Welcome to Campus!

Posted on August 10, 2017 by AR

It’s that time of year again! Whether you are new to campus or returning, there are plenty of free back-to-school events to welcome you. Check out the line up for Welcome Week 2017!

Photo of Alma Mater Statue

Friday, August 25

ILLINI UNION LATENIGHTER

8 pm-1 am at the Illini Union

Enjoy food, games, live music and performances by comedians and a hypnotist!

Saturday, August 26

ILLINI FRENZY

11:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC)

Get acquainted with Champaign-Urbana. Over 80 different local vendors will be present.

UGL GAMING DAY

1:30-4:00 pm at the Undergraduate Library

Ease into the new semester by playing games like Dominion, Settlers of Catan, and more! Face a group challenge in our Pathfinder mini-campaigns! All of our games can be checked out to continue the fun at home. Whether you’re a seasoned DM or a new Settler of Catan, come by and play!

MOVIE NIGHT

9-11:30 pm at Memorial Stadium

Movie is to be determined.

Sunday, August 27

QUAD DAY

12pm-4 pm on the Main Quad

Find what you’re interested in! More than 600 registered student organizations and other campus organizations will have information on how to get involved… and of course, freebies!

Monday, August 28

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL PICTURES

11-am-2pm

Feeling a little nostalgic on your first day of school? Get your picture taken as you would in grade school so you can share with family and friends.

Tuesday, August 29

KARAOKE NIGHT

9pm-midnight at the Union Courtyard Cafe

Enjoy performances, and if you’re feeling brave, take the stage!

We’ve covered just a handful of events happening during Welcome Week, so be sure to let us know what we missed on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages, and stay tuned for more blogs throughout the semester!

Find Uggles – Update

Posted on March 28, 2017 by JB

Have you been following along with our Find Uggles contest? Each week, Uggles, the Undergrad Library cat, is hiding in a different location on campus. Each Monday, you can find a clue to her location by checking out our Instagram (@askundergrad).

The first person to return her to the circulation desk at the UGL gets a cash prize and has their name entered in a drawing for a Kindle Fire which will take place at the end of the semester.

This year is very special for the University of Illinois because we are celebrating the sesquicentennial, or 150 year anniversary of our University. The day after Uggles is found, we have been revealing the location, along with some historical information about the place where she was hidden. Whether the building is new or old, each building on campus has a unique history! If you’ve missed some of the posts, you can read more below!

Week 1 (October 31, 2016) – Alma

Uggles at Alma Mater Statue

Congratulations to our first winner, Sandy, who found Uggles hiding at the Alma Mater statue! Alma was unveiled in June 1929 and was originally placed directly behind Foellinger Auditorium. On August 22, 1962, the Alumni Association moved the sculpture to its present location in front of Altgeld Hall.

Source

Week 2 (November 7, 2016) – Foellinger Auditorium

Uggles at Foellinger

Congratulations to this week’s winner, Christopher, who found Uggles hiding at Foellinger Auditorium. Built in 1907, Foellinger has had many famous faces speak and perform within. Among these include: John Phillip Sousa, Jane Addams, Robert Frost, Duke Ellington, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ravi Shankar, R. Buckminster Fuller, Maya Angelou, and Bill Gates.

Source

Week 3 (November 14, 2016) – Grange Grove

Uggles at Grange Grove

Congratulations to this week’s winner, Leonel, who found Uggles hiding at Grange Grove, which debuted in 2015.
Grange Grove has transformed what was previously Lot 36, into a free, high-energy tailgating area, which students and fans enjoy!

Source

Week 4 (November 28, 2016) – Lincoln Hall

Uggles at Lincoln Hall

Congratulations to this week’s winner, Anih, who found Uggles hiding by the Lincoln Bust in Lincoln Hall.
Lincoln Hall opened in 1911 and has “held theater productions, history museums, libraries, and offices for faculty and staff.”
The bust of Lincoln was added in 1928 and has been there ever since, with the exception of one day in 1979 “when thieves stole the bust and mounted it on a tree stump at a local golf course.”

Source

Week 5 (December 5, 2016) – Illini Union Bookstore

Uggles at the Illini Union Bookstore

Congratulations to this week’s winner, Olivia, who found Uggles hiding inside the Illini Union Bookstore. Named as such in 1940, the bookstore is a “continuation of a book exchange organized in the early 1920s by students at the university.” The Illini Union Bookstore is “one of the largest independent college bookstores in the country.”

