The DI: I on Illini Edition Apr. 19, 2023

News you missed this week

Einstein Bros. Bagels to close all UI campus locations

Einstein Bros. Bagels, a campus-loved bagel cafe and restaurant, is set to close all five of its campus locations by the end of the month.

– Marta Narag

Gallery | Planters NUTmobile visits UI

The Planters NUTmobile arrived last Tuesday afternoon and spent Wednesday in the C-U area, but placed a heavy focus on the campus community Thursday. – Jacob Slabosz

Black Students for Revolution receive racist responses in opinion survey

In an Instagram post by the organization, the RSO shared that they received multiple discriminatory and threatening remarks. – Marta Narag and Jessie Wang

Incoming students react to tuition rate increase

With the recent increase in tuition, incoming students reflect on the disparities of tuition rates between them and other classes. – Jessie Wang and Anneliese Cornejo Garcia

First 100 days: A reflection of Nikki Budzinski’s time in office

The Daily Illini sat down with U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) to discuss her first 100 days in office. – Aidan Sadovi and Lisa Chasanov

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Students revamp women’s gym spaces

By Megan Krok Staff Writer

When she began her freshman year at the University, Aanya Bhatia wanted to start regularly going to the gym. However, she noticed a lack of women in the space, making the experience intimidating.

Now, as a sophomore in LAS, Bhatia and Aneli Unzueta, senior in ACES, have co-founded the Girl Gains chapter at Illinois, working to change the male-dominated gym culture.

Girl Gains is a national organization that promotes female weight lifting and provides women resources and community throughout their fitness journeys, according to the Girl Gains website. Its chapters organize group workouts and host workshops about overall health and wellness.

fitness and nutritional information they gave her were all based on the male body.

“I did feel a lack of confidence,” Bhatia said. “I noticed all the people (at the gym) were males and it was really intimidating.”

One day, Bhatia was scrolling on TikTok when she saw a video about Girl Gains.

“This is something UIUC needs to have,” she said.

She said she knew a lot of her female friends had the exact same issues of lacking a sense of female support.

Bhatia continued to see more about Girl Gains online and decided to join an informational Zoom call by the organization. On this call, she met Unzueta.

“On the Zoom call I was like, ‘This is such an amazing community,’” Bhatia said. “‘I have never seen anything like this in my entire life.’”

Like Bhatia, Unzueta also felt intimidated by her experience at

“Personally, as a woman of color, I felt out of place in the gym,” Unzueta said. “It was intimidating to work out in a male-dominated place.”

After meeting on that call, the pair decided to go forward and start a Girl Gains chapter at Illinois.

“I wanted to create a home where women of all backgrounds feel safe and empowered in the gym on campus,” Unzueta said.

The pair decided to send out an interest form. Unzueta was able to recruit girls through her sorority and Bhatia through Illini Powerlifting, which she was a member of.

Bhatia said there was a lot of interest and they had about 30-40 women who interviewed to be a part of the Girl Gains executive board. Now, Girls Gains at Illinois

has over 300 members.

Bhatia said that this organization has had large positive impacts for her, both mentally and emotionally.

“I felt a huge increase in confidence knowing that there are people who are like me, like girls, obviously, that are just there for continuous support,” she said.

Girl Gains,” Bhatia said. “I wanted to be that for other girls who are starting to get on their journeys.”

Unzueta hopes Girl Gains can continue to “empower women to feel strong and beautiful in a judgmentfree community.”

The co-founders are confident that their chapter will continue growing

Although there are hundreds of girls currently a part of Girl Gains, Bhatia said there are still so many that don’t know about the organization yet. Looking to the future, Bhatia hopes that the group can continue to grow the confidence of girls in the gym.

“When I started off, I wish I had

and supporting its members.

“I feel very proud to graduate knowing Girl Gains is going to flourish and impact many members in the future,” Bhatia said.

“I wanted to create a home where women of all backgrounds feel safe and empowered in the gym on campus.”

