The search for places to chill is in full swing for many people out there. It’s almost summer and people are wondering where they should go to enjoy sunshine but at the same time not feel burned out by it. Some want to spent their time in different activities such as picnics, swimming, and mountain climbing. Some just want to stay at home. But did you know that there are many places for you to cool off during the summer months? Before you go looking for fun places that might require you to travel several miles away from your town, there are some great summer hot spots locally that you might have missed. Here are some places you might want to add to your summer hot spots itinerary:

1. Mall/Shopping Outlets: Although going in these kind of places might tempt different people to splurge and spend too much on unnecessary things, the mall doesn’t always have to be the place you call your ’guilty pleasure’. The mall can be a place where you can hang out with your best buds and just chill. Chances are, you might encounter people from your school and this would give you a chance to reunite with them. “One of the places I usually hang out during the summer is definitely the mall,” says UHS student Lisa Kandil. “I can hang out with my friends while catching up what is on style, which is really amazing.”

2. Library/Bookstores: So, if you are fascinated by books, or you’re just a plain bookworm, then libraries or bookstores might be really ideal for a person like you. Can’t blame you though, places like Barnes and Noble really give you a welcoming atmosphere. “The library offers tons of great books to occupy your time,” says UHS student, Marissa Jackson. From magazines, to graphic novels, they have it all. For sure you’re not just wasting your time in places like these, even though it’s summer, you are still enhancing and improving your knowledge skills.

3. Cafes: If you’re in the mood of a quiet and relaxing place to be in, then cafes like Starbucks probably suit you. Starbucks sells espresso-based hot or cold drinks, salads, hot and cold sandwiches, pastries, snacks, and items such as mugs and tumblers. The soothing music and the aroma of the coffee makes you feel relaxed and at home. It’s a place for you to be away from the stress of our daily routines.

4. Pool/Resorts: The best place to cool off, right? This only does not give you the luxury to enjoy and have a blast, but this also gives you and your family good bonding time. “When it is especially hot, it is fun to go to the pool especially with friends,” says UHS student Miriam Mueller. If you want to enjoy the heat of the sun and maybe get a tan, then this will surely be the place for you to do that.

5. Parks: Where else can you get fresh air and enjoy the nature? The park, right? If you’re an outdoor kind of person, then no doubt you love going to local parks around the area.  Besides the fresh air, there are lots of fun activities you can do in the park. “Parks are really fun to be in, it’s a great place to meet new people,” says UHS student, Caitlynn Russell. You can either play tennis, soccer, go hiking, or jog. These activities allow you to get active, at the same time take your mind off things you’re involved of at the moment.

So, there you go. Those are some of the places you can spend your time on during the summer months. Have a great summer everyone!

With the school year being almost over most people are thinking about what they can do during the summer with their free time. Well there’s always the possibility of getting a job this summer. Summer is usually the best time for a student to get a job, because during summer most students aren’t distracted by school work, sports or other school related activities. It’s also the time of year when finding a job could be the most difficult, especially if everyone you know is also trying to find work in the city.

While finding a job itself is hard, it can be even harder if you aren’t 16 yet. It’s almost a proven fact that most jobs that hire teenagers look for teens that are at least 16 years of age.”The employers that do contact the school are those looking for students age 16 and older, not the younger (14/15) student”, says Mr. Furrer. While this may put upper classmen like juniors and seniors at a higher advantage, it puts younger students like freshman and sophomores at a disadvantage. That’s not to say that they shouldn’t just have to wait until they turn 16 to get a job. There are alternatives for students who want to get jobs that aren’t 16 yet. Freshmen who want jobs could always sign up for WECEP if they’re interested in finding a job for themselves. Basically WECEP is a program that helps freshman find jobs that they can do during a few hours of school and even outside it. The work hours during school are from 3^rd to 6^th hour, and they are excused from P.E. Most of the jobs however are fast food jobs, but the students still get paid money like a regular employee depending on how many hours they work. Students could also have their parents help them find jobs for them. “I don’t think that I could find a job by myself before I turn 16, but my mom told me she could help me get a job before I turn 16,” says Jeronden Dorsey.

For sophomores, however, who are looking for jobs have to get a work permit if they’re under 16. What a work permit normally does is give the student permission to work once the student applies for a job. Students can get work permits from Ms. Ouska at the Guidance office. Once the student fills out their job application, they have to show it to Ouska, and then can ask for a work permit. Once they receive the work permit, both it and the application have to be turned in when the student begins working at his/her job.