Source

Week 6 (February 20, 2017) – CRCE

Uggles at CRCE

Congratulations to this week’s winner, Jessica, who found Uggles hiding inside the Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE). Although it originally opened in 1988, CRCE as we know it today officially opened in March 2005. Along with the usual basketball courts and gyms, CRCE also has an indoor waterslide and a waterfall!

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Week 7 (February 27, 2016) – Main Library

Uggles at the Main Library Information Desk

Congratulations to this week’s winner who found Uggles hiding in the Main Library! The Main Library was founded in 1867 and actually pre-dates the University, as the founders wanted students and staff to have access to books and materials “from the day they arrived on campus.” The Library officially opened in 1868, and eventually moved to the building we know it as in 1926.

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Week 8 (March 6, 2017) – Funk ACES Library

Uggles at Funk ACES

Congratulations to this week’s winner, Kelsey, who found Uggles hiding outside the Funk ACES library! It was built and dedicated in 2001, and “one of the study rooms on the fourth floor is a gift from the College of Agriculture Class of 1941, honoring their 10 classmates who died in the Second World War.”

Source

Week 9 (March 14, 2017) – English Building

Uggles at the English Building

Congratulations to this week’s winner, Logan, who found Uggles hiding outside of the English Building. Built in 1905, the English Building has quite the history. Originally serving as a women’s dormitory with a gymnasium and pool, it eventually became the home economics department and was renamed Bevier Hall in 1947. Finally becoming the English Building in 1956, there are many rumors surrounding the supposed haunting of this building.

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Be sure to follow along on Instagram each week for your chance at finding Uggles and winning a prize. (See our original post with rules and other info at http://publish.illinois.edu/undergradlibrary/2016/10/27/find-uggles/)

September Events

Posted on September 1, 2016 by JB

It’s almost sweater weather, but there are still plenty of outdoors things to do before the winter descends upon us. Read on for the latest scoop on September events.

Photo by Daniel Schwen

Urbana Labor Day Parade- September 5th, 10am — Free

Celebrate workers and historic labor movements in America at the annual Labor Day Parade! The parade starts at 10am at Lincoln Square, so get a good seat! After the parade there will be a picnic in Prairie Park, featuring food, games, and a local union softball game.

Champaign-Urbana Pride

Champaign Urbana Pride Festival — Free

Yet another historic & “sick’ning” celebration is happening in CU this month. Pride Festivals began in 1969 after the Stonewall Riot, which served as a catalyst for LGBTQ movements in America. Join the CU Pride Festival for events including a parade, drag shows (featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race Alumnus- Jade Sotomayor), comedy, dancing, and workshops. Check their website for updates and more events!

The Pygmalion Festival

The Pygmalion Festival- Weekends, September 16-24 — Prices Vary

You can come for the music, Made Fest, or the literary and technology lectures, but whatever you do, don’t miss Pygmalion. Pygmalion is known for its line-up of music artists, but it also features many free events: a market of handmade items from local and regional artists and an impressive group of authors, scientists, and others who will present their work. Buy tickets for the music events, but Made Fest and lectures are free! And as always, there will be food.

Celebrating Labor History Event

Celebrating Labor History with Rep. Carol Ammons September 15th 5-7pm — Free

If you’re not a fan of the outdoors or loud parades, we do have one indoor event on the calendar for September: a lecture with Representative Carol Ammons on the history of local unions and labor in Champaign County and Illinois. Dinner is provided.

Flannel Fest

Flannel Fest — Free

It’s almost plaid season! Break out that flannel you haven’t worn in months and join the Flannel Fest. Flannel Fest features music, art demos, games, crafts, food trucks, a mustache contest, and a Lumberjack show. When was the last time you saw axe throwing? To round out this event, regional mattress company Bemco is sponsoring the Human Mattress Domino event, which allows community members to purchase mattresses to be donated to homeless shelters in central Illinois. Those who cannot afford to purchase a mattress may also donate in smaller increments.

Ghostbusters (2016) Outdoor Screening

Ghostbusters Outdoor Movie Sept. 22nd Starts at Dusk (Approx 8:15pm) – Free

If you’re bored on September 22nd, who you gonna call? The Women’s Resource Center is hosting a screening of the recent Ghostbusters remake later this month on the Quad. What’s better than a group of women kicking ghost butt? If you ain’t afraid of no ghost, you better come.

We hope we’ve covered the major events happening in Champaign-Urbana for the next month…but if we missed anything, let us know! Check out our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

Reader’s & Watcher’s Advisory: So, You’re Graduating Soon?

