Dana, Last week, Kent Ono said something that merits repeating. UIUC's ethnic studies programs have a great deal to offer to students. Programs like these are hard to find. They're not as common as one might think. For example, UI's commitment to the growth of its American Indian Studies program is hard to beat. Due to support from Chancellor Herman and Provost Katehi, our program (established in 2003) has quickly risen to national prominence. I encourage and invite you and all the other Uni students who will be UIUC students to take a course in American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, Latino/a Studies, or African American Studies. All programs offer courses that fill gen ed requirements. My class, "Politics of Children's Literature" earns high scores from students in their evaluation forms. There's a lot of back story to what children's books get published, edited, reviewed... It's fascinating to consider that books that offer such "warm fuzzies" actually carry a lot of heft with respect to socialization of children. In the class, we study race, gender, sexual orientation, class.... all within the pages of a children's book. In short, UIUC offers an excellent education with many opportunities. You are not selling yourself short. --Debbie Reese