Aayna Bhatia, co-founder of Girl Gains at Illinois

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

Aanya Bhatia, sophomore in AHS, sits on a bench in the ARC.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Amazon, Illinois partner on AI center

By Liam Mathews Staff Writer

While it may come as a surprise to some University students, artificial intelligence has uses other than providing homework answers or writing essays. This burgeoning field is projected to help people around the world in areas such as data collection, translation and time saving in general.

In hopes of capitalizing on the massive potential for growth in this field, the University is partnering with Amazon to create its very own conversational AI center. The Amazon-Illinois Center on Artificial Intelligence for Interactive Conversational Experience will be led by University professor Heng Ji, an expert on information extraction and natural language processing, and her team of researchers.

According to its mission plan, the AICE Center will seek to answer several unanswered questions in the field of conversational AI. Some of the center’s goals are to create an AI capable of gathering knowledge faster and even picking up on social and emotional cues from its human conversational

partners. This goal will be achieved through the funding of three to five research projects through the AICE Center. Tenured professors, researchers and other faculty may file a proposal for their specific research with Ji and her coworkers at the project. Once proposals are selected, the authors of the winning proposals will be named as principal investigators, and they may select graduate students to assist

with their research alongside Amazon researchers.

“We want to focus on knowledgeguided conversational AI, we’ll make sure their information is useful and that everything is done in a very fair and democratic way,” Ji said.

AI that is commonly used today can learn about its users but remembers nothing of their personality or habits. Ji hopes that researchers can find a way to make their programs learn, and remember aspects of their users’ lives, personalities and more. These skills will theoretically allow conversational AI to be far more helpful on a wide range of topics.

“We want to have this lifelong learning component, we want some system that can learn from conversation and really become your best friend,” Ji said. “It will keep updating its knowledge.”

In addition to her work teaching computer science at the University, she also works as an Amazon Scholar. As an Amazon Scholar, Ji works similar as a consultant for the company. This role involves writing and organizing launch plans for projects and innovations in the next three to five years. Ji has used

her role to uplift some of Amazon’s academic publications and even led students towards internships and jobs at the company.

Several universities were in competition to secure the funding for a similar center through Amazon. Amazon Science has cooperated with other academic institutions, such as UCLA and Columbia, to found similar research centers in the past that are still in operation today.

“I was not very hopeful we would get it, but they chose us because we have such wonderful students,” Ji said.

“They are very happy with the internship work that our students have done for them.”

Ji is happy that the AICE Center will mix the academic world with the growing industry of conversational AI development.

“I’m hoping to achieve some sort of balance between academic and industry research,” Ji said. “We want to do some more solid and deeper research that everyone can build and use, we want to advance this field.”

liamm4@dailyillini.com

CANDICE ZHOU THE DAILY ILLINI Wei Wang, sophomore in LAS, writes code in Grainger Engineering Library on April 14.

UI student bikes across country, fundraises for breast cancer research

By Piotr Fedczuk

Managing Editor for Reporting

Doctors repeatedly came to his house, checking on his mother’s breast cancer condition and constantly reassuring his family.

Adam Wallach, junior in Engineering, said his mother fought breast cancer even though she was frightened.

“As a high school student, that was scary for me to witness,” Wallach said. “I almost felt helpless, that there was nothing I could do about it.”

Fortunately, Wallach’s mother survived her cancer.

“It’s just hard to wrap your head around what cancer patients have to go through,” Wallach said. “That’s why I’m so passionate about raising money (through Illini 4000).”

Each member of the RSO uses their community and social media to raise over $4,000, which goes toward cancer research, Wallach said.

According to the Illini 4000 website, they have raised over $1.3 million since 2006. For the 2023 school year, the team has raised $52,421.

ni 4000 will bike 4,700 miles from New York City to San Francisco, Wallach said. The team plans to bike 60 to 70 miles each day for 77 days, with one rest day every seven to 10 days.

cago, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin; and State Col lege, Pennsylvania, the Illini 4000 website stated.

way, the team will

work on “The Portrait Project,” in which bikers record people’s experiences with cancer.

