If you are into loud rock music, check out the Staerkel Planetarium's Pink Floyd Laser Light Show. The show will run you $5 and typically plays every Friday and Saturday night. They also feature a Led Zeppelin show during the year as well. While the show definitely shows its age and could use more ‘lasers', the planetarium effects are entertaining and the volume more than suffices. The planetarium is at Parkland College which you will need transportation to. The college is off of Bradley Avenue, just west of Mattis Ave.
Canopy Club
Check out Canopy Club for concerts. The Canopy Club typically has an act most nights from 80's cover bands to featured artists such as Blues Traveler and Saliva. Since the Canopy Club is an Urbana bar (right on Goodwin by the Quad), you only need to be 18 years old for admission. Check out their website for details on performances.
Movie theaters
The two local movie theaters most frequented by undergrads are the Savoy 16 and the Beverly. Both feature movies released nationwide and typically have good student deals (compared to Chicagoland ticket prices). Look out for daily specials such as buy one get one free and bring your own container for popcorn. I suggest bringing a garbage bag. The Savoy 16 is located a few miles south on Neil St. and the Beverly is located next to the Meijer and across from the Wal-Mart off of Prospect Avenue, NW of campus. Both will take 10-15 minutes to drive to from campus.
Additionally, during the summer months, the school is known to offer movies on the Quad - hanging a large projection screen in front of Foellinger Auditorium and allowing students to bring blankets, pillows, and food.
Ebertfest
Each spring U of I alumnus and famed film critic Roger Ebert holds his annual ‘Overlooked Film Festival' which features movies of his choosing that deserve cinematic acclaim. Ebertfest is held at the Virginia Theater in Downtown Champaign, which can be reached either by walking or by car. Be sure to to look at Ebertfest.com for movies and dates and be sure to purchase a ticket in advance or risk the stand-by line.
Wing nights
Try to get a group of friends together each week at one of the local bars for their daily special on wings. ‘Wing Night' can be a great reason to get together with friends each week and get away from the dorm food. Wings are usually around thirty cents and can be found on select nights at bars such as Brothers and Joe's Brewery.
Mud sliding on the Quad
You can not feel much more freedom than going mud sliding on the Quad during a rain shower in the early fall at about 2 in the morning. Grab friends on your floor and run over to the Quad and join the dozens of other people enjoying this college classic. Don't wear your nice clothes and good luck if you have an 8am class in the morning. It will be worth it though. You won't remember that day's class, but you will remember the mud sliding.
The Quad is a great place for many social activites - frisbee, catch, sun bathing, walking a dog, or setting up a jam session. But no bikes, please.
School sponsored events
While nearly all freshmen will venture over to the Union for the Union Board's first Illi-nites of the year, some better Union Board events are movies on the Quad or in an auditorium as well as comedy nights in the Courtyard Café. The movies are typically hit movies that just got out of the theaters and are a great reason to get out of the dorms at 7pm on a Friday night. The comedy nights typically offer some decent comedians and student made films. For information about what is going on at the Union, visit their Web site.
"Unofficial" St. Patty's Day
A beloved tradition with much of the student body at the U of I that takes place usually on the Friday before or two Fridays before Spring Break. Some of your best memories will take place on these four Fridays of your college career, even if you do not drink. Don't be surprised to see your fellow college students begin their day at 8am with a cold beer in hand.
But if you decide to partake in this day's festivities - be cautious. Aside from the obvious risks that come with drinking, the are police departments are out in force and each year write over 1000 drinking tickets. Additionally, many students choose to drink and drive. Accidents in the past few years have led to the Chancellor denouncing the day - which was started by a local bar owner several years ago.
Sports road trips
Go on a road trip to Purdue or Indiana to watch the Illini take on their foes in football or basketball. Get some cheap tickets on E-bay and get your friend with the car to drive. Driving to West Lafayette should take you no more than two hours and the drive to Bloomington should be under three hours.
Spring break
Try to convince your buddy to use his parent’s time share in Florida during Spring Break. If that doesn’t work, do some research and find a good deal on a large hotel room or rental house for you and your friends. If you plan far enough in advance, you can usually find a bargain deal. Some popular Spring Break destinations are:
- Panama City Beach, FL
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Cancun, Mexico
- Los Angeles, CA
- Orlando, FL
- Miami, FL
If money is tight, try getting your friends to drive to a closer destination such as golfing in Tennessee or visit friends at other colleges that aren’t on break. If you are an underclassmen, stay at home this spring break and save money for next year.
