Illinois facts

As always on the last day of the month, I've just spent the past hour and a half writing my monthly email report so I'll probably be brief tonight. First, today's sign of the downfall of western civilization comes from where I spent two years of my life: Indiana. Where a statuary store is being forced to remove its statues of Venus De Milo and Michaelangelo's Dave (to be less formal) because they are displaying nudity in a public place. I'm not kidding, there is an actual law banning any public displays of nudity within so many feet of the road. The local government had received two complaints so they've been forced to act. My only question: who in the world is complaining about statues? Trust me, there are a lot bigger things to be worrying about. Priorities people, priorities.

Ok, I thought that in preparation for Saturday's game I'd provide everyone some quick facts about the University of Illinois. Use them to impress your friends while watching the game.

• U of I is mentioned in two classic movies. First, the HAL 9000 was born at the university during my freshman year of college according to the film 2001. Actually, I should probably list that on my resume. The second classic quote is from Risky Business, where when Tom Cruise blows his interview with Princeton he puts on his shades, smiles and goes, "Well, then I guess I'm going to the University of Illinois."
• The undergraduate library is underground, even though that wasn't the original plan. It was moved underground when it was determined that the original plan would destroy the oldest experimental cornfield in the U.S. Thus, this is quite possibly the only campus with a cornfield in the middle of the main quad.
• In addition, to Hugh Hefner, we also have famous alumni like Roger Ebert and Dick Butkus. And probably some others. Like all the dudes that founded Netscape, who were in my physics classes and became millionaires while I decided that comnputer programming wasn't going to offer a lot of opportunities in the future. I'm going to build a time machine just so I can go back and slap myself for that one.
• There are two campuses: the engineering campus and everything else. The alma mater statue is located directly across from the electrical engineering building (my home during my years there). The statue looks at the engineering campus with open arms, welcoming everyone fleeing engineering to go major in the liberal arts.
• True story: during engineering orientation you are placed in an auditorium with your fellow classmates and the Dean goes "Look to your left, look to your right, those people won't be here when you graduate"
• You can enter bars in Champaign at 19. You have to be 21 to drink though. Or that is the theory, at least.
• The Chief is a symbol and not a mascot. This is a very important, though controversial, point.
• No matter what happens this weekend, its always important to remember that we're better than Northwestern.

Have a good weekend everybody. Go Illini.