The Daily Illini: Volume 147 Issue 28 by The Daily Illini

THURSDAY December 7, 2017

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Vol. 147 Issue 28

SubEx faces investigation Condemnations span four days Dec. 2 Initial email Suburban Express sends out advertisement to customers with the message, “You won’t feel like you’re in China,” among self-identified perks. First apology Suburban Express sends out followup apology to students saying, “The remark is being interpreted as a slap in the face of all non-caucasians for some reason, and that it not how it was intended,” adding, “in any event, we did not intend to offend half the planet.” Dec. 3 Second apology Suburban Express sends out a second apology to students after facing backlash for the wording in the first apology: “When we wrote a recent promotional email, we mentioned that Suburban Express riders would not encounter Chinese exchange students on our buses. That’s because they all ride our competitor now. It was an illadvised statement to make, because it upset the very people we were sad to have lost.” Dec. 4 Alderman Pawar statement Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar releases a statement via Twitter calling for an investigation into Suburban Express. “Since you serve O'Hare International Airport, I am going to call for a hearing on your business practices. In the meantime, you may want to issue a real apology,” Pawar wrote. Subpoena Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issues a subpoena to Suburban Express to investigate potential civil rights violations under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Third apology Suburban Express sends out a third apology in response to Ameya Pawar asking for an investigative hearing of the company’s behavior: “We have been made aware of the Illinois Attorney General's investigation of our practices as well as Alderman Pawar's call for a hearing. We are working to cooperate with both, and others, to fully respond to and rectify this situation.” Fourth apology Suburban Express releases a fourth apology on its Facebook page after the subpoena was issued, noting its original comments were “xenophobic in nature.” “Page of Shame” message Suburban Express posts on its Facebook a message about “Cheaters” and the company’s Page of Shame: “Frankly, we're frustrated. We want to recover revenue lost to dishonest people, and we want to discourage dishonest behavior. But anything we do is met with a storm of social media criticism,” said the post. news@dailyillini.com

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ADAM ZHANG THE DAILY ILLINI

Gus Wood, the co-president of Graduate Employees Organization, predicts that the House bill regarding raising graduate student taxes would decimate higher education. The bill would cause many grad students to struggle in paying for their tuition.

Tax bill may hinder higher ed BY HEATHER SCHLITZ STAFF WRITER

Gus Wood, a fifth-year graduate student in the Department of History and co-president of the GEO, feels unheard. “The University just doesn’t like to be transparent with us, which is unfortunate because a lot of graduate students right now are freaking out all over the campus about this bill,” Wood said. He’s referring to a new provision in the House tax bill that would count tuition waivers as taxable income has sent graduate students and University officials scrambling. “If this bill goes through and the provision is included in the final version of the bill,

people are going to be spending their winter break deciding whether they can continue in school,” said Bruce Kovanen, first-year Ph.D. student and chief grievance officer of the Graduate Employees Organization. “For many of us, the tuition waiver is how we got here.” According to Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, dean of the graduate college, 6,800 students received tuition waivers in the 2016-17 school year, representing almost 60 percent of the University’s graduate student population. Currently exempt from income taxes, tuition waivers given to graduate stu=dents in exchange for work have been a staple in graduate education, making educa-

Letters

passage of the provision will trigger an exodus of graduate students who would no longer be able to afford graduate education. “I believe that this will completely fracture higher education as we know it because people will no longer seek to go into graduate studies if they knew that they would not be able to afford to go there without taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans,” said Wood. Citing the damaging effects the provision would have on the University of Illinois and seven other colleges in his district, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) warned against the elimination of the exempSEE TAX BILL | 3A

Nanoparticles used Nobel Prize winner to fight cancer cells leaves his MRI legacy University researchers working on expanding treatment BY REBECCA WOOD STAFF WRITER

The University is making major strides in stem cell cancer research, aiming to change the way various types of cancers are treated, as detailed in a recent study. Santosh Misra, first author of a study published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and postdoctoral researcher in engineering, said the study began with looking at the repurposing of a particular drug, niclosamide, and then slowly starting to work toward positive results from cancer stem cell research. “From there the whole journey was making it (target specific) cancer stem cells and looking at their

influence on genes and proteins that are related to the survival of cancer stem cells,” Misra said. Dipanjan Pan, associate professor in bioengineering and director of professional masters program in bioengineering, led the study. Pan said that other treatments of cancer, such as chemotherapy, work by destroying the regular cancer cells but not capable of treating cancer stem cells since they remain dormant. However, Pan said these stem cells tend to slowly start to become active again and still hold the properties of stem cells. “They always form a cluster and in a cancer cell population, there is always the existence of a few cells that have the capability to grow back,” he said. Pan said these stem cells are also responsible for taking the regular cancer cells to other parts of the body, causing the cancer to spread. “Of course we’re inter-

BY YASMEEN RAGAB

Illinois ready for Michigan State

Student wins “Jeopardy!” six times

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tion accessible for students who would not have had the resources to afford it. A provision in the House bill would end the tax exempt status of tuition waivers, treating waived tuition money as income subject to federal income tax. “People who are making $17,000 to $20,000 would see their tax bills increase as if they were making closer to $60,000,” Kovanen said. “That’s enormous for people who are already under the living wage.” With the future of the exemption unclear as the Senate and House bills head into reconciliation– a streamlined legislative process– , graduate students and University officials worry that the

Crossword

One early morning in October 2003, Gregory Girolami received a phone call that a close friend and faculty member who lived four houses down from him, Paul C. Lauterbur, was awarded the Nobel Prize. Girolami, then department head of chemistry at the University, recalls driving Lauterbur from appointment to appointment that

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day, meeting with everyone who wanted to speak with him about the news. “I remember as we were arranging for the day’s schedule,” Girolami said. “Paul said, ‘I’m in your hands, schedule what you need to schedule, but I have a meeting with my students at 4 o’clock and whatever you do, I’d like to keep that meeting.’” On Nov. 9 of this year,

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2A Thursday, December 7, 2017

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Domestic battery was reported on the 1000 block of Bloomington Road around 11:30 p.m. Monday. According to the report, a witness saw the offender and victim engaged in a physical altercation, and the two gave conflicting statements on how the altercation occurred. Aggravated battery was reported at Village Pantry, 1201 N. Mattis Ave., around 11:30 a.m. Monday. According to the report, two males battered the victim over financial debt. Identity theft was reported on the 1100 block of Northwood Drive around 3 p.m. Monday. According to the report, an unknown offender used the victim’s information without his permission to establish service from Ameren Illinois.

arrested in accordance with a Cook County warrant following his release from Carle Foundation Hospital. Criminal damage to property was reported on the 100 block of Stebbins Drive around 2:30 p.m. Monday. According to the report, the offender was evicted from her home and failed to remove her property in time. One door frame was damaged in the eviction. Identity theft was reported on the 1400 block of Montgomery Street around 3 p.m. Monday. According to the report, the victim’s information was used to open a bank Urbana account. The bank account has been An arrest was made on the 600 subsequently closed after being block of West Park Street around overdrawn. 11 a.m. Monday. According to the report, a 38-year-old male was news@dailyillini.com

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An arrest was made near the intersection of Goodwin Avenue and Green Street around 4 p.m. Monday. According to the report, the 35-year-old male was arrested on the charges of driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident. The arrestee fled the scene after his vehicle struck the rear bumper of another vehicle. Theft was reported from the North Campus Parking Garage, 1201 W. University Ave., Monday. According to the report, the victim’s locked bicycle valued at $200 was stolen.

Student group advocates for own cultural house BY GEORGE VASILLATOS STAFF WRITER

For the past two years, Students for an Arab Cultural Center has campaigned to open a Middle Eastern and North African cultural house as a way to help students connect to their heritage. “This is essential, especially in the current political climate,” said Amira Hadyeh, president of the group and senior in LAS. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there has been an increase in anti-Muslim hate groups from 34 in 2015 to 101 in 2016. Hadyeh said one of the main reasons SACC is advocating for a house is to provide education about Middle Eastern and North African culture. One of SACC’s goals is to allow students the opportunity to ask questions directly to Middle Eastern and North African students. Hadyeh said they want to “get (the questions) answered through a dialogue instead of depending on the media.” Currently, the Middle Eastern and North African students hold their

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NIKKY GARY THE DAILY ILLINI

Various cultural houses are on Nevada Street in Urbana. Students for an Arab Cultural Center is working to establish its own cultural house at the University.

events at the Asian American Cultural Center. “We appreciate the Asian-American cultural house,” Hadyeh said. “But we really would like to be recognized as a culture instead of being grouped with another.” Hadyeh said she believes a cultural house would allow the group to broaden the scope of their events. “We just want to spread more knowledge about

people that are often misrepresented,” she said. Zain Al-Khalil, vice president of SACC and junior in LAS, said in an email that SACC has had several Middle Eastern and North African students report instances of discrimination on campus because of their ethnicity. “Our main focus right now is to gather support from the student body in order to show the admin-

istration that many feel strongly about establishing a (Middle Eastern and North African) cultural house,” Al-Khalil said. The group is working on promoting its message through its Facebook page, Students for an Arab Cultural Center at Illinois, and are preparing to host a series of events next semester to spread the word. gvassi3@dailyillini.com

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THURSDAY December 7, 2017 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

