At Uni High, we strive to foster an environment where everyone, inclusive of race, color, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, political beliefs, ability, language, and religion, will feel welcome, visible, and heard.

Thanks to everyone who voted in the first round of this year's March Madness! Continue the battle of the books with our Elite 8 bracket:

• One of Us Is Lying vs. Hooky
• Cinder vs. The Cruel Prince
• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes vs. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
• Heartstopper vs. The Song of Achilles

We unfortunately have to say goodbye to a few well-loved titles. However, the event isn't over yet! If you still see one of your favorites, round 2 is now open and accepting votes from now until March 28. The form is here.

Don't miss this year's Sprabitat/PTSA Trivia Night & Silent Auction on Saturday, April 5, from 6:45-9 p.m. in Uni Gym.  Take advantage of our low minimum bids on a variety of fun items!  Find some great deals, enjoy some friendly trivia competition, and support great causes!   Grab some friends and RSVP/register your team with this link:  https://go.illinois.edu/Trivia2025. 
We hope you can join us on April 5!  Questions? Interested in donating an item for the Silent Auction? Contact Mary Kate Arend at uniptsa2021@gmail.com.

Prom is quickly approaching (April 26), so please purchase your tickets on Tuesday (3/25) or Wednesday (3/26) during lunch on the first floor, near the math office. Tickets are $40 per guest, and we will accept cash or check. Please make checks payable to University of Illinois. This is the only time you will be able to purchase tickets, so if you don't buy them on one of these dates, you won’t be able to attend Prom.

The library's lunchtime graphic novel and manga discussion is back! Come hear from Practicum student Jack about five titles that make him want to root for the underdogs. Other fun series and recommendations welcome.

The news is often distressing, school can be stressful, and life can sometimes feel overwhelming! Laughing releases tension, reduces stress, and improves mental and physical health. Laughter lab will be a 15-minute weekly meeting where we gather to laugh on purpose, experiment with what makes us laugh, and hopefully experience the contagious nature of laughter. If you're interested in joining, please fill out this form by 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, to help schedule a time to meet. 

Congratulations to Jaewoo Park, who qualified for the USAMO, a highly selective, proof-based, two-day math competition. The competition was held over spring break, and the math department is very proud of you for qualifying!

Starting last year, Uni was categorized into Class 2A in IHSA Scholastic Bowl, competing against the largest schools and best players in Illinois. On March 22, Uni’s team (led by seniors Ben Newman, Jonathan Ouyang, and David Black) scored 5th overall at the State Championship. Ben Newman also made All-State Class 2A Second Team for the season, honoring the 11th through 20th best individual players in the state.   

Please join me in congratulating the following Uni students who won awards for their art entries into the Eric Show: Alyssa Neubauer - First Place and Evie Parker - Honorable Mention.  The Eric Show is an annual local high school art show displayed at Illini Union Art Gallery through April 4 and is open to the public.  Thank you to all Uni art students who generously agreed to display their art in this celebratory community event.

Congratulations to the MathCounts team - Alex Caesar, Boyou Huang, Aiden Kim, Neil Roy Choudhury, Joseph To and Bryan Zhao - for qualifying to compete in the Illinois state competition on Saturday, March 8 and for placing 7th in that competition! Boyou Huang's individual scores there earned him a position on the Illinois state team that is headed to the national competition in Washington D.C. in May.  He is one of only four students from Illinois who qualify to compete nationally; this is a huge accomplishment - congratulations Boyou!

If you missed it, be sure to take a look at Simrah's recent story on Salt and Light in the Gargoyle. It's an in-depth and engaging story about an important community resource. Students, staff, or family members who are looking for meaningful opportunities to volunteer to support our local community should take special note. Simrah's story shares information about volunteering at Salt and Light and a link where you can learn more.

The Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards honor the legacy of a beloved Illinois writer, the renowned poet and author Gwendolyn Brooks, who was a prolific poetic innovator, a generous mentor, and the first Black Pulitzer Prize winner. The contest organizers believe that, “each and every one of the young poets who take part in this competition is a part of [Brooks’s] legacy.” The deadline for submission is May 1, and you can find more information at the link above.

The department of astronomy welcomes everyone to attend the Icko Iben Jr. Distinguished Lecture, "The Universe in Us," presented by Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, professor and director of the Center for Reimagined Leadership. The Iben Lectures bring high profile astronomers to campus to speak to a general audience. 

The Illinois Mathematics Lab (IML, formerly IGL) - Uni summer research collaboration is a chance for Uni students to experience mathematical research while working as a part of a small group led by a UIUC graduate math student. Research groups meet in-person on the UIUC campus for 9 hours each week. The program will run from June 2 - June 27 this summer.  If you would like to apply please complete this application by April 18, 2025.  If you have any questions, please see or email Ms. Runkel or Ms. Avila.

The PTSA will hold its next general meeting on Wednesday, April 16, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in DCL 1320.  Everyone is welcome!   We will be voting on a full slate of candidates for next year's executive board, and we will also be voting on whether to amend our bylaws in a number of ways.  Other topics of discussion will be our May Teacher Appreciation Week festivities, our Disorientation Pizza Party, and our end-of-school luncheon for Uni staff.  Please join us!

Time is running out to send in your contributions to the PTSA's Uni cookbook!   "Uni_ted Around the Table: Celebrating Uni Kitchen" will feature beloved recipes from our potlucks, showcasing the rich cultural flavors that bring us together. We will include a “Potluck Dishes” section, a “Seniors" section of family favorites for students to take to college, and a “Freshman Pie Contest” section! Please submit your recipe(s) along with a brief note about the significance of the dish(es) and appropriate section(s) by March 31 to: https://createmycookbook.com/projects/uHW6EbAxo

Current sophomores and juniors! If you are considering taking U of I classes next year, you should attend one of two information sessions that will be held in March:
Concurrent Enrollment Information Session
Uni Period, Thursday, March 27 in Room 109
OR
Lunch Period, Friday, March 28t in Room 109
This information session is open to rising juniors and rising seniors only.

For anyone who missed the Carle volunteer informational session and would like to access the information shared, please view the video here: https://uofi.box.com/s/s1p51lgereexlzux0fjb8o8a0560518w
Also, you can see Ms. Amy to receive the handouts.

The Uni counselors see students for a variety of different reasons. Scheduling, connection to outside resources, mental health counseling, academic supports, summer opportunities, future career exploration and more. If you're interested in making an appointment with your counselor, please contact them directly or fill out the new form called "Counselor Appointments" on the "Resources" tab of the Uni website.

Trigger Warning: Suicide

Early intervention for declining mental health can be an important prevention measure for suicide. If you or someone you know are at an immediate risk of suicide, please dial 911. If you are having thoughts of suicide or suicidal ideation, please contact the resources below:
National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
Call Blackline support prioritizing BIPOC individuals: 1800-604-5841
Crisis Text Line: 741741
The Trevor Project LGBTQ Crisis Hotline: 1866-488-7386
Trans Lifeline: 1877-565-8860
We are here for you. You matter and we value you.