Wallach’s long-distance journey began at nine years old, when he ran his first 5K race.

He continued running through high school and joined the Illinois Track Club at the University.

“I was kind of overdoing it,” Wallach said.

“I was pushing 60 miles of running every week.”

Wallach got shin splints, which stopped him from running for five months. In that time, Wallach took up swimming and biking in preparation for the Illinois Triathlon Club.

Wallach said he did around three miles of swimming, 20 miles of running and 200 miles of biking every week.

However, once Wallach started the school year and joined Illini 4000, he said the training from both RSOs drained him.

“I’ve decided, this semester, I am not going to train for triathlon,” Wallach said. “The demands of Illini 4000, they’re just a lot.”

Every weekend, Wallach said Illini 4000 goes for a bike ride between 30 and 90 miles long. On weekdays, the RSO goes on 20-mile rides.

“Something I love about (long distance) sports is that there’s no secret formula,” Wallach said. “If you do something over and over again, you’ll get better at it.”

Wallach said he sets ambitious goals to keep himself engaged with the process of improvement.

“The most important thing is motivation,” Wallach said. “Set the next little carrot for you to get.”

Beyond the cycle of self-improvement, Wallach said he enjoys the bonds he makes with his teammates.

“We’ll sometimes be like seven plus hours, riding a bike, and you’re all going through the same thing,” he said. “It’s a struggle for everyone, and you get such camaraderie from that.”

ANGEL SALDIVAR THE DAILY ILLINI

Adam Wallach, junior in Engineering. rides his bike near the South Quad on April 14.

MOMS WEEKEND RECAP

Illini moms have got it goin’ on

Friday, 4:30 p.m.

By Anneliese Cornejo Garcia Staff Writer

The sun shines bright over a busy Main Quad this afternoon. Moms, daughters and other family members are filling campus streets wearing sunglasses and holding refreshing drinks. Their smiling faces indicate the start of the 100th anniversary of Moms Weekend.

Established in 1923, the University’s Moms Association will host various events for this weekend. In preparation for festivities, Kristen Miller, president of the Moms Association, and Kristin Stiefvater, vice president of Fundraising, handed out pre-ordered apparel in the Illini Union North Lounge until 3 p.m.

According to Miller, there are more events being offered for families to celebrate this year coordinated with the help of the association’s 20 board members. Many of the board members are

alumni. “It’s just all hands on deck this weekend,” Miller said.

Around the corner in the Union Art Gallery, the Moms Association Centennial Celebration Reception will begin at 4:30 p.m.

The Parent and Family Programs Office will host Miller; Chancellor Robert Jones, who will give the opening remarks; and other prominent members of the University.

Sydney Collins, sophomore in FAA, said she and her mother are visiting Japan House today.

“I like to see everyone out, especially since it’s nice out,” Collins said. “I think it’ll be busy.”

Susan Collins, Sydney’s mother, said she is excited to take advantage of the nice weather and party at Red Lion tonight.

“Why not? When in Rome!” she said.

Moria Danko, junior in LAS, said she is celebrating Moms Weekend with her older sister. The sister duo plans to attend a tote bag painting event and Sunday brunch hosted by her sorority, Chi Omega.

“I’m really excited to spend some quality time with my sister,” Danko said.

A warm, spring start to the weekend is sure to kick-off an eventful celebration of Illini moms.

ahc6@dailyillini.com

Friday, 6:30 p.m.

By Layli Nazarova Assistant News Editor

The time is closer to sunset, the weather is cooling off and Main Quad is becoming more packed, welcoming families for Moms Weekend. People are spending time walking around the campus, having picnics and listening to favorite songs together.

“I’m thrilled that it’s nice and warm,” said Lynn Zimmer, Illini and Delta Zeta mom. “So we’ve been just walking around campus, getting coffee, probably doing some shopping — it’s Illini wear.”

Meanwhile, life in the sororities becomes even more fun during the next three days. New members of the sororities cannot wait to share their experience of sisterhood with their moms.