NEWS

Riggs Beer Company moves to solar power

it’s another thing to invest your money and take a risk,” Matt said. “We hope that we can prioritize minimizing our environmental impact.” bvictor2@dailyillini.com

schlitz2@dailyillini.com

STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF DARIN RIGGS

Riggs Beer Company, above, located in Urbana, is in the process of going solar. The brewery plans to rely on solar energy by the end of the year which will cost about $240,000. Kegs of beer, below, are lined up in the brewery.

a unique option called solar leasing,” he said. They are renting their solar energy from a company called Illini Solar Leasing, run by Dan Maloney. Illini Solar Leasing rents the system out to Riggs Brewing Company, and after a few years of leasing it, they have the option to buy it. “It offers a lot of different ways for businesses to take advantage of solar energy," Maloney said. He hopes to make solar energy financially viable and encourages others to invest in solar energy. “Eventually, when we’ve paid off the system, all the electricity after that is essentially free. Initially we have a larger expense," Caroline said. “We pay by

“For us, being a family-owned and operated business, we weren’t as interested in expanding, we wanted to know how to go solar and reduce our carbon footprint.” MATT RIGGS OWNER OF RIGGS BEER COMPANY

the kilowatt an hour, but once you’ve paid off your system you’re still generating electricity for another 10, 20 (and) 30 years.” Matt said if they didn't use this type of leasing, they probably could not have made their dreams for solar energy a reality for another eight years. “For us, being a familyowned and operated business, we weren’t as interested in expanding; we wanted to know how to go solar and reduce our carbon footprint,” Matt said. They are in the process of installing a 75.9 kilowatt solar array, with over 270 individual solar panels. Matt said the installation will help them reduce their dependency on normal electricity by 90 to 100 percent. There will be two different solar panel arrays. One array is ground-mounted on steel beams in the Riggs Brewery parking lot. The other array has two panels that will be elevated separately in their beer garden behind the brewery. “They will be 10 feet off the ground, so you can drink a beer, sit at the

PHOTO COURTESY OF DARIN RIGGS

tables, and you can sit in the shade of the panels while it’s providing us with energy,” Matt said. The construction will be completed by Dec. 24. “It’s easy to say you care about the environment, but

TAX BILL tion before voting to pass the bill with the provision still included. “By repealing this provision, middle-income individuals who rely on these reductions to obtain a college degree will be forced to pay taxes on amounts they never actually physically possess,” Davis said in a letter to the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. In 2015, the University ranked among the top 10 colleges most reliant on teaching assistants, with graduate TAs teaching 19 percent of all classes, according to US News and World Report. The possibility of losing current graduate students and a decreasing applicant pool, if the provision were included in the final tax bill, could threaten the research taking place and the University’s ability to staff classes, Kovanen said. “If the House bill were to proceed as written, it would adversely impact graduate education,” ChodzkoZajko said. “Every university that I know across the country and all of our peers are watching and studying the situation very carefully and, depending on what happens in Congress, undoubtedly the University would respond.” Wood lambasted the University’s response as lacking in enthusiasm and insufficient in addressing the alarm amongst graduate students. Negotiations between the GEO and the University over a new contract for graduate students have dragged on since August. Wood said he hopes that necessity would drive the University administration to take action. “All of the major universities are going to see a drastic deterioration to the point that some of them will close because people aren’t going to be there to do graduate work,” Wood said. “They need to do something because if they lose their workforce here because graduate students could no longer come here to work at this University, then this University will fall.”

BY ANNIE VICTOR

Riggs Beer Company, located at 1901 S. High Cross Road in Urbana, is currently installing solar panels in efforts to become more environmentally sustainable. The installation, which began last week, will help the brewery become almost entirely solar powered. Family-owned business was started by two brothers, Matt and Darin Riggs, who grew up in Champaign County. Along with their wives, Caroline and Gail Riggs, respectively, they opened up Riggs Beer Company in 2015. The inspiration for the implementation of solar energy came when Matt was working at a brewery in Germany. “Early on, before we started the business, I’d been interested in solar. My wife and I lived in Germany a long time and there, solar energy is everywhere you look,” Matt said. “I said if we ever go home in Illinois and open a brewery, I want to go solar." When they first opened Riggs Brewing Company, Matt said they were spending an average of $1,000 a month on their electricity bill. “We knew it was getting more affordable, and once we saw the business was on its feet, we decided to go for it,” Matt said. However, this decision did not come without its challenges. Matt said this project will cost somewhere around $240,000, which would have been way too much money for a business only open for a year and a half. “For such a young business, conventional bank loans would not have lent to us. We had to go through

FROM 1A

PARTICLES

PROFESSOR

ested in treating the regular cancer cells,” Pan said. “But at the same time, we are also interested to make the cancer therapy more sustainable so that it does not come back and allow the other cancer cells to spread to other parts of the body.” The drug Pan and Misra used in the study has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and has been around for over 50 years. “In this particular way, (the drug) can act on the cancer stem cells and minimize the growth of the cell,” Pan said. He said because the drug has already been approved by the FDA, they saved a lot of time and can focus more on the development of applying it to cancer therapy. The problem they have been trying to solve is how to deliver this drug to the cancer stem cells. The answer was in nanoparticles. “ Na nopa r ticles a re actively targeted,” Pan said. “They know where to go, where to seek out the cancer stem cells.” Pan said the nanoparticles are designed to target even a tiny population of cancer stem cells. They do not have an impact on other cancer cells or regular cells because they are programmed to look for the properties of stem cells. For this study, the two used rodents for testing. They looked at genes and

Lauterbur was posthumously inducted to the Engineering and Science Hall of Fame, which is an “international organization established to honor engineers and scientists who, using scientific and engineering principles, have made a significant contribution to human well-being,” according to its website. Lauterbur was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work in magnetic resonance imaging, also known as MRI, an award he shared with Sir Peter Mansfield of England, Girolami said. Lauterbur’s initial proposal of MRI was reviewed as practically impossible by Nature, a scientific magazine, in 1973, Girolami said. “He wrote to the editors (of Nature) and said, ‘I think you’ve made a mistake,’ and Nature decided to accept the paper which founded the field of MRI,” Girolami said. Lauterbur joined the University in 1985, two years after Girolami. After he moved to the Department of Chemistry from the College of Medicine, his office was just a few doors down from Girolami in the Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory, Girolami said. Lauterbur switched into the Department of Chemistry in the spring of 2003 and won the Nobel Prize in October. Girolami said after the paper was published in Nature, people immediately recognized the impor- yragab2@dailyillini.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIPANJAN PAN

Nanoparticles (black) latch onto cancer stem cells (yellow), administering a drug that stunts their growth. Dipanjan Pan and Santosh Misra are working with these nanoparticles to further cancer research at the University.

proteins after using breast cancer cells and their developed drug-delivering nanoparticles, Misra said. Pan said their work is only published using breast cancer cells, but they have tested on melanoma and saw positive results. Pan and Misra are working to show their way of therapy can be used on many other cancers. “I would say it is a very generalized therapy approach,” Pan said. In the next steps, Pan and Misra said they plan to test on other types of cancer and larger animals, like pigs. So far with rodents, though, they have seen minimal issues.

“As for the tests we’ve done for efficiency and safety, we have seen good efficiency and no safety concerns,” Misra said. Pan said pigs have organ systems similar to humans, so they would be able to see any potential concerns with humans in the next steps. Once they have completed the testing of nanoparticles on pigs successfully, the two can then apply for FDA approval. Andrew Smith, associate head of undergraduate programs and assistant professor in Engineering, said this is just a stepping stone for the University to become leaders in the pharmaceutical field.

“A big mission of all this is to have an impact on human patients, improve their health and do it through pharmaceutical sciences, which is basically delivering drugs to diseases,” Smith said. Pan said this is just the beginning, and the University and cancer world can expect more from their research. “We were trying to not just stop the cancer cells from growing, but we are trying to make cancer therapy more sustainable,” Pan said. “We are trying to increase the lifetime of a cancer patient.” rnwood2@dailyillini.com

tance of the MRI discovery because General Electric jumped on the idea and started to develop imaging systems for hospitals within a few years. “Paul relished being a scientific maverick and took delight in turning people’s ideas upside down. He did that a number of times,” he said. The current head of the Department of Chemistry, Martin Gruebele, recalls Lauterbur’s humility in the way he dealt with fellow faculty members and students. “Paul was gentle, kind, humble and when he would talk with you, he would listen … That was true for other faculty members and for his students,” Gruebele said. “He talked to an undergraduate student like he was a friend.” Lauterbur worked at the University until he died at the age of 77 in 2007. His wife, Joan Dawson, passed away in July of this year. “(Paul’s) largest legacy is saving tens of thousands of lives through the discovery of his technique that made early diagnosis of illnesses possible where it was (previously) impossible,” Gruebele said. At the University level, Lauterbur left his imprint on those around him. “On campus, his legacy is the students and postdocs he worked with, the science he did in collaboration with colleagues … and the people he trained that go out in the world and become scientists in their own right,” Gruebele said.

