All About Yes

College is a time of self-discovery, and for many of you it will be a time and a place where you explore your sexuality. But a truly important part of that journey is understanding consent.

GIF of Moira Rose, from TV show Schitt's Creek, saying

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has an Affirmative Consent Policy, which means they define what consent is, and, very importantly, what consent is NOT. In short, consent is a freely given and ENTHUSIASTIC YES to EVERY STEP of sexual contact. 

Things to remember about consent:

  • Consent can be taken back at ANY time.
  • A “yes” to some things doesn’t automatically mean a yes to everything.
  • Consent can only be given by someone who fully understands their actions. Someone under the influence of drugs, alcohol, someone under the legal age, or someone unconscious or asleep can’t give consent.
  • It is not consent if the person feels threatened or afraid of saying “no.”
  • It is not consent if the person said “no” many times, but was asked until they were worn down or guilted and eventually said “yes.”
  • Just because someone doesn’t say “no,” does not mean they mean “yes.”

GIF of Keenan Thompson enthusiastically saying

When taking part in any sexual activity you need clear consent. If your partner seems quiet or not into it, just stop and talk to them. Proceeding with sexual activity without consent is called sexual assault. 

And consent is sexy! Consent is the best way to know that everyone is comfortable and having a good time. Consent is the key to exploring your sexuality in a safe, respectful manner. How better to get to know your own preferences than to explore in a culture of consent? 

GIF of Thor yelling

Much like other campuses around the country, we are still growing a clear culture of consent on our campus. Studies show that sexual assault does happen on campuses, and it happens at higher rates to women and transgender or gender non-confomring individuals. But that does not mean it doesn’t happen to men either! Sexual assault is defined by the Univeristy of Illinois as “any sexual act directed against another person, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent.” Assault can happen to anyone by anyone. This is why understanding exactly what consent is and what it is not is so important. 

Don’t think it’s just sexual contact that’s wrong. Included in the Sexual Misconduct policy at Illinois is Sexual Harassment. Anything that falls under the Sexual Misconduct policy is subject to discipline by the university.  

Sexual assault is NEVER the victim’s fault. If you have been affected by assault, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has resources available to help. We Care can connect you with the right people to report an incident, who to talk to about what happened, and they also provide prevention training. They’ll listen, respect, and believe you. They also have resources for friends and family of assault survivors with simple steps to help you be there for your loved one. 

If you want to build a culture of consent on campus, the first place to start is with your friends and partners. Establish clear communication and consent for any touching, even hugs! Be there for the people around you, respecting them and listening if they have something to tell you. And always remember there are people here at Illinois who are available to help. A culture of consent isn’t something that will happen on its own. Each of us must do our part to make our campus a safe, supportive place to learn and grow.

GIF of Rihanna saying

Resources:

AAU Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct (2015). Association of American Universities (AAU). (2015, September 3). https://www.aau.edu/key-issues/aau-climate-survey-sexual-assault-and-sexual-misconduct-2015. 

Add Consent to Your Teen’s College Checklist. National Sexual Violence Resource Center. https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/add-consent-your-teens-college-checklist. 

At illinois we care. https://wecare.illinois.edu/help/support/. 

Her Campus (2018, April 30). Creating a Culture of Consent on Your Campus. womenshealth.gov. https://www.womenshealth.gov/blog/campus-culture-consent. 

Human Resources. Sexual Misconduct – Campus Administrative Manual. https://cam.illinois.edu/policies/hr-79r/.

 

Written by: Maurissa

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Black History Month

As Black History Month dawns, as a woman of color, I lament the shortness of this month. However, February was chosen for specific reasons, in spite of its shortness. February was chosen by Carter G. Woodson to honor the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, and one of the most famous Abolitionist and a former America’s Most Photographed, Frederick Douglass to honor the birthdays of both men.

Despite the shortness of the month, Black History is everywhere. In lightbulbs, fun summer toys, Washington, D.C., music, fashion, language, and more. In fact, this is one of my favorite times of the year as I get to learn something new about the contribution of Black people to the fabric of the American experiment.

As Former President Barack Obama stated:

… From our earliest days, black history has been American history. We’re the slaves who quarried the stone to build this White House; the soldiers who fought for our nation’s independence, who fought to hold this union together, who fought for freedom of others around the world. We’re the scientists and inventors who helped unleash American innovation. We stand on the shoulders not only of the giants in this room, but also countless, nameless heroes who marched for equality and justice for all of us. It’s about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America.

