It’s been a rough year for the people of Illinois. Too many of the people our citizens have looked to for hope, to work towards a brighter future, have failed us. Rod Blagojevich. President White. Milton Bradley. A new governor proffers some hope, and power is changing hands at the University as we…It’s been a rough year for the people of Illinois. Too many of the people our citizens have looked to for hope, to work towards a brighter future, have failed us. Rod Blagojevich. President White. Milton Bradley.

A new governor proffers some hope, and power is changing hands at the University as well – with any luck, a sign of better things to come. I can’t help feeling a little depressed, though, especially about White’s resignation. Sure, it was a rocky relationship, and it will probably work out best for us in the long run, but breaking up is hard to do. And once more, the eyes of the media and the public are falling on our state’s most prominent (if I do say so myself) public university.

It doesn’t help that our state budget is a mess, and that I am still coated in soybean aphids. I know, these things take time to work themselves out, but for now, Illinois is in quite a state. But at this tumultuous time in Illinois history, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at the things that are going right – to remind myself of why I fell in love with Illinois in the first place (I was born here, but I don’t think that counts). I began this process by popping a bowl of popcorn (our official state snack, as you surely know) and settling down to watch YouTube videos from the Illinois Bureau of Tourism. Obviously. I learned several things from these commercials. First of all, in the Bureau’s “Seven Wonders of Illinois” series, Allerton Park is listed as the wonder of central Illinois. That’s right – a mere 25 miles away from Champaign-Urbana, we have our very own Wonder of Illinois. If that doesn’t get your spirits up, I don’t know what will.

Secondly, Illinois is apparently a great romantic getaway destination. Move aside, Kokomo. All the young couples are honeymooning here. Also, most of Illinois appears to be in Chicago. Already, I was feeling a little more hopeful, a little more willing to believe in the magic of the Land of Lincoln. Lincoln himself makes me proud to be a citizen of Illinois. Never mind the fact he was born in Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America, the man who issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the bearer of that iconic and lovable scruffy beard, lived here. That’s right. What other state (besides Kentucky and Indiana and maybe a few others) can say that?

I visited Springfield this summer, and let me tell you, the residents of Springfield are still really, really excited about Lincoln. You’d think he was alive or something. They’ve kept his house the way that it was when he lived here, probably in case he ever shows up and wants his old room back. His image hangs from lampposts and every third building is named after him.

And at the University, we have our own building named after him, so if you want to feel up close with the grandeur of Illinois history, you can stroll into Lincoln Hall and give his nose a little rub. And though it may be in disrepair now, in July, Gov. Pat Quinn approved $57.3 million to renovate Lincoln Hall, and construction could start this winter.

So there you have it. We’ve come back to state government, but with a little more hope this time. Maybe if we, the residents and taxpayers of Illinois (however temporarily for some students) can keep our government accountable, maybe if we pursue transparency relentlessly and ensure that freedom of information is more than just an idea, we’ll have more to be happy about in Illinois.

Of course, if these aphids don’t die soon, I will still be moving to Alaska.

Rachel is a junior in Media.