Posted on April 25, 2016 by JB

Whether you’re sappy or psyched for commencement this year, we believe in you! No matter how you feel about graduating, we know you’ve got some feelings. We’ve got some materials for you to read and watch to deal with those feelings.

What commencement story should you read or watch next? Check the flowchart to find out!

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Book: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

In this commencement story by Pulitzer Prize winner Jeffrey Eugenides, nothing is easy: Madeleine is unsure of her life goals except for that she loves Leonard, who experiences emotional rollercoasters she is unable to fully grasp. Mitchell, Madeleine’s college friend, pines for her while examining philosophical life questions during his travels abroad. But even for graduates of Brown University in the 1980s, the best laid plots may fail. This novel examines love in an unexpected (and not always happy) way and is not for a reader who loves a perfect ending.

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned” by Lena Dunham

Book: Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned” by Lena Dunham

If you ever feel like you’re awkwardly fumbling through life, you are not alone. Lena Dunham’s smash hit Not That Kind of Girl, similar to her tv show Girls, is a silly, but simultaneously gravely serious, memoir of what it feels like to not always know what you are doing. Although Dunham details her life from childhood to a few years after her college graduation, she captures the spirit of many young graduates embarking on their own self-discoveries.

Gilmore Girls Season 7

Television Show: Gilmore Girls Season 7

Re-watching all of Gilmore Girls with your roommate during your final semester of college?!? Well, hurry up and get to the last season (even though it suffers because the creator was gone). Rory is starting (and finishing) her last year at Yale, all the while still in a long distance with Logan (obviously the greatest boyfriend she’s ever had), and Lorelai is doing what Lorelai does best…making questionable decisions. Will Lorelai and Luke end up together? Will Rory have the job of her dreams? What were the four words Amy Sherman-Palladino (the show’s creator) wanted to use for the ending of Gilmore Girls? What happens next? Luckily, you will find out! Sherman-Palladino and the rest of the Stars Hollow family are coming back for a series of four 90 minute Netflix episodes, due to be released in the near future.

The Graduate – Image from Amazon

Movie: The Graduate

In what is regarded as one of the best movies of all time by the American Film Institute, Dustin Hoffman stars as Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate, in this 1967 comedy-drama. Braddock has decided to spend the summer after he graduates lounging by the pool, ignoring any suggestion from the adults in his life about what to do after graduation. After engaging in an affair with one of his parent’s friends, Benjamin’s life takes a wild turn. This movie is based off the 1963 novel of the same name, that has also been adapted into a Broadway play. Will Benjamin figure out what he wants to do with his life? Will he get the girl of his dreams? Spend some time and find out, by watching the movie that Champaign native and University of Illinois favorite, Roger Ebert, called “funniest American comedy of [its] year.”

Did we miss anything? What are some of your favorite podcasts right now? Let us know on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

UGL Advisory: What to Read/Watch After Catching Up on Your Unplayed Podcasts

Posted on March 22, 2016 by JMS

Having to wait until next week for the newest episode of podcast can be frustrating, but we here at the UGL can help you pick out something to read or watch that will continue the excitement of your favorite moments listening to your favorite podcasts. Take a look at our list of books, comic books, and DVDs, that we’ve paired up with some of the most popular podcasts right now, and come over to the UGL to check them out!

If you like Serial…

You should try…

The Good Nurse: a Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder

Book: The Good Nurse: a Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder

If you’re looking for more of the true crime mystery and suspense that Serial provides, look no further than The Good Nurse. Charles Graeber chronicles the life and career of Charlie Cullen, also known as “The Angel of Death,” and provides insight into the intelligent, twisted, complicated young man who killed nearly 300 medical patients. Graeber’s ability to use investigative journalism to look past the simple facts and reveal the creepy complexity of Cullen will have you asking, “Who is Sarah Koenig?”

In Cold Blood

Movie: In Cold Blood

Based on Truman Capote’s non-fiction book of the same name, this movie tells the story of two men who break into a family’s home in Holcomb, Kansas, brutally murder the four family members, and attempt to elude the police. The movie examines the senseless killing in a very dramatic way and remains a benchmark for true crime films. If you love the chilling intrigue that Serial provides, you’ll find this movie both thrilling and disturbing.

If you like Welcome to Nightvale…

You should try…

House of Leaves

Book: House of Leaves

If you’re a fan of Welcome to Night Vale’s surreal news radio updates and are looking for a novel with the same weird atmosphere, you may want to check out House of Leaves. Danielewski’s book is a strangely arranged book that includes vertical footnotes, colored words, and multiple appendices. The story begins with a young family who makes a shocking discovery – their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Prepare to be challenged by the originality and forever changed by the questions it will leave you with.