“Shared and lived experiences,” forged on paper to challenge societal viewpoints, are present in all media forms. Literature reflects the current environment of our nation. Many books now feature individuals of color as main characters or are written by authors of color, a major change from decades past. And this inspires many children to become published and speak about what is important to them and why Their Black is Beautiful. For example, an eleven-year-old Black student, Aiden Taylor, has become a published author in the pandemic. His book, Me and My Afro, discusses the importance of his hair to his identity.

Hair is a large part of many people’s identity. For many people of color, particularly Black people, it can often become a fight against societal oppression. It is only in the last five years that individuals of color in the military could wear their hair in braids or dreads without reprimand. However, this is still a pervasive problem that many students face in schools, competitions, and beyond.

Shared experiences have shaped this campus. Illinois has a rich history of Black cultural experience and activism on this campus. William Walter Smith was the first Black student to graduate from UIUC in 1900 with a B.A. in Literature and Arts (he also received a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1907).  Maudelle Tanner Brown Bausfield was the first woman in 1906 with Hilda Lawson following in her footsteps with a PhD in 1939.

Kappa Alpha Psi’s second chapter, Beta, was founded at the University of Illinois on February 8th, 1913. This makes Kappa Alpha Psi the oldest Black fraternity on campus. In the 1960s, students lobbied the university to admit and enroll more students of color, which ended with over two hundred students being arrested. In 2015, Being Black at Illinois lobbied the university to re-instate the Project 500, the 1960s diversity initiative. Former students

Black History is everyone’s history. As Kamala Harris, the first woman of color to become the Vice-President of the United States of America said in her election night victory speech, “I may be the first, but won’t be the last.”  William Walter Smith, Maudelle Tanner Brown Bausfield, and Hilda Lawson may have been the pioneers, but they were not the last. Their legacies have allowed many Black students to attend and enrich Illinois and their home communities as evident by independent artists and educators, Mother Nature, whose experiences on campus led them to use hip hop to organize communities. The contributions made by many Black students have shaped Illinois into the future, lifting every voice.

If you want to know more about Black history at University of Illinois and beyond, please check out these sites and cities (this is not a comprehensive list):

The DuSable Museum of African American History– Chicago

National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis

African American Museum– Washington D.C.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum– Atlanta

National Black Music Museum– Nashville

University of Illinois, Archives – Urbana-Champaign

 

 

Written By: Simone Stone

References Cited

Atrl.net. (2016, October 18). Black Soul Train GIF. Giphy. http://gph.is/2esq9V3

Books by and/or about Black, Indigenous, and People of Color 2018- (2020, October 27). Cooperative Children’s Book Center. University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Education. https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/books-by-about-poc-fnn/

Harris, K.(2020, November 7). Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris Addresses the Nation [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsrzIcTwtMo

Into Action (2021, January 25). Black Lives Matter BLM GIF. Giphy. https://gph.is/g/4oW8jyJ

Into Action (2021, January 25). Black Lives Matter BLM GIF. Giphy. https://gph.is/g/aXVN0YR

Jean-Philippe, M. (2021, Jan 7). The Reason Black History Month is in February. Oprah Magazine. Retrieved from MSN 2021/2/1.https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-reason-black-history-month-is-in-february/ar-BB1cyJ9P?li=BBnb7Kz

Johnson, P.K. (2016, December 27). Frederick Douglass was the Most Photographed American of the 19th Century. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/frederick-douglass-always-ready-his-close-n517391

Kappa Alpha Psi Celebrates its History as Illinois’ Oldest Black Fraternity. (2012, February 8). The Daily Illini. Retrieved 2021, February 1. https://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2012/02/08/kappa-alpha-psi-celebrates-its-history-as-illinoisae-oldest-black-fraternity/

Kindy, D. (2019, June 21). The Accidental Invention of the Super Soaker. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/accidental-invention-super-soaker-180972428/

Keene, L. (n.d.). Benjamin Banneker: the Black Tobacco Farmer who the Presidents Couldn’t Ignore. The White House Historical Association. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/benjamin-banneker

Mirza, F. (2015, February 4). #BeingBlackatIllinois discusses solutions to African-American student decline. The Daily Illini. https://dailyillini.com/news/2015/02/04/beingblackatillinois-discusses-solutions-to-african-american-student-decline/