THURSDAY December 7, 2017 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

OPINIONS

Ditch texting and call your friends instead BRIAN LOH COLUMNIST

few Fridays ago, a group of friends and I wanted to get dinner together to celebrate the end of another stressful week of midterms. Golden Harbor at 6 p.m. was declared as the time and place, and everyone agreed they could make it. As 6 o’ clock rolled around, everyone — except one person, let’s call him Bob — was at Golden Harbor. We asked Bob’s roommate where Bob wa, and he said he didn’t know since Bob didn’t respond to his text. As a group, we weren’t sure whether we should eat without him or wait a bit longer. Ten minutes later, Bob appeared and declared that the reason he was late was he saw a friend he hadn’t seen for a while, decided to catch up with him and didn’t see the texts. After this event, I was wondering how we could’ve avoided this problem, and I realized the answer was quite simple: a phone call. Calling Bob would have fixed the problem because Bob’s whereabouts and whether the group should start without him would have been instantly determined because Bob would

have responded instantly through the phone. Today, people don’t usually think of phone calls as a means of communication. It has been phased out in favor of text messaging. What could be more convenient than instant messaging? People forget that phones involve one more layer of depth of communication than text: the voice. A phone call allows for faster communication than text because there’s no need to type something out. This allows for not only a more efficient means of communicating, but also an improvement in the quality of the conversation because people can incorporate emotion in their voices. According to professor Albert Mehrabian, words only contribute to 7 percent of the message when communicating. Adding voice would add 38 percent to the quality of the message transferred, especially when transferring a message that uses emotion. It’s a well-known statement that “sarcasm doesn’t work over text.” Sarcasm is defined as saying one thing but meaning the complete opposite. Without obvious verbal or nonverbal clues, sarcasm completely and utterly fails through text because the only piece of evidence that might lead one to believe a text is sar-

People forget that phones involve one more layer of depth of communication than text: the voice.

castic is context. Text just doesn’t convey the same level of emotion because the difference isn’t what you say but how you say it. In today’s electronic culture, texting is the most popular means of communication. It lets people communicate small pieces of information without having to go through the hassle of calling them. This is great when you want to know something objective like what time a concert starts. However, texting has gotten so powerful that it dominates areas where texting isn’t necessarily the best method of communication. With the advent of apps like Tinder, many people are finding dates online and making first impressions through text instead of face-to-face. As Mehrabian said in his paper, texting only makes up for 7 percent of the determining factor of emotional communication. Attempting to communicate emotional messages through text can lead to awkward situations where texts are misinterpreted and issues arise. Unfortunately, this problem is usually a result of both sides interpreting the message differently, so the issue isn’t the message itself, but the way through which the message is communicated. This is so common that Key and Peele made a comedy skit about this very problem a few years ago. If you must use text messaging, a simple solution to this common issue is to clearly word your messages to avoid misinterpretation. Texting shouldn’t be the prime means of communicating. There should be a push to increase the usage of other forms of commu-

10:07 AM

Richard Text Message

Can we call instead?

CONNOR CIECKO THE DAILY ILLINI

nication, like voice or video calling. Overall, the end goal is for people to communicate face-to-face. But when that isn’t physically possible, the order of

Stop the greed this holiday season

communication in terms of quality of your conversation is video calling, then voice calling and finally texting. This way, based on the type of message, people can gauge

COLUMNIST

t’s the start of December, and if you’re anything like me, you’re freaking out. Christmas lurks around the corner, and you have no idea what to get your mom and dad. It’s the thought that counts, so they say. But what if your thought is wrong? Around this time every year, malls and stores are flooded with holiday shoppers all in search of the latest Disney plush toys for their young children or that sweater all their daughters’ cool friends wear, or even the one swan statue Grandma doesn’t have, but needs, on her lawn. But in reality, this shouldn’t be a major concern. Christmas isn’t about spending hours trying to find the perfect thing to buy for our loved ones. Things are just that: things. We all live in big things that are filled to the top with even more things, and yet, we can’t get enough things. The Christmas holiday has become little more than a day to celebrate greed and materialism. Last year, holiday spending exceeded $655.8 billion in the U.S. alone, and this year, the number is expected to reach $682 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m no Grinch. I like giving and receiving gifts as much as the next Who in Whoville. But

COLLEEN ROMANO THE DAILY ILLINI

really, gift-giving among family and friends should be of secondary importance during the holidays. We cannot lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas: the time spent with those we love and the generosity that is supposed to swirl in the air, coating everything like a fresh blanket of snow. Generosity isn’t giving your daughter a $1,000 iPad. Genuine generosity is giving to those who have nothing, not because they have any relation to you and not because they “deserve” it, but simply because you have and they have not. Generosity is

the “Christmas magic” we all hear about. It’s what allows the big man in the red suit to squeeze down all of those chimneys around the globe, and it’s what makes the holiday so powerful. The purpose of Christmas is to make the life of someone other than yourself better, to give to those who truly, painfully want the things we take for granted. It should remind us that we are not the only people in this world. Let’s think: Does gifting Rebecca a $1,000 iPad just because Christians hundreds of years ago decided to celebrate Jesus’ birth

a few months late really reflect the values of Christmas? Each of us holds the power to make Christmas special for those in need. Volunteer at a soup kitchen on Christmas Eve, ring the bell for the Salvation Army or donate presents to children. There are opportunities for you to keep the Christmas magic alive, and as I struggle to practice what I’m preaching, I hope you will find a cause worthy of your support, too. Lucas is a sophomore in Engineering. loswald2@dailyillini.com

Brian is a junior in Engineering. bzloh2@dailyillini.com

Don’t limit your music ASHVINI MALSHE

LUCAS OSWALD

what form of communication to use to convey their message in the best way possible.

and technology have taught me that. But strive to save your dignity from the advertisers and use common sense to be picky and to demand only the best. If corporations, advertisers and celebrities are going to make careers out of using consumers as pawns, we must be the most cunning pawns we can possibly be. Use decisiveness to make choices that actively make you more self-aware and engaged with the pop culture zeitgeist, particularly the music industry. If something makes you happy, like listening to a song that is judged to be silly and shallow by classist guidelines, it’s important to ignore the naysayers and consume what you choose. Ignoring this can help you expose yourself to a diverse range of artistic voices — everyone from Dua Lipa to Janelle Monáe to the Sparks. Ignore those who wish to put you in a box, ignore what the corporations tell you, ignore what the advertisers distract you with and make an effort to discover a plethora of incredible music that exists in the airwaves, past and present. If that means you listen to Taylor Swift, listen to her. Drink up her music, but don’t limit yourself to just her; fight for more choices. Take advantage of free streaming services and go nuts. You should know as I write this, I’m currently listening to “Look What You Made Me Do” on loop. My roommates are annoyed, but I sure can’t complain, at least for now.

ome days I love Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do,” and some days I hate it. There is no in between. I have tried rationalizing this cycle of love and hate, but like always, my taste in music flummoxes me. I don’t understand why I can be just as pumped up by She & Him’s “I Could’ve Been Your Girl” as I can by N.E.R.D.’s “Lemon.” Maybe it’s because they are both great productions, but societal constructs dictate that I box myself into a stereotype and only pick one genre to consume. This stereotype should ideally determine everything I’m interested in and every musical decision I make. But I have come to the conclusion that these stereotypes ultimately don’t matter, and the consequent decisions I make are of little importance in determining my personality. Additionally, music is a product, and as a consumer, you have the power of choice, which is a big deal. Corporations, including the popular musicians who they represent, infiltrate our lives. The little power we have in this capitalistic relationship is in how we choose to consume what they produce. Ultimately, we determine what is popular, and the corporations fall at our feet to give us what we want. Yes, advertisers play a major hand in determining what products we choose to consume — my studies in Ashvini is a senior in LAS. mediated communication amalshe2@dailyillini.com

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS | opinions@dailyillini.com with the subject “Letter to the Editor.” The Daily Illini reserves the right to edit for length, libel, grammar and spelling errors, and Daily Illini style or to reject any contributions. Letters must be limited to 300 words. Contributions must be typed and include the author’s name, address and phone number. University students must include their year in school and college.

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Thursday, December 7, 2017

Students talk life on the pre-health track STAFF WRITER

Aashna Thakur has always wanted to be a doctor. She made this decision at a young age after seeing her grandfather, an OBGYN, help many patients in India. To support her career goals, she volunteered in hospitals throughout middle school, high school and now college. When it came time to declare her major, molecular and cellular biology was a natural fit. Today, Thakur, sophomore in LAS, is one of the 1,002 MCB undergraduate students enrolled in the major according to a fall 2017 student enrollment report conducted by the Division of Management Information. MCB is also one of the most popular pre-health majors. The University does not put students on pre-health tracks or require students to formally declare when they decide to pursue a pre-health track. However, The Career Center surveyed undergraduate students who applied to medical school during the 2016 cycle. Of the 409 applicants who responded, 220 were MCB majors, making up 54 percent of the respondents. This is consistent with the Association of American Medical Colleg-

es’ data for the 2016 cycle, where 54 percent of all medical school applicants also majored in biology. For students who want to become health professionals, MCB is a popular choice. Emily Patzke, sophomore in LAS, always knew she wanted to go into the health field, so she declared MCB. Patzke experienced firsthand the competitive nature of the popular pre-health major. “MCB is designed to break you — it’s designed to basically break the people who aren’t meant to do med school and who are meant to do med school,” Patzke said. In time and with a lot of research, she realized the major was not in line with her career goals of becoming a physician assistant. To become a PA, Patzke needs thousands of clinical hours, which means an additional certification. In between undergraduate and professional school, she also needs to work to save up money, so she decided to become a dietitian first. “When people ask me why I changed my major from MCB to possibly dietetics if I get in, it wasn’t because MCB was too hard — that’s a big concept with MCB majors when you change out — not at all, I did just fine in all of my coursework,” Patzke said. “It was because of

the fact that I realized I needed a job. I realized I needed to change my path a little bit, but it’s still to the same end road.” MCB is notorious for its rigorous curriculum, but it is not the only pre-health curriculum on campus. Kinesiology, community health and human development and family studies are among other specialized health science majors the University offers. Students in any major can be on a pre-health track to apply to a professional health school as long as they take the prerequisite courses specified by that respective post-graduate program. Jennifer Crum, senior assistant director for health professions and graduate school services at the Career Center, advises a variety of pre-med students who come from a diverse range of majors. She said it is less about what a student studies as an undergrad and more about the skills and experiences a student acquires. “There is just a very general misperception that a major like biology or MCB equals medical school,” Crum said. “Your major doesn’t matter because getting into medical school is all about the whole package. But the whole package includes everything else

