It's very clear that a large part of the literary canon is made up of work from African-American writers. In keeping with that, this week we will feature poetry written by African-American poets. From the Harlem Renaissance to modern spoken word and rap, blacks in America have had a huge impact on the poetry world. Check out this poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of the early black poets in America.

[AUDIO included] The Illineks played like a team ready to make some noise in the postseason as they overwhelmed conference opponent Judah Christian 7-0 Saturday, delivering 37 shots on goal against the visiting Tribe's zero. Four seniors scored on Senior Day, including Zoë Schein, who notched her first-ever Uni goal nine minutes into the game and added a second score (on a direct kick) with five minutes remaining.

[AUDIO included] The talented Alex Zhai adds the title of U.S. Physics Team member to his already long list of impressive academic accomplishments. Zhai will attend a training camp at the University of Maryland this May with the other 23 members of the team in hopes of becoming one of the five members of the U.S. Traveling Team, which will compete this July in the 39th International Physics Olympiad, to be held in Hanoi, Vietnam.

[AUDIO included] We've got the latest for you in "Poetry from the Gargoyle's mouth," with senior Erin Hayes reading a poem that she really likes called "one thirty-six a.m." It's definitely a thought-provoking poem with some cool images, so make sure to look inside for her rendition of it. Also, come back later this week for more poetry about artists and how they feel about their craft.

An audience of 90 Uni parents, students, and faculty members turned out tonight to hear Director/Principal Steve Epperson and Associate Provost Keith Marshall discuss a number of issues crucial to Uni High's future. The occasion was the Parent-Faculty Organization's annual Spring General Meeting, held this year at the Siebel Center. If you missed it, we've got the audio inside.

[AUDIO included] Check out the latest in "Poetry from the Gargoyle's mouth" inside. We kick off this week with senior Linda Song reciting a poem by e.e. cummings, a poet famous for his odd use of syntax and confusing sentence structure. Explore a little and give your creative side a small workout as you listen to "Next to of course god america i." Be sure to come back during the rest of the week for more war- and patriotism-related poetry.

[AUDIO included] For the 10th time in 11 years, Uni High is the state champion among small schools in the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) Academic Challenge. A team of 14 seniors coached by physics teacher Jim Carrubba won the Division 300 title this afternoon at the Illini Union. Three Uni students won first place in their individual categories: Ethan Berl (computer science), Joe Leigh (math), and Jennifer Roloff (physics).

[AUDIO included] We think it's time for a change. We're tired of the status quo. The walls need to crumble and poetry needs to be released into an arena that is much larger than just an English class. We want poetry to infiltrate the rest of the school, we want to find it in science classes, in bathrooms, and in the hallways. So we're doing something about it. We present to you "Poetry from the Gargoyle's mouth," our attempt to spread awareness about poetry to the Uni community and to get students, teachers, and parents involved with reciting and reading various kinds of poetry.

Now in her 11th year of teaching English at Uni High, Suzanne Linder has dealt with an unusually large number of plagiarism incidents this year. She has encountered five clear-cut instances of plagiarism and three others in which she suspects plagiarism. Because of this, she has written an open letter to the student body addressing the problem.

[AUDIO included] Charleston's Molly Ball entered today's contest against Uni High with nine goals to her credit in just two games. But thanks to a great defensive effort by freshman midfielder Amanda Hwu, the Illineks held the senior scoreless and went on to defeat the Class AA Lady Trojans, avenging last year's 7-1 loss.

With Uni's spring play, "Much Ado About Nothing," scheduled to open Thursday night, thespians Michelle Gao, Anna Gooler, and Lauren Piester reminisce about their adventures at Theatrefest, an annual convention for theater-lovers across the state. One of the only school-sponsored overnight trips, it proved once again to be an enlightening and worthwhile experience.

[UPDATED with audio] After spotting St. Thomas More a two-goal lead, the Uni girls varsity soccer team came back to defeat the visiting Sabers 3-2 Thursday at the DCR Soccer Complex. All of Uni's scoring came in the second half. Senior forward Aran Yoo scored the Illineks' first two goals, with an assist on each by her twin sister, Suran. Michelle Wong scored the winning goal, with an assist by fellow sophomore Elizabeth Russell. Uni's next game will be Tuesday at Class AA Urbana. The Illineks are 2-0.

[AUDIO included] Led by the scoring of sophomore Erika Belmont and senior Aran Yoo, the Illineks made their 2008 debut Tuesday with a stunning 2-1 defeat of the Class AA Centennial varsity. Senior Sarah Pfander was outstanding in her first game as varsity goalkeeper, making 13 saves. Next up: The Illineks will play another Champaign rival, St. Thomas More, on Thursday.

[AUDIO included] Modest and unassuming though she is, Jennifer Roloff has been getting a lot of attention lately for her musical talents. She won two major competitions in six weeks, and Saturday night she will perform an oboe concerto as a guest soloist with the Danville Symphony Orchestra. Assistant editor Jie Han caught up with her recently and found out more about this remarkable senior.

[AUDIO included] The calculator programming class taught by Ethan Berl, Chris Nixon, and A.J. Martinez during sixth hour was a hit this year. Students were taught basic aspects of programming while learning how to program games in the two final days of the week.