National Museum of African American History and Culture. (2021). A People’s Journey, A Nation’s Story.  https://nmaahc.si.edu/

National Center for Civil Rights at the Lorraine Motel (2021). Education and Interpretation. https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/learn

National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum. (2021). About the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/about-the-center/

National Museum of African-American Music. (2020). History. https://nmaam.org/

Peters, A.M. (2020, August 21). One Proposal for Improving Army Inclusivity for Women of Color: Update Hair Regulations. Military.com. https://www.military.com/daily-news/opinions/2020/08/21/one-proposal-improving-army-inclusivity-women-of-color-update-hair-regulations.html

Scholastic. (n.d.) Latimer, L. Culture and Change: Black History in America. Famous African-American Inventors. http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/latimer.htm

Smith, M. (2021, February 1). 11-Year-Old Boy Writes Book Me and My Afro to Help Kids’ ‘Love the Way They Are.’ People. https://people.com/human-interest/boy-11-writes-book-me-and-my-afro-about-self-love/

Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture (2017, September 28). YouTube Faces GIF. Giphy. http://gph.is/2fThUTW

Straw, J., Swain, E., Prom, C. (2003, June). Guide to African-American Research Resources. University Archives at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. https://archives.library.illinois.edu/guides/afamer.php#bkmark1

Stubbs, R. (2019, April 17). A wrestler was forced to cut his dreadlocks before a match. His town is still looking for answers. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/04/17/wrestler-was-forced-cut-his-dreadlocks-before-match-his-town-is-still-looking-answers/

Student Life and Cultural Archival Program (2010). Project 500 and the Struggle for Campus Diversity at the University of Illinois. Oral History Projects at the Student Life and Cultural Archival Program. https://archives.library.illinois.edu/slcold/researchguides/oralhistory/project500/

“The Talk”: The Conversation That Sparked a Movement. (2019, January 1). My Black is Beautiful. https://www.mbib.com/en-us/redefining-black/the-talk-conversation-that-sparked-a-movement

Tse, K. (2021, January 29). Independent Media Center catches up with Mother Nature. The Daily Illini. https://dailyillini.com/features/2021/01/29/independent-media-center-catches-up-with-mother-nature/

The White House Office of the Press Secretary (2016, February 18). Remarks by the President at Black History Month Reception. Obama White House Archives. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/18/remarks-president-black-history-month-reception

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Books That Will Almost Make You Want to Stop Watching TikTok…

As the year comes to a close and it somehow still feels like March, we thought you might need some books that fill you with joy and keep you entertained. It’s quite the understatement to say that 2020 has been a strange year, and we’ve probably all spent a record-breaking number of hours staring at screens for work, school, and entertainment. You know when you scroll through TikTok for 15 minutes but somehow two hours passed? Here are some books that will make you feel the same way!

Click on each book title for links to access through the University Library, or check out your local public library.

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang

The Wang family is super wealthy. At least, they were. When they lose their fortune, the Wangs pack their few remaining possessions into an old car and drive from California to New York. Filled with humor, charm, and a healthy dose of awkward reality, this book will also fill the void of Schitt’s Creek being over.

 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Hahn

Whether or not you’ve seen the Netflix film adaptation, this book is worth the read. Lara Jean Song has written a letter to every boy she’s ever loved, and they’re all tucked away in a secret box. Somehow, her letters get mailed and now she’s being confronted by all her past crushes that she may or may not really be over.

 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
(not available through UIUC, link goes to Champaign Public Library)

While everyone in her small town is completely obsessed with prom, Liz Lighty just wants to escape to college. But winning prom queen comes with scholarship money, so even though she thinks she’s too poor, too Black, and too awkward for her classmates, Liz decides to do whatever it takes to win that prize. She doesn’t like the spotlight, but she does like spending time with the new girl who is also running for prom queen…

 

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

If you love dramatic reality shows, this book has that same addictive, guilty-pleasure feeling. Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick, but he fails to mention that his family is outrageously wealthy and their home is more like a palace. Since Nick is one of the island’s most eligible bachelors, Rachel finds herself with a target on her back in this world of gloriously insane wealth. After you read the book, there’s also a film adaptation!

