Ask her to rattle off all the classes she took as a freshman, and Shaina Humphries might have to get back to you.
But ask her to recite all of the memories she has of her time at the Illini Union, and you may want to sit down. It could take awhile.
“As years go by and I find myself forgetting the names of certain classes, buildings, professors and more, my memories at the Union run the deepest," says the Des Moines TV news anchor.
“So much of my undergrad experience centered around the Union. When I was new and lost, it was a bustling, familiar place that I remembered from my first campus tour.
"I remember making the freshman mistake of signing up for an 8 a.m. class, after which I would find any empty couch in the union and take a nap, which was surprisingly comfortable and acceptable for such a public place.
“When I was putting together my first TV stories, lugging around a massive camera and tripod, searching for man-on-the-street interviews, the Union — and the steps on the Quad side — was the best place to approach people.
"I once helped put on a spoken word event there, where two artists from Def Poetry Slam performed. I sat in the front row with an Espresso Royale cup in hand — also an important part of the Union for me — and was amazed that these poets I watched on HBO were actually there in the Illini Union, of all places. It was a good place to be, one where I’d often run into friends or professors."
