Prospectus

Issue date: 6/2/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Samantha Hylla Boardman's Art theatre, located in downtown Champaign, features a nice blend of indie, international, and off topic movies in a more classic movie setting.

Media Credit: Samantha Hylla Take the GREENhopper bus line to downtown Champaign, and sit outside one of many beautiful independent businesses that have some tasty food and beverages.

Media Credit: Levi Norman Spalding skate park gives skaters a legal avenue to test their skills. Local skaters have been enjoying hanging out at the Board Boutique for supplies and tools.

Man, you (road) trippin!
By Cassandra J. Cunningham, staff writer

During the summer, it's easy to get struck by summeritis. Everybody is gone until fall, there's nothing on television, nothing going on in town, and anywhere but here looks better. So what is one to do? Road trip of course!!!


With Whom: The Besties
Where: Holiday World
Mileage: 233 Miles
Estimated Time: 4 Hours

While gas is creeping back up into anger zones, splitting a tank three or four ways can make this trip easy! Holiday World is a holiday themed amusement park in Santa Claus. IN. It has four different sections themed like various holidays: Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, Halloween and of course, Christmas! It has various roller coasters, spinning rides, and a kid park for the little ones. It also had a huge water park attached to it, with some sort of African theme, which has nothing to do with holidays, but it adds to the fun.

Holiday World has been voted the cleanest fun park in America, and get this, FREE DRINKS! (Not that kind of free drinks…) The park features a number of stands called the Pepsi Oasis, where guests can get free Pepsi products all day! The price of admission is $39.95 for one day and $59.95 for a two consecutive day pass. There are various holiday themed hotels around the park and a camp ground outside the park that features five pools, a put put golf course, paddle boat rides and basketball courts. With cheap prices, free drinks, and a ton to do, this is one road trip that everyone has got to try!


With Whom: The Significant Other
Where: Key Lime Cove
Mileage: 177 Miles
Estimated Time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes

Key Lime Cove is located in Gurnee, Ill., right outside of Chicago. Key Lime Cove is a hotel with an indoor water park and arcade. It's located right next to Six Flags and Gurnee Mills Mall. Price for a normal hotel room with two Queen beds, a pull out couch, and flat screen television is $165.00 for a night, which includes bracelets for unlimited access into the water park throughout guests stay. The extravagant hotel also has a giant arcade, and several resturants including an old fashioned ice cream shop that builds ice cream sundaes as big as the full size sink they bring them to the table in! Key Lime Cove is a mix between a carnival and an outdoor water park all under one roof. It's the perfect mix of fun and romance for any couple to enjoy.


With Whom: The Fam
Where: King's Island
Mileage: 237 Miles
Estimated Time: 4 Hours

King's Island is the notorious amusement park in Cincinnati, OH that features the world's scariest and longest wooden roller coasters. With a big water park attached, it's a great way to keep the family occupied for a day or two. General admission tickets for one day cost $32.99 and a two consecutive day pass costs $47.99. King's Island also features the Firehawk, a roller coaster that gives people the only flying experience Ohio offers.


Use downtime to reconnect with art!
By Samantha Hylla, staff writer

Krannert Art Museum

In the heart of the University campus stands the Krannert Art Museum. It's a hidden gem of sorts to the C-U area (unless you're a student that's in tune with the art scene). The Krannert Art Museum not only houses an entire gallery of contemporary works, but is also the home to many older and cultural pieces. The museum's Gelvin Noel gallery features Andy Warhol's "Marilyn" and many other impressive pieces that are part of the "Vivid Lines in Graphic Times" exhibit.

Megan Kwasny, an employee of the museum, said her favorite gallery is the classics because of the 15th and 16th century original oil paintings that can be seen there. Visiting the Krannert Art Museum is a must-see for anyone interested in art from any time period and genre.

Currently the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is free to everyone, although donations are greatly appreciated. The summer months are slower for the museum and they tend to see less people which means it's open until the end of July and will re-open in August when school starts back up. Plenty of parking is available, but before 5 p.m. on weekdays you'll have to pay the meter.

More information on the museum can be found at www.kam.uiuc.edu.


Parkland Art Museum

When looking for art this summer, don't forget about the Parkland Art Gallery. The Media Arts Student Juried Exhibition is going on until June 18, so be sure to stop by and take a look at what Parkland students are up to.

The Parkland Art Gallery website sums up the exhibit, saying, "The media arts exhibit allows students taking Graphic Design, Web Design, and Illustration courses the chance to present their best work to the community and to industry professionals in marketing communication, advertising, and design."

Over the summer, the art gallery will be open Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Gallery is closest to the M parking lot which is free to the public.


MELD

Monday Evening Life Drawing group is run by RJ Karlstrom, a former Parkland student and the first editor of Prospectus. The group is a great place for students, retirees, teachers, and all others who want to relax and practice their drawing skills.

According to RJ, they like to keep things "as loose and casual as possible." There is no membership or obligation besides a small fee of $7 dollars every time you come. Artists are responsible for bringing their supplies and MELD provides table space, trays, lighting, chairs, props, and the model.

RJ likes to keep things fresh and often rotates the models as well as their poses. The session is 2 hours long, begins at 7 p.m. on Monday nights, and is held at Boneyard Pottery. The best way to improve your skills and keep them fresh over the summer is to practice, so what better place to do that at than MELD?


The Art Theatre

Instead of going to the big box offices this summer, stop by the independently and locally owned Art Theatre. The Art is well known for showing award winning indie films you won't see anywhere else, which is exactly what they'll be doing this summer.