 

When We Were Vikings by Andrew MacDonald

Zelda is a 21-year-old Viking enthusiast born with fetal alcohol syndrome. She lives with her older brother, Gert, and traverses life’s difficulties by adhering to some simple rules and ideals. After finding out that Gert has some questionable methods of making money, Zelda embarks on a heartwarming quest and discovers what makes a hero.

 

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

For a non-stop joyride, look no further than this novel about the son of America’s first female president. Alex Claremont-Diaz is charming and popular, in fact, he gets along with everyone – except for England’s Prince Henry. The two long-time nemeses make international news after causing a commotion at a royal wedding, and now they have to stage a fake friendship to do some damage control. The two have more in common than they realized, and their fake friendship evolves in a way that could have serious consequences for them and their nations.

 

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

This graphic novel is filled with fall vibes, friendship, and fun. Deja and Josiah have worked together every fall at the world’s best pumpkin patch, and this is their last shift together before they head to separate colleges. They decide to turn it into an epic night, eat all the best snacks, and finally talk to the girl Josiah has been mooning over for the past three years. Finding the girl isn’t as simple as they expect, but Deja and Josiah find lots of adventure along the way.

 

We hope you enjoy these books, let us know what you think!

 

Written and edited by: Nicole

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Bring Your Own Book Club+

The Undergraduate and the Residence Halls Libraries are putting together a book club this semester!

Gif of Emperor Penguins marching

Work Before

Gif of a child in sunglasses dancing with text "Workin' from home"

Now…

With the inability to hang out in-person because of the current environment, we wanted to provide an opportunity for members of the University of Illinois to connect via books and other forms of media such as movies and video games. We hope to provide this program throughout the semester. There will be prizes for individuals who can attend (or participate by writing a blurb, if they cannot make the scheduled meeting).

You might be asking yourself, why a book club?  

Book clubs are great because they provide an opportunity for socialization! Additionally, a book club is a chance to explore and discover new things, particularly while we are limited in our ability to travel and socialize like usual. For instance, campus book clubs held this summer were a great way to get to meet new people over Zoom while everything was shut down. It was also a wonderful way to build reading lists as each attendee shared some great new recommendations. Additionally, these groups provided suggestions of shows and movies, like Great Teacher Onizuka 

Most importantly, reading books, watching television, or playing games is fun! And by extension, so are book clubs. Perhaps the strongest reason to join this book club is that you will meet fellow media and book enthusiasts who are as invested in learning about your likes as we are about you. Maybe we can bond over a show like Lovecraft Country? 

Our first meeting is Wednesday, September 23rd at 6 p.m. RSVP at this sign-up form.  We can’t wait to see you there!

Gif of Aladdin and Jasmine with text "A whole new world"

Written by: Simone

Edited by: Maurissa & Nicole

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Be Well: The Art of Self-Care

The student art gallery in the UGL is inaccessible to all of us for the time being. But we didn’t want to let that stop us from showcasing artwork by some of the talented students at our University. After a call for submissions this summer, we have selected a couple of pieces to exhibit here. Both works beautifully align with our theme Be Well: The Art of Self-Care. They go beyond the idea of self-care as something you can buy, like an expensive facial or a fancy candle. Don’t get me wrong, expensive facials and fancy candles are great. But truly caring for ourselves and our communities, especially during a pandemic, requires digging a little deeper into the meanings and possibilities of self-care. These artists show us that engaging in self-care can mean asking yourself difficult questions and responding with compassion and remembering that all our well-beings are interconnected.

Samuel Feathers

Red flower with branching vines on a speckled grey/black background. Paint drips down from vines, the flower, and the top of the painting.

“everything’s greener when you’re colorblind” Simulated watercolor. 2020.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

“Done during the initial weeks of COVID-19 before I could go home. During that time, I was isolated alone on campus. I already was having respiratory issues from unrelated causes, so paranoia was starting to set in about getting infected, and it got me into a bad head space. For me, it’s super important to go out and make the best of a bad situation, but stopping to smell the roses in this case felt dangerous. As I got to a better place mentally, I started viewing the piece differently. Starting out, I could only really focus on the grime and imperfections, the flower and green vines were secondary. Now, the petals and gold of the flower are what I look to first. There’s pleasant and rough parts to it, but they are all mixed together. Like the quarantine, what you focus on determines how you interact with it. Do you make a choice to focus on the positives, or do the negatives grab your attention? Keeping that question in mind is how I make sure I’m taking care of myself.

