A year ago Elaine Gu didn't understand why people were into texting. Wouldn't a phone call be simpler? To satisfy her curiosity, she signed up for a basic texting plan. Now she gets it. Like AIM a decade ago, texting is yet another revolution in the way we communicate, and it's not going away anytime soon.

The end of May means a lot of things — finals, graduation, summer, three months of freedom, and most importantly the end of the current television season. More specifically, this Wednesday will mark the close of the seventh season of “American Idol.” Who will win? You might not care, but Lauren Piester does, so read on.

Every year, two or three students leave town as their parents go on sabbatical. Their travels can take them as far as Japan and Spain or as close to home as California. But no matter where they go, they're forced to adjust to a new way of life. Katherine Allen takes a look at sabbaticals and what it's like to be away from your comfort zone.