We say Illinois, Class of '08 grad Rachel Fowler says ...
1. The English Building. “As an English and Rhetoric double major, I spent a lot of time here. It felt like a second home to me. I’d sit in the lounge area between classes and study, talk with fellow classmates, etcetera.
“Of course, I’ll never forget the rumor about it being haunted. Apparently, a woman drown in a pool there, and her ghost roams the halls. I never saw her, though.”
2. Illini Union. “When I wasn’t at the English Building, I’d hang out at the Illini Union between classes. I’d have lunch a few days a week with friends, and sometimes I took a nap on the not-so-comfy couches when they were available.
“I went to college when Wifi was becoming a thing. I remember being in the Illini Union trying it for the first time. No more cords? That was crazy.”
3. Busey-Evans. “I lived in this then-all-girls dorm during my first two years of college. I made great friendships here that still go on today.
“We had air conditioning when many other dorms didn’t, so that was a perk.
“During my sophomore year, I lived in a triple room with two great friends, and we had the time of our lives. We’d go to the dining hall in the evening and play games, drink Italian sodas, have snacks and more.
“I remember not wanting to live in an all-girls dorm at first, since I’d think, ‘What? A man?’ if I saw a guy after a while, but I’m definitely glad I lived there — even if my first roommate wasn’t so great.”
4. The Quad. “It was great sitting outside there on nice days, running in the rain, catching up with friends between classes and more.
“I went on at least three late-night dates there, either just walking around or roller blading. I even kissed a guy at the Eternal Flame, but I’m definitely not with him today. It didn’t work for me.”
5. White Horse. “My friends and I would go to White Horse Inn almost every Wednesday night for karaoke. It became a tradition where we mainly sang Queen songs or 'Don’t Stop Believin’.'
"We’d share $5 pitchers of rum and coke — the price went up to $6 near the end of college. I heard it’s closed, which is sad.”
6. Basketball games. “I had basketball season tickets with a friend my freshman year, which was the 2004-2005 season. They won almost every game that season and lost to North Carolina in the national championship.
"It was an exciting time, and it was great being at all those games. I miss Dee Brown, Deron Williams and the rest of the gang.”
7. The Daily Illini. “I worked as a copy editor at nights for The Daily Illini for about a year-and-a-half. I didn’t know it at the time, but this job changed my life and helped me get to where I am today.
“I had no clue what I wanted my career to be, so I decided to work as a copy editor to see if I liked it. Well, guess what? I loved it, and now I’m a managing editor on a magazine today. I always loved reading the paper every day.”
