Jan. 20 marked the second round of Indonesian educators visiting Uni High to learn more about the U.S. educational system. On that day the school hosted three visitors, who are on campus as part of a three-month stay in the United States funded by their government. Mohammad Jaber spoke to the educators about their thoughts on Uni.

The Illini Union's Courtyard Cafe is a great place to see a concert. It's even better when the venue and the bands match up perfectly. That's what Katy Metcalf found out Friday when she went to see opening act One for the Team and headliner Some Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Maybe you remember the Y2K scare right before 2000. People were afraid that the electric grid would go up in flames, computers would explode, society would disintegrate, and people would riot, all because of the coming of the new millennium. Well, nothing happened. But that's not to say that nothing has happened since — in fact, the first decade of the new millennium was chock full of important events, and here are a few.

The Grammys have been called rigged, set up, a sham, a hoax, and totally rigged by “the board” to reflect not talent but sales. All of this is, in Katy Metcalf's opinion, entirely true. Nevertheless, each year she tunes in for the underdog win, the occasional indie usurpation, and the rare scandal mixed in with all the predictable acceptance speeches and unremarkable performances.

(FEB. 2 UPDATE: T-shirt sales for this event have raised more than $1,000.) The Uni High boys basketball team is stepping up for the first time in the Coaches vs. Cancer movement, planning to make the Feb. 11 home game against Normal Calvary one to remember. Among the highlights: sales of commemorative T-shirts designed by Uni senior Eddie Diazmunoz, a 50/50 ticket raffle, and a halftime shootout.

Some of the state's top musicians are meeting this week in Peoria to participate in the IMEA's all-state conference. Among them are Uni seniors Katherine Buzard (soprano), Elizabeth Russell (soprano), and senior Miles Bribriesco (a late addition at cello and not pictured here), along with juniors Claire Liu (cello) and Katherine Floess (clarinet).

Uni High's favorite formal dance took place Jan. 9 in the Illini Union, and the event was the best part of coming back to school after a long winter break. Eric Chen, Chris Yoder, and Japanese teacher Hiroko Ito all took photos of students in their formal gear as they gave their best poses. Come on in and see for yourself!

As part of his research on Uni's low student fan support, OG reporter Will Fernandez spoke to student athletes to find out what it means to them to be cheered on by their classmates. But instead of putting those comments into his article, he decided to create a video featuring the athletes in their own words. Check out the results here.

Go to almost any Uni home athletic event, and chances are that the opposing team will have as many or more fans than the Illineks do. What can be done to encourage more Uni fan attendance? As Spirit Week '10 rolls on, OG reporter Will Fernandez tackles that question and looks at some possible solutions.

Jamie Blue, who broke her left hand during a game Dec. 19, had her cast removed on Jan. 18, but she hasn't been cleared to play. At the time of her injury, the sophomore point guard was averaging a team-high 17.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.5 steals per game.

It's Neil Pearson's last semester at Uni High, and he'll be leaving the school with no regrets, a spotless academic record, and memories of an impressive athletic career. If you have never had the chance to meet the accomplished senior, here is a quick Q&A to introduce you.