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 30 minutes. I feel like every week I hear it. And I’m, like, for someone to do that consistently and just, like, you just out here.”

The professor Eng refers to is Reuben May, head of the Department of Sociology. According to his website, he’s known worldwide for his “impromptu rap performances.” 

Animal friends

“I saw someone walking a chicken on the (Main) Quad,” said Olivia Dicola, freshman in Education.

“I’ve seen an albino squirrel,” said Jesús Castro, graduate student studying civil engineering. “Then I saw that everyone knew that squirrel, Pinto Bean. I was very sad, because all of a sudden there was news on Reddit about that squirrel passing away. I used to see her or see him every single day there.”

 Snowball fight 

“The snowball fight, last year at the (Main) Quad,” said Max Brito, graduate student studying social work. “I don’t know if it was February or March? That was really fun. Everyone just coming out.” 

“In February 2022, it had snowed 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. And then even when like your buddy Jesus is too scared to go up, it’s still a blast just to watch whoever goes up there.”

Grendzinski told us his favorite moment from Murphy’s karaoke.

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

Big Ten celebrations

Salvatore Galluzzo, senior in LAS, and Kevin O’Hara, senior in FAA, both recounted the celebration in March of 2021 after Illinois men’s basketball had won the Big Ten tournament. 

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

“Yeah, (the intersection of Sixth and Green streets) was shut down for 40 minutes — they shut down the intersection,” 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.

Talia is a sophomore in Media.

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Maggie is a sophomore in Media.

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