Compass Grades

Four of my courses this semester use Illinois Compass, two of which use it strictly for publishing grades. Compass should have a feature of emailing me when my grades are updated. They already have the option of emailing you when you have new "Compass Messages," and they display on the front page when any grade is updated, so why can't we just combine the two features?

Seems like something all too obvious.

Facebook

I think it would be interesting to see your Facebook friends sorted by number of mutual friends, and also mutual friends of friends. Does your number of mutual friends define who your closest real-life friends are? I would guess maybe not.

In other Facebook news, Facebook Chat has been enabled for the University of Illinois network. Usage seems to be limited, though, as students already have their normal way of chatting established.

Go Green: It's Earth Day!

According to Wikipedia, Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22nd and "promotes environmental citizenship and year round progressive action worldwide. Earth Day Network is a driving force steering environmental awareness around the world."

It is important for us as habitants of this planet to protect it and preserve it for the many generations to come. There are many ways we can help "save our planet" that are very easy. One of the easiest things to do is to recycle. Both Champaign and Urbana offer free recycling services for all of its citizens. All it takes is a little effort and you can make a big difference. There are also a number of additional ways you can stay green by using energy efficient appliances, compact florescent light bulbs, and riding a bike or walking instead of driving, just to name a few.

Check out the Earth Day Challenge to calculate your impact on the Earth and see what you can do to change your habits.

Happy Earth Day!

Illinois Earthquake

An earthquake shook Illinois last night. It was centered near West Salem, IL.

A 5.4 earthquake early Friday rocked people awake as far away as Indiana, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a large Midwest temblor.

Associated Press: 5.4 earthquake rocks Illinois; also felt in Indiana

"Unaccustomed to such a large Midwest temblor" - That's for sure. What are we even supposed to do during an earthquake? Here are the guidelines from FEMA.

Overheard at UIUC

Interesting Facebook group:
Overheard at University of Illinois

Apparently these groups are fairly common. A quick search of "Overheard" on Facebook turns up more than 500 group results - including "Overheard at Vanderbilt" with 3000 members. The University of Illinois version seems to be about the second most popular with almost 2000 members. Very interesting way to waste some time.

Finals Week: Turn off the Distractions

When you're studying or doing final projects, Facebook and other "Internet time wasters" are a real problem. Robert Scoble noticed this in a recent post:

Want to get something done? Turn off Twitter. Turn off Facebook. Turn off blog comments. Turn off FriendFeed. Turn off Flickr. Turn off YouTube. Turn off Dave Winer’s blog and Huffington Post.

Not productive enough? Turn off the Internet

We college students only need to worry about the big one: Facebook. How can you turn it all off? Short of disconnecting the Internet or modifying your HOSTS file, blocking a website is hard to do. I propose that you simply turn off all email alerts in Facebook, and then make a promise to yourself that you won't visit any of these time-wasting sites until the sweet, sweet summer. (Although this sounds easier than it actually is, it is indeed possible)
If you really want to get something done these last three weeks, turn it all off.

Cell Phones on Campus

Does everyone on campus have a cellular phone? It seems like it.

Last week someone who knew me slightly but did not know if I owned a cell phone just asked me "Can I use your phone?" I of course got it out and let them use it, but was surprised that he just assumed that I had a phone.

Is it a requirement to have a cell phone on a college campus these days?

Photo used under Creative Commons.

Mom's Weekend 2008

This weekend is Mom's Weekend here at the U of I. This is a time for students to open their doors and show our mother's what we've become without their guidance. Think of it like a middle-school open house, where the parents come in and you get to show them the pirate ship you've created out of leftover macaroni noodles you've been stashing from the cafeteria. This is an opportunity for students to "bond" with their mother's and show them the sights and sounds of this wonderful place you've began to call home.

I remember my first Mom's Weekend. My Mom came in on Saturday morning and meet me for lunch. She wanted the "experience", so I took her to Za's. It started as a great day, but the weather quickly took over and we found ourselves in the middle of a rain/snow storm. After multiple trips to local bookstores, the craft fair, and the flower show, my mom was ready to call it a day. We went to dinner and then enjoyed "My Fair Lady" at the Assembly Hall. I had a great weekend with my mother and I ended the day with a few new t-shirts, a new umbrella, and some food that I told her I wouldn't eat (but of course later did).

What I am trying to tell you is that although you may think this weekend is just a waste of time and you would rather be sleeping through it, it is definitely worth it. If not for you, for your mom. She has raised you your whole life and one day you just left her. She misses you. Welcome her to your new home. Let her buy you things. Enjoy your time together.

Some of this weekend's festivities include bowling, a comedian, baseball games, a musical, a capella performances, a craft fair, a fashion show, and a flower show just to name a few. Check out the complete Mom's Weekend Calendar here! Take a look at the schedule and find out (if you don't already know) what your mom is interested in. Take her to your favorite restaurants and have a great weekend.

Activites and Recreation Center Almost Finished

Did you know that the Activities and Recreation Center, also known as ARC, will open this summer?

Did you know the ARC will have two pools - a 23,000 square foot indoor pool and a 36,000 square foot outdoor pool?

See these facts, site drawings, and more at the Campus Recreation website.

Activities and Recreation Center

Facebook Chat is Here

In case you were wondering if it's actually coming, Facebook Chat will be rolling out slowly to all users this week.

We'll be rolling [Facebook Chat] out slowly going forward, but fairly soon you'll notice our new Chat bar at the bottom of your browser—no installation or assembly required. From this bar you can view your list of online friends and open conversations with any or all of them. There's no need to setup a "buddy list.

Facebook Blog: Facebook Chat: Now We're Talking

New Illinois.edu Email Addresses

Today in an email to the UIUC Webmasters, Michele Raupp (Project Manager of the Illinois.edu domain name change) announced that netID@illinois.edu email addresses will be enabled on May 13, 2008. This means that sending email TO netID@illinois.edu addresses will work, but the FROM field on messages originating here will still be the netID@uiuc.edu format. The change to fully functional illinois.edu addresses will happen in December 2008.

Will Assembly Hall Fall?

Will our spaceship-looking Assembly Hall be replaced with a better building that can house luxury boxes? That is the big debate happening on campus right now. First it was a small comment by Chancellor Richard Herman about the University either renovating, restoring, or rebuilding the hall. Then the building was placed on the list of Illinois's most endangered historic places. This list is compiled by Landmarks Illinois, a group that has 'saved' buildings like the St. Gelasius Catholic Church (Chicago) and the Culver House (Decatur) in the past.

After weeks of rumors and speculation following Athletic Director Ron Guenther's contract renewal, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Office of Student Affairs discussed potential plans to renovate Assembly Hall Wednesday night at the Illinois Student Senate meeting.

Daily Illini: Chancellor announces possible Assembly Hall renovations
Chicago Tribune: Will University of Illinois Assembly Hall 'spaceship' survive?
Daily Illini: Assembly Hall may undergo changes

Photo by yuan2003.

Facebook Chat

Facebook is expected to be releasing a chat app for their popular website within the next few days. Do you think Facebook really needs chat? I think we already use Facebook too much, and desktop clients are still very popular. Google Chat, however, has had success largely because of its online integration with GMail - especially on college campuses. We will see.

Morin said Facebook Chat will launch next week ... Morin would not give a more specific launch date, so until we hear otherwise, the outside date is Saturday, April 5.

Techcrunch: Facebook Chat to be released Saturday, April 5
Techcrunch: Video of Facebook Chat