It is recommended that one should have a light, decent snack before a long run. It is recommended that one should eat a good meal before going on a long drive or airplane trip.

It is also recommended that one should consume a good meal before prom.

Finally! After much dread, the majority of the Uni High population have survived the end of year 5K.

So, what now? Never set foot outside again?

You'd miss a lot. You don't have to exercise hard, but a walk around your neighborhood is better than just being a couch potato. And with the gorgeous scenery and fabulous weather, you could even walk a 5K without knowing it!

It was 6 o'clock on a beautiful Saturday morning. The sun was out and shining brightly. Smells of frying eggs floated around the house. A beautiful, crisp day.

And it was freezing.

Even though I had been asleep for the past 10 hours, or around 1.4 school night's worth, I still didn't want to get up at the crack of dawn. After all, I still had a lot of sleep to make up.

The day before the long weekend, I was given a handout by my French teacher. It was for an event, the Fete Fantastique Francophone, a campus event held from 7-10 p.m. on Saturday. Not only would people be speaking French, but proceeds go to benefit the Democratic Republic of Congo's Independence Festival in Chicago.

These days, it seems like the price of almost everything is pretty darn high. Gas, food, bills … you name it. So is it any suprise that people are trying to cut corners and discounts out of the newspaper?

And if that doesn't work, then what? Spend the rest of your life paying off interest-only loans? Sell your soul to the big corporations? Modern-day slavery, but I won't go into that now.

With oil prices hovering around $110 per barrel and the average gas prices up around $3.28 per gallon, people are feeling the pinch in their wallets.

Have you been paying attention to the news recently? What’s your take on the Clinton-Obama race? Do you know anything about the Iraq war, besides the fact that “we” want to get out?

Do you have any idea of what’s going on in the world?

"Senior trip! Senior trip! Senior trip!"

All last week, my head was ringing. In fact, it took quite a bit of willpower and concentration to focus on more important things, like packing and signing permission slips. Guess who wasn't obsessed about the trip to the Wisconsin Dells?

Taxes. April 15th. The two commonly feared words that will cause dread and despair in the hearts of many. Even worse than the blue screen of death.

"Yay! Snow day!" That was my first reaction when I received the call from Dr. Epperson. I mean, who wouldn't want a day off school?

A snow day is pretty much an unexpected extra weekend day. I can do whatever I want and sleep in as late as I want. Cooking? As long as I don't make a mess. Reading? Go ahead. Surf the Net? If there's no blackout.

"Hey! I've got 1 Trade Request and 1 New Private Message!"

Several years ago, people were hooked on television. Remember all those studies linking TV viewing to bad grades and attitudes back long long ago? Or how parents used to say that watching too much television hurts your eyes? Those times seem so far away now that the era of speedy computers and wireless networks have arrived.

On the last weekend of winter break, I went with a couple of my friends to Market Place Mall. We were there to do our slightly late Christmas shopping.

Recently opened in the Market Place Mall area, Crazy Buffet (708 W. Town Center Blvd., Champaign) is a mostly Chinese buffet. It is a pretty decent place, with waiters standing nearby to pick up dirty dishes and refill water. They even came around to offer Sprite and Coke to the diners.

Wandering around Lincoln Square Mall before dinner, I’m amazed to see how empty and quiet it is. Once upon a time, it was a busy, bustling place full of people. But now, it seems more like a desert than a bazaar.