We asked LAS students about their favorite moment of the Fall 2022 semester. Here’s what some had to say.
This semester I had the opportunity to take a specialized topic class within the Political Science department called Forced Migration and Refugees. It has been one of my favorite courses I've taken during my time in LAS; the professor and the students in the class make it incredibly engaging and I always look forward to going. It's the reason I decided to pursue a Research Assistant position on an immigration focused topic and has been a huge catalyst in supporting my interest in pursing a future in Immigration Law!
Alisha Alam
Senior in political science
Ailaa, Sophie, and Alma
One thing I love about the fall semester is how active everyone is outdoors. This exceptionally nice weather carrying into November has everyone out walking around campus and enjoying the sun on the Quad! One moment in particular was when my family and I went on a walk around the Quad and got an iconic photo in front of Alma with my dog, Sophie!
Ailaa Ippensen
Senior in communication
My favorite moment I've had in class was during CLCV 250: Sports and Society in Greece and Rome. One day in class earlier this semester, we spent the first half of the period reading and discussing an ancient Greek text about ball games. To help visualize and understand our reading, we spent the second half of the class outside on the Quad attempting to recreate ancient sports and games as described in our reading. Getting to play games with my peers during class was not only fun, but it helped bring our ancient Greek reading to life.
Tara Leininger
Senior in classics and history
One of my favorite moments this semester was working as a student ambassador of the Department of Statistics during LAS Liftoff. During the event, I answered questions the freshmen had about statistics and introduced them to the academic resources available within the major. It was exciting to meet all those new faces and help contribute to a supportive student community.
Mingli Xu
Junior in actuarial science and statistics
One of my favorite moments from this semester has been in my English 301 course, Intro to Critical Theory. In my course, we had been going into a discussion about the theory of deconstruction and went over a topic of the “hyperreal”—basically, how the internet is the new reality for people. When I went out with friends later that day, I realized just how absorbed some of my friends are into social media and the internet. It was really a moment where I realized the idea I just learned about I was witnessing it being in effect in person with my friends!
Ayden Maza
Sophomore in English and political science
My favorite memory from this semester has to be Dad’s weekend. It was so nice to be able to show my dad around campus and go to a football game with him. He was also able to meet my friends’ parents and make new acquaintances. This was a bittersweet weekend, however, since I am a senior and it is my last dad’s weekend. I was also able to show him around my favorite buildings, one of them being Lincoln Hall, home of LAS.
Julie Rodriguez
Senior in political science
A sustainable fashion show at Siebel Center for Design
One of the highlights of my semester has been my involvement in The Fashion Network, a student-run magazine on campus. I wrote a blog post called The History and Revival of the Corset and attended a function in partnership with the Circular Fashion Expo, where I interviewed the vendors and attendees for a future article. It was very inspiring to learn how UIUC students are living and acting sustainably, particularly through the lens of fashion and other creative forms.
Uma Lynch
Sophomore in English
As I stood at the podium presenting the initial results of my capstone project to my peers, I realized that my fall semester was an incredibly fruitful one. Growing up, I aspired to be engaged in research that studies the effects of various stressors on the brain. Now, as a student at LAS, my goals have inched one step closer to fruition. I am thankful to LAS for giving me the chance to engage in meaningful research and am grateful to have been able to share my findings with the scientific community at UIUC.
Rajvi Javeri
Senior in psychology
One of my favorite moments this semester has definitely been starting my favorite class, Atmospheric Sciences 120, which is in the college of LAS. In this class, we learn about the atmosphere and all the extreme weather it can produce. I especially enjoy the relevance of this class, as the weather is constantly changing all around us.
Madyson Magnus
Sophomore in LAS undeclared
One of my favorite moments from this semester was when the Undergraduate History Journal at Illinois hosted a talk on how to "Read and Write Like a Historian." I'm the president of the journal and I've done a lot of work to get it off the ground and registered as an RSO. To see people coming out to hear about it and benefit from our talk was really great!
