Dad's Weekend 2015

Dads Weekend 2015Tuesday, november 10, 2015

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 The Daily Illini | www.DailyIllini.com2

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BY ISABELLA JACKSONSTAFF WRITER

M embers of the Marching Illini and the Illinettes Dance Team put in countless hours of practice to pre-

pare for their shows throughout the year. But, during the Dads Weekend game, there is an additional element of fun as their fathers join in the performance.

Caitlin Grant, sophomore in AHS, started dancing when she was three years old, and has not stopped since.

Through the years, one of her biggest sup-porters has been Doug Grant, her dad. He came to all of her recitals and competitions and danced with her at Dads Weekend events. This weekend will be the sixth time he has joined his daughter in a routine.

“In high school, it was just in front of the team, coaches and parents, but last year was in front of a lot more people,” Caitlin said.

Luckily, her father is willing to perform in front of the large crowd, and enjoys the time he gets to spend on campus with Caitlin.

“Dads Day gives the parents an oppor-tunity to take part in some of the activities that our kids are passionate about in col-lege,” Grant wrote in an email. “We get a firsthand look into how much time and prac-tice is needed for the Marching Illini and Illinettes to look as great as they do at each performance.”

The sophomore Illinettes have choreo-graphed the dance for this year, which will incorporate the whole team and all 28 dads. Caitlin said they will rehearse the dance on the morning of the Dads Weekend game, but during the game, they will also be calling out the moves in case the dads forget them.

She said seeing her dad dance is always entertaining.

“You never see him dance unless he has to, which means it’s really funny when he’s out there,” Caitlin said.

For George Couston, junior in Engineer-ing and a member of the Marching Illini’s clarinet section, this weekend will be special because it’s the first time his dad will be on the field with him.

Couston said his dad was the one who took him to campus when he was auditioning for the Marching Illini, and he’s excited to be able to share part of the experience of being on the field with him.

“Having him come down here and take the time to make the three-hour drive means so much,” Couston said.

He elaborated that like every show, the Marching Illini pay great attention to detail in preparation for the weekend, but the members know that the dads will be bring-ing an additional atmosphere of fun to the performance.

Daniel Knobloch, senior in Engineering,

said the Dads Weekend show will be espe-cially memorable for him because it’s the last time he and other Marching Illini seniors will take to the field as Illinois students.

“We all know it’s going to be a fun environ-ment. We have a song that will focus on the dads, and we’re looking to enjoy our time on the field,” he said.

Knobloch’s entire family is coming to cam-pus on Friday, but he said the weekend will really begin with the Marching Illini’s Dads Weekend practice early Saturday morning.

“(My dad has) been a huge supporter. He’s not musical himself, but he’s always been there to watch,” Knobloch said. “He’s a huge photo enthusiast; I don’t remember a time he’s not been taking photos of the section.”

For all three of the students, Dads Week-end serves as an opportunity to show their fathers how they spend their time at the University.

“We aren’t really around our parents much. It’s nice to have a weekend to show them what goes on around campus,” Caitlin said.

Besides being a tradition for the students performing, the Dads Weekend show is also always immensely entertaining for the crowd to watch.

“The MI dad’s kick line is second to none!” Couston said.

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Marching Illini and Illinettes perform with dads

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAITLIN GRANTCaitlin Grant, a member of the Illinettes Dance Team, has a tradition of dancing with her dad, Doug, during Dads Weekend.

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DADS WEEKEND SPECIALS

BY MILI PANDYASTAFF WRITER

It’s 1983. The Illini football team holds a record-breaking 9-0 fi nish in the Big Ten. Foellinger Auditorium is not yet named “Foellinger Audi-torium.” Roger DiGiulio is a junior studying Civil Engineering, while Ed Steinweg is a sophomore in Com-puter Science.

It’s 2015. Freshmen in LAS Ellie DiGiulio and Delanie Steinweg now follow in their fathers’ footsteps after deciding to attend their alma mater.

Much has changed since each of their fathers were students here, while some things seem to be the same as they were 32 years ago.

A noticeable difference that the two men have noticed between then and now is in the campus itself. Some of the buildings and locations that students are accustomed to weren’t around back then.