It fits the theme not in a depiction of self-care, but as a question. How are you choosing to interact with the world right now? Are you choosing to focus on the bad? Or are you treating yourself with love and compassion and focusing on the good in the world, even though it is scary and confusing right now? It’s so easy to get down, so treat yourself with care and make a conscious effort to stay positive!”


Tiffany Teng

A person wearing blue with their head tilted back receives a massage from their mother, seated above them, wearing green and a cross necklace.

“Her Healing Hands” Watercolor. 2020.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

“Remember the healing and provisions that your friends and family have restored you with throughout your years together, and use it to look after one another as sheltering in place threatens to wear us down.

I recently had a migraine due to various factors including a lack of self-care. So, I gave myself a day of rest but didn’t feel well until my mother responded to my discomfort with an incredible head massage. As independent and self-reliant as we may want to be, we’re relational beings. We can’t uphold our well-being on our own. Part of self-care is not only knowing our own limits but also knowing that our well-being is made up of relationships. The relationships we have with family and friends are the passages that bring us love and care from others to build up our health.

Part of being well is knowing how to practice self-care with others. This piece illustrates one of the moments I relaxed with my mom, just chatting and massaging one another. In those moments, I often feel comfortable and at peace.”


Thank you to the artists for sharing their work. If you’d like to keep viewing, making, and learning about art from a safe distance, check out these resources:

 

Written by: Izzy

Edited by: Nicole

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Quarantine Diary 9: The Small Joys

Hear ye, hear ye, to all the inhabitants of the world, especially the readers of the UGL ‘Quarantine Diaries’. It’s me, Tath, another Graduate Assistant at the UGL. I’m writing from my apartment in Urbana with my windows open, even though it’s cold. Someone told me “being present with the temperature is being present with yourself” and I have developed a small crush on that thought. I do not know how many weeks shelter-in-place has been in effect.

I wanted to be finished with my large assignments several weeks ago, but have instead been spending time biking around Urbana. Although living in Chicago for five years before moving here, I am just now beginning to understand what flatland means as a kind of psychological condition. It’s not actually flat, you can see some rolling hills on the country roads just northeast of Urbana but they’re always a little out of reach, or actually in the middle of an early-season cornfield. 

My eyes are in legitimate pain from Zoom meetings but I like FaceTiming with my sister’s cat, Dusty Butt.

The cat, Dusty Butt, climbing on top of hanging clothes.

Other small joys?

Peppermint Tea:
It just rules. There is no tea I like better. Even Vanilla Rooibos doesn’t compare.

Rewatching the Sopranos:
Anthony Jr. is sick and there’s nothing I want more than to see him wearing the same Marilyn Manson shirt I wore all through middle school through college – the album cover to Family Portrait. Also high-key love Carmella and really really wish she and my mom were friends. In the mid-2000’s at the height of the Martha Stewart, Barefoot Contessa cultural phase, themed homemaking books and cookbooks were published kind of often (as opposed to today’s regional/cultural fusion trend). The Sopranos has not one, but two, whereas something as epistemically massive as Napoleon Dynamite only has a scattering of recipes across the internet. I’m vegan but I’d probably step to Carmella’s ziti.

A tweet that reads: "season 01, episode 4: AJ wears his first band shirt and it's a Marilyn Manson one. Plus, he rocks his room with several posters of Ulver, Moonspell, Nevermore and Stuck Mojo. What a start. #numetal #thesopranos" and has photos of the shirt and room

Reconnecting with an ex who is an actual rockstar.
I won’t tell you who they are but when I saw their picture in December’s Art Forum Top Ten my heart skipped a beat. They are also a rockstar at phone calls, and have good critiques of seltzer. Of seltzer, I highly recommend the Instagram page @seltzerflex.

Geoguessr
This is a Google Maps oriented game where you guess where you are based on your street view. I have guessed within 30 meters of where I have been dropped. You always know when you are in Australia, but inland regions of Mediterranean countries look eerily like Mongolia.

Skyrim
I’ve been homesick for my native Western Massachusetts since like 2013. Skyrim helps fill the void a little bit because culturally it’s the same place (for better or worse, although without the paranoia), and geographically even closer to a replica of home. My hometown looks like the outskirts of Whiterun.