IN PHIL G OSO PHY STATISTICS GY O L IO

SOC

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BY SIDNEY MADDEN

BERCHAM KAMBER THE DAILY ILLINI

about you — your background, your interests, your activities, maybe some leadership.” Crum said many medical schools are looking for doctors from diverse backgrounds. As more medical schools adopt team-based learning, it is valuable to have physicians who evaluate problems from different perspectives. She said these perspectives are sharpest when studied with genuine

interest. Thakur believes passion can be a valuable driving force behind getting through pre-med and medical school. “Bio is for sure not the only major for med school, so pick something you’re passionate about,” Thakur said. “I’m passionate about biology, that’s why I picked it.” In the same vein, Patzke stressed the value of

researching different career paths for uncertain students who want to be on a pre-health track. “When you come into college, you’re not supposed to know what you’re going to do, you’re not supposed to know what path you’re going to take,” Patzke said. “If you plan everything out and really research, you’ll make it.” sidneym2@dailyillini.com

Students with medical issues experience difficulties transitioning to campus BY CHRIS JENIG STAFF WRITER

Dane Kozak is a hardworking student. A senior transfer student from the University of Illinois at Chicago, he is currently undeclared but pursuing computer science and biology. What many don’t know, however, is that Kozak struggles with a serious illness. Kozak has Crohn’s disease, a condition that can be both painful and debilitating. He was diagnosed in seventh grade. Since then, he has discovered a variety of strategies for dealing with his condition. Typically, Kozak said he doesn’t have any problems day-to-day, but the management of his disease is the hardest. “I have to stay healthy,” Kozak said. “I have to be getting enough sleep every night, have to be eating well.” Sleeping and eating well

are things all college students should be doing but are especially important for Kozak. However, Kozak said college fosters an environment where it is inherently difficult to keep up with health management. “Everyone should be (staying healthy), but to be honest, college is structured so that you can’t in a lot of ways,” Kozak said. “You’re expected to sacrifice your sleep or your health to study, to do well in lots of these classes.” One difficulty arising from Kozak’s condition is certain food sensitivities, which is a concern for anyone on a University meal plan. “It was definitely something I was worried about,” Kozak said. “When I started at UIC, their dining hall food did not agree with me.” He believes his condition may have worsened in part because of UIC’s disagreeable food.

Kozak believes the University does an excellent job of accommodating students like him through programs like Disability Resources and Educational Services. DRES provides Kozak with his Letter of Accommodations, or LOAs, allowing him extended time for tests, to leave class at any time during a test and increased leniency toward absences. For treatment, Kozak goes to Carle Foundation Hospital. He has a new doctor there, Dr. Simon Crass. “It was a big transition,” Kozak said. “I have my home doctor, she knew this doctor.” Kozak’s doctor back home recommended he get another doctor in Champaign since he would be here for so long. He still sees his old doctor when he goes home. As a transfer student, Kozak said the transition to a new college was difficult. “On the medical side of

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things, it was a nightmare,” Kozak said. “Since I was changing doctors, I had to get a recommendation to even see a doctor here. Then I had to get prescriptions transferred, all this stuff — all this approval for insurance. At the same time, I’m switching over to student insurance because my dad retired a year ago, so his insurance was ending.” After he switched to student insurance, Kozak had to evaluate which doctors he could see and what treatment he could get. He had to figure all this out in August, the onset of the school year. “This was taking all my time, really,” Kozak said. “There’s this nurse who’s constantly calling me during the day, and I can’t answer these calls, and I just get voicemail after voicemail — like, I don’t know what to do ... you know, like, I just need my medicine.” Kozak got his medicine a

little less than a week after he should have, in early September. After that, everything was routine. Despite its difficulties, local resources are ultimately able to come to the rescue for students like Kozak. Kozak isn’t alone in his struggle. Jaclyn May, freshman in DGS, has two rare autoimmune diseases: hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, where an overactive immune system attacks healthy tissue, and autoimmune hepatitis, where the body’s immune system attacks its own liver. She was diagnosed at the beginning of her senior year of high school. May receives even more thorough care than Kozak. May has nine specialists in downtown Chicago. The high level of attention needed to treat her conditions necessitated a channel between her doctors back home and her

doctor in Champaign. “We established a primary doctor here that I would communicate with, but for the most part, they’ve kind of agreed to do whatever my doctors (in Chicago) want them to ... ordering labs when I need blood work done, if I’m sick or whatever,” May said. May said the University does a good job of accommodating students like her. Aside from the institutional support provided by the University, May also stressed the importance of friendship as a form of support. May said her roommate, Kaiya Scholl, freshman in Engineering, is a huge source of support at the University. “I know she gets migraines a lot ... so when she comes home from class I’ll bring her some crackers and ginger ale, and I’ll try and be like a mother to her,” Scholl said. cjenig2@dailyillini.com

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD Across

1 Delights 5James or Luther of R&B 11 Liberal arts dept. 14 Further 15 Orator who declared “Laws are silent in times of war” 16 Drink mentioned in the chorus of “American Pie” 17 Words spoken just before a TV commercial 19 I.R.S. form 5498 subj. 20 Powerful bloodline? 21 “The Black Tulip” author 23 Polo, for one 26 Words of retraction 29 Bad-weather gear 31 Transfer 32 Hebrides isle 33 Pie flavor 36 Credit Suisse rival 39 Comment upon making a fateful decision 42 Attention 43 Swim meet event 44Brand with “Thick & Fluffy” products 45 Heaven 47 Proceed smoothly 49 “Uh-oh, here they are again” 53 Second-generation JapaneseAmerican 54 Pro and Mini purchases 55 Per person 57 Man’s name that’s three consecutive letters of the alphabet

21 26

31 34

20 23

55 59

48 53

puzzle by bruce haight

58 Angry words said after “Get out of here!” 64 Munchkin 65 Battle of ___ (1797 Napoleon victory) 66 State 67 Person using binoculars, maybe 68 Told tales 69 Able to move nicely

Down

1 Gab 2 Shout accented on the second syllable 3 Fashion inits. 4 Vehicle that gets cell service? 5 One doing a mob hit 6 Mob boss Frank 7 I.M.’ing option 8 Agcy. issuance

9 NPR journalist Shapiro 10 He adopted Esther in the Book of Esther 11 Sex drive and others 12 Variety of darkskinned grape 13 Winemaking need 18 This and that 22 Actress Hagen 23 Hurt maliciously 24 Kerfuffle 25 What kindness and honesty reveal 27 Saw 28 Musician with the 1987 instrumental hit “Songbird” 30 Stew (over) 34 “Whereupon …” 35 Cambodia’s Lon ___

37 General Mills corn snack bit 38 Absolut rival, informally 40 Go-between 41 Bases of TED talks 46 Acid 48 Go ___ great length 49 Essences 50 “Gimme a high-five!” 51 Wore 52 More than 1% or 2% 56 Tennyson’s “Geraint and ___” 59 Long in Hollywood 60 Binge-watching aid, in brief 61 There’s one for every season, for short 62 Poetic contraction 63 Shout

The crossword solution is in the Classified section.

THURSDAY December 7, 2017 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

LIFE & CULTURE

BY THOMAS BLOCK STAFF WRITER

Pranjal Vachaspati naturally squared his shoulders and gazed at the camera before him with a modest, welcoming smile, just as his two fellow contestants standing to his side had done a moment before. His relaxed appearance was enough to reveal that he’d been on national television before, though this was certainly not to be his last moment in the spotlight. During the summer of 2016, Vachaspati, graduate student in Engineering, made the audience’s jaws drop as a contestant on “Jeopardy!,” the iconic televised game show hosted by Alex Trebek. While he would soon become a multi-time champion in the trivia contest, his comfort wasn’t necessarily a display of his confidence. For him, it was just a matter of getting swept up in the experience. “There’s just so much going on that it’s easy to forget you’re on TV,” Vachaspati said. “I think some people do remember and then kind of freak out, but I totally just forgot.” Indeed, he needed all the brainpower he could muster during his six-game winning streak, including his critical fifth episode, which found him barreling through questions covering everything from Coldplay songs to stop-motion animation movies. In fact, his impressive performance not only kicked his cumulative prize amount to upward of $120,000 — a figure which rose to over $137,000 by the end of his run — it earned him a spot in the program’s annual Tournament of Champions, held early in November of this year. Judging from his nearencyclopedic knowledge, along with a physics degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one might expect Vachaspati to be an intellectual recluse, lost in his own thoughts. In actuality, he gears up for a trivia competition no differently than how people may spend their free time between classes: browsing through Wikipedia pages and catching up on documentaries. However, Vachaspati’s Ph.D. adviser, Tandy War-