“I spent most of my time on the Engineering Quad which was home to the men’s baseball team, at the time,” DiGiulio said in an e-mail. “The Engineering Quad and the South Quad are now fi rmly estab-lished, many of the dorms have been

modernized, and downtown Cham-paign, which was a place to be avoid-ed at night, is now has a trendy cul-tural scene.”

Delanie said she thinks the cam-pus is a lot more developed than it was when her dad was here.

“They’ve done a lot of renova-tions, and there are lot more high-rise apartments here now,” Dela-nie said.

But some plac-es, such as the Union, were fre-quented back then for much of the same reasons they are now.

“It was a good place to relax and unwind between classes. In my days, there were a lot more video games in the basement. We didn’t have video games on our TV so we used to go relax down there and play,” Stein-weg said.

While students now may head to Antonio’s or Second Story to grab a

quick slice of their favorite pizza, back then the go-to for a slice of deep dish was Garcia’s Pizza .

“For home football games they would fl y a tomato-shaped hot air bal-

loon because they were nicknamed the ‘home of the fl ying tomato,’” DiG-iulio said.

The traditions and atmosphere at sporting events have changed sig-nifi cantly. While there may not have been a des-ignated student section at football games back then, many students still tailgated and attended.

“I think the best part about the games was that we were still

allowed to have Chief Illiniwek out on the fi eld,” Steinweg said.

Nowadays, not only is Chief Illini-wek no longer allowed to perform at sporting events, but student partici-pation at these games has declined.

“I think that attending the football and basketball games was more of a big deal during his years at school,” Ellie said. “People today still have

a lot of Illini pride, but they don’t always go to games, and my dad always texts me on Saturdays to make sure I am going.”

Whether it be 1983 or 2015, there is one thing that will never change.

“It was, and still is, a Big Ten uni-versity where you gain from strong academics, good friends and a lot of great opportunities,” DiGiulio said.

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Students, fathers refl ect on their time at UI

PHOTO COURTESY OF DELANIE STEINWEGDelanie Steinweg (second from left) comes from an Illini family. Her father, Ed (right), is a University alumnus, as well as her two brothers.

“My dad always texts me on

Saturdays to make sure I am going (to the football game).”

ELLIE DIGIULIOFRESHMAN IN LAS


BY LILLIAN BARKLEYASSISTANT COPY CHIEF

For most students, Dads Weekend is a time for fathers to cheer on the Illini and see their kids for the first time in months. But things are a little dif-

ferent for Sam Leroy, who is always within walking distance of his father’s office on campus.

“Some weeks it could be a quick, ‘Hi, bye,’ in Huff Hall, or I drop into his office and there we are an hour later talking about who knows what,” said Sam, sophomore in Business.

His father is Michael Leroy, professor of labor and employment relations and of law. Leroy earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University before return-ing to teach in 1986.

“It was strange when I came back, because I was in a very different role,” he said. “I had to be a different person and fig-ure out how to be a professor.”

His son’s enrollment at the University has allowed him to see things from anoth-er perspective.

“Whatever the controversies are at the campus level, especially at the undergradu-ate level, life thrives here and student cul-ture is constructive and positive,” he said. “It’s helped to ground me in a very impor-tant way.”

After seeing the honors courses Sam was offered, Professor Leroy started his own course, which Sam’s roommate and friend took.

“I felt guilty that my colleagues were offering these wonderful programs and I had not stepped up to the plate,” he said.

Sam and his father also participate in traditional Dads Weekend activities: They

both said last year’s Iowa game was one of their favorite memories.

As a member of Block I, Sam invited his parents to join the card section, and his dad bought him a hot dog.

“We shared the hot dog, and I went back to my seat. It was perfectly good,” Leroy said.

Sam’s Illini pride isn’t surprising — he grew up close to campus, both literally and figuratively.

“Growing up around here and having my dad on the faculty gave me an early insight into how the University ticked at a level

that most students wouldn’t be aware of,” Sam said. “(My dad) never divulged any secrets, but I paid attention to what was going on because I knew that it mattered in my household.”

Sam and his siblings all went to Uni High, so seven years of his education have been at the University.

“It’s only matched by Ph.D. students, and that’s kind of insane, except I don’t get a Ph.D.,” he said.

When the time came for college, Leroy said Sam’s options were never limited to the University — Sam’s sister went to Michigan and his brother went to Indiana. Sam whole-

heartedly agreed.“It was because of the relationship I have

with both of my parents that I was comfort-able being able to come to the University of Illinois and be so close to this campus,” he said. “They respected that it was my col-lege career and not theirs.”

