THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SINCE 1896 • VOLUME CXXVII, NO. 25 Thursday, October 1, 2020 COVID-19 Tracker Current 196 164 7 CONFIRMED CASES AT Residential Cumulative Commuter Staff Cases UCONN STORRS Cases as of 6:26 p.m. on Sept. 30 53 Residential Cases Cases USG honors students who fixed Spirit Rock TEDxUConn prepares for virtual conference by Rachel Philipson STAFF WRITER [email protected] TEDxUConn is having its 2020 conference “Patchwork” as a virtual livestream, Vin- cent Huang, TEDxUConn president and seventh-semes- USG honored the students who fixed the defaced Spirit ter civil engineering major, Rock. The two students were Omar Gebril and Colt Nichols, said. who changed it back to “Black Lives Matter.” PHOTO BY KEVIN LINDSTROM, PHOTO EDITOR/THE DAILY CAMPUS “Patchwork” will be a four- hour long YouTube livestream by Jake Kelly to electing to take a course having classes start Jan. 19 “We don’t think of it as some- airing Oct. 18 at 9 a.m., Huang CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT pass/fail, having up to three (with all classes online during thing that was that noteworthy,” said. “Patchwork” was origi- [email protected] courses taken as pass/fail quarantine period) and spring Nichols said. “It was something nally going to be an in-person (counting toward major, mi- break lasting from April 11 to we were glad to fix for the com- conference during the spring On Wednesday, the Under- nor and general education re- 17. munity.” 2020 semester but had to be graduate Student Government quirements in all schools and This proposal was passed USG ended the meeting with postponed due to COVID-19. at the University of Connecti- colleges) and suspending the unanimously and will be a discussion on the Spirit Rock “We decided to push it back cut held their bi-weekly sen- 26-credit and scholastic pro- brought before the University incident, ranging from ways to to the fall in the hopes that we ate meeting, discussing pass/ bation restrictions. Senate — the legislative body hold UConn students account- will be able to hold the event fail legislation for the 2020-21 “We do acknowledge that that establishes UConn’s rules able, free speech and defining in-person,” Huang said. “We academic year, a new proposal the minimum requirements and regulations. the Spirit Rock’s purpose on ultimately decided to go com- for the spring 2021 academic of professors who teach on- A motion of extreme confi- campus going forward, a conver- pletely virtual when there was calendar and honoring the line classes doesn’t exist, so dence was presented to Omar sation which was joined by Dean a risk that our event would two students who fixed the de- students can have a very in- Gebril, a seventh-semester of Students Elly Daugherty and not be funded by USG if pan- faced Spirit Rock. consistent education due to psychology and Islamic civi- Chief Diversity Officer Frank demic conditions worsen. We With a vote of 14-4, the sen- the academic freedom of pro- lizations major, and Colt Tuitt. made this decision well in ad- ate passed legislation propos- fessors,” senator Likhitadevi Nichols, a seventh-semester “It is a responsibility and a vance to warn our speakers of ing that the school adopt a by- Athina said, when discussing electrical and biomedical engi- choice when you choose to ex- the new format and give them law amendment to the current the impact of the pandemic on neering major, for their role in press yourself. And when you time to prepare.” pass/fail policy. The main part students’ educational experi- fixing the defaced Spirit Rock cause harm, you’re responsible The theme “Patchwork” is of the proposal includes mov- ence. when it was changed from for the harm that is caused,” the same from spring 2020, ing the pass/fail deadline from The senate also voted on a saying “Black Lives Matter” to Daugherty said of the defacing of Huang said. Nov. 20 to Dec. 28. new proposal for the spring “All Lives Matter” last week. the rock. “I will equally protect “Patchwork explores how Other parts of the proposal 2021 semester, which includes This motion was passed by your right to free speech, but I individual pieces [or] people included having students con- campus move-in on Jan. 15 unanimous consent, and both won’t disavow the responsibility can contribute to the whole, sult with their advisors prior (with a two-week quarantine), students accepted. for the harm that you cause.” and that their interconnected- ness makes up the whole,” he said. “Without these pieces, the whole ceases to exist.” UConn to rename Avery Point campus When switching