Author Archives: bransle2@illinois.edu

Summer Hours

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By Sarah Bransley

If you’re on campus over the summer, be aware that not only do university run facilities change their hours, but businesses on campus also change their hours! Restaurants, stores, and food trucks will all adjust their hours and may even temporarily close to account for the decrease in business.

To keep track of your favorite food trucks, find them on social media! Many of them announce where they will be via Twitter, Instagram, or even Facebook. You’ll never be disappointed if you check ahead of time. My favorite truck to follow is Pandemonium Dooughnuts via their Twitter handle @PandaDoughnutCU. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried one of their artisan doughnuts.

For traditional businesses, I like to call ahead.  Not all businesses on campus update their websites with their summer hours. Calling directly has never lead me wrong, but I have walked somewhere with friends and found a place closed early due to slow business. A good example is restaurants in the basement of the Union. I love my Einstein bagels, but during the summer I know I may need to hit up the Lincoln & University location instead.

Businesses these changes apply to may be found in the area roughly between Sixth & Lincoln and University & Florida.

Congratulations Graduates!

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By Sarah Bransley

 

uiucalmamaterThis weekend our graduates will walk across the stage and sing our Alma Mater song. It’s the goal that each and every one of our transfer students has when they decide to join the Orange & Blue. From sleepless nights to harrowing exams, it all leads up to that final moment when you can say that you are an Illinois alumnus! This post is to congratulate not only our exec board members, who will be moving on to bigger and better things, but all of the other transfer students who have completed their undergraduate career this week. Congratulations and good luck in all of your future endeavors!

Summer in Chambana

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by Sarah Bransley

It’s almost summer break! The majority of students are excited to pack up and get back home to be with family and friends from home. However, for a portion of us, we stay in Chambana for either research or classes.

A lot of first timers want to know – What’s it like in Chambana over the summer? Is there anything to do?

First off, I love the summer. Campus pretty much shuts down. Between places closing for extended periods or changing hours, it’s like a ghost town. Except there’s this amazing thing that happens. You can walk across the Quad without someone trying to sell you poorly baked goods or getting hit by a cyclist or getting stuck behind a wall of the SLOWEST WALKERS IN EXISTENCE. You also don’t have to wait in line for anything. And if you do, it’s like two people. Does that even count as waiting?

Campus isn’t the only part of town affected. Driving around town gets so much easier. You can tell that a huge portion of the population is gone. It takes less time to get places and you see the effects EVERYWHERE. The mall, the grocery stores, the highway, etc.

Don’t think that means there’s nothing to do in the summer. Chambana is the best place to be in the summer! It seems like there’s a festival or concert nearly every weekend. The Taste of Champaign, the SweetCorn Festival and the Blues Brews & BBQ Festival are my favorites and probably the largest. I also love movies on the Quad hosted by our own Illini Union Board! This summer I’m also going to try and check out Krannert Uncorked, which is a concert and wine tasting at Krannert. My boyfriend also insists that we visit the arboretum, which is supposed to be gorgeous.

If you still can’t find anything you want to do here (really? I mean come on) then Chicago or St. Louis are both about 2-3 hours away. Not impossible for a weekend trip.

Whatever you choose, have fun!