Students take breaks from studying at bars
Jennifer Kim, second from right, laughs with friend Karla Melendez, second from left, both graduate students, at Cowboy Monkey on Friday night with friends Sara Beal, right, alumnus, and Andreas Ehmann, left, also a graduate student. Beth Gilomen
December 10, 2007
While some University students may have the car packed and running before they sit down to take their last final, others are planning to stay in town for a last dose of Campustown fun before heading home for the holidays.
Torin Oiness, sophomore in Business, has his last final Thursday, but he plans to stay in Champaign until Saturday.
“I’m from Omaha and I want to stay and party with all my friends here before we leave for a month,” Oiness said.
For students who find themselves strapped for cash around the holiday season, Oiness recommends selling textbooks back as a way to make a little extra money to celebrate the end of finals.
“I try not going out between finals to avoid a hangover and so I can study all day,” Oiness said. “But that doesn’t always happen.”
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Although finals may shorten bar lines, Oiness said he prefers Campustown’s more crowded nightlife.
To draw in more business, some bars’ owners are planning to hold special events.
It’s Brothers Bar and Grill, 613 E. Green St., is scheduled to hold a “12 days of Christmas” event. Gifts are raffled off for 12 nights straight.
Each night, someone’s name is drawn to win prizes such as Illinois basketball tickets, Rose Bowl tickets, an Xbox 360, iPods and a mini fridge.
Cari Muzzy, senior in LAS and bartender at the bar, worked last semester during finals.
“It is definitely slower the week before finals and during finals week,” Muzzy said. “But starting around Wednesday it picks up a lot when people finish their finals.”
Some students are planning to break up their studying by relaxing with friends during finals week, which begins Monday and officially ends Saturday.
“Even though I have a final next Friday, I’m still going out on Wednesday,” said Krista Johnson, senior in Business. “I will have finished three finals already and I will need a break before studying for my last one.”
Johnson said she doesn’t see anything wrong with going out during finals week as long as students still get their work done.
“If you want to go out with your friends before break, just take advantage of not having classes and study during the day,” she said.
