Illini Students Take to the Quad

Quad Day is an annual tradition at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. A few days before class, usually on a Sunday, all the registered student organizations (RSOs) set up booths all along the quad. This year's Quad Day for the 2008-2009 school year fell on August 24, 2008. It was a hot, sunny day and clear skies this year. The heat actually caused me and others to move quicker through Quad Day and shorten our time there.

The quad at UIUC has plenty of walkways, all of which were littered with all kinds of student organizations. Fraternities and sororities are looking to recruit new freshmen to rush their Greek house. The Greek system is huge at UIUC, so Quad Day houses plenty of space for the Greek houses. Organizations can also be found for sports, business, engineering, science fields, religious groups, and a variety of other clubs. Usually they present you with information about their club, meeting times, and a sign-up sheet to receive more information later by email. I was cautious to sign up for too many things as your email inbox could be flooded all year. There were still plenty of clubs I checked out and enjoyed.

The most interesting and entertaining demonstration came from the medieval re-enactment group. This group did another battle with foam swords and weapons. It is very funny to be walking down the quad with thousands of crowded students while dressed students beat each other up. The science organizations performed mystifying experiments with chemicals. Break dancers pulled off hip dance moves as you walked by, encouraging you to sign up. Some groups did not get much attention and were begging people to sign up. Most people were just there to check out Quad Day though and sign up for a few odd clubs.

Although some people were pushy for you to sign up, most people were friendly and inviting. Freshman new to the town are helped out and pointed in the right direction by older students. On my first Quad Day, I received tips on the social life at UIUC along with where to find free food. The free stuff is always popular with college students, as they are usually broke. I've managed to get free plastic bags, Frisbees, assignment planners, and condoms from Quad Day since I've been going. If you are new to town, Quad Day is a must to check out for first-hand information about clubs and other aspects of UIUC. Even upperclassmen populate Quad Day as it is always overcrowded every year. This is a safe, fun event to keep students out of trouble for the few days before school starts, so hats off to Quad Day and U of I.