What year did you start attending Illinois?

Don: 1945

Jessie: 2021, I will graduate in May 2025 with a B.A. in Sociology. 

Where did you live during your first year as a student?

Don: It was war time so there were 3 semesters. I started summer session right after high school graduation – I was only 17. My mom put me on a train from Chicago to Champaign with one suitcase. School housing recommended a rooming house on Arbor Ave. owned by a lovely woman.

We ate meals at a nearby boarding house where I met Bill Bigelow. He became a good friend. He recommended I join the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. In the fall semester I became a pledge and moved into the fraternity house – 313 East Chalmers St.

Jessie: I lived in the historic Sheldon Hall located in Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall (LAR) which is the left wing for my first semester.  I have the best memories from dorm life, especially since LAR has the best dining halls on campus, however, my time was short-lived.  For my second semester, I moved into my sorority house for a leadership opportunity.  I lived in the Alpha Delta Pi house at 1202 W Nevada St, another historic location because the chapter’s facility has been at that location for over a hundred years.  I occupied Urbana for my first two years of college and moved to the Champaign side for the remaining years.

What was a fun activity you and your friends liked to do?

Don: As an Engineering major, many hours were spent in class – 18 hours of class and 10 hours in labs which took up most of my week. Another activity that wasn’t fun, but required for all male freshmen and sophomore students was ROTC drill practice.

On weekends, we would play pickup basketball and visit the student union building. There were not that many women at that time (ratio 2:1), so dating was not easy. We also went to see first-run movies at the theater in downtown Champaign.

Jessie: My friends and I love getting a coffee and walking on campus on a sunny day.  We love going to sporting events, I have fond memories of attending football, baseball, and tennis events.  And of course, we love the occasional wine night or celebrating birthdays or achievements by visiting campus nightlife.

Favorite class or professor?

Don: Favorite professor was Harry Drickamer. He was the Chemical Engineering Department Head. I took courses from him during my Junior and Senior years.

Chemical Engineering major required a language, I took German and really enjoyed Herr Stegemeier. He was very involved with the students and even acted as a faculty host for our fraternity parties.

Favorite class was Stoichiometry, study of chemical reactions. I used the knowledge from this course throughout the entirety of my career.

Jessie: Jaqueline Hitcheon and Ken Erday in the College of Media are professors I’ll remember for a long time.  Hitcheon taught the public relations courses I enjoyed, they were ADV 310, Introduction to Public Relations, and ADV 350 Writing for Public Relations.  Ken Erday has encouraged my career interests by working in newsrooms, he’s been a great support in teaching JOUR 317, On Camera Performance for UI7, and JOUR 417, Introduction to Producing for UI7.

Favorite place on campus?

Don: Student Union.

Jessie: My favorite place on campus is the quad, especially on a warm summer day when the leaves are green.

Best place to study?

Don: Fraternity house, study time was mandated 8 pm to 10 pm every night. Also, I would go to the library in the Noyes lab building. 

Jessie: The Main Library has always been my favorite place to study and get an assignment done.

Favorite campus events or traditions?

Don: Football games and basketball games. We attended all home games using our recreation passes. Both teams improved due to returning GIs who were eligible to play. One year the football team made it to the Rose Bowl.

Jessie: This past basketball season, the team had an upset win in the NCAA tournament.  The entire campus erupted with cheer and everyone from Green Street ran to the Alma Mater statue to celebrate.  While that was a chaotic scene, it was really cool being a part of the collective joy and excitement.

Best spot to take a date or a night out with friends?

Don: We would take dates to the movies, or the Friday Night Ball at the union or Fraternity/Sorority dances. I recall picking up dates at the Alpha Delta Pi house, Jessie’s sorority.

With friends, our favorite place was a beer hall called Phren’s. We would drink pitchers of beer, sing songs and have a good time.

Jessie: The best date night, with either a friend or partner, would have to be at a restaurant on Green Street, personal favorites are Oozu Ramen or Bangkok Thai. 

Favorite food on or near campus?

Don: Steak N’Shake on Green Street, the chain started in nearby Bloomington. 

Jessie: I still need to try plenty of places to eat on campus, and there are always new ones opening.  Yet I always go back to Oozu Ramen for a hearty soup, or Sushi Ichiban for a light meal, or if I ever feel a little sick I go to Pho Noodle Station.

Did you attend any sporting events, concerts performances or other events of note?

Don: A few, if I could afford, but one year the school sponsored a performance by the Stan Kenton Big Band, they were very famous at the time, despite the pricey ticket cost, I went.

Jessie: I have become close with several student-athletes over the years, I have many friends on the Illini Tennis Team.  I never miss a tennis match and love to go to as many sporting events as I can.  When I was a freshman, I remember attending Colin Jost’s stand-up performance for Welcome Week, and that is where I learned UIUC’s library is the second largest to Harvard.

Were you involved with any clubs or other extracurricular activities on campus? Which ones?

Don: Daily Illini newspaper as a sports reporter, so I had to attend all the football and basketball games and then immediately draft my report for the next edition. I was also a member of the German Club. And the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. 

Jessie: This year I have joined UI7 Newsroom and have become a student reporter for UI7 Live, the news channel reporting on Champaign County.  That has been a very special and educational experience, I have learned a lot about this community by following and reporting stories.

Did you have a job during the school year? If so, what was it?

Don: Never worked during the school year. I had summer jobs back in Chicago during the break.

Jessie: From Winter 2022 to this past Spring 2024, I worked at Allen Hall as a front desk clerk.  That was a fun job working with the RA’s and other desk clerks, it was always interesting to see the Freshman residents settle into their new lives, and I was always happy to help them.  This summer I started working at Legends Bar and Grille, this has been the greatest experience, and I enjoy learning new skills in the kitchen or behind the bar.

What major historical events happened during your college years that impacted college life?

Don: At the end of my freshman fall semester, WWII ended in Europe. All the returning GIs wanting to use their GI Bill enrolled causing the school population to increase exponentially. The University had to delay the start of the spring semester by 3 weeks to process all the new students. The fraternity house became very crowded.

Jessie: End of Covid-19 pandemic and lifting restrictions, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, college students protest of Israel's War on Gaza, 2024 Presidential Election. 

What did you like the most about attending University of Illinois?

Don: I gained some great friends. The education and curriculum was stellar for a state school, which quite honestly was all my family could afford. I am lucky the University of Illinois had such a great engineering program. 

Jessie: I like everything about UIUC!  I love my friends and how there is always something to do.  I love the culture here among the student body, we like to work hard, have fun, and are very supportive of each other.  Finally, there is always an opportunity to pursue here, because of the size and prestige of this school, I’ve truly found that this place epitomizes the phrase “when a door closes, a window opens.”

How does it feel knowing that your granddaughter is a student at your alma mater?

Don: It is a great thrill. I am delighted she chose Illinois despite being from Ohio and even more content that she is thriving at the school.

Anything else you would like to share?

Don: The University Of Illinois Department Of Engineering has a super reputation. I am proud to have contributed as a successful alum and grateful for the success I have enjoyed in the field.

Jessie: Lastly, I couldn’t be prouder to carry on my grandfather’s legacy at UIUC.  I initially applied to this school as a gesture to my grandfather, he is the reason our family was able to have so much, and that was only possible because of the education he received here.  I am his youngest grandchild, and I only applied to UIUC because none of his other grandchildren gave it a thought. Therefore, I applied as a gesture of goodwill to my grandfather to the school he loves so much, I didn’t think I was going to go until I got accepted and knew in my gut that this was the right place for me.