PHOTO COURTESY OF PRANJAL VACHASPATI

Pranjal Vachaspati, graduate student in Engineering, poses with Alex Trebek, host for “Jeopardy!” Vachaspati’s six-game streak won him over $137,000 and earned him a spot in the annual Tournament of Champions.

now, believes there’s a difference between keeping your eye out and training it. “I don’t think it has anything to do with being perceptive,” Warnow said. “I think it has to do with being really well read, being very well focused.” What separates Vachaspati from most people is that he’s able to remember all of the information he picks up. “It kind of sticks, I guess,” Vachaspati said. It clearly stuck enough to land him at the contestant’s podium, though the opportunity didn’t come easily. Before his first go-around with “Jeopardy!,” Vachaspati trekked down a long road of applications, which began with an online test composed of 50 questions. After receiving a sufficient

score, he was invited for an in-person interview, followed by yet another exam and even a mock episode. As if he needed additional work to keep himself busy, Vachaspati put his computer savviness to work and engineered a program to automatically read him questions and simulate the timed buzzer system that “Jeopardy!” is famous for. The effort paid off in the end, as he not only managed to stay afloat during his first episode, which aired in July 2016, but was invited to return five more times to the show, garnering a win for each appearance. He’s grown so familiar with the game that he’s pointed out some trends among the questions he hears. “Some stuff will show up more frequently than oth-

ILL- -INI

FAMOUS ALUMNI

ers,” Vachaspati said. “Like, Shakespeare comes up a lot, U.S. presidents … your seventh grade history class comes up a lot.” Whenever possible, he’ll try to pick questions that swing closer to his college major — particularly if it’s a science category. It was a simple strategy that launched him to the 2017 “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions, an annual event that pools the most successful game participants of recent seasons into a series of all-star match-ups. T he qua r ter-f i na ls of the competition saw Vachaspati pitted against the intimidating Buzzy Cohen, who would go on to blaze through semifinals and dominate the entire tournament.

“One of my preparation things is watching the movie ‘Creed,’” Cohen said in an interview with “Jeopardy!.” “In the movie, they say, ‘One step at a time, one punch at a time, one round at a time.’ (Here) it’s like, ‘one clue at a time, one round at a time, one game at a time.’” Vachaspati kept on his heels until the final Jeopardy, where Cohen pulled away at the last second. “I thought I had him,” Vachaspati said in an interview with “Jeopardy!.” “But you know, then he came out with that huge wager. I was like, ‘Whoa!’” Although Vachaspati squeaked past to the semifinals on a wildcard advance, he couldn’t push past to the final round. Still, for anyone worried that he might have had a hard time shrug-

ging the loss off, it would be helpful to recall the bubbly, stress-free spirit that he’s consistently brought to the game. Nowhere have these mannerisms been more apparent than during one of Vachaspati’s “Jeopardy!” episodes last year, in which a question surfaced regarding the name of Blanche DuBois’ sister, a character popularized in the 1952 film “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Vachaspati couldn’t resist answering in earnest: “STELLA!” he called out. He may know a lot of things, but perhaps the most valuable one is how to enjoy himself. “Yeah, I lost,” he said, “but I had fun.”

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THURSDAY December 7, 2017 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

PENN STATE

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SECOND CHANCES

Illini ready for Sweet 16 and revenge against Spartans after regular season loss BY MEGHAN REST STAFF WRITER

The Illinois volleyball team isn’t just looking to advance through the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, it’s also looking for redemption. After nailing down a five-set win against Hawaii in the tournament opener, Illinois went on to upset

No. 8 seed Washington on its home court in another five-set thriller. But moving forward in the tournament offers Illinois more than just a chance at a national title. The Sweet 16 bracket is laden with Big Ten foes and offers Illinois a chance to redeem itselves against Michigan State—a team

they were swept by earlier this season. The Spartans toppled the Illini 25-18, 26-24, 25-19 on Nov. 10. Head coach Chris Tamas hopes this meeting will tell a different story. “I don’t think we were playing our best volleyball back during that weekend and Brandi was still coming back into the mix off of

her injury,” Tamas said. “I like where we’re at. We’re kind of the underdog so to speak and I think our team thrives with that.” During the regular season, the Spartans went 23-8 overall and 14-6 in the Big Ten. That’s not too far off the Illini’s overall record of 23-10 and 12-8 in the Big Ten. Despite the

two teams posting similar regular season results, it was all Michigan State in the team’s prior meeting this season. Within three sets, Michigan State out-hit Illinois .305 to .210, yielding 47 total kills against Illinois’ 38. The number of assists mirrored that of kills for each team respective-

ly as well. And with Donnelly fresh off the bench from injury, Illinois came up with only 34 digs while Michigan State tallied 47. But this time, the neutral setting and progress Illinois has made on the court will shine through against their Big Ten foe, Tamas SEE SWEET 16 | 3B

ON VOLLEYBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Wittinger ready to lead Illini Only one sport

matters right now

MILES POWERS-HUANG STAFF WRITER

Junior forward Alex Wittinger has become a steadying presence for her coach while also taking on a significant leadership role. Wittinger posted 14 points and 10 rebounds as Illinois used a fourth quarter surge to seal a 63-47 victory at Memphis on Sunday in a bounce-back win after a 96-49 loss to Virginia Tech. “It was a great game to bounce back,” Wittinger said. “There were definitely runs where they got ahead, but we didn’t fold. In the past, we (would) do well for three quarters and then tank in the fourth, so it was good that we continued the whole way through.” While her performances have been solid in every game so far, head coach Nancy Fahey has encouraged Wittinger to become a vocal leader, and the Delano, Minnesota, native admitted she is still working on it. In the past, Wittinger has chosen to lead by example, but she is ready to make the transition if her coach needs a vocal leader. After the crushing defeat to Virginia Tech, Fahey hoped her team would not let that game affect them going forward. Wittinger took it upon herself, as an upperclassman, to make sure the Illini responded well. “I try to push past it and learn from it. You can’t dwell on the past because it could just accumulate,” Wittinger said. “One of my jobs as one of the older players is to be encourag-

COLE HENKE SPORTS EDITOR

ETHAN SCHOLL THE DAILY ILLINI

Alex Wittinger shoots the ball in Illinois’ win over Chicago State on Wednesday, November 15th.

ing to everybody and try to be outward-focused.” Fahey’s main message after her team’s victory was her pride that it fought backand didn’t let the Virginia Tech loss get to it. She wants to build a cul-

ture based on looking forward rather than dwelling on mistakes. “We’ve obviously taken some punches this year, but the biggest thing we’re trying to do here is not look back because that’s the

only place your gonna go if you do that,” Fahey said. Aside from Wittinger, a surprise performance for the Illini came from sophomore guard Petra HolesSEE BASKETBALL | 3B

he first sporting event I ever went to as a student at the University was a volleyball game. The Illini took on a ranked North Carolina team. It was the first college volleyball game I had ever seen, and the place was packed. To this day, it is still one of my favorite memories I have as a fan. Huff Hall was rocking, it was loud and most importantly, the Illini won. The Illini swept the Tar Heels that night, setting a tone for my next four years that no other team on campus could match. They were going to win, and it was going to be a blast watching them do it. No other team could find that perfect mix. The men’s golf team has been unreal while I have been here, but it’s not like I can go stand on the green like I can stand on the court at a volleyball match. The wrestling team has an all-timer in Isaiah Martinez, but even he can’t bring the energy that Illinois volleyball has shown they can out of a crowd in the past few years. It’s not his fault; volleyball is an incredibly intense sport

to watch. Illinois volleyball is a powerhouse, and I think its year-to-year success has taken away from the recognition it deserves. Volleyball has been the most fun program to watch at the University since I have been here, and right now, it should be the focus of every Illini fan. The Sweet 16 is almost expected of the Illini at this point. They have made it to at least the Sweet 16 six times since 2009 — they were national runners up in 2011. While everybody is waiting for two or three more years for football to turn it around and for the “heart, ache” of basketball to be over, they are forgetting that the volleyball team is really good. And while the Sweet 16 is not exactly unknown territory for the Illini, that doesn’t mean that getting there this season was easy. After the anomaly that was last season — the Illini didn’t even make the tournament — former head coach Kevin Hambly dipped for Stanford. Hambly had been Illinois’ head coach for almost a decade, and then he was gone with barely even a word. Current head coach Chris Tamas jumped in, SEE VOLLEYBALL | 3B

2B Thursday, December 7, 2017

THE DAILY ILLINI | WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLAKE HAYES

Freshman punter Blake Hayes is all smiles with his father, Ronan (left), and his older brother, Max (top), at Illinois’ game against Ohio State. Hayes’ family had a long way to travel to see him play, as he was recruited from his home in Australia to play for Illinois. Though daunting at first, Hayes’ move to America has been exciting overall.

