Welcome, Guest!
Cheers & Jeers: Back to school '08 edition
Published: Saturday, August 23, 2008 - 10:39pm
-
Summer Olympics 2008
The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were both inspiring and entertaining. The opening ceremonies have been heralded by many as the most spectacular ever. Despite a few controversies, the Beijing games went swimmingly well. Speaking of swimming, a shout out to Michael Phelps, who reached new heights, winning a record eight gold medals, seven of which came in world record fashion.
-
Alex Zhai
This summer at the International Math Olympiad in Madrid, 2008 Uni grad Alex Zhai earned a perfect score, tying for first place. Props to Alex, now a freshman at Harvard, for his hard work and genius.
-
Fall Sports
After an impressive spring season for the track teams and girls soccer, Illinek athletes look to make more headlines this season in cross country, boys soccer, swimming, and volleyball.
-
Facility Improvements
Over the summer, the University provided significant financing for a number of facility improvements, including new, asbestos-free tiles on the second and third floors.
-
New CRC
The Counseling Resource Center has been moved to the second floor. The Student Services Office and peer college counselors have done a great job transitioning to the new space, keeping everything orderly and clean while maintaining a very welcoming vibe. Come check it out!
-
Howdy Hop
With a good turnout, the first dance of the year was a great opener for the school year. We're looking forward to what Student Council has planned next.
-
Calm and Cool Teachers
Things have been hectic with the start of school, but our teachers have been able to deal with it relatively well. They've been putting up with new students, new classrooms, and even continuous class-size changes without taking it out on us (yet). Plus major props to the teachers who didn't give out homework on the first day!
-
Kenney Gym to Ourselves*
*Almost. Aside from the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (the U of I gymnastics team) and one other group that meets Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., we have Kenney Gym all to ourselves.
-
Hard-working Faculty and Staff
We've got to give another shout out to the people who labor every day to make things run smoothly at Uni. And special mention to math executive teacher Craig Russell, who won a prestigious national honor, the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching.
-
Ace Political Reporter Will Fernandez
The sophomore OG staff member has already filed two stories from the Democratic National Convention in Denver — and the convention hasn't even officially begun! Look for Will's articles, photos, and audio throughout the coming week.
-
No Book Bar
With a few weeks of summer remaining, many students were left scrambling to find affordable books. And what are we going to do at the end of the school year when we want to get rid of our books?
-
Diet Beverages Only
One unwelcome change to Uni over the summer was the vending machines, which now contain diet-only beverages. Diet soda is just as bad for you as regular soda, and the artificial sweeteners used in diet beverages have been shown to increase appetite, causing drinkers to consume more calories.
-
Harry Potter Film Delayed
Originally set to release on Nov. 21, Warner Bros. announced recently that the theatrical release of the next Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," would be delayed to July 17, 2009. An unnamed "rival" studio exec claimed the move was to "stop next year's profits from looking seriously underwhelming after the phenomenal success of 'The Dark Knight,'" as "they don't need the money this year anymore."
-
Summer Reading
Between travel, summer jobs, and relaxation, summer can be a very busy time for students. Why not let us read books we actually want to read?
-
End of Summer
Back to the regular schedule of waking up early and staying up late doing homework. Sigh. How many days till winter break?
-
Disrespect, Elevator Closed
After only the third day of school, the elevator's been closed due to disrespectful behavior by students. If it was a high schooler, you should be ashamed of yourself. If it was a subbie, you'll soon learn how much fun it is to trek up three flights of stairs right after PE.
-
New Prox Cards
We know it's for our safety and security, but going to get the new ID was a pain, and if you lost your old ID you have to pony up $20. On top of that, a less-than-seamless transition to the new ID has caused a few (temporary) problems with library access.
-
Locked Doors
It's nice having Kenney all to ourselves, but is it really necessary to keep all the doors locked? Instead of allowing students use the entrance most convenient to them, we all must walk to the doors that happen to be the farthest away from Uni. On top of it all, will they really make us keep the doors shut while using the gymnasium? It will get so hot, we'll wish we were in fitness.
-
New Look
Although we appreciate the funding from the University to renovate the school, the new look feels a little too sterile. It's not worse, just different … we liked the old chipped-tile feeling! It may take some getting used to.
Comments
Post new comment