. 

More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed in the besieged Gaza Strip in the three months since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, NBC reported, citing the Palestinian Health Ministry. Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7 killed more than 1,200 people.

According to George Basil, an organizer for both the PSL and PLC, the gathering was held “to demand a ceasefire resolution be passed in the Urbana City Council and Champaign City Council.”

A ceasefire resolution entails the denouncement of war; passing them in Champaign-Urbana would result in increased pressure for the U.S. government to encourage a ceasefire between the warring states. Other U.S. municipalities have gone through with this action already.

“Cities across the country have been joining this call … the democratic mechanisms that people thought they could rely on have vanished,” Basil said. “It’s a political position that’s not represented by Democrats, Republicans or anybody in the administration.”

Speakers at the rally demanded action from the University, emphasizing a connection between them and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Basil specifically referenced the University’s Caterpillar Inc. laboratory.

“Last year there was a similar protest at the Caterpillar Research Lab on campus — Caterpillar is a company that has invested in the design of militarized bulldozers that the IDF uses to demolish Palestinian homes,” Basil stated. “We’re here to make the University’s connections very visible and uncomfortable for the University administration.”

Vocal protesters holding picket signs and banners made themselves visible by occupying the right lane of Kirby Avenue, leading to the State Farm Center just 45 minutes before the Illinois versus Indiana men’s basketball game.

The rally and march were met with two individuals who followed along on the opposite side of the road carrying an Israel flag with chants of their own. Both were adamant about their disdain for Hamas, not the Palestinian people, and their support of Israel.

“We’re out here against the genocide that happened against the Israel and Jewish people on Oct. 7,” said Max, a counterprotester. “Now, while the people suffer in Palestine, the leadership of Hamas eat fancy dinners in their luxury apartments in Doha, (Qatar).” 

“I support a ceasefire if they give all government power to Israel and Netanyahu, the prime minister and the president of Israel,” said Gravell, an accompanying counterprotester. “The powers that are supporting Gaza — they’re talking about eradicating the Jewish people and that’s what I stand against.”

Similar testaments were made by those in the rally in support of civilians, but not warfare.

“This is not a measure against the Jewish people, it’s against the genocide in Gaza,” said Ben Joselyn, the individual who brought the ceasefire resolution before the city council. “We’re hoping that folks will continue to support and that we’ll continue to learn and advocate for peace and justice in the world.”

Throughout the afternoon, organizers were collecting signatures for the resolution and passing out flyers for upcoming events.

“What is our long-term plan?” asked Dua Aldasouqi, organizer of A Day for Palestine, an upcoming event on Feb. 3 at the Urbana Free Library. “These actions are great, they get the word out, but we need to be educated, and that is the focus of the event on Saturday.”

Aldasouqi’s community education-focused event will include documentaries, art galleries, story time for children and writing letters to local government representatives. 

“The interpersonal conversations are what matter,” Aldasouqi said. “If someone feels like their opinion is the minority, they don’t speak up. It creates a spiral of silence that makes it feel like the majority is the only opinion that exists but if someone starts a conversation, the floodgates open.”

ms98@dailyillini.com

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On Saturday night at around 11:30 p.m., a 22-year-old woman walked out of The Red Lion and reportedly lost consciousness. 

According to the METCAD scanner, the woman was reportedly “inside, passed out, believed to be not breathing” at 11:39 p.m. 

Paramedics arrived at 11:41 p.m. and reported the woman was breathing but still unconscious. 

*This is a developing story.*

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 Translated to “The Child” in Spanish, El Niño is a reference to the baby Jesus because its effects are usually felt around the time of Christmas. This Yuletide phenomenon typically leads to a warmer and drier winter in the Midwest.

“El Niño is a periodic warming of the waters in the eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean,” said Jefferey Frame, professor in LAS and an expert in severe storms and winter weather. “This occurs about every three to seven years, and that’s a natural cycle that has nothing to do with climate change.”

This year’s El Niño is looking to be quite strong. To be considered an El Niño winter, Pacific temperatures must reach 0.5 degrees Celsius above normal. This September, temperatures had already breached 1.6 degrees Celsius above normal, and with a 30% chance of exceeding 2 degrees Celsius above normal, this could be shaping up to be the strongest El Niño since 1950, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In C-U, one can expect snowfall to be below average while temperatures will be above average according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. These predictions currently hold into March.

However, Frame strongly emphasized the difficulty of predicting such weather that is more than two weeks away. “I can’t tell you right now what the weather is going to be like on Thanksgiving,” Frame said. 

 There’s still a lot of ground to cover in terms of seasonal forecasting. However, according to Frame, current technologies perform better than traditional methods. 

“Certainly this is better than the Farmers’ Almanac, or (predicting using) wooly worms or persimmons … none of that matters,” Frame said. “We’ve looked at El Niño winters and what’s happened but not every El Niño winter ends up like this, but more often than not they do.”

