By Gargoyle senior editors
Posted Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, The OG, opinions

CHEERS

Who says we're too negative? We're all about positivity. Here are a few of our favorite things these days …

Spirit Week
Masses of people decked out in pink? A sudden preponderance of twins? The return of the hippies? Teachers playing volleyball? Spirit Week may have been a little strange, and it didn't galvanize a universal wave of school euphoria, but it was a nice little break from the usual.

Super Bowl
Everyone who's lived in Champaign-Urbana for more than a couple years has probably been to Indianapolis, Chicago, or both. The Super Bowl's always a pretty good time, but this year it was especially exciting for residents of what's usually a pretty dull area to live in.

Agora Days
What's more to say? A much-needed break from our regular schedule is coming up soon, and for those going on the concurrent Habitat for Humanity trip to the Mississippi Delta, a chance to experience a new environment. Make way for what is arguably Uni's greatest tradition.

All-State Musicians
Six Uni students were invited to participate in IMEA's All-State Music Conference from Jan. 25 to 27. Congratulations to Ethan Berl, Alex Cahill, Daisy Hassani, Paige Martin, Jennifer Roloff, and Lucy Zhang! They represented our school magnificently.

Marilyn Upah-Bant's Legacy
Over her 15-year tenure at Uni, Marilyn Upah-Bant made countless contributions to the well-being of the school, first as a journalism teacher and adviser, then as the longtime director of development and alumni relations. She was the glue that held Uni together, the straw that stirred the drink … well, you get the picture. Though we'll all miss her, we truly appreciate her role in making Uni all that it is, and hope that she enjoys her new job at the Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research.

JEERS

Well, old habits are hard to break. Here are a few (good-natured) jabs. Now that we're online, we've taken our fair share of hits, too — in the comments section and elsewhere …

Epidemic
Waves of illness have struck in the last couple weeks, resulting in record numbers of absences. As much as one-sixth of the student population was out sick last week. With the young and the old alike dropping like flies, we have to wonder how long it'll be before we can see all our friends together at the same time. At least there's been less competition for resources like pizza and bathroom time.

A New Ice Age
After spending most of the winter making cute little comments about how global warming was starting to take hold, we've spent the last week or so desperately scouring the garbage for our old winter coats and mittens before we start losing body parts to frostbite. Al Gore's credibility has taken yet another hit.

No Snow Day
Speaking of which, Tuesday's snowfall had us yearning for that most non-Uni of treats — a snow day, or at least an early dismissal. Come on, Powers That Be, we know you want a day off, too.

Rules, Rules, Rules!
Is high school becoming the new middle school? Not only were we not allowed to grind without being kicked out of this year's winter formal, but we weren't allowed to leave early without calling our parents first. We're curious: Will we be able to walk across the street to Derald's without an adult holding our hands this time next year?

Comment Chaos
We appreciate all the comments we've been getting to our articles on the Online Gargoyle, but it'd be nice if all the neat people signing their comments with cool cognomens like “J-Killa” and “Spearmintt” would just use their real names. As much as we all miss fourth grade, we prefer grown-up conversations now.