“I’m excited to share with her my sorority,” said Ali Kessler, freshman in Education and Chi Omega member, about her mom. “(The sorority) became so special to me, so I can’t wait for her to meet everyone that holds a special place in my heart.”

Preparing for Moms Weekend, sororities prepared brunches and fundraising activities with their families.

“Tomorrow we’re doing a tote bag painting party and a Kendra Scott popup, so it’ll be fun and then 20% of that goes to Make-A-Wish,” Kessler said.

Even though the weekend is called Moms Weekend, the Main Quad is crowded with Illini dads, willing to enjoy this weekend with their children.

“(My expectations about this weekend are) spending more time with (my daughter) and we are here mostly for the food and for the beverages,” said Dave Harbaugh, Illini dad.

Some parents coming this weekend are University alumni, wishing to experience college life again — this time with their kids.

“In my case, my mom came down for Moms Weekend, so it’s pretty surreal to be the mom and not the student,” said Dawn Barry, Illini mom and University ’97 alum. “I want to get some motherdaughter pictures and do some of the

Moms took over campus and enjoyed a weekend of games, drinks and quality time with their kids

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

All weekend long, Illini Pub Cycles ran up and down Greet Street and the surrounding area.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

Nora Rafaty, sophomore in AHS, and her mother, Lumi Rafaty, play a game of miniature bags at the Illini Union Board Cra and Vendor Fair on Saturday.

things that I got to do as a student.”

However, this weekend not all students are expecting to see their parents, especially out-of-state and international Illini.

“My mom and my family live in Boston,” said Gina Ren, sophomore in Education. “During this weekend I will spend time with my roommate, (and we’ll) have dinner together.”

This weekend has promising evening programs — both students and their parents can’t wait to see “Grease” performed by Illini Student Musicals. According to the theater’s website, almost all tickets for today’s show are sold out.

“I am in a musical here, ‘Grease,’ this weekend,” said Amanda Barry, freshman in LAS. “The majority of the time we’ll be spending is seeing me perform.”

After the show today, many Illini moms and students will get a chance to experience real campus nightlife. For more details about bars this weekend, check out The Daily Illini Moms Weekend Bar Preview Guide.

“We had so much fun last year, and now that Meenah is 21, it should be even more fun!” said Philomena Harbaugh, Illini and Alpha Omicron Pi mom. “We’re gonna go to the Red Lion

tonight for ‘F*ck It Buckets,’ and tomorrow we have block at KAMS.’’

laylin2@dailyillini.com

Saturday, 3 p.m.

By Diamond Steward-Hutton Staff Writer

Thousands of mothers stroll into the annual Illini Union Board Craft and Vendor Fair, bonding with their children while purchasing art supplies.

Katie Storlwel and her daughter, Miranda Storlwel, are first-time attendees at the fair. Miranda wanted her mom to visit because she will be graduating next fall.

Miranda Storlwel said this was her mother’s first time visiting her at the University.

“She is graduating soon so she insisted that I visit her,” Katie Storlwel said. “It’s wonderful.”

The mother-daughter duo said that they already had a close relationship, but today’s activities had brought them even closer together.

dstew7@dailyillini.com

Saturday, 6 p.m.

By Piotr Fedczuk Managing Editor for Reporting

Dogs pant, lapping up water sprayed from a bottle. The partly cloudy day comes to a close as the sun starts to set.

However, the foot traffic in Campustown continues to grow as waves of people flow through Green Street. At every turn, one can always spot a mother accompanied by her child.

“We made it like a family weekend, not just Moms Weekend,” said Peggy Tsevis, a Sigma Nu mom.

Tsevis celebrated the weekend by attending Mother’s Day Brunch, walking around the University of Illinois Arboretum and attending Sigma Nu events.

“We don’t have a lot of time with them anymore,” Tsevis said. “When they get home, they’re working, they’re seeing their girlfriends, they’re doing this and that. Right now, it’s all about us.”

From 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., the UIUC Horticulture Club hosted its 2023 Spring Plant Fair. The event sold household plants, from succulents to flowering plants.