Summer jobs help students do a lot of things, buy cars, phones, help pay for college, etc. Most students get jobs because they like having money and like showing they’re capable of being responsible about it. Remember, jobs aren’t like school work, you can’t just do it all over next year, students and people in general have to prove they are determined enough by giving it all when working for someone. If not then they’re either going to get fired or be stuck doing the things no one else wants to do. Jobs are important even if you don’t like them you still have to do it if you want to get money from them. So if you do get a job this summer, give it your best.

With summer just around the corner, girls at Urbana High School are on the hunt for the season’s hottest swimsuits. From neon colors to polka dot bikinis, there’s sure to be a trend that will suit your style. This summer though, be sure to purchase a swimsuit that is not only fashionable, but also flattering to your shape. While some styles of swimsuits may look great on retouched, Amazonian supermodels who don’t eat, they might not have the same effect on everyone. Rest assured though, this article isn’t here to tell you to starve yourself to “look good;” here at The Echo, we believe in embracing who you are. The goal of this guide is to help each girl at UHS find her perfect swimsuit, no matter her shape or style preference.

For the Athletic Girl

Do you have a lean frame and long, skinny legs? Are your shoulders more on the broad side from working out or playing sports? If so, you’re an athletic body type! Athletic shapes look great in almost everything, especially bikinis that highlight your toned tummy and long torso. If you want to add softness to your frame, ruffled tops can boost your bust and give you an air of femininity. Monokinis also look exceptional on the athletic body type: the side cut outs give you the illusion of having hips while showcasing your slender figure.

For the Curvy Gal

In the past, fuller-figured women were considered the most beautiful because eating decadent food was a sign of wealth. While being healthy is important, it’s important to remember that “healthy” for everyone doesn’t necessarily mean skinny. If you’re a curvy girl, that’s just who you are and part of what makes you gorgeous! Don’t shy away from swimsuit shopping or lounging at the pool because you don’t look like the girls in “Seventeen;” instead, flaunt what you’ve got. One-piece suits with spandex and shapewear fabric can help smooth over areas you may be self-conscious about, but don’t limit yourself to dowdy suits that hide you! Bold colors and feminine details can transform a one-piece into a showstopper. And just because you’re curvy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear a two-piece: opt for suits with sturdy tops that will support your bust and shape it nicely (basically, underwire and straps are good, and spaghetti halters and no padding triangle tops are not).

For the Hour-Glass

If your chest and hips are the same measurements, but your waist is six to ten inches smaller, you are an hourglass! The suits I have found to look best on an hourglass are either bikinis with plain tops (no ruffles) or bandeau one-pieces. Bikinis show off your shape, and don’t look trashy as long as the top doesn’t look busy or leave you spilling over. One-pieces on the other hand highlight your tiny waist and help keep your chest in check because of the bandeau neckline. Red and black colored suits will give you a bombshell vibe and help expose your inner starlet!

For the Girls with Junk in the Trunk

Hey, some girls have it going on in the bottom department. If such a statement applies to you, shop for swimsuits where the pieces are sold separately to allow you to buy the correct sized bottom and top (not a single-size set). If you want to add a touch of femininity to your look, opt for a skirted bottom. Swim-skirts are very trendy this season, and will offer more coverage in the bottom department if you want it.

I wish you luck in your swimsuit shopping adventures, and have a great time flaunting your final purchase at the pool!

What did you think of Mandy’s suggestions, UHS? Did these tips help you? Comment below

Surprisingly enough, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois has an impressive collection of Mexican restaurants. My personal favorite Mexican restaurant happens to be the local, Fiesta Cafe. This is not intended to take anything away from the other restaurants.
Personally, I just like a plethora of things about it. For one, I like the hospitality of the place, with the friendliness of the waiters. But most of all, I thoroughly enjoy the refreshing margaritas. Just kidding. I really appreciate the authenticity of the food.

When I go to Fiesta Cafe, I usually either get the Bean Burrito, or the Enchiladas.  Also, I know this sounds ridiculous for a Mexican restaurant, but Fiesta’s Mexican Fries are delicious.

My second favorite local Mexican restaurant is Mas Amigos. Now I’ve only been to this eating establishment a few times, but every time I was there, I heavily enjoyed my self, and I think my stomach would definitely agree.

When I go to Mas Amigos, I usually get the beef tacos or the enchiladas.

The restaurant that comes in my third place is El Toro.  I really enjoy the food, but sometimes it seems that the cooks don’t really take their time with their meals.  But I do enjoy the authenticity of the place.  The waiters and waitresses also seem very nice.

When I go to EL Toro I get the Vegetarian E. That is a Bean Burrito, Enchilada, a Cheese Quesadilla, and a Tostada.

