A couple of nights ago, I picked up The Booze News for some light reading, and I saw that they had made a “bucket list” of sorts for seniors, telling them the things they must do before graduation in the spring. As a senior myself, I was interested in what they had to say.

Unfortunately, their list had only one good idea, if that. I’m not sure how “smoke a blunt in the English building” is something all people have to do before they graduate. If a lot of people try to do this in the next few months, I have a feeling the chances of them getting caught will significantly increase. Thanks for providing the room number in print, guys.

Now, for all of you that think I’m dim-witted and don’t understand that The Booze News is purely satire, you’re wrong. I get it. I do. But you know that the author of its list believes in some of the things that he or she wrote down. That’s why I was inspired to come up with my own bucket list. It’s not just for seniors, but for everyone to keep in mind before they graduate. If you are a senior, you’re lucky. I’ve made this list early enough so you can still start living up to it.

1. Visit a local restaurant that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. Think really small for this one – maybe somewhere you can just stop in and grab lunch. Try Ye Olde Donut Shop and Hickory Pit Barbecue, 60 E. Green St., for a delicious pulled pork sandwich or grab a 70-cent donut in the morning before class. There you can chat with the locals who are there every morning and learn a little more about C-U life.

2. Kiss under the eternal flame. I know this one is in the back of the I-book, (at least it was my freshman year, I haven’t bought one since then) but it is a classic thing to do. The eternal flame is located between the English Building and Lincoln Hall. The rumor is that if you and your lover share a kiss underneath the flame, you will have eternal bliss. However, according to the University campus tours Web site, “the bulb is rarely replaced when it burns out and the glass globe is subject to fairly frequent vandalism, so if the length of one’s relationship is tied to the longevity of the flame, then that relationship will be short-lived.” So maybe don’t kiss anyone you really like under it.

3. Learn the words to the school fight song – the actual school fight song, and not the Alma Mater. I believe it is called “Illinois Loyalty” and I’m pretty sure there is some kind of American Indian war cry in it. Next step in the Chief war – banning people from chanting “Che-he! Che-ha! Che-ha-ha-ha! and “Oskee wow-wow” because it so offends people. Though for that to even happen, you would need to learn the lyrics.

4. Attend a lecture you’re not actually in. This one may not sound as fun – why go to more class than you actually need – but if you choose the right lecture, you might learn something interesting. Try attending a human sexuality class. You won’t be disappointed.

5. Give your number to/hit on an athlete. This one is just something fun you can do so you have a great story to tell your friends. And if the person becomes famous, you’ll have a fun anecdote to tell your kids. Well, assuming the aforementioned hitting on doesn’t go too far, that is.

6. Visit the Krannert amphitheater after dark when it is lit up. This is best to do on a warm night because it is outdoors. When it is lit up, the atmosphere is very romantic. Take a loved one there and have a picnic. Even if you don’t have someone, you still should visit because it is quite peaceful.

7. Go to karaoke night at White Horse Inn. Wednesday nights are so much fun when you can buy cheap rum and coke pitchers and belt out the words to a favorite Backstreet Boys song of years past, while swaying drunkenly with the people next to you.

8. Go to Illinites at the Illini Union. I know you may think it is just for people who don’t drink, and it may sound kind of lame, but it’s actually pretty fun. I went after a comedy show at the Union when they told me they had airbrush tattoos (whatever, they are awesome) and was tempted to stay for cheap pizza, balloon animals and henna art. Heck, you can even go before you go out to the bars. Just make sure you check the calendar, because they have cut back on a lot of the “nites” due to money issues.

9. Ride a bus from the beginning to the end of its route. The earlier you do this, the better, because it will help you figure out how to quickly get from one place to another if you don’t have a car. I suggest the 22 Illini because the route isn’t terribly long and you can get all around campus on one of the buses.

10. Go to trivia night at Brothers on Monday nights. If you don’t have a lot to do at the beginning of the week, try trivia night. It’s a lot of fun and you can get cheap drinks and hang out with five of your closest friends (only six people can be on a team). Every week the first-, second- and third-place teams get a gift certificate to Brothers. But be wary of thinking that it’s easy to win. The questions are usually pretty hard and in case you forgot, you aren’t the only person playing who goes to a good school.

Colleen is a senior in Media who wants to thank Kevin Loster, Brenna Tomasello and Chris Hassen for helping her come up with ideas because these are the people she wants with her when she checks things off the list. She can be reached at [email protected].