Danielle Chao, a volunteer at the event, said the RSO had to cart plants back and forth from the Plant Biology Greenhouse to the Plant Sciences Laboratory.

“There was a lot of prep,” Chao said. “Some volunteers went from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. yesterday.”

Chao started buying plants during the COVID-19 lockdown, and became interested in succulents when her mother bought her a succulent kit.

“I mainly have succulents, probably 90% of my collection is succulents,” Chao said.

Kate Gehrke, senior in LAS, and her

mother, Ellyn Gehrke, also attended the plant fair.

“I love plants, I’ve got more than 20,” Kate Gehrke said. “(My mother) indulges me over Moms Weekend in my obsessions.”

Earlier, Kate Gehrke and her mother participated in the Illini Union Craft Fair and the ARC’s Zumba class.

“(The class was led by) the instructor and her stepmom,” she said. “So that was really cute, too.”

fedczuk2@dailyillini.com

Sunday, 3 p.m.

By Michael Bales Staff Writer

For those who couldn’t get a seat at the Illini Union’s Sunday brunch — or who declined the $35 ticket price — off-campus restaurants such as Champaign’s Original Pancake House and Urbana’s Courier Cafe served as popular Moms Weekend destinations. Only the earliest patrons skipped long lines for breakfast on Moms Weekend.

At the Original Pancake House, just two miles off campus, moms and their families could expect wait times of nearly two hours at noon. The restaurant’s close proximity to the University, along with the arrivals of parents and their cars, brought students in.

A similar effect took place at Courier Cafe, where patrons could expect an hour or more wait if they arrived after 10 a.m.

If students want to skip the wait next year, it will have to come at the expense of sleeping in.

mcbales2@dailyillini.com

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

The upper level of Joe’s Brewery was filled early on Saturday a ernoon.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

Connor Flanagan, freshman in LAS, and his mother, Ronna Flanagan, smell some handmade soaps at the Illini Union Board Cra and Vendor Fair on Saturday.

On

up

Around

p.m.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

Saturday, Illini Pub Cycles could be seen passing

and down Green Street, some just a few hundred feet apart. They played music, sang along and waved at passersby.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI Joe’s Brewery had arguably the longest line of the bars on Saturday a ernoon. It stretched almost to Green Street, and the upper level was visibly full.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI Lumi Rafaty helps her daughter Nora Rafaty, sophomore in AHS, try on a bracelet at the Illini Union Board Cra and Vendor Fair on Saturday.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

Connor Flanagan, freshman in LAS, bought a Illinois chandelier with his mother, Ronna Flanagan, at the Illini Union Board Cra and Vendor Fair on Saturday.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI

1:30

on Saturday, the line to The Red Lion passed around the corner of Third and Green streets.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI Sami Schulte, freshman at Parkland College, waited in the line with her mother, Janet Schulte, and brother, Brandon Schulte, on Saturday.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI Starr Hollis, sophomore in LAS, and mother Stacey Trammell-Christian tried on rings.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI Lucy Henrikson, junior in AHS, and her mother, Lynette Henrikson, browsed through some homemade dog treats.

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI Passengers waved while singing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

JACOB SLABOSZ THE DAILY ILLINI A display of paper ornaments caught the Rafatys’ eyes.

Lights, camera, action

A student filmmaker’s creative productions

By A. Oishii Basu Staff Writer

Madeline Blair speaks with a sunny demeanor, dressed in all black in a square-cut top with sheer ruffled sleeves. Her arms have dainty tattoos placed strategically and, at a thinking pause, she stops to play with the golden pendant on her necklace.

She sits upright with her hands in a passionate whirlwind, not unlike the series of events that led her to her filmmaking career.

Blair, senior in LAS, is majoring in creative writing and is now directing her second film, “Inner Child.”

In her time in college, Blair became the artistic director of the Penny Dreadful Players, the oldest theater group on campus. She also co-produced her play, “The Waiting Room, or Eggs in Purgatory,” for the Players’ annual 10-minute play festival.

Kelo, a University alum. Blair acquainted herself with Kelo and said they were the first person to show her the University campus.

