U-High Midway

A few weeks ago on junior retreat, I sat with classmates, none of them my closest friends, talking. With an honesty and openness that I welcomed but hadn’t prepared for, we shared our struggles, fears and vulnerabilities. We listened to one another — really listened. 

It was transformative. Though our stories differed, it turns out we all find high school h...

The Midway is featuring athletes, selected at random, from school teams for informal interviews about their sports. Renn Henger is a ninth grader on the JV girls soccer team. Renn’s responses have been lightly edited for clarity, style and length. 

How long have you been doing soccer?

“I started when I was little, like probably around 7, and then I s...

The Midway is regularly featuring five recommendations from a staff member, highlighting their interests. This edition is summer-themed in anticipation of summer break. Sinziana Lazar is a junior and the opinion editor. 

Complete with Chicago gangsters and slap...

During her elementary school days, junior Saanika Dutta and her sister would constantly argue about lost belongings that they were unsure they owned. When this problem arose, Saanika felt an eagerness to solve it. This is when she encountered a machine learning model called Teachabl...

From performing in “The Tempest” at U-High to directing “Still Life,” a theater of testimony piece about a Vietnam War veteran that was performed on Broadway, Emily Mann has distinguished herself as a leading voice in American theater. A 1970 U-High graduate, Ms. Mann received the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of her work that centers on themes such as human ...