The Daily Illini: Graduation Guide 2021

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Graduation Guide Monday, April 26, 2021

GRADUATION GUIDE My big 2021 headline

JONAH OZER THE DAILY ILLINI

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Monday, April 26, 2021

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Add these songs to your graduation playlist

BY CAROLINA GARIBAY BUZZ EDITOR

No graduation party is complete without a fire playlist full of songs that make you nostalgic, reflective and hype you up all at the same time. Though countless graduation songs exist, there are some songs that should appear on every graduation playlist. Here are five songs that are graduation playlist must-adds.

“Graduation (Friends Forever)” – Vitamin C

Is this basic? Maybe, but does that mean it should be left off of this list? Of course not. “Graduation” is a 1999 classic that is often played for eighth grade and high school graduations as well, but it hits particularly different for college graduates, especially this year. This song emphasizes the importance of the strong friendships you’ve made throughout college, many of who will go on to be your “friends forever,” as the song says.

All songs seem to have different meanings now as we’ve experienced a global pandemic together, but the lyrics “Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now? / Can we survive it out there? Can we make it somehow?” really seem to encompass a lot of people’s thoughts from the past year. If you want a more modern twist on this song, you can also add “Graduation (with Juice WRLD)” featuring benny blanco and Juice WRLD to your graduation playlist.

“I Lived” – One Republic

This is one of those songs that, pre-pandemic, probably reminded a lot of people of the good old days in 2013 when everything seemed to matter so much less. But now that we’ve experienced a global pandemic, this song seems to hold more weight. If we’re being honest, all everyone was really trying to do since March 2020 was survive. All of the quarantining, mask wearing and deep cleaning we’ve been doing has been to keep people alive, so this song has both a literal and metaphorical meaning. This song really emphasizes the metaphorical meaning of the verb “to live.” College seniors everywhere know how difficult it’s been to spend their last year of college online and to feel like everything they were doing mattered less. But that in and of itself is an experience, one that is shared by countless college seniors across the world. Even if you don’t necessarily feel that you “owned every second that this world could give” over the past year, you still lived, and that’s enough.

“100 Bad Days” – AJR

College is stressful, and even without a global pandemic we have a lot of bad days; however, the main point of “100 Bad Days” is that we should look at those days as learning experiences

KAITLIN MIKRUIT THE DAILY ILLINI

rather than obstacles that hold us back. Most of us have probably had more than 100 bad days in our lives (maybe even without the past year alone) but, as AJR sings, “100 bad days made 100 good stories / 100 good stories makes me interesting at parties.” I mean, are they wrong?

What’s important for seniors to reflect on now is how your bad days have shaped you into the polished adult you are today (since now that you’re graduating, you’re a real adult). I’m sure you can think of several incredible stories that resulted from some bad days, and that’s really powerful if you think about it.

pondering for one day. Graduation is really about celebrating, and we have a lot to celebrate this year. Of course, we’re celebrating everything our graduates have accomplished throughout the past four years, but we’re also celebrating the progress we’ve made as humans living through a global pandemic. This past year has been especially difficult, as many people can attest to, but 2021 is the year of hope, as more people are receiving COVID-19 vaccinations and are finally able to see friends and family in person. Many people are probably going to be able to have inperson graduation parties, and that definitely calls for celebration.

ly quite like One Direction does. “History” is an underrated, must-add graduation song that perfectly encompasses the many thoughts that run through graduates’ heads as they’re both excited for their lives in the real world but sad to leave such a formative part of their lives behind. But One Direction reminds us that we don’t really have to leave all of those great memories behind and that no amount of time or miles apart from your homies is going to be stronger than the bond you’ve formed throughout those four years. Plus, just because college is ending doesn’t mean your friendships have to end, too. Nothing will make you more nostalgic like hearing One Direction sing, “You and me got a whole lot of history / So don’t let it go, we can make some more / We can live forever.”

No one knows what’s it like to spend four years

That’s enough self-reflection and existential with your best friends only to part ways sudden- garibay5@dailyillini.com

“Celebration” – Kool & the “History” – One Direction Gang

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Graduation diploma signifies luck, effort

BY DIANA ANGHEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

whether advantageous or disadvantageous; one step for defeating statistical imparity; one step for finding the networks to lead to success; one step for being guided by the inner determination that led to the end of the road.

