Archive - Nov 2007

Duck Day(s)

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OK, so I ended up having turkey this Thanksgiving. Well, not quite. Two days after the big Turkey Day, actually. I had duck on those other two days. And I must say, I liked the Peking duck much better than the big ol' turkey.

PLAN ahead

Tomorrow morning I will wake up before 8, get out my No. 2 pencils, graphing calculator, eraser, and drive to Uni. Sounds an awful lot like a school day doesn’t it?

30 days and 30 nights: Writing the Great Frantic Novel

The close of November brings with it the scent of winter, StudProd-induced laughter, and the end of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Senior Linda Song, as well as thousands of others, spent the past 30 days working on a 50,000-word novel for the NaNoWriMo program. Essentially writing a 175-page book, each of these amateur writers tried their hand at one of literature's toughest endeavors. Look inside for more on the Great Frantic Novel.

StudProd diary: Thank goodness for Sprite

Whether it was nerves or something else, writer-director Kumars Salehi wasn't feeling very well earlier today. That's surprising, since the preparation for his StudProd play, "Run to the Sun: A Concise Vignette," has gone swimmingly — especially compared to his experience at filmmaking camp last summer.

Uni ballerinas ready for opening night of "The Nutcracker"

Four Uni students will be performing in the Champaign Urbana Ballet's annual holiday production of "The Nutcracker" this weekend and next Saturday: Karolina Kalbarczyk, Sophie Shenk, Claire Liu, and Simone Ballard. The first performance is tonight at 7:30. Anna Cangellaris, a veteran of "The Nutcracker" herself, went to a recent rehearsal and came back with this preview.

Human beatboxer

I was shown this a while ago, while randomly surfing YouTube videos. Isn't it amazing what you can find?

Drugs at concerts = not worth it

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I love going to concerts. There’s something special about being able to watch musicians perform live, which makes the music more impressive. The throb of the crowd jumping and dancing is splendidly exhilarating. Usually I leave concerts smiling with new energy coursing through my body.

There’s only one thing I dislike, and that’s the unavoidable presence of drugs.

Girls basketball: Yoo, Woodley almost steal the show in comeback bid

Aran Yoo had 8 steals and Karen Woodley grabbed 16 rebounds, but that wasn't enough as Uni fell to host Villa Grove 43-39 Thursday night. The Illineks trailed by 14 points in the first half, then came back to within a single point in the final minute of play before Villa Grove clinched the win.

StudProd preview: Can I have my parents use your boyfriend in a concise vignette?

The headline you see above is shamelessly stolen from the program of this year's Student Productions, also known as "The Brunhilda Chronicles." If none of this makes any sense, come to StudProd tonight or Saturday and all will be explained. Trust us, you'll love it — or, more specifically, trust Katherine Allen, who is your guide to Uni's annual showcase of student theatrical talent. Tickets cost $4 for students, senior citizens, and faculty, and $5 for everyone else.

Community service update: What goes around comes around

Students for a Better World raised more than $500 last month for A Woman's Fund, thanks to the club's Boomerang Bike Ride. Katherine Allen takes a look at S4BW's fundraising success story and explains how other groups can get the word out about their own socially progressive service activities.

Public high school is painful too

Oftentimes the night before a huge test, I find myself imagining a mystical fairyland. This utopia of my dreams is called public-public high school (as opposed to Uni-public high school).

Public high school is painful, too

Oftentimes the night before a huge test, I find myself imagining a mystical fairyland. This utopia of my dreams is called public-public high school (as opposed to Uni-public high school).

FreeRice is going to make me smarter

Today was my first time on FreeRice. The Web site consists of a vocabulary game, and each correct answer rewards you with a donation of rice to end world hunger. I was immediately hooked.

StudProd diary: An adventure and a miracle

[UPDATED] Ever wonder how Uni's annual showcase of student theatrical talent gets done in time? Michelle Gao is still wondering — and she's one of the actors who will be performing when Student Productions begin 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the North Attic Playhouse. This week the OG will present a backstage look at the making of StudProd 2007. In today's entry Michelle, who plays Julie in Lauren Piester's "My Parents Think I'm Perfect," writes about line memorization and a trip to Target.

Subfreshman sports: Girls basketball team makes school history

Led by top scorer Jamie Blue, the Uni girls defeated Judah Christian 27-20 Monday in the opening round of the eighth-grade regional playoffs — the first time a subbie girls basketball team won a regional game. On Tuesday the girls almost outdid themselves, nearly pulling off a huge comeback win against top-seeded St. Matthew.