From footy to football: Hayes adjusts to new sport BY JACOB DIAZ STAFF WRITER

It’s 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, and Illinois is set to kick off against Indiana in Champaign. It is about 36 degrees Fahrenheit, and there is a slight breeze running through Memorial Stadium. On the other side of the world it’s 4 a.m. in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, Nov. 12. It is 13 degrees Celsius (about 55 degrees Fahrenheit), it’s a little foggy and most of the city is asleep. But one family is wide awake, gathered around its living room television and making plenty of noise. Why? Because 9,611 miles away, the family’s youngest son is on TV playing football. *** Blake Hayes left Australia in July, beginning a journey that would put him in a new country, at a new school, playing a new sport. The Melbourne native is a true freshman at Illinois this year, but unlike most international students at the University, his first semes-

ter has been filled with a lot more than just classes. Recruited to play football, Hayes has been the Illini’s starting punter since opening day. He is just one of an FBS-high 16 true freshmen to start for the Illini this season. But unlike most of the other players in the class, when Hayes took the field for the first time, it wasn’t just his first college game: It was his first time playing on an organized American football team. Growing up, Hayes played Australian rules football, a hectic sport somewhere in between rugby and soccer where players score by punting the ball through a set of four goalposts at the end of the field. Hayes began playing “footy” – as it’s called in Australia – at age 9. Hayes was the captain of his school team, and he also played at the club level. But while Hayes had a potentially very promising future ahead of him in footy, something wasn’t quite right for him. “He would’ve had the chance (to play professionally),” said Ronan Hayes, Blake’s father. “But it wasn’t

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK JONES/ILLINOIS ATHLETICS

Illini punter Blake Hayes punts the ball downfield against Minnesota on October 21. Hayes was named the Dike Eddleman Special Teams MVP for the Illini this season.

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his passion. The football here (in Australia) can be quite selfish, and Blake is very team-first.” With Australian rules football not beckoning his name in the same way it once had, Blake decided to pursue a different dream of his: coming to America for college. Ronan thinks that Blake’s interest in coming to America might have started when he met Brad Wing, the son of some family friends. Wing, another Australian-born punter, went to Louisiana State University and has gone on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. “He had a real passion for American football; he loved it,” Ronan said of his son. “Philadelphia Eagles fan, he would get up in the morning to watch the games before school.” That growing passion led Blake into a new chapter of his life. He began working with Prokick Australia. *** In Champaign, the game has been underway for a while now. In fact, it’s well into the second quarter. But the score is still 0-0. It has been a pretty somber viewing for most fans of both teams, but all the way in Australia, there has been so much to cheer for. Ten of the first 11 drives of the game have ended in punts, and at this point, the biggest story of the game has been the duel between the punters. Each has five punts to his name, and in Melbourne, both names are very familiar. Blake Hayes has been the only Illini to move the ball consistently so far, and he is locked in showdown with Indiana’s Haydon Whitehead, a fellow Australian who trained with Blake for the past year at Prokick Australia. “We trained together almost every day back home,” Blake said. “Obviously you don’t want him to do well, because it puts your

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team in a bad field position, but he’s a friend so I wanted him to do well. It was really cool to go against a fellow mate.” *** “He probably just wanted to be around football,” Ronan said. “To go to games, be a supporter, maybe get involved with the team as an assistant or something like that. He probably never thought about playing the game. But as time evolved, and he spent two years with Prokick, he started to realize, ‘Maybe I have a chance to go over as a punter and be part of football.’” Blake may have dreamt of coming to America for college, but with the massive cost of being an international student at an American university, that dream seemed out of reach. Searching for a way around that, Blake turned to Prokick Australia, a program designed to turn Australian rules players into American college punters. Prokick is run by Nathan Chapman, a former professional footy player who became a punter for the Green Bay Packers. Under Chapman’s leadership, Prokick has become a factory for college punters. “Prokick (is) very up front with you,” Ronan said. “They’ll tell you straight away whether you have a chance or not. Fairly straight away, they thought Blake possibly had what it takes to be a college punter, and Blake got a real passion for it.” But even with that passion and plenty of experience playing Australian rules football, Blake’s father initially had some doubts about his son’s prospects. “To be honest – and maybe this is just me being naive about American football – but at first I didn’t see it,” Ronan said. “From an Australian point of view, he’s not a really big kicker of the football. He’s maybe a little above average, and my naivety said, ‘I don’t know if

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he’s quite got the leg for it.’” But while Blake may not have had the booming leg of some of the Australian punters before him, Chapman saw he had the skills and the experience to be an effective American punter, nevertheless. Blake trained with Chapman and Prokick for two years, and as time went on, his dream of attending college in America became more of a reality. Before long, the family was traveling to Champaign in the summer of 2017 to visit the school at Chapman’s behest. “It did become daunting, certainly for Georgina, my wife. I tried to keep the brave face I suppose,” Ronan said. “He’s our youngest, and it’s a long way from Australia. It got really daunting as it became closer and closer and really exciting of course, and we’d never stand in the way of our children’s dreams.” But seeing the University, and how their son might fit into it, helped put Blake’s parents’ minds at ease. Coming from a country where most people attend their local university and live at home, the Hayeses found the American college experience quite different, but quite exciting. *** In Champaign, time is running out for the Illini. The score stands 17-7, by no means out of reach, but with 8:37 remaining in the final quarter, the Illini bring Blake out to punt once again. As he trots onto the field, his quarterback, Jeff George Jr., is on his way off it. Blake likes to pump himself up for punts, but this leaves him in the unattractive position of being excited when his team has objectively failed. “It’s a bit weird because I run on, and whoever is in at quarterback, they’re not happy running off,” Blake said. “It’s an awkward exchange. And I’ve noticed that the volume of the crowd tends to decrease. But I don’t

mind; it gives me more time to focus.” Blake’s father has a similar problem in the stands. When the entirety of Memorial Stadium goes silent, it should be Ronan’s turn to celebrate, but he has to hold back “I made sure that I didn’t cheer for him,” Ronan said. “I cheered after he punted, if it was a good punt, but we certainly cheer for him in the quietness of our own home whenever he comes on.” *** Blake was offered a scholarship and a spot on head coach Lovie Smith’s roster, giving him the opening he had been working the past few years for. He made it to Champaign in July and immediately dove into training. Blake hasn’t had many chances to lift his head up above water and take a breath since. “It’s been a roller coaster transitioning,” Blake said. “Coming in the summer at the start, it was so hectic because there were so many new things going on each week. And especially a few weeks into the season, traveling to different places, still kind of finding my feet on the field. But now I’m settling in really well, and I feel really comfortable here.” Blake has worked with Smith and special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky throughout his short time in America to acclimate him to Illinois’ style of play. When he landed stateside, Blake had never taken a prostyle punt before. But after his first season with the Illini, no one needs any more proof that he has the skills for the job. “Blake Hayes has had an outstanding year,” Smith said. “We had high hopes for him – whenever you go that far to get someone, you have high hopes for him – but he’s answered all of our questions that every freshman has to answer.” SEE HAYES | 3B

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FROM 1B

SWEET 16 said. “The advantages are in this scenario is that we’re playing them on a neutral floor,” Tamas said. “We didn’t get a chance to play them here at home. I just think the advantages are that you get to adjust.” As the season progressed, so did the Illini. “If you look at the story of the whole season, I’m really proud of the way it progressed and improved over that course,” Tamas said. “For it finally coming together against Minnesota, that was a big accomplishment for us. The fact that we had just relaxed because we were in (the tournament) was kind of a big deal.” Missing out on the tournament last season was motivation to get back into a competitive spot in the NCAA, Tamas said. Any number of sports teams have to settle into the season and work on sharpening their

VOLLEYBALL STAT LEADERS

JACQUELINE QUADE

KILLS

3.37

AUTUMN BAILEY

3.55 kills per set

kills per set BRANDI DONNELLY

DIGS

4.4

JAMYE COX

3.4

digs per set

JORDYN POULTER

RACHEL MINARICK

ASSISTS

10.71

11.19

assists per set

ALI BASTIANELLI

ALYSSA GARVELINK

1.61

“If you look at the story of the whole season, I’m really proud of the way it progressed and improved over that course.”

BLOCKS

1.34

blocks per set

MORGAN O’BRIEN

HOLLY TOLIVER

ACES

41 aces

aces

HISTORY

CHRIS TAMAS VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH

game. Just ask head men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood, whose team has gone 0-3 after starting the season 6-0. “I actually pulled up next to Brad (Underwood) right over here on Fourth Street alongside each other in the car and I rolled down my window and said, ‘Congrats Coach,’” Tamas said. “I watched their game the night before against Maryland before and I said, ‘Hey you guys were like us at the beginning of the season, you’re young and real close right now.’” Tamas said his Illini have built upon their failures and learned important lessons week in and week out. Becoming one of the nation’s top teams doesn’t happen overnight, he said. Despite the addition of nine new freshmen this fall, the team is operating as a well-oiled veteran machine. “When you do have a young team like we do, I think it’s important just to keep having those experiences and that confidence heading into the tournament” Tamas said. “And obviously these two wins this last week provided us with that.” @meghan_rest sports@dailyillini.com

Thursday, December 7, 2017

This will be the 75th all-time meeting between Illinois and Michigan State. The Illini lead the series 48-26. Though last time the two programs faced, the Spartans cruised to a straight-set victory over the Illini. Illinois has had the best of Michigan State in recent years though, winning three of the last five matchups between the programs.

