When students lined up in the kitchen Tuesday morning to receive H1N1 flu shots, the scene was a reminder of what Uni went through in late October, when scores were absent due to sickness. Though the rampant absences finally subsided by the beginning of this month, the effects are still being felt as students and faculty alike play catch-up.

The number of Uni High students absent today reached 120, or 38.6 percent of the student body. This compares to Thursday, when 91 were absent. Subbies and freshmen were especially hard hit, with those classes missing 27 and 36 students, respectively. That translated into 43.5 percent of the subbies and 56.1 percent of the freshmen.

"We are not planning to close Uni for health reasons at this time," Director Jeff Walkington said in a message to students and staff today. Some 91 students, or 29.3 percent of the student body, were out sick today, many with flu-like symptoms. Read on for more of Walkington's message.

The subfreshman Halloween celebration was canceled this afternoon, making it the first casualty of the circulating flu bug. Forty-seven students were absent today, more than double Monday's total of 21. The Halloween party had been planned for 7 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Uni has long been preparing for the possibility of a swine flu outbreak, but as of yet has not seen anything that can be qualified as such. However, the number of students who call in sick or leave school early due to illness has been rising, and it is possible that Uni is finally getting its share of the flu. Check inside for the numbers.