Sam’s parents wanted his experience to be independent, and they were too busy with their own lives to micromanage their son’s, Leroy said.

“It’s kind of fun when something posi-tive happens for Sam, and we’re the last

to know,” he said. “It speaks to his inde-pendence and our respectful distance from him.”

However, when Sam compares his experi-ence with how often his peers see their par-ents, he doesn’t feel much distance.

“I don’t view it as a bad thing, I just view it as saying, ‘Hello,’ and not compromis-ing that autonomy,” he said. “It’s a small campus.”

Last spring, Sam and his father got to spend time together on the Illinois State Senate.

“That was a pretty neat experience to be able to sit together in that setting as a dad

and son and be able to talk about the most important issues on this campus,” Sam said. “He and I just really deeply care about the U. of I. It’s just a hobby that we share.”

Though Sam will schedule lunch with his dad, it’s not unusual for them to see each other on the street, at games or at services for Jewish high holidays.

“I think that almost makes it more special that it is spontaneous,” Sam said.

Some of Sam’s independence comes from living away from home, which he and his dad said was never even questioned.

“The most essential part of the col-lege experience is not in the classroom: it’s engaging with your fellow students,” Leroy said.

Sam echoed his father’s sentiment: “The most important things I’ve learned in col-lege are not from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

Leroy’s appreciation of residence halls dates back to his time in the dorms.

“My dad had the reputation of ‘Pass-the-tray Leroy at FAR,’” Sam said. Sam’s mom and her friends would wait and talk in front of the dining hall before it opened. His father “would be one of the first ones there and pass all the trays out to the girls as they were walking in, and that’s how he met my mom.”

Though Sam said he isn’t sure what he’ll do after graduation, he would be glad to have a third Leroy generation go to the University.

“My parents met here, my brother and sister went here for grad school and now me,” he said. “University of Illinois is a part of my family.”

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Professor’s son stays close to home at UI

“Have goals in your life and do everything you can to achieve them.”

– BEGUM KASAP, SENIOR IN ENGINEERING

What’s the best advice your dad has given you?BY ARIEL ROHSTAFF WRITER

“Be happy and be yourself.”– JIANING XU, FRESHMAN IN LAS

“Work hard in everything you do.”– RYAN PINTAR, JUNIOR IN LAS

“Put yourself first.”– SHOUNAK RAY, FRESHMAN IN

ENGINEERING

“It doesn’t matter what grades you get. What matters is that you gave it your all and learn from the experience, because in the real world we are not defined by grades. We are defined by our work ethic.”

– VIVIAN HONG, FRESHMAN IN FAA

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“That was a pretty neat experience to be able to sit together in that setting as a dad and son and be able to talk about the most important issues on this campus.”

MICHAEL LEROYPROFESSOR OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS AND LAW


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ON NEWSTANDS FRIDAY

2015

BY BROOKS BERISHCONTRIBUTING WRITER

T his year, like so many years before it, the dads of the round table con-vened to cast their vote on whom they should bestow the honorable title of King Dad. The process,

embedded in tradition, carefully considers each nomination, as the high degree of excel-lent contenders makes for a rather competi-tive selection — especially now.

“This year, we had a really tough decision because of all the really good essays,” said Michael Muscatella, member of the Dads Asso-ciation Board of Directors. “So, it was pretty competitive.”

Muscatella is in charge of soliciting the nom-inations and then compiling all of the board members’ votes to determine the next King Dad.

Normally, they average about 25 to 30 nomi-nations, but this year the Board members had to read a few more essays, making their final vote all the more difficult to narrow down.

“This year, we had 33 nominations, which is the most we’ve had in several years,” Mus-catella said.

All students at the University are welcome to nominate their fathers for King Dad. Each student must submit an essay outlining the ideal paternal characteristics that their father exemplifies, the extent to which he fulfills his commitment as their loving father and how he acts as a role model.

“What they’re looking for is a dad that exem-plifies all of those qualities: support, leader-ship, service to the kids and to the college,” said Muscatella.

Last year, the Dads Association crowned Christopher Downes as King Dad. Along with the many philanthropic and community endeavors that he’s involved in, Downes is a

pretty exemplary dad, according to his daugh-ter, Kathleen Downes.

