The Uni High chess team finished in 11th place overall and first among small schools today in the 118-school IHSA state chess tournament at the Peoria Civic Center. Three Uni players ended the day in the top 10 of their respective boards: Gordon Ruan (7th place, Board 1), Alex Zhai (10th place, Board 2), and Geoffrey Beck (4th place, Board 3).

"American Idol" is back, and No. 1 fan Lauren Piester wouldn't miss a minute of it. "I've pretty much seen every audition ever aired," she writes, "so while I'm not planning on auditioning for myself until after high school (if the show's still on by then, and if I can sing better), I've got some tips for anyone who is planning on it next year."

The "Call of Duty" franchise has taken a turn as it's dropped the World War II premise and moved into modern times with "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare." Was this a good move on developer Infinity Ward's part? And how is the actual gameplay? Check inside for Danny Ge's final verdict.

Uni students love to talk about sleep, or the lack thereof. Count Maritza Mestre among them, but what she's really a fan of is dreaming. "After a day that’s too long, sometimes the only prospect I have to look forward to is finally sleeping the whole day away," she writes. "And not just sleeping and waking up to a new day, but dreaming of something else completely. Something that isn’t what you’re used to, but what your mind longs for."