The Student Intersection >>>>>>>

The Student Intersection by Germaine Kindred

            A normal bustling day at the University of Illinois at Chicago, from high up, looks like ants running over food on the ground. Three major buildings contribute to the students’ lives at UIC. Student Center East, The Recreation Center, and the Jane Adams Hull House play a key role in the diversity of the campus. The students commonly walk across Harrison Street entering these three areas since it is down the street from the Science and Engineering building and near the heart of Halsted Street. Knowing these two areas are imperative since students will have to cross these areas.

            The students in the area varied in looks, majors, and mannerisms. Some were nervous and panicking because their classes had begun a few minutes ago. Others were tired and sweaty because they just endured a tough workout, while most were relaxed and care free since their classes were over for the day. Furthermore, there was also a mixed variety of ethnicities and academic majors in these areas. I approached many students coming out of the recreation center. Often the students said things like “It’s diverse” or “Interesting”. “This part of UIC is something like an intersection. You’ll see just about everything here” said Jen Davis a Pre Pharmacy major. This area of UIC is mixed with a large number of students, majors, and cultures. In this area there was an equal male to woman ratio, more engineering majors than the others and more Asians than other ethnicities.

            Next, the Student Center East building is similar to a mall because of its many stores, restaurants, and banks. It’s far busier than the outside of the Student Center East building. Moreover, Student Center East is equipped with two giant cafe type areas. One is a buffet style café while the other is a luxurious food court with Subway, Wendy’s, Sabrazo, and more. The Student Center East building also has an electronic book/supply store. This store has everything from UIC apparel to computer software. Freshman will find the Bookstore is an important place since it will have everything they will need. An escalator ride away is a convenient store which is fast if you have a credit card and slow if you have cash. The bank is an accessible resource to the students who have TCF Bank accounts. The Student Center East building has three floors. On the first there is the bookstore, the bowling alley, and the east area cafe. On the second floor there is a Duncan Donuts, a printing station, a convenience center, and a TCF bank. The third floor is nothing more than empty rooms used for seminars and meetings.

            One of the most advanced buildings is the Recreation Center. The Recreation Center has a pool, a large gym with a track above it, a wide range of workout equipment, and many other amenities students enjoy. Students come to take a break from their day-to-day lives. “The Recreation Center is like a giant fun house for college students, since it has many things you can do,” stated a Recreation Center worker.

            The Jane Adams Hull House is one of the only pieces of history that still stands on the campus. Even though its function may not be incorporated into a student’s daily life it is just as important as the other buildings. The Hull House was used to help immigrants get on their feet in 1889 by allowed the foreigners to have a place to stay while they look for work. Ultimately, its surrounding building was destroyed since the University wanted to expand and the building was moved. Many UIC students come to the museum to pay their respects to Jane and her Hull House. This makes the museum a regular for student visits.

Down the busy street of Halsted lies the Jane Adams Hull House, the Recreation Center, and Student Center East. Each building receives a different amount and variety of students. These buildings are important because they contribute to the variety of students and cultures at the University of Chicago at Illinois.