Jillian Joanne Patricia Rita Duddleston is a chick who is as cool as her name is long. You may know her as @jilldudds or ‘Netflix and jill’ on Twitter, but this senior graphic design major is entering her fourth and final lap here at SAU. If you haven’t gotten to know her yet, you should, and I’m here to give you a little inside scoop on the legend herself.
Jill was born and raised in Bridgeport, Chicago, just seven blocks west of Sox Park. Although her area code still rings true with Chicago pride, Jill would never call herself a city kid. The Bridgeport neighborhood is about as close as neighborhoods can get. Elderly neighbors always looking out for the kids across the street and friendly waves go up for every passerby.
Bridgeport is known for its population of big ‘ol Irish and Italian families—not so well known, however, for a combination of the two. Jill’s parents came from both sides of the tracks (her mom, the Irish side, her dad, the Italian side), and together they gave Jill, her brother and two sisters a childhood that’s just about as well rounded as you can get.
A huge part of Jill’s life, she says, comes from her mom’s side—the Shinnick side—of the family. Shinnick’s Pub has sat on the corner of 38th and Union in Bridgeport since 1938, but been an everyday presence in Jill’s life since she was born in 1993.
“Every day after school I would eat popcorn and do homework at the bar,” Jill said. “Sometimes I’d get to play darts, sometimes I’d take nap in the back room… it was basically my second home,” she laughed.
Now, Jill helps her mom, aunts and uncles at the bar, regularly bartending alongside her older sister, Jenna.
Her dream, however, is to use her graphic design major to revamp Shinnick’s brand and business. Much of her senior coursework has been dedicated to creating new logos, t-shirts, menus, and coasters, some of which have actually been produced and used in the bar.
For now, however, Jill stays plenty busy. She’s a libero on the SAU Women’s Volleyball team, an executive board member for SAU Students Against Destructive Decisions, and boasts an Intramural Championship on her resume.
Her favorite food is fried chicken, her favorite song is Skinny Love by Bon Iver, and she’s always down for a round of Guitar Hero before a night out.
If she could give any advice to current freshman, she’d keep it pretty real.
“Meeting and making friends is more important than finding boys. I went to an all girls school, so I know the testosterone can be overwhelming, but some of the friends I’ve made here are friends that will last a lifetime.”
When times get tough, though, take note from Jill. She turns to her favorite quote directly from her role model and mother, Kathy.
“Whenever you’re feeling down, put on some good f****ing music.”