Of course, the orchestra also plays the tunes of the less synched factors, the ones that turn the show a little more somber, like the nights when books gave sleep no chance, or the mornings when coffee would have tasted sweeter with family nearby. It’s easy to get caught up in the somber tones; they make the bigger picture appear blurry and forgotten.

But the steps across the stage bring a fortune to your arms. And I don’t mean money.

I mean opportunity, friendship, professional development, wisdom and the chance to turn around generational blockage. Though some roads are rockier than others, all education comes to an end with the gift of a diploma.

As difficult as it may be to gain a global and universal perspective of the weight of a diploma through statistics, self reflection can help to acknowledge and perhaps appreciate every wrong and right turn that guided to the end of the stage, a finish line that the majority of the world never gets a chance to see.

According to U.S. Census data from 2019, only about 32% of adults 25 and older earn a bachelor’s degree. Of that third of the population, 40% of non-Hispanic white adults aged 25 and up achieved a bachelor’s degree. A systematically impacted demographic, 26% of Black adults achieved a bachelor’s degree. Even stunningly lower, only about 19% of Hispanic people reported to have completed a four-year degree.

National Student Clearinghouse released that about a third of students who enroll in college don’t complete a bachelor’s degree by their six-year mark.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported that a third of first-generation students drop out of college by their third year.

But let’s take a step back. Findings by Harvard University and Asian Development Bank show that only 6.7% of the world population completed a college degree. 6.7% represents the fortune, luck and work that a diploma carries.

Though the finale of college ends with a simple walk across a stage, the orchestra pit, hidden from the surface of life, plays in the background: one step for finding a financial path fit to support a university education; one step for being part of a demographic that fit within a community, danghel2@dailyillini.com

JONAH OZER THE DAILY ILLINI

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Take action after this year’s racial reckoning

BY VIVIAN LA ASSISTANT DAYTIME NEWS EDITOR

This academic year has been unlike any other in history. Not only was there a worldwide pandemic that shuttered whole cities and countries, affecting all aspects of daily life, but there was also a nationwide movement calling to end systemic racism unlike the country has ever seen.

From the summer protests following the murder of George Floyd, calls on campus to defund University police, rallies to address anti-Asian violence and increased demands for University accountability — what matters now is what we do moving forward.

College is a time to figure out who you are and who you want to be. There’s freedom to explore what matters to you. And in the past year, students have shown up when it comes to calling for systemic changes to institutional racism, proving that this younger generation will lead conversations long into the future.

Graduates, it’s a challenging and strange time to be starting this next part of your lives.

But it’s also one of the most important, given the movements in the last year. Now is the time to actively incorporate an awareness of systemic racism in job searches within the field and in all aspects of daily life.

For instance, some of the world’s top medical journals fail to address the impact of racism in the field of medicine. A study from Health Affairs showed that in the past 30 years, less than 1% of articles in the world’s top five leading journals included the word “racism.” And of this small percentage, the majority of the articles were opinion pieces.

In the context of the pandemic, we’ve seen how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected low-income communities of color in this country. Health care disparities are clearer than ever.

It’s incredibly crucial that this next generation of medical professionals understands the deadly consequences of institutional racism.

But it doesn’t just affect the field of medicine.

It’s also our justice system, politics, education and science. The effects of climate change will also impact these underserved communities first, as natural disasters usually do.

Students graduating this year come from diverse backgrounds and fields. This year’s graduating class is full of future teachers, doctors, engineers, journalists, lawyers and so much more. The events in the past few years make you so valuable when it comes to dismantling decades of injustice.

Our education is only as important as what we do outside the classroom. It’s one thing to

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Members of the Illinois football team speak at the Champaign Police Department during a studentled Black Lives Matter march on Aug. 31.

go to campus protests or have conversations over Zoom about the “model minority myth.”

What matters is how we actually use these things to enact change.

So, while it’s been a difficult year for a multitude of reasons, it will no doubt be more difficult in the future. But there’s reason to hope because this generation can — and will — become leaders in many different ways.

