Each year on Quad Day, the main quad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) fills up with students. That is approximately six to seven acres filled with students. And with over 50,000 students in 2019, the UIUC campus has quite a few students that can show up each year.

A wide variety of student organizations setup stands along the paths that wind through the quad. The idea is to introduce students to the various organizations, clubs, groups, etc. around campus. It is great way to get introduced to the many activities going on all over the campus. This is especially true for new students that want to branch out, try something new, and/or meet new people.

Additionally, may of those organizations put on shows. In 2011, a stage was setup on the northern side of the quad (southern side of the Student Union). Many groups, such as dancing and singing groups, took turns putting on shows.

As the photos imply, I had brought my camera along with me to Quad Day 2011 to take a few shots. I packed light, given that I would be walking around for many hours throughout the day. My intent was to enjoy the day, rather than going out to take photographs.

The Marching Illini

Of course, it would not be a large student event at big school if the band did not show up. The Marching Illini is the name of the band. This year, the band setup on the steps of Foellinger Auditorium. The Marching Illini Flag Corps came along as well. These ladies carry around some rather large flags. They wave them around in various patterns, including throwing them up into the air while they rotate.

Several of the photographs in the Quad Day 2011 set feature the Marching Illini in the background. The band members had on some very bright and vibrant orange shirts. This is because the UIUC colors are orange and blue. For several of the photos, I had to reduce the saturation of oranges and reds because their shirts were basically neon in the bright sun.

Unfortunately for me, I was not able to get close to the band. The area they were in was closed off at a fairly far distance. At that time, I did not have a very good telephoto lens, so I focused a bit more on closer elements, the Illinettes and cheerleading teams. There were some large brass instruments on the back side of the band's setup. They can be seen in the backgrounds of several of the photos featuring the Illinettes. I would have been great to be able to get some closer shots of band members with these big brass instruments shining in the sunlight. It helps emphasize the importance of having a good telephoto lens with some reach to get those shots that are otherwise not possible without one.

Illinettes Dance Team

The Illinettes Dance Team show up and put on a show as well. Several of the Quad Day 2011 photos feature the Illinettes. I happened to be position fairly well given the lens I had with me. This is a group of women performed synchronized dance routines out in front of Foellinger Auditorium, as the Marching Illini Band played in the background behind them.

Illinois Cheerleading

Illinois Cheerleading also came out and stood out along the outer edge of the area taken up by the Illinettes. This is a group of men and women that cheer loudly, call out to the crowd to get people excited, while also perform various stunts.

The number of stunts were fairly limited on this particular day. I assume because they were so close to the crowd. If anything, it almost seemed like their job that day was to form a perimeter as a form of crowd control. However, there were a couple times some of the women were lifted up to stand on the shoulders of some of the men. Unfortunately, I do not have great shots of this. In the few shots I managed to get, the bright sky completely washes out the person up on the air. A good lesson in positioning yourself correctly as a photographer.