Charles “Charlie” Meyerson arrived at the U of I in fall 1973 as an aspiring journalist. He lived in Allen Hall/Unit One for his first two years and considers it a “seminal” part of his college experience. In this interview, he discusses journalism, the WPGU radio station, student life, his broadcast career, and the effect that U of I has had on his life.
Jeffrey Roberts was the only black student in the journalism program when he came to the University of Illinois in the fall of 1968. The passion for writing he brought with him to Illinois stemmed from high school experiences as a bat boy for the Chicago White Sox. In this interview, he recalls his varied experiences as a young black man at Illinois in the 60s and 70s, including: his dating life, his involvement with Project 500 and the Black Student Association, and his "Black Vibrations" column with the Daily Illini.
Loren Tate is a lifelong sports journalist with the News-Gazette. He discusses his start in the newspaper profession, his investigative reporting, and his memories of various coaches. There is a particular focus on the scandals of the University athletics program and the changes he has noticed in sports journalism about women's athletics and Black athletes.
Arriving at UI shortly before the war, Millicent Lane (1923-2018) recalls the outpouring of emotion by fellow students following Pearl Harbor. Lane was a part of the collective of women who edited the Daily Illini during WWII and describes how they led the paper and featured a column about GIs to encourage greater civility between soldiers and students on campus.
Vanessa Faurie graduated from U of I in 1987 with a B.S. in Journalism/News and also completed her MBA in 2015. During her freshman year she was occasionally contributing writer for the Daily Illini and by her senior year, she served as editor in chief. She also interned with Teen Age (magazine) and National Geographic before graduating. Faurie stayed in the Champaign-Urbana after graduating and has worked at the university since 1988. She started at the Alumni Center as an editor and has worked her way to becoming the Director of Advancement for Research Initiatives.