The following is an excerpt from Kathleen’s nomination essay from last year, posted on the King Dad website: “My dad is the greatest man I will ever know. He is the most loving, gener-ous, kind person anyone could hope to meet, and he treats his role as my father as the best job in the world.”

The coronation of the King Dad takes place at the annual Friday Night Dads Association Reception, held at the Illini Union on Friday, Nov. 13, at 5 p.m. The King is crowned and receives his engraved scepter, along with an engraved desk clock. Although it’s not exactly Westminster Abbey, the reception at the Union is a great way to kick off Dads Weekend.

“I would encourage everybody to come

out to the King Dad reception,” Muscatella said. “We have entertainment … We have hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, and then we’ve got the King Dad presentation, so there’s a lot going on.”

Two a cappella groups will be performing at the reception: Girls Next Door and No Strings Attached. People can also pick up their tickets at the reception for the Dads Association spon-sored events over the weekend. King Dad is invited to all of these events and is even recog-nized on the football field during the halftime show, where he is crowned yet again.

“The King Dad kind of resides over the weekend,” Muscatella said.

Along with the ceremonious crowning, King Dad will also receive a $100 gift certificate to the Illini Union Bookstore. The Dad with the

second most votes gets a $75 gift certificate and third place gets a $50 gift certificate.

All of the other nominations that did not place among the top three will receive a certif-icate acknowledging that their sons or daugh-ters nominated them. However, the purpose of King Dad is not solely to earn prizes and recognition, but rather to provide for a more lasting cause.

“The entire Dads Weekend is the fund-raiser for all the things the Dads Association sponsors. King Dad is just one activity of the weekend,” said Greg Allen, chair of the phi-lanthropy committee of the board for the Dads Association, in an email. “More of a recogni-tion of dads as a whole.”

The Dads Association, through events over Dads Weekend, funds scholarships and grants. They provide eight scholarships worth $2,000 each to students and eight grants of up to $2,000 to any RSO.

“The RSOs submit their grant applications and we review those at the board level, and we decide which grants we can award based on those nominations. The scholarships are based on a combination of need and achieve-ment,” Muscatella said.

The Dads Association encourages stu-dents and RSOs to apply for the grants and scholarships.

Every so often, the Dads Association will have enough funds left over where they can do a special project for the school. For example, last year the Dads Association donated one ATV to the U. of I. police force so they could provide more assistance to the students.

“We have a good time,” Muscatella said. “Dads spend time with their kids, but the big-ger picture is we raise a lot of money and we give it all back to the students.”

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His Majesty, King Dad

PHOTO COUTESY OF MIKE BOOKEChristopher Downes was crowned King Dad at Memorial Stadium last year.


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BY ARIEL ROHSTAFF WRITER

D ads Weekend is regarded as a happy time for students to bond with their fathers. However, many international

students interpret Dads Weekend differently than most domestic students on campus.

Xuezhu Yu, a Chinese student and freshman in LAS, said she feels jealous of other students during Dads Weekend.

“I become sentimental, missing my dad and all other family members,” Yu said. “On Dads Weekend, I try to shift my focus on hanging out more with international friends whose fathers also could not visit UIUC so that I could avoid thinking about this special day too much.”

Jian Zu, junior in LAS, has been away from his homeland, China, for six years.

“I don’t have any feeling for Dads Day because this is the day that I cannot get involved. My dad cannot come to the U.S. due to his hectic schedule. Besides, I have no expe-rience for this day in China. So, I am fine with it,” Zu said.

Yi-Wei Chiu, a Chinese student and junior in LAS, has been in the U.S. for five years. He won’t be able to spend the weekend with his father.

“Actually, I invited him for Dads Weekend, but he couldn’t make it due to his job. Besides, the distance from China to U.S. is too long. It takes almost one day to arrive in U.S. from China by flight,” Chiu said.

Julio Cesar, a Brazilian international stu-dent, expressed feelings of sadness toward

Dads Weekend. He explained that he used to celebrate a similar holiday in Brazil, where he would prepare surprises, gifts and a good lunch. However, going to school at the Univer-sity has changed the tradition for him.

“Now that I am in (the) U.S., apart from my family, Dads Day is a painful day for me. It is just a day that I miss everything related to my family, as well as my home country,” Cesar said.

