WITH A DOZEN transfers, Uni has welcomed many new faces this year beyond the subfreshman class. Half of the transfers are sophomores, and half are freshmen. In our first installment, reporter Diana Liu introduced the sophomores.

In this installment, Lor Sligar talks to five of the freshmen: Nicholas Cho, Francois Dossin, John Hadley II, Robbie McMillen, and Milee Nelson. Despite her best efforts, Lor has been unable to get an interview with the sixth freshman, Kevin Kuo. We will add his Q&A to this article as soon as it becomes available.

NICHOLAS CHO

NICHOLAS CHO

Nicholas' graphic T's, thick-rimmed glasses, and alternative music tastes distinguish him from the crowd. Here's a little more information on the new freshman.

What’s your name?
Nicholas Cho.

How old are you?
Fourteen.

What school did you go to before Uni?
Franklin Middle School.

Why’d you decide to come to Uni?
My parents urged me to go to Uni. Plus, I wanted to see all my old friends.

What were you expecting coming in?
I expected there would be a lot of homework and studying. I also expected that people would treat me like an outcast at times.

Does Uni live up to your expectations?
Uni pretty much is what I thought it would be when I came.

What's the best part about Uni?
So far, free periods and getting to hang out with my friends during classes and lunch.

Worst part?
Too much homework and sometimes I get really bored or confused in my classes.

What's your favorite class?
PE.

Favorite teacher?
Mr. Vaughn [history teacher Billy Vaughn]. He seems pretty nice.

Favorites

• Color: Blue
• Food: Ramen
• Animal: Dog
• Song: "Crushcrushcrush" by Paramore
• Cartoon: None really
• Famous Person: Bruce Willis
• Smell: Hot, steaming food
• Time of Day: End of school
• Season: Fall/Autumn
• Book: "I am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
• Movie: "American Pie" (1 through 3)
• Disney Character: None; I never really liked Disney that much except for some of the movies
• Dinosaur: Bronchiasaurus
• Harry Potter Character: Hagrid

FRANCOIS DOSSIN

FRANCOIS DOSSIN

Francois is from France, obviously, and his older brother, Clement, was a transfer last year as a junior. Francois is fun and agreeable, which makes him a nice addition in the hallways. The accent doesn’t hurt, either.

What’s your name?
Francois Dossin.

How old are you?
[I am] 14 years old.

What school did you go to before Uni?
Collège Pierre Labitrie. I moved from France in 2007 and [attended] Next Generation.

Why’d you decide to come to Uni?
I decided to transfer to Uni because I heard that it was a good school.

What were you expecting coming in?
Good question …

What's the best part about Uni?
The people.

Worst part?
I don’t have any idea …

What's your favorite class?
Biology and history.

Favorite teacher?
I like them all equally.

Favorites

• Color: Blue
• Food: Papillotes
• Animal: Toucan
• Song: I have a lot of favorite songs
• Cartoon: "Boule et Bill"
• Famous Person: Zidane (Zizou)
• Smell: Lemon
• Time of Day: Morning
• Season: Summer
• Book: "Night" by Elie Wiesel
• Movie: "Ocean’s Eleven"
• Disney Character: Marty of "Madagascar"
• Dinosaur: Triceratops
• Mac or PC?: PC
• Harry Potter Character: I don’t like Harry Potter

JOHN HADLEY II

JOHN HADLEY II

John is the other freshman transfer from Next Generation in Champaign. With his fun and easygoing nature, he’s sure to be well-liked .

What’s your name?
John C. Hadley II.

How old are you?
Fourteen.

What school did you go to before Uni?
Next Generation.

Do you have any pets?
Three cats.

Why’d you decide to come to Uni?
I transferred here because it seemed like the ideal school.

What were you expecting coming in?
I expected it to be a little tough.

Does Uni live up to your expectations?
Yes.

What's the best part about Uni?
I am not really sure, but probably the open campus.

Worst part?
I have yet to find something so bad that I would label it “worst.”

What's your favorite class?
Biology.

Favorite teacher?
Mr. Stone [biology teacher David Stone].

Favorites

• Color: Purple
• Food: Potatoes
• Animal: Panda
• Song: I like all types of music; there is not really one specific song that I like the most
• Cartoon: It all just depends on what mood I am in
• Famous Person: There is no one person I really like all that much
• Smell: Brownies cooking in the oven
• Time of Day: After school
• Season: Summer
• Book: Fantasy books are my favorite out of all genres
• Movie: I watch a lot of movies; however, out of the main types I like comedies and action movies a lot
• Disney Character: Donald Duck or Goofy
• Dinosaur: T-Rex
• Harry Potter Character: Dobby

ROBBIE MCMILLEN

ROBBIE MCMILLEN

Since his favorite color is already orange, and because his favorite time of day is right when the majority of the Uni population begins their homework, Robbie is going to fit right in here.

What’s your name?
Robbie McMillen.

How old are you?
Fourteen.

What school did you go to before Uni?
Jefferson Junior High School [in] Naperville, a suburb of Chicago.

Why’d you decide to come to Uni?
[I] thought it sounded like the best school, [and I] liked the idea of being connected to the U of I.

What were you expecting coming in?
I don't know, just a good school with friendly people I guess.

Does Uni live up to your expectations?
Yes.

What's the best part about Uni?
Probably how trusting everyone is and how free and open it is.

Worst part?
[It's] just a ittle bit too small.

What's your favorite class?
Science [biology].

Favorite teacher?
Andi [Phillips], the health teacher.

Favorites

• Color: Orange
• Food: Spaghetti
• Animal: Cats
• Song: "When You Were Young" by the Killers
• Cartoon: "Calvin and Hobbes"
• Famous Person: I don't know
• Smell: I really don't have one
• Time of Day: 9 p.m.
• Season: Fall
• Book: "Shackleton's Stowaway" [by Victoria McKernan]
• Movie: "I am Legend"
• Disney Character: Aladdin
• Dinosaur: Stegosaurus
• Mac or PC?: Mac
• Harry Potter Character: Lupin

MILEE NELSON

MILEE NELSON

Uni’s speedy new swimmer and only female freshman transfer is bright and bubbly. A former Countryside student, Milee is also swimming for the Uni Killer Whales this year.

What’s your name?
Milee Nelson.

How old are you?
Fourteen.

What school did you go to before Uni?
Countryside.

Why’d you decide to come to Uni?
Because it’s better than the others. I didn’t get in subbie year.

What were you expecting coming in?
It has more homework and more people [than Countryside].

Does Uni live up to your expectations?
Yeah, it’s fun.

What's the best part about Uni?
The people are nice.

Which school do you like better?
I don’t know! They’re equal.

What's your favorite class?
History with Mr. Butler [Chris Butler].

Early bird or night owl?
Night owl.

Which did you stop believing in first, Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy?
The Tooth Fairy.

Favorites

• Color: Red
• Food: Pizza
• Music: Rock, like Boys Like Girls
• Disney movie: "Mulan"
• Regular movie: "10 Things I Hate About You"
• Book: The "Alex Rider" series
• Ice Cream: Cookies and cream