My fourth place is Dos Reales.  And if you dine at Mexican restaurants, you are probably thinking “WHAT?! I LOVE DOS REALES!” I know this because I really only hear positive remarks about Dos Reales.  But I beg to differ.  Even though the atmosphere is nice, the food taste very microwave-type food.  It always looks the same every time I go, and it comes very quickly. And I know that seems like a good thing, but that might be a sign that the food is already made and not very fresh.  Don’t get me wrong, I used to like Dos Reales, in my opinion though, it has gone down hill.

When I go to Dos Reales, I usually order a Beef Burrito, a Bean Burrito, or a Quesadilla.

Over the years South Park has made fun of a lot of cultures, celebrities, religions and politics. However South Park has never actually been unable to show and mention a person on South Park. Due to a threat from  www.revolutionmuslim.com, Comedy Central not only censored an image of Muhammad on the episode April 20, which was its 200th episode, but all mentions of his name as well as a speech at the end about not giving in to fear and intimidation which, interestingly enough didn’t even have Muhammad mention in it to begin with. So why, why would Comedy Central censor its highest rated show on its most watched episode that evening? “In the 14 years we’ve been doing South Park we have never done a show that we couldn’t stand behind. We delivered our version of the show to Comedy Central and they made a determination to alter the episode. It wasn’t some meta-joke on our part. Comedy Central added the bleeps. In fact, Kyle’s customary final speech was about intimidation and fear. It didn’t mention Muhammad at all but it got bleeped too,” says Trey Parker and Matt Stone the creators of South Park.

Another question that needs answering is why would Comedy Central give in to a terrorist threat? The fact that they would give into terrorist demands makes this issue blown out of proportion. South Park makes fun of all kinds of religions. In fact, when they first showed Muhammad on South Park he was shown to be a part of a group of religious figures in super friends cartoon-like fashion. Sure the episode was partially making fun of Muhammad, but that episode was also making fun of every celebrity that was ever made fun of on South Park. There were at least 70 other celebrities that were made fun of as well as several other religious figures like Buddha and Jesus Christ, both of whom were made fun of a lot worse than Muhammad has ever been made fun of on South Park.

“It doesn’t mean anything”, says Asif Ali. If you weigh the odds on how many more inappropriate things Comedy Central has let South Park do and say on their show, then them censoring this episode seems like a bad case of judgment on their part.

With a worthwhile plot line and magnificent stage presence, the play My Favorite Year creates theater the old-fashioned way. The UHS drama club’s version of My Favorite Year captures a long-lost time and place to perfection through the use of very clever dialog, humorous situations, and casting that is nearly as perfect as can be. An excellent play from top to bottom, indeed.

The story, involves a dissolute matinee idol named Alan Swann, played by Noah Gehrmann, and his scheduled appearance on a live television variety show, Your Show of Shows. Told through the eyes of junior writer Benjy Stone, played by Sean Smith, who idolizes Swann, the play requires unusual skills for Gehrmann to show off and stretch his comedic skills. Mostly associated with the great performances in the past drama club plays, it’s a delight watching Gehrmann play this swashbuckling souse with such confident composure. Sean Grady, playing King Kaiser, truly performed the part wonderfully, as he seems to have that definite edge in him that fit the Kaiser’s personality in the play. Smith has the put-upon look of exasperation down to a science, and gets to use it very well in the scenes with his overbearing mother, Belle May Steinberg Carroca, played by Joanna Nowak. Nowak showcased her role with a different ethnicity that really differentiates her from the rest of the characters in the play.

Director and drama club adviser, Gregory Chew, shows a nice comedic touch in letting the more subtle humor shine through and many of the jokes are almost lost in the surrounding mayhem, but they are all very catchy and most definitely funny. Although this play was thoroughly enjoyable, there were a lot of different characters that make it hard for audiences to keep track of and know who’s playing what character. The scene where Smith realizes that he is going to appear on live television and his excited-can’t-wait-reaction to that information is a classic.

The effort to keep Swann sober during the week leading up to the show, and the things he begins to discover about Swann as he goes into the process, nearly drives Benjy to the brink. When he’s given an unexpected glimpse into Swann’s broken heart Benjy learns about human frailty. Benjy succeeds in making his show a success- which then makes the year 1954, his favorite year. This play is a mixture of tragedy, comedy, and love which gives its audience the satisfaction that the play itself guarantees first and foremost.

This has been a wild year, especially for Freshman (like me!) still getting used to high school. From Homecoming, to the several times we had to evacuate the building, to all the sporting events that happen after school, it’s been a blast.

I’ll admit that before the year started, I was a little worried about getting around in only 4 minutes, and being told that the high school was huge, it was a little scary at first. Now, that’s laughable. I get around really easily. Most of the time, I get to my class with over a minute to spare. Sometimes I get to my class with 2-3 minutes to spare, and I have never gotten a tardy detention–yet. Hopefully never!