Frame referenced chaos theory as the driver for how incalculable it is. “If a butterfly flaps its wings in China it might rain in Central Park a week later,” he said. “That is what we’re dealing with …the equations of fluid dynamics on a rotating sphere.”

Frame explained that with these temperamental conditions, you can never be sure what a winter will look like. “I’m not saying we might not have cold days mixed in, (we’ll probably have) really cold days in there,” he said. 

ms98@dailyillini.com

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The meeting began with the presentation of a certificate naming Champaign a Welcoming City by the nonprofit organization Welcoming America. Champaign became the first city in Illinois and the 21st in the country to receive this certification. 

Melissa Bartolo, senior director of Welcoming America, was there to present the certification.

“(We) applaud your leadership in building a welcoming society where everyone, including immigrants, can fully contribute and shape our shared prosperity,” Bartolo said.

After accepting the certification, Champaign Mayor Deborah Feinen said, “I hope that everyone in our community knows that they are welcome here and we want you to build your life here.”

The meeting then transitioned to reviewing proposed bills, all of which were passed without objection.

The Champaign Police Department proposed authorization of the purchase and replacement of up to 100 tasers. This bill approves the purchasing of approximately $450,000 worth of tasers, licenses and accessories.

Several community-focused entities received funding per a bill required by the American Rescue Plan Act. Carle Foundation Hospital, Crime Stoppers, DREAAM Academy, First Followers, Housing Authority of Champaign-YouthBuild, STEAM Genius, Trauma and Resilience Initiative, Stephen’s Family YMCA and East Central Illinois-Youth For Christ were all met with another round of funding for “all their amazing work,” Feinen said.

The University’s Research Park received support through a cost-share agreement with the city. This bill allowed for a contribution of $100,000 to the LabWorks project, a laboratory space necessary for nurturing startups.

An engineering services agreement was made to break ground on the renovation of Park Avenue, an area in downtown Champaign. 

“(I) hope that we include as much as possible pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and also make it as accessible as possible,” said Kathy Shannon, City Council member, about downtown Champaign. “We’re not just a welcoming city for people from all over, we’re also a Welcoming City for people of all abilities and modes of transportation.”

ms98@dailyillini.com

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On Nov. 4, the first node of the University’s quantum network was installed in the Urbana Free Library through a live demonstration. The Grainger College of Engineering launched the project. 

The experiment mimicked the 2022 Nobel Prize-winning technology. This event marks the first time in history that the public has access to this technology.

“In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first phone call … I predict that we are about to witness a very similar game-changing, transformative moment for the globe,” said Susan Martinez, vice chancellor for research and innovation, while speaking at the event.

The University and the Urbana Free Library partnered with the local nonprofit Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband to make this quantum network over optical fibers. Optical fibers are thin threads of glass that carry information in the form of light to computers.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a quantum network is like the networks you use every day. It allows you to share data quickly and surf the internet with ease. 

However, when quantum physics gets involved, the capabilities are radically more extensive and powerful. These networks harness the quantum characteristics of superposition and entanglement to enable near-instantaneous processes. 

“Today we’re celebrating the fact that we’re able to send quantum particles of light, that’s the smallest bits of light, through (these fibers),” explained Virginia Lorenz, professor in Engineering. “Bringing (information) from the labs on the UIUC campus to the Urbana Free Library and back.”

This ability translates to accelerated communication, sensing and computation.

The official test launch was done on two entangled particles: One in the Loomis Laboratory of Physics and one in the library. 

Entanglement should result in any alteration on the library particle to affect concurrently the laboratory particle. The demonstrators made alterations by changing the polarity of the library particle and as a result, the laboratory particle became altered. It successfully resulted in entanglement.

“Soon, with some upgrades, we’ll be able to do quantum teleportation,” said Paul Kwiat, professor in Engineering. “That’s not the teleportation you may be familiar with … we’re teleporting information.”

These networks exist worldwide but unfortunately are only used for research. That is what makes this event so monumental.

“Anyone can come to this library and interact with cutting-edge technology and do the test themselves,” Lorenz said.

The network gives local children the opportunity to gain an interest in STEM fields while playing with the technology of the future. Mayor Diane Marlin of Urbana stressed the importance of this achievement for the youth and how a vast number of doors have opened for these children because of this installment.

This achievement adds to the state of Illinois’ quantum resume. With four of the 10 national centers for quantum technology residing in Illinois, the state is an industry leader in quantum applications, with Chicago being a hotspot. The University’s network will ultimately connect with the networks in Chicago according to Rashid Bashir, dean of the College of Engineering. 

“We hope that this will lead to new applications of these kinds of technologies,” Kwiat said. “My favorite example is the cellphone. The people who invented it had no idea (of) most of the applications. (They) didn’t know you were going to use them to order pizza.”

