Senior Rachel Harmon challenged herself this summer by attending the prestigious Telluride Program at Cornell University. The result was nothing short of life changing. "You will learn something every day," she says, "in the same way that we physically grow every day, and because it happens so often, and it is so gradual, you will not realize the ways in which you have been transformed until you return to measure yourself against a familiar standard."

Ever marvel at the intricacies of honey bee genomes? Biology teacher David Stone sure has, and he's doing all he can to spread the word through his work with BeeSpace. Read on about his involvement with this online look at all things bees.

Not many Uni students can say that they were detained by Moroccan soldiers and police this summer — in fact, there's only one. Senior Loic Hostetter and his roommate were taken into custody after one of them took a snapshot of a stop sign near a military base. But all ended well, and Loic now looks back fondly on his five weeks in Morocco.

The Uni chess team had a tremendous season last year, when the team took home state and national titles. The players received plenty of much-deserved attention, but what about the coach? As Uni enters this year as defending state champion, here's a look at Chris Merli, who took over the program in 2000.

When Katherine Allen met Jeremy Kemball three years ago, she discovered that their families shared a South African connection. Their paths didn't cross much after that, but as the 2008-09 school year approached its conclusion, Katherine decided to learn more about this University of Illinois-bound senior before he graduated.

If you ever feel a breeze in the hallway, despite the fact there's no window or door open, don't fret. Math executive teacher Craig Russell probably just walked by so quickly that you didn't even see him. A blur of activity, Russell inspires students with his energy and enthusiasm. This past year, he even wrote his own textbook.

In case you haven't heard, Uni High has quite the drummer in Eddie Diazmuñoz. Already a veteran of several bands, he and his friend Zac Craven went to St. Louis this summer to record "Dream!," the debut album of their group, The Capote Flat. Read on as Sindha Agha introduces us to this talented junior, whose career ambitions might surprise you.

While other high school students play basketball or practice the piano, senior Hannah Leskosky entertains kids with ventriloquism and balloon animals. On Saturday, she took the stage before an enthusiastic audience of kids and parents at the U of I College of Education's Youth Literature Festival. Read on as Elaine Gu profiles this skilled comic performer.

After more than two weeks here, Martha Yoshida is getting used to Uni, even though her school in Japan is just about its polar opposite. See what the final exchange student from Konan has to say about her experiences in an unfamiliar country.

This past Saturday, 2003 Uni graduate and guitar genius Jake Hertzog performed at the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival. Sindha Agha and Laura Dripps met with him to talk about Uni, his career, and the art form of guitar playing itself. [Audio included]

Aaron Kelter, president of Manga Club, is best known for his enormous collection of Japanese comics. But that's just the latest addition to his list of interests. On top of manga, he enjoys video games, football, and working in the Uni High library. Get to know Aaron Kelter: gamer, football fan, and self-declared Manga Lord.

Dr. Steve Epperson will serve as Uni High's interim director/principal through the spring of 2009. But how many students know much about him? Gargoyle senior editor Andrea Park decided to profile the man whose Uni roots go back more than 20 years. Not only is he an avid sports enthusiast, he's a leader who is putting Uni in a good position to hire an excellent administrator to fill his shoes. Read on to find out more about the man behind the desk, and his plans for the school.