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.

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.

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.

Uni has faced significant administrative changes this year with the promotion of three teachers to assistant director positions and the departure of longtime Assistant Director Sue Kovacs. In the wake of these changes, many questions and concerns about our administrative structure have been raised. In the final edition of "The State of the Uni," we explore what the current state of our administration is and where we are headed from here.

The issue of diversity is often an uncomfortable one for people to address. When looking at the student body here at Uni, diversity has been the elephant in the room for years. All too often the issue is ignored in an attempt to avoid any sort of conflict.

Today President Obama will be giving an update to the entire nation about the state of our country. The Gargoyle would like to take a cue from him and present to you a series on the state of our school. In this first edition, we delve into Uni's budget and finances.

Most of us have encountered teachers who thought it was cool to throw a little joshin' in about a student's private life. It seems as though a line is being crossed. Click inside to find out why we think the minority of faculty who engage in this behavior should kick the habit.

Ah, Agora Days. A time-honored Uni tradition. But in our experience, the annual four days of merriment haven't always been so merry. How come the Agora Days you hear about in prospective student meetings is so different from the crazy if not downright unpleasant experience most of us had as subbies? And why are we always tired of the whole concept by the second day?

We’re sure most of you are familiar with the scene in the kitchen during lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays when pizza is still in stock. Suffice it to say you’ll have trouble moving around enough to heat up your food, let alone find a place in the line that extends far down into the hallway. And then along comes an upperclassman …

There is a time and place for rule-breaking. There is nothing commendable in blindly adhering to policies if one doesn’t stop to consider the purpose behind the rules. But there is nothing to be gained from writing all over things that do not belong to you, particularly if what you’re writing isn’t even funny.

When you refuse to pick up after yourself in the kitchen, it says that you lack respect — not for the building, but for your co-inhabitants, be they fellow students just trying to heat up a lunch, or faculty members who are required to make sure that this building stays functional. But what should the proper response to that disrespect be?

With their careers as Uni students about to end, several senior editors reflect on what they've learned during the past five years. "Mostly it comes down to what is being asked of us," they write. "Is it just too much? Or is it just too much of the wrong type of thing? Uni students are working hard — but is it all for the wrong reason?"

One of Uni's unique characteristics is that some students may enter from the sixth grade. As a result, every grade level can have an age gap of almost three years. Are students who skip a grade expected to grow up too fast? What negative impact does this have on the student and the Uni community as a whole?

We here at Uni High often consider ourselves to be tolerant, accepting, and generally open-minded. But with the presidential election finally drawing to a close, how true has that been? How tolerant has the liberal majority at Uni been toward conservatives? Not matter what the outcome of today's vote, we need to remember that vigorous debate and respect for other viewpoints are not mutually exclusive.