Many international students, including Yu, Zu, Cesar and Chiu, do not want to participate in any Dads Weekend events on campus. How-ever, they are eager to do activities together or at least call their fathers.

“I would make a phone call or Skype with my dad to listen his voice on Dads Day because I barely talk to my dad, trying not to make him worried about me,” Yu said.

Chiu said he would like to spend time in the U.S. with his parents at some point if time allows, because he only gets to spend one or two weeks with his parents every year.

“So, I want it to be special. When we meet, we talk over diverse topics while traveling. This year, we went to New York together,” Chiu said.

Zu said he wants to take his parents to Chi-cago sometime because he’s never been there.

“I also want to write poems for my dad while traveling together because that is our unique way to communicate. I think it is fun to do with my dad,” Zu said.

[email protected]

BY RABIA ILYASSTAFF WRITER

One of the most exciting weekends for University dads — and their families — is right around the corner. Dads

Weekend allows students to share some of their favorite events, restaurants and places on campus with their dads.

With many sororities, fraternities and organizations planning exciting events for this weekend, it’s not difficult to find some-thing entertaining to do.

The Dads Association, comprised of Uni-versity students’ dads, plans and hosts some of the most popular events on campus.

“The events are generally traditional year to year,” said Todd Probasco, president of the Dads Association.

The events this year will include the Illi-ni hockey game, the annual barbecue, a football game against Ohio State, a con-cert on Saturday night and a brunch to end the weekend.

Proceeds from the events go toward aca-demic scholarships and grants.

“It is a really fun weekend that gives us the opportunity to raise funds, but also see students have a good time with their fami-lies,” Probasco said.

While all the events are popular, Probasco

said the football game and concert are usu-ally the highlights of the weekend for most.

Phil Schaefer, vice president of Dads Association, said he finds the football game most entertaining because it’s where King Dad is recognized. King Dad, a yearly honor-ary event recognizing a select group of stu-dents and their dads, is selected by the Dads Association through essay nominations.

The concert this year, which will be at Foellinger Auditorium on Saturday night, will be performed by a Beatles tribute band.

“It’s a great event because it brings together all ages,” said Probasco.

Members of the Dads Association aren’t just busy during Dads Weekend. From fund-ing grant programs affiliated with the Uni-versity, to attending alumni functions, to working with the University during Summer Orientation, the Dads Association plays an integral role on campus year-round.

“We are a philanthropic organization, and in participating in outreach events and serv-ing as a resource for both students and par-ents, we make a positive impact on the entire student body at the University,” Michael Muscatella, a member of the board of direc-tors of the Dads Association, said.

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International dads absent

Dads Association sets up events


COMPILED BY ISABELLA [email protected]

Dads Weekend 2015: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Saturday, Nov. 14

8: 30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dads Weekend Rock Concert: American English, The Complete Beatles Tribute (Follinger Auditorium)

9 a.m.Dads Association Pre-Game BBQ (Athletics and Recreation Center)

11 a.m. Football Game: Illinois vs. Ohio State (Memorial Stadium)

8 p.m.Films at the Union: Southpaw (Illini Union Pine Lounge)

Friday, Nov. 13

5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Welcome Reception and Ticket Pickup (Illini Union Room C and South Lounge)

7 p.m. Films at the Union: Southpaw (Illini Union Pine Lounge)

7:30 p.m. Illinois Hockey vs. Iowa State (University of Illinois Ice Arena)

8 p.m. Friday Night Comedy feat. Spicy Clamato and DeBono Improv (Illini Union Courtyard Cafe)

Sunday, Nov. 15

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dads Association Sunday Brunch (Illini Union Rooms ABC)

SUPPLEMENTS STAFF

SUPPLEMENTS EDITORABRAR AL-HEETIASSISTANT SUPPLEMENTS EDITORVICTORIA SNELLEDITOR-IN-CHIEFMEGAN JONESMANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTINGDECLAN HARTYMANAGING EDITOR FOR ONLINEMIRANDA HOLLOWAYCREATIVE DIRECTORKELSIE TRAVERSASSISTANT DESIGN EDITORNATALIE GACEKCOPY CHIEF SUSAN SZUCH ASSISTANT COPY CHIEFLILLIAN BARKLEYPUBLISHER LILYAN LEVANT

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Dad's Weekend 2015

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