Favorite places on campus

hand into the cookie jar, and I could not go back. So, for anyone that wants to dive into campus, this should be your rst pick.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LIKA LEZHAVA lezhava3@dailyillini.com

The right amount of shade and shield from the noise on the Main Quad. With just a small amount of seating, you’ll be lucky to nd a table on the west side of the Illini Union, but when you do, you have unlocked one of the best study spots on campus for a warm day.

With many food options inside — and most importantly, co ee — it’s a great place to get work done while getting some fresh air instead of being in a stu y room.

Students usually enter the Union from the north or south entrances, so there isn’t much that can bother you.

But what are the uses of this exquisite spot? Mental breakdowns, angry phone calls, realizing that you might be failing your astronomy class that you had to take even though you’re an English major, writing, watching lecture videos and so much more!

MANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTING PIOTR FEDCZUK fedczuk2@dailyillini.com

Tucked away underground, this dimly-lit tunnel connects two buildings on the south end of campus.

A stark contrast to the green plant life strewn around campus, this mode of transport felt foreign at rst. It felt wrong, as though I would soon get caught and paraded back to the tunnel’s entrance. But, most of all, the tunnel renewed my interest in exploration.

Had my roommate not dragged me into this tunnel, I would have never stepped inside Bevier or Turner Hall.

However, now I am the one dragging my roommate into new buildings and tunnels on campus. I had stuck my

Just a block west o the quad and behind the bookstore, a tall glass door opens to a modern, ambiently lit coffee shop.

Soft jazz or quiet 2000s music plays in the background as customers chat with their peers or zone in on schoolwork. The black brick backsplash is perfectly juxtaposed with the variety of syrup avors seen behind the bar.

Menu options span from turkey sandwiches to mojito lemonades, and there’s something for everyone, ca eine lover or not.

The drinks and the aura make Espresso Royale my second home — whether it’s for my weekly dates with friends or for a solo study session for a chemistry exam, the environment of the cafe is simply unbeatable.

With their iced lavender matcha latte with oat milk in hand, I could probably take on the world.