U-High Midway Audio

At 8:30 a.m. on April 9, the sound of pulsing music and cheers poured out of Judd C116 into the rest of the high school building. One would’ve thought it was a chaotic student-led gathering, but it was the 10th-grade End-of-Year Energizer, a diversity, equity and inclusion assembly. For one of their last assemblies of the year, the sophomores were going to reflect on the work they’d done and engage in service learning in a new, interactive way.

Girl Scouts around America sit at tables stacked with cookie boxes outside grocery stores, churches and schools. Ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade, Girl Scouts sell these cookies every winter. The season for Girl Scout cookie selling starts in early January and ends at the end of March. While Girl Scout cookie selling was traditionally a door-to-door service, the sales are almost all online now. Emilia thinks that this change might have had something to do with COVID-19. 

The Laboratory Schools coffee shop has added new seasonal drinks to its menu, and the new name for the shop is being voted on by students. The coffee shop is an important staple in Lab life, for students and adults alike.

Every Wednesday at lunch, the U-High Film Society teaches students with basic filmmaking skills like using their phones, to work with actual equipment to portray stories through film.

In recent years, electric cars have taken to the streets, joining the plethora of cars that jam the highway, expressways and city streets. And the number of these electric cars are just growing as time goes on.

Although a classical piece may not be one of the first songs that pop up in your Spotify playlist, some people find classical music to be as enjoyable as pop songs. Those people are able to appreciate the beauty and passion that goes into making pieces rather than simply insult classical music for not being mainstream.

Ninth grader Ian Benert has been learning Bulgarian since he was little, and can now speak at home with his parents and grandmother. Being able to communicate in his ethnic language has helped Ian strengthen his bond with his family and his culture.

Ninth grader Priya Yamada spent six months forced to sit out of dance class because of a severe injury. An injury, which prevents her from ever dancing on her toes in pointe shoes. Now, as she’s become a member of an advanced group of dancers at the Hyde Park School of Dance, Priya has to examine what it means to grow in ballet outside of pointe.

As students become more culturally aware, affinity groups gain popularity at U-High. Mariam Jalloh, the co-president of the Black Students' Association, describes her experience as a member of BSA and the effect it had on her time at U-High.

Since the U-High Podcast Club’s creation in September 2023, members have been working toward the goal of helping students and faculty members understand one another outside of the classroom, and after months of preparation they have released their first episode, asking long time community members and new teachers about their experiences at Lab.

For both new-to-Lab students and lifers, the girls swimming team provided an inclusive community and opportunities for connections across grade levels that still persist even after the season has ended.

Two of the girls on the U-High tennis team, Isabelle Ji and Sofia Ansari, take private lessons outside of school to improve their tennis skills during the off season. The intersection of team and individual play has resulted in their boosted confidence and self realization, impacting them both on and off the court.

Unlike middle school, due to the elective process, high school P.E. electives are made up of ninth graders, sophomores and juniors. The elective process allows ninth graders to grow with more freedom for them to choose their own classes based on their interests.

Computers. For U-High students, computers mean a lot, with many school assignments being posted online on Schoology and/or Turnitin.com. Computers also represent independence, especially for students who come from the environment of school-supplied Chromebooks in Lab’s middle and lower schools.

Opened in 2017 by Hyde Park native Charles Stevenson, East Village's School Of Rock Chicago West was a loving yet small music community until a recent boom in business.

Students are seizing opportunities to accelerate their progress in the math curriculum, whether by doubling up or testing out of certain math courses.

For seniors who have been at the Laboratory Schools for their entire lives, known as “Lab lifers,” the end of the school year is most definitely bittersweet. High school is a time of immense growth, both academically as well as personally, and many students have grown a sentimental attachment to the school over the years.

The growth and popularity of BookTok has helped many people, primarily teenagers, gain or regain a passion for reading.

In a world where cultural identity is often connected to personal expression, music serves as a powerful way for students to connect with their culture. For many U-High students, music is more than just entertainment; it’s a direct link to their cultural roots. Whether it’s the traditional songs of their culture or modern sounds of their homeland, music serves as a powerful way to preserve and celebrate cultural legacies.

A culture of toxicity prompts thoughts and concerns from those who identify as male at U-High, a majority of whom have experience in these spaces, locker rooms or elsewhere.

On Tuesday, Oct. 31, Halloween morning, parents and costumed students filed into Earl Shapiro Hall for the annual Halloween parade. Children ran off to their classrooms to set down their bags while adults congregated in the lobby, exchanging pleasantries as members of the band, instruments in hand, prepared to lead the parade. 

After the Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, tensions were high. Abortion opponents praised the decision, and abortion rights supporters protested, fearing what it would mean for reproductive rights long term.

Since then, abortion opponents have pressed for limits to how people in different states are allowed to get abortions, including the medication abortion. The issue is making its way through the courts, and could be answered by the Supreme Court as early as late May. 

The attempt to ban medication abortions focuses on one of the two pills used in this method, mifepristone.

Phillip Sudderberg has loved drumming since he was a child, and brought that passion into his job teaching English at Lab.

Jazz band helps students develop an appreciation for the art, and they are able to stylistically reproduce sheet music bringing it to life. Through jazz, students continue a tradition and add their own spin, demonstrating true musicianship.

