Like many of my peers, (at least that's what I told myself growing up), I spent much of my free time in front of a computer screen playing The Sims. Perhaps it was a need to feel I was in control of something. Maybe it was because I wanted to live vicariously through the lives of my Sims. Or maybe, it was because I wanted to see how much mayhem ... [Read More…]

Just 350 words. That's it. After working in journalism for six years, you'd think I could write 350 words about carpet texture, and certainly 350 words on a topic of my choice. But almost weekly, I am assigned to write a column. And almost weekly, I face the same challenge: writer's block, that accursed affliction stumping writers of all ages, ... [Read More…]

We are always waiting for the next big thing to happen. Whether it is a subconscious thought process or a recognized feeling, it seems almost everyone believes his life is on the verge of something. Some are looking for a new and better job; others are about to graduate and enter into adulthood. Still others are hoping to finally stumble upon true ... [Read More…]

You know you're a Church of Christ kid if you've been on the wrong end of a disfellowshipping joke. I like to consider myself well versed in the doctrinal heritage of the Church of Christ, but this practice is quite foreign to me. Growing up, I knew only two things about disfellowshipping: it wasn't something you wanted to happen to you, and you ... [Read More…]

I am the poster child for suburbia. I am a white, middle-class college student with two parents, a sister and a dog. The only thing in my favor when it came to filling college quotas was the fact I'm a woman. My life has been smooth sailing to this point. And it hasn't helped me a bit. A life without hardship is a precursor to a life without ... [Read More…]