As you walk across a socially-distanced stage, conquer college and reflect on the past four years, know that you’re joined by thou-

sands of other individuals who are capable of using recent events as a catalyst.

This year’s challenges have only illuminated how crucial it is to make changes, and the graduating class of 2021 is uniquely positioned to do so in whatever industry graduates end up in. It’s time to continue the important conversations that have started this year into the future. Congratulations, it will be wonderful to see what you accomplish next. vla2@dailyillini.com

Congratulations!

Class of 2021

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Clutch compassion toward life’s expedition NATHANIEL LANGLEY OPINIONS EDITOR

Life’s mundanity approaches. Across the illustrious stage — whether virtually or physically traversed — this ordinariness awaits with all its humdrum patterns.

Soon, assignments will be replaced by the pressing need for grocery shopping; nights out with friends will transfigure into cumbersome work socials; the climax of your day may eventually be the chit-chat conducted at the water-cooler. However monotonous these events sound, if properly enjoyed, these affairs can easily be the heart’s focal point.

Although these “dull” moments are not the most flattering, every opportunity in life remains precious to warrant your utmost consideration. Akin to leaving no stone unturned, no second is to go by without being grateful.

In one of the most pinnacle commencement speeches, literary titan David Foster Wallace chronicled this requirement to avoid life’s “automatic” way of thinking.

Undergoing “regular everydayness” is horrid — especially to those excitedly graduating. Wallace illuminates this frustrating nightmare when declaring, “I can spend time in the end-of-the-day traffic being disgusted about all the huge, stupid, lane-blocking SUV’s and Hummers… burning their wasteful, selfish, 40-gallon tanks of gas…”

Nonetheless, this is no way to think. Wallace notes this as erroneous judgment as life’s “automatic” — thrusting those thwarted into an “end-of-the-day traffic” mentality.

To combat this preprogrammed conviction, graduates must appreciate and utilize higher education’s principal gift: critical thinking.

Through valuing critical thinking, any mundane situation can swiftly modify into gripping junctures. Wallace demonstrates this by way of critically considering the “stupid Hummer” to be “driven by a father whose little child is hurt or sick in the seat next to him...and he’s in a bigger, more legitimate hurry than I am: it is actually I who am in HIS way.”

Accordingly, when respecting critical thinking, one opens their world to profound compassion. Through thinking of others first — whether it be the grocery shopper who amicably greets you, the equally lonely employees at a work social or the work acquaintance who perceives “water-cooler chats” as the highlight of their day — life promptly becomes finer.

Critical thinking and compassion are choices. As much of an option as it is to relinquish determinations to tedious “automatics,” one also possesses the keys to engage in better reasoning and compassion.

Higher education is the location where

JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI

critical thinking and compassion are relentlessly administered to students. After years of rigorous curriculums, life’s grand stage awaits. On the other side of this door, nevertheless, it is crucial to greet life with this sympathy.

With years of meticulous exposure to remarkable concepts, ideas and lessons, the present anticipates your next subsequent steps. From here on out, you are your own professor/advisor; as jarring as it may be, all decisions rest within your hands.

Because of this, it is vital that critical thinking accompany one’s life to ensure compassion is not abandoned.

There will be moments where supposed mediocrity cripples expectations, yet, above all else, prioritize contemplating alternatives. Wallace reminds everyone — primarily his commencement crowd — of this real-

ity when asserting, “the only thing that’s capital-T True is that you get to decide how you’re gonna try to see it.”

This “capital-T” truth is that life is yours for the taking. Certainly, the “automatic” temptation towards vexation will occasionally impede, yet you remain in the driver’s seat.

Soon, you will experience debilitating traffic commuting to work. The choices, likewise, will be clear: Detest this daily dosage of auto-ascribed rage or welcome this opportunity to recognize everyone else is experiencing the same predicament. There is, additionally, freedom that exists with welcoming the latter selection.

Wallace concludes his address by proclaiming, “the freedom of a real education” is “learning how to be well-adjusted.”

No larger life adjustment arrives than in graduating. As such, one must adjust to

devoting their energy to critical thinking and compassion. Being granted these tools through enlightening education, one is prepared with the best instruments known to humanity to honorably live.

