As the last few weeks of school quickly approach, many events are occurring around Uni.

From subbies to seniors, Uni students are clearly a stressed out group. When and why this stress starts, though, are difficult questions to answer. It seems that students begin feeling stressed even before stepping foot into Uni. As part of our series on climate and stress at Uni, in this article we explore the beginnings of stress in Uni students.

Earlier this semester, the Online Gargoyle asked students to evaluate Uni’s climate and their own stress levels and we ended up with some startling results. In the last several months, much has been made of what, if anything, needs to change about Uni to make it a universally supportive environment. In the following weeks, the Gargoyle will delve into stress and climate at Uni and present our findings and opinions.

In order to understand how to deal with climate issues, we must first understand their causes. In the Gargoyle’s student survey about stress and climate issues, the top three climate issues that people witnessed were politics, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity. These issues seem to be aggravated by insulting jokes and comments, subtle stereotypes, and a general lack of diversity.

After discussing where stress starts and the pressure that students feel when coming to Uni, it is important to explore what ongoing stressors pervade the student body as a whole. The data from our student survey revealed some possible causes of stress for Uni students, such as self-motivation and willingness to excel in academics and extracurricular activities.

In lieu of the annual awards ceremony that focuses on academic achievements, Uni's new end-of-year awards event aims to celebrate other student achievements as well.

As the weather warms and the school year is winding down, juniors and seniors will have one last craze to get down at Prom Royale 2013.

Many students play clarinet or violin, but Celia Faux's talents are less represented at Uni. Faux is an accordion player with an auditory (like a photographic) memory, who plays around town along with composing her own music. This Gargoyle artist showcase features a Q&A with Faux along with recordings of her music.

Uni's Fine Arts department showcased their work at Arts in the Attic. Here are a few photos from the event.

Last Saturday, Uni alum Michelle Mehnert (class of '08) won the USAT Collegiate National Championship in Tempe, Arizona. The USAT Collegiate National Championship is the unofficial college championship for triathlons, since triathlons are not an official NCAA sport.

As spring approaches and the temperature rises, students look forward to an annual event: the last dance of the year. This year, Spring Fling will occur on Saturday, April 13 from 8-11 p.m. in the North attic. It will be hosted by the freshman class.

This year is the first year that there has been a competitive tennis team at Uni, and the outlook is good as the team begins with experienced club players who are excited about the chance to compete against other teams.

Though it has some flaws, "Comedown Machine" is a step in the right direction for the creatively struggling Strokes.

As we all learned last week, weather in Illinois can go from feet of snow to sunny and fifty degrees in a matter of days.

When Athletic Director Sally Walker announced her decision to retire on Feb. 12, it shocked many students, teachers, alumni, and parents. Walker has now reconsidered her decision to retire and will keep her position as Athletic Director at Uni.