Illini 411: What was the first movie shot on campus?
A: The first “moving picture” shot on campus was the student-made, alumni-produced Pro Patria in 1916. Pro Patria (Latin for “for one’s country”) attempted to show a realistic depiction of
All the Pretty Horses
The thing about horses is that they’re—big. Large enough to trample a person underfoot. Horses can be curious, docile and loving. They can also rear, kick and gallop away uncontrolled.
Illini 411: I assume the U. of I. was originally known simply as the University of Illinois. When was Urbana-Champaign added and why?
A: Actually, the U. of I. was originally called the Illinois Industrial University—a reflection of its land-grant roots as an agriculture and engineering school. The I.I.U. changed its name to
Memory Lane: Hash Wednesday
Today, there are more than half-a-dozen pot dispensaries within a short drive of campus. But until 2020, when recreational marijuana use was legalized in Illinois, U. of I. students were
Illini 411: How does the university keep ground water out of the steam tunnels?
A: A torrential downpour? Melting snow and ice? No sweat. All nine miles of the underground steam tunnels, which connect many of the campus’ buildings and have been used as
Quantum Solutions
Sitting in a high school classroom near the New York and Pennsylvania border in the early 1990s, Brian DeMarco became fascinated with questions that had once threatened to break the
A Healing Presence
Soon after McKinley Hospital opened at the University of Illinois, it was featured in the January 1926 issue of Illinois Alumni News, under a headline that might have appeared,
Bragging Right
To all those marketing skeptics out there: Yo! Illinois may not always have been a brand. But the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has always been a meme. From the mid-1860s
Memory Lane: The Streak
When 12,000 people showed up on the Quad one night in March 1974, you could have easily mistaken the gathering for an REO Speedwagon concert or a protest against President
Memory Lane: Film lover’s Delight
In our push-of-a-button, tap-it-and-stream-it world of today, it’s easy to forget that not so long ago, a movie night meant getting off your couch, going to the local video rental