FROM 2B

HAYES Indeed Blake has done more than just answer a few questions. His 3,231 total punt yards are the fourthmost in Illinois football history for the amount of yards in one season. Blake pinned his opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 22 of his 77 punts. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team, and he won Illinois’ Dike Eddleman Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award. But the on-the-field duties haven’t ever been an issue for Blake. The bigger struggle was adjusting to life half a world away from home. And to his credit, he seems to have taken that transition in stride. “(He’s had) zero issues off the field; he does everything he’s supposed to do when he’s supposed to do it,” Smith said. “And think about that adjustment: It’s one thing to go away to school as a freshman – I went four hours away, and that was an adjustment, calling mom every night and every day – but for him to come over like that, it’s pretty special.” Blake admitted that he misses some of the comforts of home from time to time, but as the season went on, he had more and more reminders of home. His father came to the Homecoming game against Wisconsin, and in doing so became the first person in Blake’s family to see him play live. Instead of flying straight home from a business trip in China, Ronan took a detour and ended up in Champaign, marveling at the spectacle that is college football. “The whole experience was amazing,” Ronan said. “It was great to see Blake obviously, but it was even better to see a game live

and just see the atmosphere around it. Even 40-50,000 fans is a huge crowd for our professional games. Before coming over, Blake would’ve played in front of 1,000, 2,000 people at the most.” It was the first time Blake had seen any of his family since arriving on campus in the summer. He was excited to see a familiar face, but he was also excited to get a chance to show someone from back home what he could do on the field. Blake said he was trying to make his father proud every time he stepped on the field. In the hour before the game started, it began to snow in Champaign. It was the first snow of the season, and for Blake, it served as a fitting reminder of how far he had come on a day when he finally got a taste of home. “It was the first time I’d ever seen snow in my life,” Blake said. “It was awesome pre-game; all the boys were really hyped when we saw the snow. It was a new experience for me, and I’m pretty sure it was a new experience for my dad as well.” ***

high 11 punts on the day, for a total of 455 yards. “He’s done a great job with the sky punt; he has a strong leg,” Smith said of Blake. “Ideally you want your punter punting for four years – our punting duties are in good hands.” *** With the season now over, Blake might finally have a chance to slow down and take a moment to look back at his journey. A few years ago, it looked like he might be headed toward a career in footy back home in Australia. Now he’s 17 hours behind Australia’s time trying to teach American football players how to do set shots – a running punt through the goalposts that, according to Blake, his teammates are struggling to perform – in central Illinois. But as difficult as the change in lifestyle might have been for Blake, it’s been just as trying of a time for his parents. “It’s certainly left a little bit of an empty nest for Georgina and I,” Ronan said. “It’s difficult from a parent’s point of view, but I always tell Georgina, ‘He’s living his dream. How could we not be happy for him?’” Blake is well aware of the sacrifices his parents have made to get him to where he is today, which is why it was so meaningful to him that his whole family made it to the Illini’s final two games. “I was thinking back to (my) training back home,” Blake said. “Before I had a car, they used to take me to all the practices at 6 a.m. and watch me kick and not really know what I was getting into, and then now, to get out there and do that in front of my dad, it was pretty special.”

In Champaign, the Illinois football team falls to Indiana 24-14, which is the team’s eighth-straight loss. But while the losing streak keeps Blake and his teammates’ moods pretty low, the Hayes family is riding high. “It’s extremely exciting from our point of view. We’re up every weekend at 3 a.m. Australia time to watch his games,” Ronan said. “My older son Max is 23 and he’s sometimes getting home from a nightclub around that time and he brings some friends with him. I’m sure our neighbors don’t know what’s quite going on at our place on a Sunday morning.” While his team may have @Jacob_Diaz3 lost, Blake had a career- jvdiaz2@dailyillini.com

FROM 1B

VOLLEYBALL

BASKETBALL

and with a team with only one senior, he got the program back on the rails. That is what an established program does. They could’ve said, “Oh, I guess we are bad now,” and sunk into a decadelong skid, but they didn’t. They had a solid core of players and a good coach, and they went back out and won more games in a Big Ten conference that is absolutely loaded. Getting through that conference schedule was a feat in itself. Don’t let that conference record of 12-8 fool you. This team can compete with anybody. After upsetting Washington, Illinois has a shot at making it even further. They take on Big Ten rival Michigan State this weekend for a shot at the Elite Eight. Illinois hasn’t had much success against Michigan State in the past — getting swept by the Spartans earlier this season — but with this team right now, my money is on the Illini.

inska, who returned from a concussion to chip in with 12 points. Fahey said Holesinska has a fantastic basketball IQ, and paired with her jump shot, she can be quite the weapon for the Illini. Looking ahead, Illinois welcomes Indiana State to town Thursday night, who sit at 2-5. Fahey is expecting the Sycamores to be tough defensively, but is focusing on the way her team plays, hopeful there won’t be a repeat of last Thursday. “We know that they predominately play player-to-player," Fahey said. "We’re excited to show our community a team that’s a little different than the last one they saw.” While the program has seen mixed results on the court, Fahey is certainly doing all she can to build a winning culture regardless. Getting better every day, and taking each game one at a time seem to be the early staples of it.

@cole_Henke cehenke2@dailyillini.com

AUSTIN YATTONI THE DAILY ILLINI

Illinois defensive specialist Brandi Donnelly and her team celebrate after scoring a point during the close match against Michigan at Huff Hall on Nov. 4. Sports editor Cole Henke says, “Volleyball has been the most consistently fun sport at this University for more than four years.”

@MilesP_H milesp2@dailyillini.com

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4B Thursday, December 7, 2017

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4 7 8 9 6 5 2 3 1

1 8 3 4 5 6 7 9 2

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11. Jun 2008

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Thursday, December 7, 2017

buzz calendar BY SAN KIM AND KAYLA BROWN BUZZ CALENDAR EDITORS

The buzz calendar is a compilation of events happening in the Champaign-Urbana area. Follow our top picks in Monday’s and Thursday’s papers for ideas on what to do on any night of the week, from where to eat to what to watch. Want to submit an event? Email calendar@readbuzz.com.

THURSDAY, DEC. 7

SATURDAY, DEC. 9

Screening of ‘Backpack Full of Cash’ at College of Education

DARIUS WHITE THE DAILY ILLINI

The annual Senior Holiday Party lands on this Thursday, Dec. 7. The event will feature music from a live DJ, a raffle and photo booth.

Annual Senior Holiday Party keeps the season bright BY SHELBI VOSS BUZZ WRITER

The Champaign Park District and Champaign County Housing Authority’s annual Senior Holiday Party is Thursday. It commemorates members of the Douglass Seniors Group and gives all senior citizens in CU a time to celebrate the upcoming holiday season. This year, the party, organized by Darius White, will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Champaign. Guests will have the opportunity to sit down for a meal and listen to music from a live DJ. There will also be raffles, including $5 gift cards to various restaurants and businesses, and a one-year free membership to Leonhard Recreation Center. The newest addition to the annual party is a free photo booth sponsored by Health Alliance Medicare. The Senior Holiday Party has been hosted for over 15 years. White is currently in his fifth year of organizing the event. “I enjoy working with the senior population; it is extremely rewarding to assist them and it excites me to be able to bring them happiness during the holidays,”

White said. Expected attendance for the event has reached 185 guests, which is the yearly average attendance for the party. Anyone age 50 and above are welcome to attend, although about 50 percent of the turnout is made up of members of the Douglass Seniors Group. The Douglass Seniors Group is a part of the 50 Plus! program run by the Champaign Park District. The program provides opportunities for seniors to socialize with other members and to participate in a variety of activities, including bingo games, workout, and art projects. Members of the Douglass Seniors Group can also attend monthly meetings to discuss ideas for new programs and activities for members of the 50 Plus! program to partake in. In the past, various members of the group were honored at the Senior Holiday Party through an awards ceremony. Some of the honors included Outstanding Volunteering and Most Participative. Although there is no longer an awards ceremony during the party, the seniors

still have the opportunity to be recognized at the Douglass Lifetime Awards Ceremony. Planning the Senior Holiday Party starts in September. White works alone to gather the venue, schedule entertainment and obtain sponsors. He works just a few hours per week to keep track of every element of the party, constantly updating and verifying the information. On the night of the party he is joined by one assistant, who is responsible for greeting the seniors as they enter the building. White finds the greatest reward is on the night of the party. He said the best part of organizing the Senior Holiday Party is “seeing the outcome of the event, and seeing everyone smiling and enjoying the fellowship at the event.” Each year, the guests hit the dance floor in formal attire, as the tagline is ‘Dress to Impress.’ The night is sure to be filled with line dances and rhythm and blues hits, along with holiday music to ring in the season. savoss2@readbuzz.com

Holiday Market & Goat Photo Booth

 1-4 p.m.  Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery, 4410 N. Lincoln Ave., Urbana  Free, all ages Knock out some holiday shopping, enjoy fresh doughnuts and take a family photo with our best behaved goats wearing holiday attire! The on-site store, the Real Stand, will offer sustainable, local options for people on your gift list, including food goods, skincare products and soaps, Laura Orr textiles, Prairie Fruits gear and more.

 4-7 p.m.  Education at Illinois Room 2, 1310 S. Sixth St., Champaign  Free, all ages Join College of Education faculty members for the screening of the film “Backpack Full of Cash,” narrated by actor Matt Damon. The discussion will address the cost of privatizing public schools in America.

Human Health 101: Optimize Your Human Experience!

 6-7:30 p.m.  Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green St., Champaign  Free, all ages Strained too much from schoolwork? Find a balance within yourself at Human Health 101 and achieve your ideal body composition. Overcome emotional and physical pains and get prepared for the daunting finals week.