John Dies at the End
Image from: Amazon.com

Movie: John Dies at the End

This movie is based on David Wong’s comic horror novel of the same name. The dark, fantasy/science fiction horror film follows two college dropouts who are trying to save the world from an otherworldly invasion as a street drug, called Soy Sauce, which makes users hallucinate and drift across time and other dimensions. This humorous horror film is great for those of you that love the absurdist qualities of Welcome to Night Vale.

If you like Black Girls Talking…

You should try…

TwERK
Image from: Amazon.com

Book: TwERK

This collection of poems written by the highly praised LaTasha N. Nevada, is a full body and mind experience. Through use of multiple languages, cultural inclusivity, and identifiable markers of American popular culture, Nevada attempts to remind the reader that America has always been more than just the English language. Like “Black Girls Talking”, “TwERK” is humorous and satirical, but offers many moments of seriousness and sincerity that give balance, keep your interest, and remind you of its intent.

Beyond the Lights
Image from: Amazon.com

Movie: Beyond the Lights

Gugu Mbatha-Raw gets her chance as a Hollywood leading actress with her turn as “Noni Jean”, a pop star who makes it big immediately, but suffers under the immense pressure of stardom. A movie widely praised by critics for its “smart direction” by director Gina Prince Blythewood (“Secret Life of Bees” & “Love and Basketball”) and powerhouse performance by Mbatha-Raw (“Jupiter Ascending” & “Concussion”), the romantic drama transcends its cliché plot to bring true entertainment to the screen.

If you like Guys We F’d: The Anti Slut-Shaming Podcast…

You should try…

The Single Standard
Image from: Amazon.com

Movie: The Single Standard

This silent movie filmed in 1929 (after “talkies” had been invented) stars Greta Garbo, Nils Asther, and Johnny Mack Brown in a love triangle film. Garbo, a strong independent woman, believes in equality of the sexes though, and thinks that the “single standard” for freedom, equality, and relationships should go both ways, and she is not going to fall for a man who thinks he will be able to mold her into something she does not want to be. For those of you who like comedians Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson in their female-empowering, sex-positive, and hilarious podcast “Guys We F’d”, take the time to watch Greta Garbo deliver a romantic performance where she makes her own choices over her body and love, and thinks about what will be best for her child and her own well-being.

Men Explain Things to Me

Book: Men Explain Things to Me

This scathingly hilarious essay, written by Rebecca Solnits, examines the disconnect in conversation between men and women. She tackles the difficult issue of men making assumptions about female encounters without considering if their assumptions are mutual. Similar to “Guys We F’d” where Corinne and Krystyna interview sexual partners from their pasts, and celebrities like Amber Rose and Andy Dick, “Men Explain Things to Me” uses personal experiences to highlight the importance of not silencing women, to combat “mansplaining”, and tackle other important aspects of gender that need to be discussed.

If you like The Nerdist Podcast…

You should try…

The Walking Dead

Comic Book: The Walking Dead

If you are all about Chris Hardwick, host of “The Nerdist”, and his quest for ultimate nerd-dom, you should check out the monthly comic book series “The Walking Dead”. Hardwick hosts a television re-cap show called “The Talking Dead” where he recaps episodes from the television show loosely based on this award winning comic book series. The plague of the undead have taken over the world, and it is up to Rick, a sheriff from Kentucky, and the remaining survivors on Earth, to band together and work together to survive.

Ant Man
Image from: Amazon

Comic Book: Ant Man

“Ant Man” the hit Marvel superhero movie from the summer of 2015, stars Paul Rudd as a superhero with the ability to shrink down to the size of an Ant, but who can still do some serious butt-kicking. As one of Marvel Comic’s lesser known comic series, host of “The Nerdist” Chris Hardwick, is excited at the prospect of such a small series being such a hit. He attended the red carpet for the premier of the film, and interviewed Paul Rudd last summer, for “The Nerdist”, about joining the immense world of Marvel as such a pint-sized superhero.

Did we miss anything? What are some of your favorite podcasts right now? Let us know on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

Undergraduate Library Blog

Information and Updates on Getting the Most out of the UGL

Tag Archives: undergrad

Welcome to Campus!

September Events

Reader’s & Watcher’s Advisory: So, You’re Graduating Soon?

UGL Advisory: What to Read/Watch After Catching Up on Your Unplayed Podcasts