"My point is," writes Anna Cangellaris, "if you love something like art or athletics or theater or writing, make it the forefront of your focus. Don’t hide behind your calculus book or English texts simply because you have a knack for those subjects if they aren’t what you are passionate about. There are so many different things one can do, don’t try to conform to a mold and don’t let anyone ever put you in a box."

During her Uni years, Shivani Khanna got involved in a relationship that went from puppy love to lifelong commitment. Here's the story of how she got swept off her feet, thanks to the majestic inhabitant of the third floor: the Uni science department.

Sarah Pfander will be the first person to brag about her class, how cool and accomplished the seniors this year are. But, as she offers her congratulations and her best wishes, she hopes that this year's graduates will take some advice to heart.

"It would be nice if I could think of something profound and deep to leave to future students at Uni," writes Michelle Gao. "Unfortunately, all I can seem to think about right now is the odd feeling I have of wanting to leave quite terribly while also wanting to stick Uni in my pocket and take everyone with me everywhere."

"The last days finally come to a close," writes Jie Han. "It's almost over. I can taste its bitter sweetness in my mouth. They're turning us loose. We're about to leave high school. By the Great Cheese, what have they unleashed?"

"Every new wave, be it French, German or Blondie, arrives at the coast on the eve of fatigue, unease, and expiration," writes Kumars Salehi. "In other words — I am ready for my life to change."

Senior Andrea Park reminisces about her time with the ups and downs of her Uni High experience. Her thoughts were spurred when she noticed handprints in the lounge from a 1994 alum. "That day in the lounge I was, for the first time in a while, overwhelmed by how little and unimportant I am in the grand scheme of Uni things," she writes. "What, other than a handprint, will I leave for Uni?" She contemplates what she has left for Uni and what Uni has left her.

Gargoyle senior editor Carl Zielinski can't seem to make up his mind as to how he feels about his time at Uni. He definitely liked some things, and hated others, but in the end, "I can’t think of a place where I would have rather gone to high school."

Well, that's it, folks! Finals are over. All we have left are the disorientation picnic on Friday and, of course, graduation on Saturday. The senior editors, led by Michelle Gao and Carl Zielinski, leave you with their last edition of Cheers & Jeers!

Our generation isn't known for its activism. Some people assume that we all sit around and listen to our iPods, play on our Wiis, and watch trashy reality TV shows on our 300-inch HDTV screens as the world becomes an oven, innocent people continue to die and suffer because of neo-imperialism, and disease becomes more rampant and stronger. They assume that our generation is sitting and watching the world fall apart and we have nothing to say or do about it. Well, they haven't met Shara Esbenshade.

"I would not say that cycling is my passion," says competitive cyclist Ethan Stone. "Cycling isn’t a sport, a passion, a hobby; it's a lifestyle. The 'first rule of cycling' is to never stand when you can sit, and never sit when you can lie down. Energy conservation is everything, and I expend as little as energy as possible. It's all about saving everything for the bike." Learn more about Stone's commitment to biking in Rachel Skoza's profile of the senior standout.

“Whether we know it or not, our lives are governed by art,” says Anna Cangellaris. “To me art is the most emotional level of expression I can achieve. It's my creative outlet in which I interpret things I hear, see, and think, into lines, shapes, and colors that ultimately describe myself.” Learn more about what this soon-to-be art student has in mind as she looks ahead to a possible career in advertising.

No mention of the talented Class of 2008 is complete without Alex Zhai, gold medalist at the 2007 International Math Olympiad and current member of the U.S. Physics Team. But for all of the publicity he's received, how much do we really know about this modest, soft-spoken prodigy? Erika Belmont profiles this refreshingly laid-back genius.

As the first trumpet of Uni’s jazz band and orchestra, an all-state musician, an all-state actor, a member of the state-winning Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering Academic Challenge team, and the winner of multiple first-place awards at the 2008 Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics state contest, Ethan Berl does it all. Learn the secrets of his success and more as Elaine Gu profiles this Princeton-bound 16-year-old wunderkind.

For the week of May 5, the halls of Uni were filled with music and the infectious spirit of people giving back. It was X-Week, Uni's annual showcase of student fundraising activities created as a way of giving back to the community. Check inside to see how well Uni did in raising money for this year's charity, Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners.