Swag 101

We are the College of Media Swag Stars and this...right here...is our...blog. This blog chronicles our adventures across the campus of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

Our names are...

Maggie "The Crazian" Huynh (Broadcast Jouranlism)

Terrence "The Navigator" Thompson (Broadcast Journalism)

Matt "The Muse" Mitchell (Broadcast Journalism)

Liz "The Coordinator"Faermark (News-Editorial)

and

Sheila "The Hot Mess" Loeberg (Advertising)

Clue #1: Communications Library

Clue: http://www.library.illinois.edu/cmx/ Find the red “email us”, email them, let us know you are with the Media 100 class to schedule a tour when you send the email.

Our first stop was the Communications Library located in Gregory Hall. We met up with Joel Spencer who gave us a tour of the library and shared with us some interesting facts. We learned that the Illinois libraries across campus circulate over 11 million books! We learned how to take advantage of the databases online, as well as how to use I Share; a program that allows you to select books from across campus and have them sent to one specific location on campus. This is a great plus for lazy students! Next, we went down stairs to check out the awesome lounge. We learned about the DARCY Collections which is a collection of clip ads from over 100 years. According to Joel, the Communications Library has more Coca-Cola ads than Coca-Cola does!

Clue #2: WILL Radio TV Online

Clue: Call Martha Brown at 217-244-8128 to tour this building, let her know that you are with the Media 100 class, please give her your group number and you might be double or tripled up with another group.

Next, we traveled to Urbana to check out WILL Radio and TV. Located in Campbell Hall, we met with Martha Brown, who led us on a tour and showed us around the station. The tour started in the T.V. studio, which she pointed out is completely soundproof. The room is kept at a cool temperature, because when the lights come on, they give off a lot of heat. It works as a PBS station and they even have a poster of the old show Zoom. One of their highlight sets is the one for Illinois Gardener, which has been running for over 20 years! It is a call in style show that gives tips about gardening. The studio was set up for a T.V. pledge drive that will be held soon.

Clue #3: Tenant Union

Clue: This office has an apartment condition report.

Next we traveled to the Union to find their Tenant Union office. There we learned that this office's mission is to help students on campus find proper housing with decent landlords. You would be surprised at the number of complaints filed at certain complexes on and off campus and this office is very knowledgeable in all of those areas. We learned that you should always review your lease thoroughly before signing to avoid getting scammed. Many landlords will try to trick naive college students into signing bogus leases that only protect themselves and this office fights to help our students avoid housing conflicts.

Clue #4: Leadership Center

Clue: The insight program is run out of this office.

For our 4th clue we traveled again to the Union and visited the Leadership Center. We learned that they have a mission of empowering the students on Campus with leadership skills by holding workshops on various aspects of what leadership truly means. These students can also receive a leadership certificate by completing a certain amount of courses as well as training. This leadership certificate looks very good on graduate school applications and overall is very empowering for students who participate. Over 300 students are currently in progress to receive the certificate and last year 61 completed the program.

Clue #5: Office of Volunteer Programs

Clue: OVP is this office.

After we finished the previous clue, we headed over to the Office of Volunteer Programs, located within the Illini Union. It is a small office on the second floor that is set up as a resource for students who wish to volunteer within the community. The office works as a bridge between students and outside organizations, giving students the opportunity to go off campus to help. The receptionist told us all about the Volunteer Fair on Wednesday, September 8th, that highlights programs that happen throughout the year. She went on to explain that two of their biggest events are the Holiday Toy Drive and Meet Volunteer Week. As we left, she encouraged us to spread the word about the office around campus, because not many people know about it.

Clue #6: Illini Media Company

Clue: WPGU happens here, visiting times between the hours of 1-6 P.M., take elevator to 2nd floor.

For the sixth clue, we strolled over to Green St. to check out Illini Media Company. We met with a publisher who told us a little about the history of Illini Media. Founded in 1911, this year is Illini Media's 100 Year Anniversary. All of the publications are student run with many, though not all students, from the College of Media. We learned that the University gives Illini Media no money at all - the publications are supported solely by advertisements! Another fun fact we learned before leaving was that Hugh Hefner (of Playboy) used to be a cartoonist at the Daily Illini!

Clue #7: Career Center

Clue: EPICS is a program that is run out of this office.

What better resource for pursuing your career dreams than the actual Career Center here on campus, it can easily be done with the large variety of tools they provide for you. They hold workshops throughout the year that can help you properly prepage yourself for your future outside of college. Their counselors can specifically address your personal goals and interests as far as career options as well. Checking out the Career Center is a great idea and excellent resource as a college student at UIUC. Take my advice and swag on over there!

Clue #8: Asian American Cultural Center

Clue: Located at 1210 W. Nevada St MC-149

As we creeped into the back side of the little white house apparently known as the Asian American Cultural Center, my eyes popped at the sight of a sign that read ‘ free yoga and meditation on wednesdays.’ That’s the moment I finally had appreciation for this wonderful Media 100 Project. Not only does the Asian American Cultural Center host FREE yoga but it also serves as a resource for the needs of Asian Americans on campus. It opened in Fall 2005 and is located a half a block east of the quad. It is open to anyone who has interest in Asian American studies and I personally love the idea of their free Yoga and Meditation classes!

Clue #9: Arboretum

Clue: The Miles C. Hartley Selections Gardens are located here.

Following the Asian American Cultural Center, we visited the Arboretum and the Miles C. Hartley Selections Gardens. We walked through the gardens and saw all of the different types of flowers and flower displays. The arboretum in total is 57 acres, but we specifically visited the garden given to the University as a gift from the family of Miles C. Hartley, an Illinois alumnus and faculty member. It was dedicated in 1994 and was one of the first steps in the development of the arboretum as a whole. Also, the University Of Illinois All American Selections Trial Garden is based there.

Clue #10: Emergency Dean/ Student Emergency Center

Clue: This office number is 217-333-0050 and you and your parents should have this number.

Mono? Strep Throat? Family emergency? As long as your dog didn’t eat your homework, chances are that calling the Emergency Dean’s office could possibly get you a free pass out of class! This swag superstar has incredible office hours so that you can reach someone 24 hours a day. The Emergency Dean takes care of anything and everything related to students who have emergency situations including anything from illness to a family crisis. I’m hoping i’ll never have to use his services but what a handy man to call in times of stress!

Clue #11: Activities and Recreation Center

Clue: This is known as the Aquatic Center for campus.

After the Emergency Dean/ Student Assistance Center, we came across the Activities and Recreational Center, known simply as the ARC. Altogether, the ARC is 340,000 square feet, making it one of the largest campus recreation centers in America. It also has an Olympic sized pool that is 50 meters in length. Another interesting fact is that the sauna can hold up to 35 people.

Clue #12: Ice Arena

Clue: The Harassing Illini cheer on their team in this building.

After the ARC, we made our way to the Ice Arena. Did you know it existed? We found out that most don’t know that it’s even there. The arena was built specially for speed skaters, and was where Olympic speed skating medalist Bonnie Blair trained. We also found out that the Ice Arena makes their own ice, making it a quality place for ice skaters and speed skaters to train.

Our journey of swag is over...

Thanks for joining us across campus on our swagger-ful adventure. I hope you enjoyed yourself and learned more about the U of I swag...