Education is freedom. Despite the common comprehension that life post-schooling subsists entirely of the ordinary, one can employ liberating education to better apprehend life’s superior qualities.

Graduates, cherish those otherwise repetitive moments. Furthermore, be consciously kind to those who persist in the “automatic,” and if anything, illuminate them with one’s pensive empathy. Walk with compassion, and life’s path will assuredly be extraordinary. ntl3@dailyillini.com

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Three commencement speeches to hold onto

BY MATT TROHER LONGFORM EDITOR

When one phase of life ends, another one begins. The end of one’s education brings upon the commencement of one’s journey into the socalled “real world.” To celebrate this new, often terrifying beginning, the colleges and universities responsible for this change enlist notable alumni, heads of state, actors and CEOs to address the graduating class and give a few words of wisdom that graduates will hopefully hold onto.

Most speakers fall flat, droning on for way too long about their own accomplishments or giving thanks to the people who paid them to be there.

However, there are a few speakers whose commencement speeches deliver something worth holding on to. Here are three speeches worth listening to.

Daveed Diggs, Brown University (2017) To list Daveed Diggs’s list of accomplishments would nearly take up the whole paper, and considering they occurred within a five-year timespan is simply astonishing. He won a Tony Award for his role(s) in Hamilton, wrote and starred in a film that earned multiple nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards and released multiple albums with his experimental hip-hop group Clipping. However, his speech at Brown University’s Baccalaureate ceremony focuses on the time before all that.

“Daveed Diggs was born on January 20, 2015, four days before his 33rd birthday, at approximately 9:45 pm when he strutted down a fake staircase at the public theater in New York,” proclaimed Diggs, referring to his Broadway debut — when the man the public know as Daveed Diggs diverged from the “real” Daveed Diggs.

Half reflection on his time at Brown and half meditation on the public perception of the persona, Diggs details his time spent in the in-between: The years spent as a substitute teacher, auditioning for commercial roles on the weekends, failing to find a paid acting gig.

Diggs seamlessly alternates between speaking and rap, showcasing his mastery of the spoken word all while keeping his audience entertained.

A modern-day renaissance man, Diggs’s commencement speech reminds us that our favorite artists are more similar to us than we think — failures and all.

the college’s Commencement Coordinator.

The literary community has never been more thankful for a tennis match. A testament to its lasting relevance, the speech, entitled “This is Water,” is the only commencement speech to have its own page on Wikipedia.

Throughout his speech, Wallace delivers his thoughts on the difficulty of empathy, the importance of exercising choice over what we pay attention to and the true value of a liberal arts education.

I’m sure we’ve all had that moment where a driver cuts you off or turns in front of you without using a turn signal. We may be quick to call that person a jerk and wax-onanistic about their jerkish tendencies. Instead, Wallace urges us to consider the possibilities behind why the driver may not be an asshole, to imagine the driver as a person as complex and real as you are.

“Of course, none of this is likely, but it’s also not impossible ... It will actually be withLegend has it that Wallace was only con- in your power to experience a crowded, hot, vinced to give his speech at Kenyon College slow, consumer-hell type situation as not after being promised a game of tennis with only meaningful, but sacred, on fire with the

David Foster Wallace, Kenyon College (2005)

JONAH OZER THE DAILY ILLINI

same force that made the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down,” says Wallace.

It’s a deeply compassionate speech that anyone, college graduate or otherwise, can derive meaning from. We are the center of our own universes, but with Wallace’s words in mind, we can fight that and try to create a more compassionate, meaningful life.

Meryl Streep, Barnard College (2010)

workspace. Streep emphasizes a cultural shift, one signified by the change in what character of hers men most like. At the beginning of her illustrious career, it was Linda from “The Deer Hunter” — a young woman patiently waiting for her boyfriend to return from the war (she even makes note that the first time she met Bill Clinton, he told her Linda was his favorite part of the movie). But now, entering a new decade we’ve passed through, the most common favorite character, of men and women alike, is the powerful, stunningly dressed Miranda Priestly from “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Streep congratulates the young women sitting in front of her for being brave enough to challenge traditional gender roles and make way for this cultural change. Wise beyond her years, Streep relates this societal change to the personal changes the graduates will be certain to face. “This is your time and it feels normal to you, but really there is no normal. There is only change, and resistance to it, and more change.”