Currently showing is Goodbye Solo, award winner of the Venice Film Festival. The Goodbye Solo official site states in the synopsis, "Through this unlikely but unforgettable friendship, Goodbye Solo deftly explores the passing of a generation as well as the rapidly changing face of America." For more information on the film you can visit www.goodbyesolomovie.com.

Sin Nombre and Every Little Step will be the next two films to follow, both receiving nothing less than true praise and rave reviews. The Art Theatre is located at 126 W. Church Street in Champaign and plenty of parking is available in the surrounding area. If you're worried about a movie selling out before you get there to buy tickets, no worries because you can buy them online from the website at www.boardmanstheatres.com.

Whether it's a dinner and a movie this summer or a relaxed hang out with your friends, The Art Theatre is the place to go for intelligent, independent films.


Summer dining: good food in the sun
By Sean Hermann, staff writer

So you are out of school for the summer and are wondering what there is to do besides sit at home and play World of Warcraft or play with your grandmother's cat while she is out in the garden? There are plenty of things to do around town this fine summer including devouring a scrumptious sandwich or enjoy a refreshing beverage on the patio of one of these four local hotspots.

To start off your day, visit Pekara Bakery and Bistro, 116 N. Neil St., in downtown Champaign. Pekara, which makes all edible goods from scratch and without any artificial ingredients or preservatives, offers a wide variety of European based baked goods including scones, muffins, croissants and much more and is also a great stop for lunch or even a good cup of Joe. Many of the baked goods are also featured at numerous Espresso Royales around C-U.

The bistro portion of the store features delicious foods such as pizza, salads, sandwiches and soup. As far as crowd favorites go, the dessert crepes are a must. The bakery/bistro is open from 7am to 10pm every day and was voted best bakery in the best of C-U awards in 2008, a must for brunch and baked goods enthusiasts.

After having a mouth-watering morning, take a walk over to Aroma Café, which is literally steps from Pekara, at 118 N. Neil St. Aroma Café, an ever so peaceful and cozy coffee shop, is the perfect place to sit back and relax while sipping on a nice warm latte, reading a book, or devouring a delicious wrap along with many other items on the Latin inspired menu. Also featured on the menu are many chai drinks, fruit tea smoothies, and other delectable coffee shop drinks. As far as lunch goes, Cuban Sandwiches, quesadillas or salads are great for the taste buds and the wallet, all of which are under $7. You can enjoy your drink or entrée either inside in the bright and warm atmosphere, or outside in the back and soak in the sunrays until dinnertime nears.

If you would like something a bit more sophisticated or eloquent for lunch, try Café Kopi, located just a minutes walk away from Pekara at 109 N. Walnut. Café Kopi "has become the spot where the creative and enterprising minds of the city convene," according to their Web site. Kopi features fresh gourmet, single-origin or fair trade coffees, a number of loose teas, freshly squeezed lemonade, Italian sodas and much more. Kopi also carries a full liquor menu for those who need a little excitement with their coffee.

The food menu has something that will catch the eye of every customer, including salads, sandwiches, pitas, and cheese plates and also has a number of vegetarian offerings like the hummus and eggplant experience sandwich, and the matty pooh pita. There is a large seating area inside which features work from local artists, as well as tables outside for all you people watchers out there, as downtown features a diversity of people. Kopi is also one of the venues served by the GREENhopper service and is a great stop for anyone into artsy shops.

So you have no indulged yourself with coffee, baked goods, and a sandwich and are now ready to see the nightlife in action. The next stop on the GREENhopper line is the Esquire Lounge. Located two doors down from Kopi at 109 N. Walnut St., the Esquire is "a cold beer, good food, throw your peanut shells on the floor kind of place. Enjoy a burger or a pizza, kick back, shoot pool, or take in a ballgame," according to their Web site.

Stone baked pizzas and hearty sandwiches will be sure to fill your belly and give you the strength to enjoy the rest of the night and, for those of you old enough, hit the bar to let the good times roll. With prices ranging from $4-$8 for menu items, it cannot be passed up.

So there you have it. A full day planned, and all of which is within walking distance of each other. Bring a friend along or check out the small shops around the area like Ten Thousand Villages, Exile on Main St. or C.V. Lloyd Music Center for an even better day. Remember to relax and explore your local hotspots this summer and stay out of trouble!


Skaters love the summer
By Patrick Wood, assistant editor

Are you a serious boarder? Do you kick-flip over park benches on a skateboard? Do you shred down hilly streets at night on a long board? Have you needed new bearings for your Toy Machine deck? Are your Etnies in need of a replacement? This summer your salvation could be the Board Boutique.

The Board Boutique, located at 702 S. Neil Street, is the only skater owned and operated skate shop in Champaign-Urbana. They sell professional skateboard merchandise like decks from like Element, Girl, Habitat, Element, and Toy Machine, as well as shoes, denim, shirts, trucks, risers, bearings, wheels, and tools.

After a trip to Board Boutique, are you stumped as to where you can find a suitable place to skate? Luckily, the Champaign Park District can help. Spalding Skate Park can be found at 900 Harris St., near Spalding Park. It offers a number of vert and street structures to skaters, including several bowls, rails, and half pipes. If you get tired of being chased by campus police, this may not be a bad place to check out.

Spalding Skate Park is open until dusk and is free of charge. Protective gear is not required, but is strongly encouraged. The park is open to both skateboarders and inline skaters.

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