Blair and Kelo are now co-writing a film called “girl in soil.”

Blair said her other inspirations fueled her desire to fill “The Waiting Room” to the brim with motifs, referencing “No Exit,” “Grendel,” “Heathers” and “Beetlejuice.”

When the Penny Dreadful Players’ festival was canceled, Blair went about showing “The Waiting Room” in a new route.

“I wanted to sort of immortalize it and still work with my cast,” Blair said. “So I dove into making it a film. And I had on-set experience from acting and films, so I felt pretty confident, but I had never directed anything before.”

Starting production on “The Waiting Room,” Blair found collaboration in many places. She reached out to Illini Film and Video and found Baiwen Xu, the film’s director of photography, Arjun Panickssery, the film’s production assistant, and Daniel Song, the film’s audio engineer.

They filmed inside Blair’s studio apartment, creating a black box theater out of bed sheets for their set.

Entering postproduction, Blair said she ran into trouble finding a sound editor.

“A friend of a friend reached out to me, because I posted on Instagram, ‘Hey, I need a sound editor,’” Blair said.

“And then a random person emailed me and there was like, ‘Hey, my friend forwarded this to me, and I would love to work on it.’ And he was a U.K.-based film student.”

million followers under the username @angelknives13.

Blair said her background in acting has largely informed her approach to directing in a film format.

“Being more actor-driven too as a director … having all these different creative avenues bleed into each other, I feel like it makes it so much more fulfilling,” Blair said. “You can pull from so many more angles.”

and made me want to be more poetic and stuff in my work,‘” Blair said. “I was like, ‘This was the biggest compliment in the world.’”

Blair said the narrative structure of “Inner Child” is very similar to “The Waiting Room” in the sort of emotional crescendos and weird surrealist experimental light.

In both films, Blair finds comfort in the surreal.

“The Waiting Room” takes place in a waiting room after death and before the beyond, and an unlikely pair sit impatiently in the room.

Writing “The Waiting Room,” Blair pulled inspiration from seeing her boyfriend’s high school production of a play called “Rhynocetus Jubatus” by Ari

Blair said sound editor Will Stephens is the biggest constant between “The Waiting Room” and her upcoming film, “Inner Child.”

“Inner Child” focuses on Lydia, a girl who enters college without mourning a recent tragedy and finds herself stuck in a nostalgia-based nightmare.

Kim Fernandez, who plays Jada Lovato, one of the leads in “Inner Child,” has a popular TikTok account with over a

Blair has also published “Halcyon,” an amalgamation of her poetry from years past in 2020. The work sold out at the store Art Coop, Inc. multiple times. Blair said her poetry has worked its way into her films as well.

“Two or more people have talked to me after working on ‘Inner Child’ and they said, ‘I’m reading the script, and you directly influenced me, made me want to be more creative in my writing

“I think it comes from the poetry thing, like you write from a very abstract, imagistic, metaphorical place when you’re doing poetry,” she said. “Applying that into a visual medium, having weird dialogue, things that are unsettling, really encapsulates specific feelings that are otherwise very intangible.”

ANGEL SALDIVAR THE DAILY ILLINI

Madeline Blair, senior in LAS, is currently directing her second film, “Inner Child.”

“Two or more people have talked to me a er working on ‘Inner Child’ and they said, ‘I’m reading the script, and you directly influenced me, made me want to be more creative in my writing and made me want to be more poetic’”

Madeline Blair, senior in LAS

Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle

“STEREO TYPES”

BY AMIE WALKER

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Culture and camaraderie: Catcher Berkmeyer is home at Illinois

By Shawn Sloan Contributing Writer

Illinois softball consists of a great group of student-athletes who, even through highs and lows, have found a way to press on. For sophomore Paige Berkmeyer, this is more than a sport: this is a family.

Berkmeyer has blossomed during her time in Champaign, developing lifelong friendships and positive personal development along the way. Coming from Wadsworth, Ohio, softball was love at first sight. Berkmeyer started playing sports at the age of 4, when she was introduced to Tee-ball. As she got older, more sports began to present themselves in her life, but the same passion never left. Ultimately, she stayed with softball, which, arguably, was a pivotal moment in her life.