A water-wheel turning in Skyrim

Falcon Cam
Sometimes I wake up and check on these falcons on top of UMass Amherst’s W.E.B. Dubois Library.

 

Written by: Tath

Edited by: Nicole

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Quarantine Diary 8: Memes in the time of quarantine

Hey everyone! My name is Amy and I’m writing to you from my parents’ house in southeast Michigan (AKA “the Metro-Detroit area”)! After briefly considering moving back to my apartment in Urbana post-spring-break, I decided that even as an introvert I would likely go a bit nuts if living by myself with no human contact for longer than a week.Due to recent events, morning screaming hours have been extended indefinitely [photo of baby opossum]
So here we are: 6 weeks later, re-wearing the same 5 pairs of leggings I brought home while completely ignoring the “hard pants” (more commonly known as “jeans”) I brought with me, and trying to juggle my new work-from-home, school-from-home, job-hunting-during-hiring-freezes, and Anxiety™ schedule.

"Has anyone come up with a good answer to 'how are you?' I have not." "Oh, you know, same panic different disco."

When every conversation now starts with a slightly-more-sincere-than-usual “how are you?” you have to start getting creative!

But that’s not fun to talk about, so instead I’m going to be sharing some of my (questionable) coping methods (spoiler alert: this includes memes) along with strategies actually backed by doctors and therapists!

Small Joys I’ve been indulging in:

  • Snuggling my kitty, Lucy – but also lots of playtime to counteract the excessive treats my parents give her.

    Photo of cat

    Lucy, my 6 year old rescue cat

  • Virtual happy hours, coffee hours, and game nights with friends and family! Zoom calls can be exhausting, but it is so nice to hear about the antics of my friend’s new puppy and have my 8-month-old niece hang up our video call because she wants to grab my face through the phone screen.
  • Shamelessly binge-watching TV shows/movies:
    • Brooklyn 99: This show has been on my watch list for literally years, with at least 70% of people who know me at all recommending it, but I have only started watching it recently due to who I am as a person. If you’re looking for some fun, light-hearted, and wholesome comedy, this show is a fantastic distraction full of quirky characters and ridiculous shenanigans. Bonus points: there’s a corgi!
    • Wynonna Earp: Canadian sci-fi featuring quips, demons, true love, cowboys, a fantastic portrayal of sister relationships, and a magic gun.
    • Bob’s Burgers: I stan Louise Belcher.
      Louise from Bob's Burgers saying "Let's be clear. I did absolutely nothing wrong."
    • Jane Austen adaptations: more timely than you’d think!
      Jane Austen movies invented social distancing [four stills from Jane Austen movies with characters standing far apart]

      See also: “I went outside and caught a cold. Now I am ill and must be on bed rest for two weeks without seeing any of my family!”

  • Memes: THE MEMES. I would like to thank God and also Jesus for the high quality quarantine memes that have been helping a lot of us to laugh and find amusement in our current predicament. Some favorites:
"crap this virus is turning all the people into pigeons #coronavirus" [images of a plaza: 'before" photo shows large crowd of people, 'after' photo shows only pigeons]

“Nature is healing.”

Photo of a sign from Toronto, Canada that reads "Do your part. Stay apart. Keep a distance of 6 ftt (2 m) (the length of three geese) from others."

6 ft is also an appropriate amount of distance to keep between yourself and a goose.

[image of a tweet] No.. one... cleans like Gaston, quarantines like Gaston, no one stops spreading COVID-19 like Gaston

Image of Gru from "Despicable Me" movie with a blank poster and a speech bubble saying "we can't see the slides"

First two weeks of classes after moving to Zoom, Spring 2020 (colorized)

Photo of a decorative sign that says 'gather', with comment: "Take it down, Karen. It's illegal."

Karen, I want to speak to your manager…

When someone in your house comes back from getting groceries: [image from Lord of the Rings movie with Frodo: "What news of the ouside world? Tell me everything."]

“Was there any toilet paper this week?!”

