So first session is coming to a close and so far you have clocked major hours soaking up the sun at the ARC pool, maybe have gone to a few classes, and ended up at Joe’s every night you went out. Does it feel repetitive yet? Champaign summers are awesome, but it is easy to fall into a routine, and then before you know it, its August. Change it up a little bit by making Champaign summer bucket list! Summer is the perfect time to explore campus and all there is to do in the CU area. U of I student Collette Williams wants to take a camping trip with friends and Jordyn Shelton – also a student – plans to visit Black Dog Barbecue Restaurant in Urbana. Here are some other suggestions for making the most of your summer in the CU.
Embrace Campus
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Are you entering your senior year and still haven’t taken a picture with Alma? Haven’t visited the Japanese Tea Garden or the Eternal Flame yet? How about bowling at the union or the a visit to the arboretum? Traditional campus landmarks like these can be crowded during the school year, so try hitting up them up while you are here for the summer.
Join the Club and Ride the Rail
Joining the Mug Club at Illini Inn and Riding the Rail at Legends are on most U of I collegiettes’ college bucket lists, but this means that it can be a pain to accomplish these beer drinking feats during the school year. Instead, use the summer to check these bar activities off your list. It’s less crowded and there is better weather, Legends even lets you work on your rail card on Tuesdays AND Fridays during the summer (I would know, I happen to work there!) Also, if you aren’t taking any summer classes, keep your brain in shape and go to Trivia Night at Cowboy Monkey on Sunday nights.
Explore Downtown
With our campus being so large, it is easy to forget that there is more to Champaign than campustown and Market Place Mall. You could spend your entire summer exploring places in downtown Champaign like the Blind Pig Brewery or Cakes on Walnut. Downtown Champaign hosts a Streetfest on July 9th and August 13tth and there are great summer concerts available in the area. Check out the Champaign Park District web site for more information: http://www.champaignparkdistrict.com/events/index.html.
Bring Your Summer Favorites to Champaign
All your favorite summer activities are even more fun on campus. You might not be at the beach but there are still sand volleyball courts by the six pack that you can take advantage of. Check out other area pools like the one at Roland when you get tired of the ARC. Get together with friends and grill out, plan a picnic at Allerton Park, bring a kiddy pool and lay out on the quad, play Frisbee on the quad, basically do anything on the quad. While I was writing this article I actually watched a guy hold a perfect handstand for two minutes on the quad, so get creative!