She’s captivating in “The Dear Hunter,” terrifying in “The Devil Wears Prada,” wise in “Mamma Mia!” and now she’s speaking at Barnard College. What advice could you possibly expect from the woman who’s done it all?

Streep’s natural ability to engage her audience makes her 30-minute speech feel like ten, as she relates her experiences as an actress to existing as a professional woman in a male-dominated mtroher2@dailyillini.com

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Monday, April 26, 2021

9

Take advantage of mental health resources

BY MONA ALRAZZAQ ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

As a senior approaching the last few weeks of college, there are a range of emotions that you are probably processing. It is completely acceptable to feel lost or unsure right now, especially because we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Please remember that you are not struggling alone, and there are always resources available to assist you.

It is first important to note that, as cheesy as it sounds, you are not alone. This past year has not been ideal for anybody. This is not to invalidate or belittle your experience, but instead to let you know that others are struggling.

The world you are facing after graduation is not the same world that you came into college expecting it to be. This can be a strange concept to wrap your head around. The uncertainty that might come with the future is also hard for many people to deal with.

First and foremost, if you think you are experiencing anxiety or depression, make sure to speak with your doctor in order to figure out a treatment plan. Early treatment is extremely effective and can create find long-term solutions and ensure your treatment plan works for you.

In order to use University resources, the Counseling Center is currently providing Tele-

health options where you can talk to a counselor over Zoom or over the phone. The following number can be used to schedule appointments at the Counseling Center: 217-333-3704.

If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a loved one or want to seek immediate emotional support, please make sure to call the 24/7 National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

In addition to creating a treatment plan with your doctor, there are other steps you can take in order to help you feel a bit better. Although these are not professional treatments, implementing them can be useful.

Try to focus on what you can control Do something seemingly small, like cleaning your room or taking the time to read a book.

Focusing on what you do have power over in times where everything feels helpless assists in reminding you that not all is helpless.

Stick to a sleep schedule Many people don’t realize the difference sleep makes in their daily lives and mental health. Attempt to aim for seven hours of sleep.

If you are having trouble sleeping, try taking melatonin if you are able to.

Reach out to someone and have a conversation The natural boost that comes from having a

THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

Students in a statistics class listen attentively to a lecture at the Lincoln Hall Theater on December 2, 2019.

conversation with a family member, friend or even someone kind on social media helps you remember that you still have a sense of support and encouragement.

Keep in mind that these times will pass, and you will learn to work through your struggles. Remember that the next chapters in your

life might be uncertain, but that uncertainty isn’t always a bad thing. Be proud of yourself for always moving forward and making it through your college experience despite all your hardships. monaa2@dailyillini.com

SENIORS! Congratulations to all of The Illini Media Class of 2021!

We are so grateful for your years of hard work and dedication to The Daily Illini, WPGU 107.1 FM, and Illio Yearbook. We wish all of you the best of luck in everything you do!

Please keep in touch!

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11

Illini sports lows make highs worth waiting for

BY JACKSON JANES SPORTS EDITOR

A lot of things have changed since your freshman year: You’ve made new friends, created lifelong memories, spent hours studying and hanging out on the Main Quad, had a few too many drinks at any of the campus bars and earned a degree (congrats on that by the way)!

The success of Illinois sports teams is also something that has changed since your arrival in 2017, whether that be a men’s basketball program that went from sub-.500 to a top seed in the NCAA tournament, a football team that went from failing to win a single conference game to a bowl berth two seasons later or a soccer team that went from one of the worst teams in the conference to a Big Ten Tournament host school.

You had it good at first in 2017. The volleyball team was playing well and advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals with a stacked lineup of Jordyn Poulter, Jacqueline Quade, Megan Cooney, Ali Bastianelli and Beth Prince, among others.

You also had some rough seasons to sit through your freshman year.

