A semester’s worth of change in 1 issue

By Steve Contorno

The buzzword the past few months has been “change,” and that’s the theme of our Semester in Review edition.

Of course, we’re borrowing the word from the campaign of President-elect Barack Obama, but it rings true well beyond America electing its first black president. The University, Illinois, the U.S. and the world aren’t the same as they were in August. The ensuing pages highlight the changes that shaped our lives, for better or for worse, and include some of the biggest headlines of the semester.

Indeed, the biggest headline was Obama’s historic victory and the ensuing celebration by many on the streets of campus. But maybe the most (or possibly least) surprising was the recent arrest and charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The coming months will let us know how this will affect higher education and the University.

Already, the future of the University – as well as the nation – is in question with the economy in a recession. People can’t spare any change, nor can they predict the uncertain changes that lie ahead. There’s a different feel to campus than there was at the start of the year, and certainly it doesn’t look the same as it did four months ago.

The Daily Illini will be back publishing on Jan. 16, so check for it as you return to campus. Don’t forget to log on to DailyIllini.com throughout the break. Good luck on finals, happy holidays and we’ll see you next year.

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