“It gave me a lot of experience in a lot of different things I have had to go through,” Berkmeyer said. “Growing up, I thought things were going to be easy, but as I got older, I learned that you are going to hit a lot of battles along the way, but you are going to overcome them eventually.”

Majoring in animal sciences while also being an athlete is a challenge in its own right, as there are responsibilities from each that pull Berkmeyer every which way. However, Berkmeyer believes she is built for the challenge, with her plan being to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate following her time as an undergraduate student-athlete.

In high school, Berkmeyer was as big name as one can be, racking in awards left and right; some of her most notable accomplishments were being named to the 2019 Suburban League All-Conference, First Team All-Medina Gazette and Best of Greater Akron Preps All-Star.

When it was time to take the next step and transition from high school to college softball, Berkmeyer was more than excited to come play for Illinois, even mentioning that her love for this program was instant.

“When I first came for my visit, I committed here a week later,” Berkmeyer said. “(The coaching staff) cares more about who you are as a person along

with who you are on the field. All the girls really bring you in and are welcoming as they let you know that these are our standards and this is what we do, and I love it.”

The hard-hitting catcher was a big name during her freshman year, as she was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Additionally, she was a huge part of the team’s success as she played in 32 games for the Illini, starting 26 games as a catcher.

Berkmeyer pointed out that the culture of constant working and everybody buying into the core values has been essential in her and the team’s growth over the last two years, with her favorite culture builder being the whole team

sprinting off the field every time.

The Illini have had an up-and-down season, with a record of 24-20, that has featured a particularly hard stretch over the last few weeks. Some would fold under this type of pressure to perform, but Berkmeyer is confident that Illinois’ camaraderie will help keep the team connected throughout the rest of the year as they look to finish the season strong.

Going into her junior year, Berkmeyer looks forward to making more memories with her team as they continue to grow on the field and improve for the future.

CADEN BARGOWSKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Sophomore catcher Paige Berkmeyer gives signs to the field during a game against Indiana State on March 29.

“All the girls really bring you in and are welcoming as they let you know that these are our standards and this is what we do, and I love it.”

Paige Berkmeyer, sophomore catcher

What is your greatest accomplishment as a student?

“And then it’s same for me, which I was actually denied here three times,” Kosiek said. “So, by the time I transferred in, I actually got into the school I originally wanted to get into but got denied. And then also, because I came from community college, this was way more competitive. The classes were way, you know, harder.”

Academic achievements

Murillo was also proud of passing organic chemistry.

“I actually had to retake that course because the first time I took it, I had a concussion,” Murillo said. “So then, because I didn’t pass it the first time, I was scared I wouldn’t the second time. But when I passed the class, I was very happy and very proud.”

freshman in Media.

Graduating early

Two of the students who were interviewed were able to graduate early, which they felt was their biggest accomplishment.

“My biggest accomplishment is probably graduating this spring in three years instead of four,” said Olivia Crickman, junior in LAS.

Yamini Bukkaraju, sophomore in Information Sciences, is eligible to graduate this spring after only two years.

“I took a lot of AP classes in high school and my major allowed me to take a lot of courses that I was really interested in — and a lot of the courses fulfilled a lot of the requirements so that was really nice,” Bukkaraju said.

By Raphael Ranola & Aaron Anastos Opinions Editor & Assistant Opinions Editor

In keeping with the theme of I on Illini, students out on the Main Quad were asked what they felt their greatest achievement was during their time as a student at the University of Illinois. The responses ranged from academ ic achievement to personal accomplish ments, while some students felt that their greatest accomplishment was being able to transfer to the Univer sity at all.

Transferring in

The University of Illinois is a prestigious institution. Many of the students we interviewed were transfer students whose greatest achievement was successfully transferring in.

“I would say getting accepted because I came from a community college, so the opportunity to trans fer here was really amaz ing,” said Eugene Lee, junior in LAS, who was sitting with his friend Alyssa Fisher, senior in LAS, when we interviewed him.