After starting the season with two home wins, the Illinois football team failed to win another game, going on a 10-game losing streak, including a 35-point loss to in-state rival Northwestern to round out the season.

The soccer team struggled in conference play: It won just two home games all season while scoring 13 total goals across 19 games in the fall.

The men’s basketball team went 4-14 in conference play, and it won just one game on the road all year while falling in the first round of the Big Ten tournament in Brad Underwood’s first season at the helm.

A lot has changed from your freshman year to now and so has Illinois sports. You remained loyal, passionate, vocal and, most importantly, an Illinois fan.

And the sports gods rewarded you.

Several big home wins for the men’s basketball team, including a court invasion at State Farm Center following a 79-74 win over Michigan State in 2018 and a narrow win over Iowa to clinch a double-bye at the 2020 Big Ten tournament, are just two of several examples for the program over recent years.

A last-second field goal to secure a historic upset over No. 6 Wisconsin at Memorial Stadium during Homecoming weekend.

A Final Four run for the volleyball team in 2018 after a 28-3 regular season, which included 10 wins over top-25 teams.

And, of course, a men’s hoops Big Ten tournament title after a historic 2021 season with the likes of consensus First Team AllAmerican Ayo Dosunmu, Big Ten All-Defensive

THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

The Orange Krush student section shouts at a game between the Illini men’s basketball team and Minnesota at State Farm Center Jan. 30, 2020.

Team inclusion Trent Frazier, Second Team All-American Kofi Cockburn and Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Andre Curbelo.

Supporting Illinois sports can be hard at times. Getting through years of underwhelming performances and losing seasons is hard.

One thing you sign up for as a sports fan is years like those. It makes you stronger, more resilient and grows your patience.

And it makes the good years more rewarding and enjoyable.

Whether it be sitting in the Orange Krush section at State Farm Center, standing during the halftime card display in the north stands at Memorial Stadium or relaxing in the sun on a hot day while watching baseball at Illinois Field, Illinois sports always offer a good time, regardless of the score or outcome.

Illinois sports can disappoint and excite, make

you believe while also making you wonder why you signed up for letdown after letdown.

But, of course, it teaches you the power of community, teamwork and passion.

If you can get through years of supporting disappointing Illinois sports, you can get through anything and everything life has to offer.

janes6@dailyillini.com

Monday, April 26, 2021

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12

Embrace uncertainty in your next stage of life

BY AMRITA BHATTACHARYYA NEWS EDITOR

mask with you when heading out?

And what about toilet paper — is that still something we should be hoarding a year from now?

Graduation is a big milestone in any year, but this year, with your final college years disrupted, it feels like so much more. The pervasiveness of the pandemic is impossible to shake off, and who knows what the next year will bring.

But you’re ready. You did the unthinkable and through hard work and dedication, you managed to graduate in the middle of a pandemic that turned people’s lives upside down. Though a mountain to climb, the pandemic brought lessons to your class that no other class experienced.

In this next stage of your life, embrace the uncertainty that you will surely face. Whether it be facing stress about getting that job interview you wanted, or being anxious about not having a well thought out plan, know that you are ready.

Know that you are prepared because you dealt with the uncertainty of a pandemic.

So you made it. The big day that you imagined as a child is here! A socially distanced, individual private stage crossing experience.

Your maximum of four guests in the audience are beaming back at you, smiling in approval of your accomplishments.

Or maybe not, I mean, it’s kind of hard to tell with the masks on.

After your 15-minute slot for crossing the stage, you and the gang make sure to head back to a place with excellent WiFi to watch the University’s online commencement celebration at noon sharp! The sentimental prerecorded talks from prominent alumni and staff are heartwarming and inspirational.

Oh wait, that’s probably not what you had in mind for your college graduation.

As the pandemic engulfs its second year and causes disruptions for yet another graduating class, it’s hard to envision this crazy pandemic lifestyle ever ending.

Will you be at your dream job a year from now, sitting at home in a nice blazer and sweatpants, using the emoticon reactions on Zoom? abhatt52@dailyillini.com Will you be doing that little run back home once you realize you forgot to bring your

WE HAVE

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOYCE SEAY-KNOBLAUCH/UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Illinois graduates celebrate during commencement from a previous year.