The quick nature of TikTok videos makes them highly addictive and hard to stop watching. Many students have found TikTok to be consuming their focus and taking away from the effort put into schoolwork. And now, some are slowly opting to delete the app in an effort to reclaim their focus and concentration.

The University of Chicago has recently deployed patrol cars. The cars’ green lights are hard to miss, and many students living in Hyde Park and in other places have noticed their presence. Some of them feel safer knowing they are patrolling a place with tendencies of crime. For others, cars do not provide comfort or security.

Science Olympiad is a STEM club where students with interests in a variety of scientific topics can express their passion for science. Throughout the Science Olympiad season, students create a page-long cheat sheet, work on build events and study in preparation for their events. Science Olympiad is an academically rigorous club that requires both students' time and commitment.

The track and field team is getting better throughout the season, especially for the athletes doing cross country and indoor track in the off season. This resulted in a strong showing at an early March meet.

The lifeguarding unit is now offered to U-High students after a hiatus during the pandemic. At the end, if tests are passed, the student will obtain an American Red Cross lifeguard certification. This opens up job opportunities.

Sohrab Rezaei has chosen an unorthodox pathway in the college process, choosing to attend Wabash Valley Community College, a two-year  college, over a four-year college. His choice demonstrates how people’s decisions are their own and that if given the chance, they should live their life trying to pursue their dream.

For many high school students who visit the Pritzker Traubert Family Library to study or read, a shush has become a pretty familiar and frequent phrase uttered around the library. The librarians are increasingly having to regulate noisy gatherings and conversations, especially around the back tables.

Since March 3, U-High students have been meeting twice a week to learn about and perform bhangra, a traditional Punjabi dance. This practice is in preparation for their tribute concert to Lata Mangeshkar, a famous Indian playback singer and music composer, on May 7.

Taylor Swift is an example of what often happens to women when they find themselves in the spotlight or reach positions of power: They can be picked apart, judged by different standards and disrespected, a direct result of internalized misogyny. 

Co-captains Isabella Alvarez and Lydia Gilbert have organized a water polo club team for the spring sports season and hope to build a supportive, close-knit community for their team members.

U-High’s beatmaking club was created this year, giving students the opportunity to create digital music while socializing. Through the club, students have discovered new interests and gained an appreciation for their peers’ talents.

For ArtsFest on March 1, the Alumni Relations and Development office hosted the Candy Creations Made with Care workshop. Students worked together to fill up jars and goodie bags with sweet treats, to be donated to shelters for homeless and domestic violence victims.

Some U-High fencing team members signed up for the P.E fencing elective and were able to continue doing what they enjoy while expanding their skillsets. Fencing team members Jack Fleming and Angela Zhang talk about their experiences in both the elective and on the team.

While the majority of students have a relaxed day, ArtsFest can be a nerve-wracking experience for students who run workshops for the first time, as they spend great time planning for the event. In fact, some students share that they have grown through the experience.

In addition to the academic stimulation of building and programming, members of U-High's FRC robotics team find that the social element makes for a feeling of camaraderie and widespread friendship within the group.

For 18-year old seniors, the first time voting experience in the Nov. 8 election signifies a rite of passage on the path to become a more involved, engaged citizen and a moment of reflection on the cherished right to vote.

In 2008, Barack Obama won a historic election, making him the first African American President of the United States. His campaign, running on a central idea of “hope” empowered voters across the nation. Now, 13 years after he initially took office in 2009, his foundation continues the ideals of his presidency in the building of the Obama Presidential Center. Could this be a new hope for Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods?

A 15th birthday celebration for many students isn’t just a signifier for another year they’ve been alive but a marker of when they can learn to drive. At the age of 15, people can start driving and even get their permit. For some they have been waiting for this freedom since they were young, but for others the idea of driving isn't something they've always been excited about.

On May 13, the girls soccer team won the IHSA 1A Regional Championship, beating Morgan Park Academy 8-0. As the team celebrates its achievement and moves into the postseason, its success is in part due to the memorable relationships formed between supportive teammates and coaches. These bonds provide the necessary environment for learning, discovery and development: the perfect atmosphere for not only personal growth, but growth as a cohesive team.

Settling in Hyde Park poses many challenges for refugees, and in a church in Hyde Park, among other places, they utilize tutoring, ESL programs and other forms of aid. Much of this aid comes from U-High volunteers, whose service work helped them gain better attitudes and perspectives.

Ye West – more commonly known as Kanye West – has been a controversial topic of discussion both at and beyond U-High. However, despite controversies, some fans have remained loyal because of the lessons of persistence and confidence that he’s taught students.

Throughout the month of Ramadan, U-High room C121 offers a quiet refuge from the sight, sounds and smells of lunch for Muslim students observing Ramadan.

Junior Samara Arain, who spends some of her lunch periods in C121, said, “It's just a space for people who are fasting to come and just like hang out so that we don't have to, like be around people who are eating food, if that like bothers some people.”

Through service learning, Lucas Caldentey unlocked a new passion for working with kids, as he helps them through their problems day by day, and gets to watch them grow.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 23 million American households either adopted or purchased puppies during the pandemic. These pandemic puppies have since grown into delightful dogs, continuing to improve the mental health of their owners as they transition back into in-person activities.