Fisher echoed his thoughts as she was also a transfer student.

Another pair of transfer students said something similar.

“I feel like it was just the idea of getting accepted into the

Nabil Mohiudim, senior in Engineering, was also elated to pass a difficult class.

Personal achievements

Fisher, on top of being proud due to successfully transferring, was proud of obtaining a leadership position.

“(For me, it) would have to be being a part of the club organization I’m in and getting social chair for it,” Fisher said. “I thought that was a good accomplishment.”

Kayla Wilson, sophomore in Engineering, was proud of her art being recognized.

“I submitted a bunch of my art pieces to a year of my art show, which I thought was fun because I’m not an art major,” Wilson said. “Honestly, out of everything, that’s probably my biggest accomplishment so far.”

Raphael is a freshman in LAS.

rrano2@dailyillini.com

Aaron is a freshman in DGS.

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MICHAEL CHEW THE DAILY ILLINI

Alyssa Fisher, senior in LAS, and Eugene Lee, junior in LAS, sit on the Main Quad on Thursday.

MICHAEL CHEW THE DAILY ILLINI Nabil Mohiudim, senior in Engineering, sits on the Main Quad on Thursday.

MICHAEL CHEW THE DAILY ILLINI Kayla Wilson, sophomore in Engineering, juggles on the Main Quad on Thursday.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at UI?

By Talia Duffy & Maggie Knutte Columnist

The University of Illinois is a place to create memories, some being more memorable than others. Many students have seen and experienced some things that don’t just happen anywhere — some things that make you think: Only at Illinois. We asked students, “What is the craziest thing you have seen or experienced at the University?”

Screaming professor

“I would say the professor just screaming on the (Main) Quad,” said Eliana Eng, sophomore in LAS. “I feel like I’ve never seen anything like it. And it just goes on for like 30 minutes. I feel like every week I hear it.”

The professor Eng refers to is Reuben May, a professor in LAS and head of the Department of Sociology. According

news on Reddit about that squirrel passing away. I used to see her or see him every single day there.”

Snowball fight

“In February 2022, it had snowed like 10 inches,” said Colton Johnson, graduate student studying urban and regional planning. “And I guess Barstool put out a post saying, you know, meet on the (Main) Quad for a snowball fight and then a good 100 people showed up and it was the biggest snowball fight I’ve ever been in. It was crazy.”

Murphy’s karaoke

“You get, like, all types of people will go up and sing — it’s a judgment-free zone,” said Matt Grendzinski, graduate student studying structural engineering. “It feels like a very safe space.”

Grendzinski told us his favorite

“I had this one friend who studies in Germany,” Grendzinski said. “He was here on exchange — this, like, short Indian guy, Reshop — and he went up and did Real Slim Shady and absolutely nailed it. And the whole bar — everyone — was standing

friends were telling me to come up to Green Street because it was crazy. And apparently the whole street was packed. There were people doing donuts in the middle of Green Street, (in) their cars.”

“Yeah, (the intersection of Sixth and Green streets) was shut down for like 40 minutes — they shut down the inter section,” Galluzzo said. “And the guys who owned Illini Pantry popped their tire doing a burnout and I got covered in car rubber. It just exploded and a lot of us had specks on our arms and some on our face.”

Galluzzo and O’Hara agreed that getting covered in car rubber was worth it.

“Yeah, I think it was last basketball season,” O’Hara said. “We won the Big Tenally at work and all my

Talia is a sophomore in Media.

taliagd2@dailyillini.com

Maggie is a sophomore in Media

mknutte@dailyillini.com

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Salvatore Galluzzo, senior in LAS, plays his guittar on the Main Quad on Thursday.

MICHAEL CHEW THE DAILY ILLINI Matthew Grendzinski, graduate student studying structural engineering, on the Main Quad on Thursday.

MICHAEL CHEW THE DAILY ILLINI Olivia Dicola, freshman in Education, on the Main Quad on Thursday.