Welcome to the first day of class. Did you have a good break? Are you excited about the upcoming semester? Are you ready for this semester?

Here are some resources that you may want to check out during this first week of class:

Textbook Buying Guide

2010 Spring Course Catalog

How to Find Your Classroom

UIUC General Calendar

And what better way to start the semester than with an Illini Men’s Basketball game! Tonight at 8PM at Assembly Hall. The Illini will take on Purdue, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Illinois vs. Purdue // Jan. 19 // 8pm

• Live Audio | GameTracker | TV: ESPN
• BUY TICKETS TO THIS GAME | Fan Guide

Go Illini!

Check out this video of the Illinois Year in Review.

Coach Zook is beginning to build his coaching team for next year.

University of Illinois head football coach Ron Zook announced the hiring of former UNLV running backs coach DeAndre Smith as the newest member of the Illini coaching staff. Smith, a St. Louis native, has tutored six 1,000-yard rushers in his 11 years of collegiate coaching.

Illini hire new running backs coach

Hopefully this will help the team play well next year!

As college students, we are awake at all times of the day and night – including 4:00 a.m. There are many of us who get a lot done at 4:00 am. Did you know that there is a smear campaign happenening against 4:00 am? Check it out on TED.

TED: Rives on 4 a.m.

Junior receiver Arrelious Benn has announced that he will be leaving Illinois to enter the NFL draft.

“With the support of Coach (Ron) Zook and my mom, I am ready to pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the NFL,” Benn said. “I also plan to finish college and earn my degree from the University of Illinois.

“I know the hard work is just beginning, and I as I begin this new adventure, I will always be proud to represent the Fighting Illini.”

Benn was troubled with injuries and difficulties this year, but still led the team with 38 catches.

We wish him the best of luck!

Illinois’ Benn to enter NFL draft – ESPN

Something everyone wants – to be happy. Did you know research is being done at Illinois on happiness?

In those lucky nations endowed with a decent standard of living, happiness is, for sure, related to income – but strongly related only to a point. In the U.S., the point is around $40,000. That is to say, when the median household income in this country reached $40,000, the rising happiness curve started to flatten.

Five Propositions About Happiness: Ed Diener

Today is reading day, a day when you’re supposed to “read.” What are students doing other than reading? Check out our list from last year.

In other news, congratulations to the 2010 Siebel Scholars from Illinois:

They join an elite group chosen on the basis of outstanding academic performance and demonstrated qualities of leadership. Each will receive a $35,000 award established by the Siebel Scholars Foundation to recognize the most talented students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business, computer science, and bioengineering.

Remember back to last year on this same day. Then governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested by federal prosecutors. As reported by The Quad, the former govoner was arrested in early December on federal corruption charges. He was officially impeached in early January, and was officially replaced later that month. It’s been a fun year for Illinois politics, but the questions about Blago still remain. He’ll get his chance to speak at his federal corruption trial in June.

John Kass of the Chicago Tribune writes this as he reflects upon this anniversary:

Throughout the year, Blagojevich has amused many of us, me included. His wife, Patti, showed up on reality TV, eating jungle bugs and blubbering that her husband is not a crook, with the bugs still on the back of her teeth.

Rod plays the jester. All that’s missing are the curly-toed boots, and Rod holding a wooden rattle carved in his own likeness, a smirk on the tiny Rod head, as Rod himself waves his arms, gesturing at the unfairness of it all.

It’s all so amusing, so droll. But the joke’s not on him.

It’s on us. On every man, woman and child in the state of Illinois.

Christopher Willis of the Associated Press thinks that Blago has caused a shift in Illinois politics:

The scandal could have a national impact by tipping a U.S. Senate seat — the one previously held by President Barack Obama — into Republican hands. The GOP also hopes to reclaim the governor’s office, and they could be helped if Blagojevich stays in the spotlight with a role on “Celebrity Apprentice” next year and a federal trial during election season.

What do you think about our former governor?

Blagojevich’s legacy no joke – Chicago Tribune

Holy mackerel! 1 year since Blagojevich arrest – Associated Press

H1N1 shots will be available at no charge to University of Illinois students, staff and faculty who are under the age of 25 or between the ages of 25-64 with chronic medical conditions. No documentation of illness required. Present your I-card at the walk-in clinic in the Pine Lounge at the Illini Union on Tuesday, December 8th and Thursday, December 10th from 10am to 2pm. Available to the first 800 each day.

H1N1 Information – McKinley

The Fighting Illini football team will play their last game of the season this Saturday at Memorial Stadium against Fresno State. This year has had it’s ups and downs; mostly downs with the Illini ’s current record of 3-8. It hasn’t looked good for the Illini all season. From that first kickoff in St. Louis, it seemed like they never really had it under control. They were expected to be a great team, and Big Ten contender with Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn in their prime. What happened? Nobody really knows. It has been a disappointing season to say the least, and this Saturday it is all going to come to an end.

That said, I want to encourage all of you to attend this Saturday’s finale: all of you students, all of you alumni, and all of you Fighting Illini fans. You say we aren’t going to a bowl anyway, so why does this game matter? You say that you have to stay home and study for finals. You say that it’s going to be freezing cold and you’d rather stay in your nice warm bed. You’ll find any excuse not to come and watch your team lose again. But I say no. There is no excuse. This is senior day. The team deserves our attendance.The least you can do is give up three hours of your life to come out and support your team. They may be bad, but they are still our team.

Do It For The Seniors

Fifteen Illini seniors will be honored at the game. This will be the last game they ever play in an Illinois uniform. Over the past four years, we’ve been through a lot with these guys, and through it all, they’ve stayed strong and given it all they’ve had. Let’s support them one last time on Saturday. Here’s to you seniors!

Jon Asamoah, OL
Eric Block, OL
Michael Cklamovski, PK
Jeff Cumberland, WR
Daniel Dufrene, RB
Chris Duvalt, WR
Donsay Hardeman, DB
Dere Hicks, DB
Michael Hoomanawanui, TE
Antonio James, DL
Doug Pilcher, DL
Rahkeem Smith, DL
Juice Williams, QB
Sirod Williams, DL
Kyle Yelton, P

Do It For Juice

One senior in particular, has taken a lot of heat over the past couple of years. Mr. Juice Williams is one of those players that you either love or hate. He has his good days, and his bad days. There is a lot that one can say about our senior quarterback, but let’s just let the numbers speak for themselves. Even if you hate Juice, or think that he shouldn’t be starting on Saturday, you can’t ignore that he:

• Already holds the Illinois total offense records for a career (10,327) and season (3,892)
• Ranks fifth in total offense in Big Ten history
• Already holds the Illinois QB rushing records for a career (2,501), season (755) and game (174)
• Ranks third in school history in passing yardage (7,826)
• Is the Illinois career leader in starts by a quarterback with 43
• Needs 45 rushing yards to move up to sixth on the Illinois career rushing list
• Needs three touchdown passes to move to second on the UI list for career scoring strikes

So one last time, let’s give Juice the applause that he deserves. He, along with the rest of the team, have come in day after day and given it their all. Despite the weather forecast, let’s give them all we’ve got on Saturday. I’m expecting a sea of orange, and the loudest stands of the season. They deserve it.

Let’s do it for the orange and blue!

Illinois vs. Fresno St. // Dec. 5 // 11:30am

• Live Audio | GameTracker | TV: BTN | Radio
• Fan Guide | Parking Map | Gameday Info
• BUY TICKETS TO THIS GAME

Go Illini!