And now, some actual advice on staying mentally healthy during “these unprecedented times.” The UIUC Psychology Department put together a COVID-19 Mental Health Resources list with tips for self-care, connecting with others, getting help, staying productive, ideas for how to unwind, and more. Here are a few of my favorites I’ve been trying:

  • Keep track of time by planning a schedule for your day with time blocking and other strategies to increase focus and finish out the semester strong.
  • Find natural light! Warmer weather means we no longer have the excuse of “too cold” when deciding whether to stay in bed or go for a walk.
  • Healthy sleep habits can make a huge difference. I’ve been completely thrown off my old schedule and have already forgotten what “mid-day” is supposed to mean (pretty sure it isn’t supposed to be 8 pm), but I’m working on limiting my screentime and caffeine intake before bed to help me sleep during the actual nighttime.

We’re almost done with this semester – hang in there, and keep an eye out for some stress relief activities on the UGL’s social media later this week!

written and edited by Amy

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(Virtual) Book Display: ft. Student Assistants!

Back in the good old days when we were still able to go inside the Undergraduate Library, you may have noticed some friendly faces sitting at the Circulation and Loanable Technology desks, ready to help you with your library needs. These student assistants (SAs) work hard to keep the library running; we couldn’t do it without them!(!!!!!!!) To celebrate the fabulous student assistants who work at the UGL, we’ve asked a few of them to share a bit about themselves and their favorite books. As the end of finals approach (!), the SAs have some great recommendations for things to read for fun. For some we’ve added links to free electronic versions online. Otherwise, check with your local library to see if they have e-book or audiobook copies of these great titles! 

Kerime 

  • Year: 4th year 
  • Major: Latina/Latino Studies
  • Hometown: Chicago 
  • Favorite book: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez 
  • When you first read this book: Summer 2019 
  • Why it’s your fave: It’s my favorite book at the moment because 1) it’s the most recent I’ve read, and 2) because it’s a great fictional story that I resonated with and enjoyed since the fiction held a lot of truth. 
  • Fun fact: I know ASL. 

    book cover of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchezbook cover of Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Selena

  • Year: Senior
  • Major: Business Marketing
  • Hometown: Chicago
  • Favorite Book: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
  • When you first read this book: 2012
  • Fun Fact: I’m born on Christmas.

Morad

  • Year: Senior
  • Major: Psychology
  • Hometown: Cicero, IL
  • Favorite book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
  • When you first read this book: I was 10
  • Why it’s your fave: Of Mice and Men is my favorite book because it is a simple yet well-developed story about love between friends. When reading it the first time, I felt as though the story was overhyped, but upon rereading and understanding the themes of the novel, I began to appreciate some of the acts committed within. Additionally, I enjoy novels centered in wartimes or slightly before them, and this one follows suit as it takes place during the Great Depression.
  • Fun fact: My celebrity crush is Zendaya.

book cover of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

book cover of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Sam

  • Year: Junior
  • Major: Advertising
  • Hometown: Cicero, IL
  • Favorite book: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
  • Why it’s your fave: I just fell in love with the characters and their stories. The main characters were so different but they fit each other so perfectly. It was definitely a hard book to put down. I have read it at least 5 times.
  • Fun fact: I have at least 15 pairs of Harry Potter themed socks.

Charley

  • Year: Senior
  • Major: Urban Studies and Planning
  • Hometown: Niles, IL
  • Favorite book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
  • When you first read this book: 6th Grade
  • Why it’s your fave: It’s my favorite book because of Alexie’s masterful ability to meld the heartbreaking with the hilarious and present it in a format that even a 6th grader can understand.
  • Fun fact: I like backpacking in the wilderness.

book cover of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

book cover of Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Elysse

  • Year: Sophomore
  • Major: Speech and Hearing Science
  • Hometown: Naperville, IL
  • Favorite book: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
  • When you first read this book: Freshmen year of high school
  • Why it’s your fave: I love paranormal romance.
  • Fun fact: My eyes change color.

Thanks to the SA’s for contributing! Happy reading 🙂

Written by: Izzy

Edited by: Lauren

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Quarantine Diary 7: TV and Tutorials

Hi, I’m Simone! As the semester wraps up, I have attempted to get into Westworld, at the suggestion of a friend. I have finally arrived on the current season, season three. I have binged watched every weekend for the last three weeks. While I do not think it will ever be a favorite show of mine, it is interesting. I now understand all the memes and references on YouTube about Ford (Anthony Hopkins’ character), so that’s a plus. However, my favorite way to relax and destress has been YouTube. I am a devoted watcher of Desus and MeroCinemaWins, and CinemaSins and I am lucky that they are still posting (I am a movie nerd, sue me 😉). 