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How to celebrate graduation in a pandemic

BY HEATHER ROBINSON MANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTING

is no shortage of them. And if you’re looking for a recommendation, “Booksmart” is the way to go. Just maybe not if your grandparents are there. “Legally Blonde” is another classic that deserves an honorable mention. And if you’re feeling a sense of wanderlust, “Into the Wild” is the perfect film to inspire your summer road trip. If you’re more of a TV person, graduation episodes are plentiful too.

3. Have a photoshoot around campus! It’s finally time to get some quality pictures at those photo-op locations you’ve been staking out since freshman year. While you may have to wait in line to snap a pic with local celebrity Alma Mater, the only other downside to graduation photoshoots is face soreness when your parents take a few too many pictures.

4. And last but certainly not least, my personal favorite: Host a socially distanced bonfire and burn all of your papers from your least favorite classes. Watch those assignments go up in flames in a matter of seconds as you reflect on the nostalgic hours you spent completing them. Swap fireside ghost stories for dramatic graduation speeches and embarrassing tales during your time as an Illini. Maybe even join in singing some classic campfire tunes like “Hail to the Orange.”

Despite all of its challenges, the year of 2020-2021 has undoubtedly fostered a new sense of creativity among those who were stuck in quarantine for long amounts of time.

From picking up new hobbies and binging an impressive amount of TV shows to throwing drive-by birthday parties, if there is anything we’ve learned about young people during the time of COVID-19, it is our ability to adapt and imagine new ways to entertain ourselves.

And while the vaccines are rapidly rolling out, the pandemic is far from over. Therefore, we must continue to innovate a little extra for a little longer and find new ways to celebrate the end of another triumphant chapter.

And let’s face it: As a senior having survived your last year in virtual or hybrid school, you deserve to let loose and have some fun. Here are a few alternative ideas to get you started: 1. OK, so maybe yet another Zoom call is the last thing you want after finally finishing online school. But virtual parties are still all the rave for some safe, social-distanced fun. Give each other silly senior awards. Maybe even play some Jackbox games together, or laugh while you try and teach your family members how to play Among Us. 2. Watch a movie about graduation. There hrr4@dailyillini.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB

Reese Witherspoon stars in the movie “Legally Blonde” with her dog Moonie which was released on July 13, 2001.

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Monday, April 26, 2021

14

LANIE HIBEL THE DAILY ILLINI

Students talk to each other on the forecourt of Foellinger Auditorium on April 3.

Set aside time to explore interests, build skills

BY ROHIT JAMMU ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

Applying to college when you’re in high school may make four years feel like a long time. But you blink and suddenly you’re in your final year having experienced what felt both like an eternity and a fraction of a second.

Being an engineering major means the career fair is a big thing each semester. It can sometimes feel like you take one good look around and it’s raining Amazon job offers and every other person is talking to Google and Microsoft. Two of your roommates have a semester-long co-op somewhere they really wanted to work, few friends did semesters abroad and others receiving return offers from the summer internships.

To you, it could feel like everyone’s got everything figured out. It may feel like everyone is rushing forward, stacking their list of achievements. One of the biggest sources of stress is probably the uncertainty

of what comes next that comes with what feels like the absence of a definitive plan.

If you feel overwhelmed, stuck in the race of who gets there first and who scores the next biggest offer — like you’re sinking slowly while everyone paddles upwards — take a moment to just stop. If you’re graduating or close to graduating now, you’re probably between 20 and 22. If someone had asked you who you were or where you headed coming out of high school, you probably had a certain semblance of an answer for each question. If the same someone came around and asked you the same question, your answers might not be the same.

Just as time changes a good portion of everything, where you are now and where you will be five, 10 or 20 years from now might not be what you envisioned. Not getting a flood of job offers from big companies doesn’t mean you’ll end up living out of your parents’ house for the next decade.

Take time to look back on how far you’ve

come and everything you achieved although it might not be what you thought you would achieve. It’s important to look back and recognize your growth and improvement in all the areas that you’ve spent time on.