CJ Run

 Doors open at 8 p.m. Show starts at 9 p.m  The Canopy Club, 708 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana  $8-$10, 18+ CJ Run is a UK rapper-singer/songwriter currently located here in Urbana. They blend alternative, hip-hop and pop while still adding their own spin to things. They will be joined by Juswave and Sleeping Okami.

FRIDAY, DEC. 8

SNST live on WPGU 107.1 FM

 5 p.m.  WPGU 107.1FM, 512 E. Green St., Champaign  Free, All ages SNST fuses Chicagoan with Los Angeles influences with electronic elements. This Friday, they will make an appearance at WPGU for a live performance.

Dominick Jackson: Celebration of Life Show

‘Follies,’ presented by National Theater Live

 Dec 9 & Dec 10, 1 p.m.  The Art Theater, 126 W. Church St., Champaign  $12.50-$18.00, film not rated Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical, “Follies,” is going to be staged for the first time at the National Theatre and broadcast at the Art Theater.

SUNDAY, DEC. 10

Balinese Gamelan Fall 2017 Concert  1:30-3 p.m.  School of Music, 1114 W. Nevada St., Urbana  Free, all ages Teaching and performing traditional, modern dance and gamelan since the 1970s, I Gusti Ngurah Kertayuda will perform with the University of Illinois student and community Balinese Gamelan ensembles, directed by I Ketut Gede Asnawa. The community gamelan dancers are instructed by Putu Oka Mardiani Asnawa.

Annual Carol Concert

 8:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.  Cowboy Monkey, 6 E. Taylor St., Champaign  $2, 19+ Cowboy Monkey will be hosting a show to celebrate the life of former Sixth Street brass trumpeter Dominick Jackson.

 3-4:30 p.m.  Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana  $10, all ages A festive tradition, this concert joins choruses, instrumentalists and audience members in a celebration of the winter season. Guests are invited to help children stay warm this winter by bringing new or gently used coats, mittens, gloves, hats, scarves and earmuffs for this season’s clothing drive. Donation boxes will be available in the lobby near Intermezzo Cafe.

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ONLY ONE SHOW LEFT DON’T MISS OUT! 12/15

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A L T E R N AT I V E H I P H O P S H O W Tune in Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-10 p.m.

THURSDAY December 7, 2017 The Daily Illini DailyIllini.com

buzz

REVIEW

Bernthal delivers painful justice as ‘The Punisher’ BY TAYLOR CYGAN BUZZ WRITER

“Welp… This sounds gruesome,” was the first thought that ran through my head when I saw the Netflix series title, “The Punisher.” However, all nerves aside, I decided to delve into this series. I have been in a recent action movie/show kick of late and needed to fill the void. Marvel’s “The Punisher” did not disappoint. The show was 13 episodes long filled with good, quality action scenes. It came out in late November and, so far, has been collecting critical acclaim. So, I dove in. I went into this show essentially blind. I had never heard of any of the actors or had watched the show’s predecessor,Marvel's “Daredevil.” “The Punisher” is a spin-off from this hit Netflix series. The character Frank Castle—otherwise known as the “Punisher”—was granted his own series after being a standout in a lackluster “Daredevil” season two. The show was supposed to be filmed in 2011, however, it fell through. Although I went into the show with no prior knowledge of the Marvel-Netflix

cinematic universe, I did not feel like I was lacking in any way. The series did a phenomenal job of giving backstory and had plenty of in-depth character development. Jon Bernthal plays Frank Castle and does a spectacular job acting as the oneman killing machine vigilante. Bernthal simply looks like a badass. He’s got an iconic mean mug where he looks intense and ready for any shootout. Paired with the show's enthralling theme song, his cool factor just doubles. They could not have done a better casting for Castle. Bernthal just exudes the vibe that goes hand-in-hand with being the main character in an action series. Castle is a former Marine who is set on vengeance after his family is brutally murdered. He is a lethal weapon that takes down anyone even inconsequentially responsible for their deaths. He is a real justice enforcer—only punishing those guilty of crimes. Hence, the nickname. Castle lives by a very simple moral code: If you are guilty, you die. Quite brutally, I might add. In finding those respon-

sible for his family’s slaughtering, the show’s plot thickens. Castle uncovers conspiracies that run deep throughout, and it seems like no one is safe from being guilty. Just when you think things are getting good each episode, they keep getting better. The twists and turns throughout this series are endless. However, this show is not for the weak of heart. In his execution of vengeance, Castle is on a killing spree. Blood and gore are abundant in this series. I, for one, saw too much violence for comfort. I’m not the best with gory scenes and was squirming in my seat for the majority of this series. Yet, I loved the show. It was the action series I was looking for and needed. It surpassed of my expectations. I was certainly not disappointed and would recommend others to watch. If you want a series that will keep you engaged and on the edge of your seat, look no further. “The Punisher” is all you need. buzz factor: tcygan2@readbuzz.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICES

Bernthal promotes “The Punisher” at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con. He plays the lead character, Frank Castle, who goes by the alias of “Punisher” in the new Netflix series.

REVIEW

Bono dives into personal stories on ‘Songs of Experience’ album rest ultimately delivers, but the remainder of the It has been three years album is good enough for since the release of U2’s that to be forgiven. last album, “Songs of “Experience” was Innocence,” and specifiapparently ready for cally its release to everyrelease last year before one’s iTunes account the U.S. presidential elecwithout their permistion but the results consion. While that stunt was vinced Bono to go back poorly planned on many to the drawing board and levels, the worst thing make the album more about it was how it compolitical. Given how agopletely overshadowed nizingly preachy Bono can the album itself, which be when writing politics was terrific and the best into songs, it’s a blessing album U2 had made since that the political tracks the ‘90s. on this album are merely Now comes the longa mixed bag instead of a promised follow-up to complete disaster. “Songs of Innocence,” Bono fares better when “Songs of Experience,” he’s speaking more genwhich has wisely been giv- erally about the current en a much more standard state of the world, as in release, so it can be judged “The Blackout,” a hardwholly on its merits, those rocking anthem about of which are quite strong. trying to keep going in “Experience” opens the midst of political and with “Love is All We Have social turmoil. Left,” a song more in line This mode also producwith the synth-driven es the album’s closer and “Zooropa” than the staits best song, “13 (There is dium rock of “Innocence.” a Light),” which takes the Driven only by a buzzing chorus of the last album’s synth background, Bono’s “Song for Someone” and smooth voice and some turns it from an expresunexpected “808s and sion of young love into a Heartbreak”-esque auto- hymn for sanity. tune, it’s a beautiful song It’s when Bono gets and one of the most genu- more specific that he and inely experimental things the album stumble. There the band has done in are two songs about the years. ongoing crisis in Syria, That song promises a viewed through the prism weirder album than the of the band’s visit to the BY BILL TAYLOR BUZZ WRITER

other side of the world, “Summer of Love” and “Red Flag Day.” Neither song is bad, but neither has quite the impact they should, given their subject matter. “American Soul,” the song Kendrick Lamar sampled on “XXX” (Lamar returns the favor by recording an intro for this song), is the most overtly political statement on the album, tackling refugees and immigration. It’s backed by a wonderful, glammy guitar riff by The Edge and some pounding drum work by Larry Mullen Jr., but its lyrics can be a major problem, especially when the phrase “Refu-Jesus” is uttered. Luckily, Bono mostly stays personal on this album, and the songs are better for it. In the liner notes, he obliquely mentions a health scare that inspired some of the lyrics, and that’s most direct in the second track, “Lights of Home” (with backing vocals from Haim), a garage rocker about a near-death experience that ends by referencing the last album’s “Iris (Hold Me Close),” about the untimely death of Bono’s mother. Elsewhere in the liner notes, Bono refers to sev-

eral songs on the album as “love letters,” mostly to his wife and children. The most lighthearted of those letters is “The Showman,” in which Bono comically praises those who manage to put up with rock star egos and pretensions. The most straightforward of those love letters, “You’re the Best Thing About Me,” was released as the first single. I was underwhelmed by it as a single, but in the context of the album, I found myself really enjoying its bouncy, slight charms. “Best Thing,” however, is ultimately overshadowed by the album’s other love letters. “Get Out of Your Own Way” is a roaring stadiumready anthem, and “The Little Things That Give You Away” is a slow burn building to an awesome crescendo. But best of all is the unfortunately titled “Landlady” (the album’s biggest flaw in its cornball song titles), a lovely ballad about the beauty of settling down with someone. On the whole, “Songs of Experience” isn’t quite up to the excellence of “Songs of Innocence,” but it’s still a good addition to the U2 canon. And crucially, it finds the band once again able to effort-

107.1

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTON CORBIJN

Album cover art for U2’s 14th studio album, “Songs of Experience,” released on Dec. 1. The album is the first release from the band in the past three years.

lessly make great stadium anthems, not straining to do so like they did throughout the 2000s. If they keep this up, I might not mind if they put more

albums into my iTunes library. buzz factor: wt2@illinois.edu

Operation Santa Benefit Show

Friday December 8th • 6:30pm Independent Media Center (IMC) Featuring these performers: Miyka’el

Jaye B

Sophia Byrd Independent Media Center 202 S. Broadway, Urbana Take the 13 North Silver or the 5 East Green to Lincoln Square

Juswave $5 at the door

cash or credit card Proceeds go to Crisis Nursery and Parent Wonders of Rantoul