From a simple opening, Uni's fall play Molière's play The Miser", the story unfolds into a wild tale of four lovers seeking to marry the ones they truly love. A full cast of colorful characters adds plenty of humor to what evolves into a very sticky situation. Here, we take a look back at the Act I of Uni's production of this classic play.

Not everything that goes into a play takes place in front of an audience. Even after all of the lines are learned, cast members must do their hair and put on their makeup and costumes to transform themselves into their characters. Uni thespians are no different, as Stephanie Overmier found out last week when she went backstage before a performance of Uni's 2009 fall play, Molière's "The Miser."

The Illineks will be among 20 teams competing in the Class 1A girls sectional meet Saturday in Decatur. At stake is a trip to the Nov. 7 state finals in Peoria. But to qualify for sectionals, the Uni girls had to place in the top five of last weekend's regional meet at Kickapoo State Park. As this photo essay by Will Fernandez shows, the weather wasn't ideal, but the Illineks pushed forward and grabbed fourth place, good enough to advance to the penultimate stage of the postseason.

The 2009 Illineks are a step closer to returning to the IHSA Class 1A state finals thanks to their weekend victory at the St. Joseph regional meet. The boys' next challenge will come Saturday, when they take on 19 other teams at the Decatur St. Teresa sectional. The meet will be held at the Hickory Point Golf Course.

Uni High's production of "Shakespeare in Hollywood," performed Nov. 6 to 8, was a rousing success. Directed by fine arts teacher Barbara Ridenour, the comic fantasy combined 1930s Hollywood with Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for an evening of hilarity. Check inside for a look back at Uni's fall play.

The end-of-the-year 5K run is over. So, what now? Never set foot outside again? You'd miss a lot. A walk around your neighborhood is better than just being a couch potato. And with the gorgeous scenery and fabulous weather, you could even walk a 5K without knowing it! Here are some sights that Jie Han captured on camera during a Saturday evening walk around her Savoy neighborhood.

Senior Ruthie Welch might have been the only Uni athlete to qualify for state at Friday night's Class A sectional meet at PBL, but several other Illineks came close. Check inside for photos of the action. Welch will compete in the state finals Friday in Charleston. If she makes the first-day cut in the 800, she will advance to the championship race on Saturday.

The Class of 2011's Allerton field trip took place April 17 and 18 under the direction of health education teacher Andi Phillips and numerous parent and faculty volunteers. The students spent two days of climbing, falling, running, yelling, doing geometry, and building boats out of cardboard at Allerton Park and the adjacent 4-H Memorial Camp. Check out the photos taken by freshman Ian McInerney and Gargoyle staffer Lauren Piester.

Students gathered in the stands and on the floor of Uni gym Thursday for the second multicultural panel of the year. They braved the rainy passage from Uni to hear from Cynthia Oliver, a professor in the University of Illinois department of dance, and Namsoo Hyong, a master of tae kwon do. Hyong is the head of the HMD Academy of Tae Kwon Do, located in Savoy.

Photographer Jason He was on hand Thursday afternoon in the rain and mud of DCR Soccer Complex to document Uni's 3-2 comeback victory over St. Thomas More. Check out some of the action as the Illineks improved their record to 2-0.

If the Uni hallways seemed a little less crowded this afternoon, that was because most of the seniors had departed for their three-day class trip to the Wisconsin Dells. They left Uni shortly after lunch today and will return on Monday. The trip was organized by senior parents and students, with parents serving as chaperones.

More than 60 students eagerly made their way up to the North Attic on Wednesday for Uni High's annual Black History Luncheon. Students were treated to a dazzling dance performance by freshman Kahlilah Cooke and inspiring poetry readings by special guests Cynthia Biggers and Aaron Ammons. Check inside for photos and to hear Ammons recite two of his poems.

Agora Days '08 followed its predecessors in being a tremendous success and a welcome respite from Uni's regular curriculum. Photographers Sindha Agha and Maritza Mestre dropped in on some of the classes Thursday and Friday, and they brought back these final samples of the week that was.

[AUDIO included] Agora Days was in full swing by midweek, and Gargoyle photographers were out and about trying to capture some of the flavor of this year's classes. And by "flavor," we mean frosty cake icing and authentic Italian pasta, among other things.

[AUDIO included] This year's edition of Agora Days — Uni's annual weeklong break from regular classes — began Tuesday, and all went well according to John Garvey, the event's faculty sponsor and main organizer. Photographer Sindha Agha visited a number of classes on Tuesday. Check inside for some of what she found.