Another fear of mine were the hard classes, but that wasn’t nearly as big as my ‘getting to class in time and seeing my way around the school’ fear. The classes now seem really easier than I anticipated, but also let me know what classes I would like to move up to AP Prep next year as a sophomore.

Here are some experiences from other students:

“I was pretty scared of Final Exams,” Freshman Christa Lee said. “I was just thinking that Final Exams determined if you passed the class of not. If you got a bad grade, you don’t pass. Now, I think they are very helpful (if you do well on the test) to boost your grade up to pass,” she said.

I guess now that I think of it, I was pretty scared of final exams. The fact is, that’s basically what the WHOLE semester is for. To get you ready for the final exam for that class. If you listen, do the homework, and study, you should do well on the test.

When I first came to UHS, I had a little trouble getting around, but once I figured out that the first number of the room number indicated what floor I was on, it was much easier, and I pretty much memorized in my head the locations of my classes, it really wasn’t that hard after a couple weeks.

Let’s see other kid’s strategies for getting around.

“All I did was memorize the floor layout of the school because the layouts are very similar,” Prather said. “I actually laid the maps (that we got at the beginning of the school year of the school) over each other and they looked exactly the same,” he said.

“I really didn’t have a strategy,” Lee said. “I just tried to remember the room numbers and I remember what places they are by. Like Ms. Leighton’s room (2175) is by Ms. Hammond’s office,” she said.

My favorite event that happened this year would probably be the obvious choice: Homecoming, but I also liked the Winter music festival assembly. That was fun hearing the choir sing and the joyful mood around the assembly.

Let’s here from some Freshman about their experiences in High School.

“I think Homecoming week was exciting,” said Freshman Hansen Cao. “I liked all the different dress up days and the assembly in the gym to show our pride,” Cao said. Cao also said the biggest differences in his mind between high school and middle school were that there are more of a variety of classes and the high school is larger than the middle school.

“I think I liked the Silent day, where a lot of people were quiet for the day,” Prather said on one of his favorite events.

High school also has provided athletic opportunities to Freshman to represent their school. Let’s get perspective from an athlete. “My favorite memory was scoring in a Varsity (football) game. It was nerve wrecking and exciting at the same time,” said Cameron Mammen on playing a Varsity football game this past Fall. Mammen also said starting a Varsity football game as a Freshman is another great memory of this year.

This year has been awesome, and I don’t know about you, but it has gone by so fast. Every year of high school is going to be more fun than the last, and also faster too. Also, good luck in-coming Freshman!

If you are not familiar with the world of hip hop, or you just don’t pay much attention to new hip hop music that is released because of the lack of quality lately, then you are probably not familiar with the new and upcoming artist, B.o.B., a.k.a. Bobby Ray. B.o.B. recently released his debut album on April 27, 2010, titled ‘B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray.’ I bought the album (yes, bought it) the day it came out, because I was so excited to hear what B.o.B. could actually do. Yes I had heard a few tracks from his mixtape, but I didn’t actually listen to enough of him to figure out if I enjoyed his music. So I decided just to patiently wait for his album release and occasionally listen to some of his mixtape tracks.

So I finally heard the whole body of work that just came out, with a few tracks that were leaked, and I over all liked the album, as expected. Before I got the album I could tell that B.o.B. was a very talented young man, and that shows on all of the tracks. Besides rapping, Bobby Ray sings, plays guitar, plays the piano, and produces a lot of his own beats.

I really liked the fact that B.o.B really shows his versatility and eclectic musical taste. For example, he can do a soulful song like “The Kids” (featuring Janelle Monae) and still do a really dirty southern rap song like “Bet I” (featuring T.I. & Playboy Tre.) He is actually also signed to T.I.

My only problems with the album is this, B.o.B. is a very talented musician, but with a hip hop perspective, he is a little bit lyrically weak. His rhyme scheme is very simple with elementary rhyming words, and lack of compound syllables, metaphors, and wordplay. The album also seemed kind of short to me. It only had 12 track on it. Before it was released, it was said that the album would have 13 tracks and three bonus tracks. But it had one less than that and no bonus tracks when I bought the hard copy of the album.

But I actually think it is a great album overall. My favorite tracks are:

*”Don’t Let Me Fall,” because of the hook that he sings and his double-time type flow. (He’s rapping fast).
*”Past My Shades ft. Lupe Fiasco,” because Lupe’s verse is awesome.
*”Airplanes ft. Haley Williams of Paramore & Eminem,” because I really enjoy Haley’s voice on the hook, and Eminem killed his verse.
*”Bet I ft. T.I. & Playboy Tre,” because of the beat, everyone had a good verse, and the southern feel to it.

I give this album 4 microphones out of 5.