The big secret in college that no one tells you is no one knows what they’re doing. Just like doing your taxes, no one understands what’s happening, but everyone pretends like they do. Vocalize your concerns, talk to your friends, you’ll be surprised at how big the boat you thought you were alone in really is. Soon enough you’ll realize it’s a yacht and not a single one knows how to steer it.

Just as some people take a year off after high school and before college, taking time to figure out how to navigate your new adult identity and the life that comes with it. The time you spend in college itself can be a part of that journey.

Take time to explore things you’re still interested in if you still have time left in college. Building your skills, exploring your

interests and improving on your talents don’t stop at high school, college, grad school or even after that. For example, backpacking through Europe post-graduation may seem something out of movie in our overly judgmental society, but it could give you the experience and perspective you’re looking for. While the job, co-op or internship you get right now may not be exactly what you want, it will serve to provide you with a unique perspective for what comes next.

Regardless, boiling this down to the essentials, don’t let anyone, me included, tell you what you can or cannot do. Graduating on time, early or even late is already stressful in its own regard.

Take time out of your day to cherish your growth and recognize that everyone is running the same arduous and confusing race. If your initial plans feel like they’re falling apart, what you need right now is always just around the corner if you just look for it. rjammu2@dailyillini.com

The Daily Illini

Monday, April 26, 2021

15

Best places to take outdoor graduation photos

BY GWYN SKILES FEATURES EDITOR

Flipping through family photo albums in a couple decades, graduates will search for a photo of themselves smiling with pride and dripping in orange and blue from head to toe.

There are several iconic spots on campus where moms will usher their graduate to stand awkwardly while she clicks her camera ferociously.

But with negative COVID-19 status required to enter buildings, many backdrops might be inaccessible. Here are some outdoor locations where graduates may social distance in style.

Alma Mater

Can you even graduate from the University if you don’t have at least one picture in front of Alma Mater?

Located at the corner of Green and Wright streets, Alma Mater’s open arms welcome all who come to campus and bid a bittersweet farewell to all who graduate.

But be warned, many people will be lined up to take photos at this iconic spot on campus.

So have a plan, smile big, throw your cap and move onto the next destination.

Look at the Alma Cam prior to see how crowded it is.

fun, Big Ten activities the University hosted. Davenport Hall so construction doesn’t disAlthough it might be tempting, don’t hop tract from the desired aesthetic.

While the cherry blossoms have lost the fence. All the game day spirit needed Look at the Quad Cam prior to coming to their petals, the Japan House offers a qui- will be available in permitted locations. see what the energy is like. et, serene location with a beautiful, earthy backdrop.

There are plenty of voluminous trees for one to pose in front of. However, the mud Commonly known as the Engineering and grass might dirty one’s shoes. Make Quad, this location has many sculptures sure to save the showstopper pair of heels There are many outdoor locations around to pose in front of. for a different location. the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts There’s also a pristine riverfront that to take photos and wide open spaces per- provides a peaceful backdrop unique to fect for social distancing. campus.

The white steps of the Krannert AmphiThe unique angles and pillars of the South theatre will make the blue and orange colors Quad Bell Tower provide the perfect back- on the cap and gown standout. And if one drop for an artistic, solo shot. desires, the sturdy brick walls are perfect Located at a quieter part of campus, for a cheesy, lean-against-the-wall picture. there’s a lot of time to play with angles and Whether it be the petite fountain outside do a quick outfit change if desired. of Harker Hall or the jets bursting from the fountain at the Hallene Gateway, the fountains on campus are priceless.

While most locations on campus require Located at the hub of campus, the patio the graduate to stand, the ledges of the outside of Foellinger Hall overlooks the fountain allow for sitting photos.

Even though the doors remained closed Main Quad.

Play around with poses. Just make sure for most of this year, Memorial Stadium still On a nice day, students playing frisbee, you don’t fall in! stands in all its glory. having a picnic or sleeping in hammocks When looking through the photo album, will capture the energy of campus. gskiles2@dailyillini.com this photo serves as a reminder of all the Make sure to angle the camper away from

Japan House Gardens

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

South Quad Bell Tower

Outside of Memorial Stadium

Bardeen Quad

In front of various fountains

Outside of Foellinger Auditorium

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