Kind Of Wink GIF by Desus & Mero - Find & Share on GIPHY

I am ever hopeful that soon the shelter in place order will be lifted. I signed up on the TRX website for a teacher training course and unfortunately, I do not have TRX cables or the ability to hoist TRX cables in my building. Thus, I am hoping that I will be able to take the course at a gym facility in May, if the order is lifted.  

However, when I am not trying to destress by watching television or exercising (I am quite fond of the Les Mills BodyCombat series), I found a great library resource created by Scholarly CommonsMallory Untch has put together a series of resources that are downloadable. One I have been exploring in depth is Python Anywhere. It’s a free website where you can code in the python language. If you have never coded before (I am a novice, as well), there are many helpful sites like W3 Schools, which has a tutorial on Python that you can test out on the Python Anywhere console.  Right now, I am trying the tutorials on tuples. There’s also a hands-on tutorial hosted by Matt Harrison through PyCon 2020. 

Hack Coding GIF by Matthew Butler - Find & Share on GIPHY

I hope wherever you are that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

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Quarantine Diary 6: Parents & Zoom

Hello world!! My name is Lauren (also known as Coolest Graduate Assistant at the UGL, I respond to either) and I’m writing to you from warm, sunny, Dallas, Texas! Let me just take this moment to brag; please see the weather forecast for today below……..*chef’s kiss*Screenshot of weather forecast for Monday, April 27, reads a high of 82 and low of 69. The perfect day. As I’m sure many of you did, I ended up quarantining at home after Spring Break aaaanndd……never left. I am currently with my family (M56, F49, F17, F15), which has been /an experience/. There was definitely a period of adjustment and there were many times I wanted to pause my Zoom calls to enjoy food made by my mom;

Screenshot of tweet reads: sorry professor can we pause the zoom lecture my immigrant mother has cut me some fruitwe are finally starting to eat the 20lbs of bulk dried pinto beans that my dad bought when our local grocery store had a half price sale;

Screenshot of tweet reads: My mom was prescient when she bought 2 years worth of TP after a Walgreens closed. The best way to save money is to invest in commodities. Sometimes the survivalist immigrant mentality pays off in times of crisis. I am also constantly finding MY things in my sisters’ room that I have been looking for since the semester began.

Screenshot of tweet reads: #GrowingUpWithSiblings going into their room to steal stuff and seeing stuff stolen from your roomAll in all, there are no other people that I’d rather be doing this with than them!! I have also been spending this time searching for the best Zoom backgrounds to use. My favorite so far is the This Is Fine meme (see image below), but you can decide for yourself and reference this Mary Sue list for more options.

Screenshot of cartoon room on fire, with a dark cloud covering the ceiling and a cup of coffee casually sitting on a tableI’ve also loved scrolling through the memes about Zoom meetings in general

 

Screenshot of a man in an office saying “if you could just mute yourself during the zoom meeting that’d be great” but he looks very sarcasticScreenshot of two dogs: one is captioned with “Audio only” with a dog with scraggly hair, and the other is captioned with “With video” and the dog is neatly groomed and wearing clothes

 

It hasn’t been too bad (yet)!!! I only have one last final research project (20 pages — excuse me while I cry) to do before GRADUATION!! If you’re finding yourself in the same position and have no idea what to do about your research assignment, feel free to ‘drop in’ or schedule a Research and Writing Consultation with me, or other Graduate Assistants at the UGL!! You can schedule an appointment though the UGL website, or ‘drop in’ by saying “I would like a research consultation” in the Ask a Librarian chat.

Still of Laurence Fishburne from The Matrix movie saying “What if I told you there are research methods besides your favorite one”

Finally, I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate all of you who are graduating this semester. You are about to embark on a new journey – ready or not – and this final semester has not been an ideal end. Thank you for choosing to attend the University of Illinois; the UGL, at least, has been better for your interaction with our collections, staff, and faculty, in any capacity – large or small. Best of luck, now and always.

Screenshot of tweet reads: First-gen Latinx PhD candidtate here. Was chatting with Mom about possible cancellation of commencement ceremony. Me (in Spanish): I’m bummed cuz I wanted to share that moment with you. Mom: Mijo, I was with you every step of the way. One day doesn’t define the journey. Crying emoji.

Written and Edited by: Lauren

 

 

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