from in- person to virtual, Huang said the biggest changes were building after former governor adjusting funds, solidifying speakers and determining Dr. Andrea Dennis-LaVigne re- how they would present their ferred to the spot as “the ideal talk. When TEDxUConn de- location” to honor the governor, cided to go virtual, they need- noting the beauty of Avery Point ed to reach out to all of their and the Marine Sciences build- speakers to see if they still ing. wanted to participate. The building will be the sec- Huang said almost all of the ond fixture of the Avery Point original speakers that were campus to bear Gov. Weicker’s selected in the spring agreed namesake. In 2006, the universi- to come back in the fall. Since ty named a research vessel after all of their initial topics were The Marine Sciences Building at the the former governor. for the “Patchwork” theme, Avery Point Campus is being renamed. UConn President Thomas Kat- TEDxUConn decided to keep PHOTO COURTESY OF PETER MORENUS souleas, who was also present at this topic. the meeting, said a socially-dis- Since the conference is now by Alison Cross Building, I think, means a lot. It the Connecticut general assem- tant naming ceremony will occur a livestream, it will be one con- CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT means a lot to obviously Lowell bly in 1963. From 1964 to 1968, in the coming weeks. tinuous video that will be edit- [email protected] and what he’s done for the state,” he served as the First Selectman “[The renaming is] well de- ed by TEDxUConn vice presi- Gov. Lamont said. “Lowell … was of Greenwich. From 1969 to 1971, served based on his [Weicker’s] dent Avery Bikerman, Huang The University of Connecticut a champion for marine science Gov. Weiker served in the U.S. lifetime of service to the people of said. All of the speakers will Board of Trustees voted unani- biology, a champion for Avery House of Representatives and Connecticut and to the nation,” submit pre-recorded videos mously Wednesday to rename Point.” was a U.S. Senator from 1971 to Katsouleas said. of their talks, and Bikerman Avery Point’s Marine Sciences Lamont spoke of Connecti- 1989. While serving as will add logos, slides and any Building after former Connecti- cut as a leading state in marine Governor from 1991 to additional features to get the cut Governor Lowell P. Weicker studies and said it is essential 1995, Gov. Weicker most livestream ready. Jr. for UConn to continue this effort notably implemented a “It will start with a brief in- During his tenure as governor, through education and recogni- state income tax. Despite troduction to the event by me, Weicker aided UConn in obtain- tion of those who contributed to pushback, the tax elimi- followed by all the speaker ing a $50 million grant for the the university. nated Connecticut’s bud- videos and then ending with Marine Sciences Building and “We’re a maritime state, and get deficit, sending it into a conclusion to the event,” becoming a national Sea Grant I like to reinforce that every a surplus, and Gov. Weik- Huang said. “Before each institution and a National Un- chance I can. It’s not just subs er earned the 1992 John F. speaker video is played, a brief dersea Research Center, accord- and Coast Guards and ports Kennedy Profile in Cour- introduction to the speaker ing to a UConn press release. — it’s also what we can be as a age Award. will be given by a member on Members of the Board of Trust- leader in marine science … We “He’s one cantankerous our team. There won’t be any ees also described Weicker as an need to make sure that we keep son of a gun, but he’s also breaks in the sequence.” avid swimmer and scuba diver. our academic mission and make made some tough choices There will be 12 speakers to- Gov. Ned Lamont, who spoke sure that UConn is at the very along the way, and per- tal, Huang said. 11 of the speak- at the meeting on behalf of the forefront, and I think that when sonally speaking, I think ers are University of Con- name change, strongly endorsed it comes to marine science, we our state is better off for necticut faculty or students. the Trustees’ decision. are, we’ll continue to be,” Gov. that,” Gov. Lamont said. The building is being renamed “The idea that the Marine Sci- Lamont said. Gov. Weiker’s home of Essex, after former Connecticut ences Building could be the Low- Gov. Weiker began his politi- Connecticut, is located near the Governor Lowell P. Weicker See TED, p. 2 ell P. Weicker Marine Sciences cal career as a representative for Avery Point campus. 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