How big a Marching Illini fan is New York Law School Professor Ronald Filler (’70)?
Head to the corner of First Street and Gregory Drive and see for yourself.
That’s the home of the new, 52-foot Ronald and Paula Filler Marching Illini Instructional Tower, funded in large part by a $200,000 donation from Filler, an Illini season-ticket holder who makes it back to his alma mater four or five Saturdays every fall, as eager to watch the halftime show as he is the actual football game.
“My fondest memory of my college years at Illinois, and one that I still keep doing today, is following the Marching Illini after each football game to the Education Building, where they play some of the songs played during halftime,” says Filler, who played in his high school band and fell in love with the Marching Illini while in college.
“If the other team brings their band to the game, then there is a duet as each college band plays a few songs. You get to hear some great music up front and allows for the traffic to be dispersed by the time you get back to your car at Memorial Stadium.
“I strongly encourage all alums to experience this very special event. I do bleed orange and blue.”