With this, Kwiat warns of the extent this technology will be used.

“This is going to be a very powerful technology,” Kwiat said.

Yet, he insisted that they are “working towards a technology that is available to everyone, serves everyone and is safe for everyone.”

“Technology like this will be as familiar to us as the internet is to us today … we’re just limited by our imagination,” Mayor Marlin said.

ms98@dailyillini.com

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Last month, Jeffrey Brown announced he would be stepping down as dean of the Gies College of Business. He will remain in his position until a replacement is found.

Brown received his bachelor’s degree from Miami University, his doctorate in economics from MIT and his master’s of public policy from Harvard University. He joined Illinois faculty in 2002 and was elected as the college’s 10th dean in 2015. 

Brown has also served as an economic adviser for the White House, quested across almost all of the 63 U.S. national parks and sat on the Berlin Wall as it fell.

Despite his resume, Brown sees his time with the University as his best. His decision to scrap the traditional MBA program and invest in an online counterpart prior to COVID-19 led the online iMBA program to be awarded MBA Program of the Year in 2022 by Poets&Quants. It is currently the fastest-growing MBA program in the world.

However, Brown chooses not to be included in business school rankings because of the obsession with exclusivity and inconsideration for costliness. After nine years at the University, Brown discusses his decision to step down. 

This interview has been edited for clarity.

The Daily Illini: Can you briefly explain why you’ve decided to step down?

Brown: This is my ninth year, and when I came into the role, I sort of both publicly and privately stated that I wouldn’t do more than 10, in part because I have a belief that having one person in a leadership role for too long is not good for the organization — it can stifle the growth and development of other leaders within the organization if they feel that they don’t have the opportunity to move up. 

As I looked at where we are, I realized that we have accomplished everything that we set out to do when I became dean … and more. It’s a good time over the next year or so to be doing a new round of long-term visioning and strategic planning to figure out where we want to take the college. 

It was a hard decision. I recognize there’s a very (high) possibility that I will someday look back at this as the best job that I ever had.

But, you know, I’ve got a great default option. Absent any other decision, I get to return to being a member of the faculty, and being a senior faculty member at a great research university is one of the best jobs ever. So, it’s not like I’m adrift at sea. I have something really good to go back to.

DI: Do you have any personal endeavors you plan on going after?

Brown: I mean, absolutely. For me, that includes a lot of outdoor time. I’ve had a goal of going to all 63 U.S. National Parks. I’ve been to 49 of them. I also plan to continue to do some thinking and writing about the future of higher education. I have a few research projects that haven’t gotten the attention that they deserve while I have served as dean that I will try to move forward. So, yeah, I am looking forward to the time to kinda regroup and reconnect with things that I love.

DI: What were some of the considerations you took when making your decision?

Brown: Steven S. Wymer Hall is under construction. It’s going to be open on Jan. 25. Selfishly, it would have been fun to be the dean when that building was opened because I have really been driving that project from day one. 

I recognize that any new dean who comes into the role needs to have an opportunity to make a difference early on, to build some momentum for their leadership so that they can effectively lead the college for hopefully eight to 10 years.

The cons of stepping down is I do love this job. But, I don’t want the college to get stale. I think bringing in a new leader is always an opportunity for an organization to engage in some self-reflection about where it wants to go. 

DI: What do you think that relationship with the new dean will be like?

Brown: Well, that is up to the new dean. I will make sure that they know how to reach me at any time for advice or counsel, but they will need to ask for it. I will not provide it unsolicited. I will do everything I can to help make the next (stage) successful.

DI: Do you see the residential MBA program coming back?

Brown: I mean, no, never say never, but no, I think the way the market has evolved, it has proven to be a really good decision. Our online program is doing extraordinarily well. I think since our announcement, additional schools have gotten out of it. Almost no one is entering the residential market.

DI: Where do you see higher education heading?

Brown: So, technology has obviously changed. It makes geography less relevant. At the same time, public support for higher education is declining, in part because people view it as expensive because it is much more expensive than it used to be.

There are other factors too. If we were going to sit down today and design a higher education system, I don’t think we would come up with a system where people spend four years on campus and then are done. Instead, I think we would be weaving education in with people’s work lives and family lives throughout their entire lives because the skills that we’re going to need are going to be changing and evolving.

(One of my favorite examples was) back in 2016. This guy by the name of Al Harms; he was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy. He was the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. That is the same position as, you know, who was commanding Pearl Harbor back in 1941. So, he retired from the Navy and was looking to do something different. So, he came back, and I think he was in his 60s at the time, and he earned his MBA from us. 

We have so many stories like that of people around the world. People who’ve been displaced from their home country and have been able to continue to work on their degree. While moving from country to country, people switch jobs — just all kinds of things.

ms98@dailyillini.com

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