Diana Liu first noticed the practitioners of pencil twirling back in middle school. By her freshman year at Uni, they seemed to be everywhere. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to get the hang of it herself. But then she encountered the wisdom of twirling expert Tuli Bera, and her world changed. Be sure to check out the audio slideshow that accompanies Diana's article.

Gordon Ruan was one of just 42 students from around the nation selected to attend the Asian American Journalists Association's summer camp in Chicago. Whether they were hitting the streets in search of a story or kicking back in the Loyola University cafeteria, Gordon and his fellow campers enjoyed their taste of life away from home.

Over the summer, Gargoyle reporter Danny Ge visited the People's Republic of China. With high hopes of seeing a different Beijing and possibly getting tickets to an Olympic event, Danny left for Beijing on July 31. Did the city live up to his expectations? Check inside to find out.

[UPDATED with photos] Last year's seniors filled the lounge with balloons and covered the west-entrance sidewalk with elaborate graffiti as their class prank. How would the Class of 2008 top that? This morning the rest of Uni found out. Senior Anna Cangellaris takes us behind the scenes of the latest senior prank.

Senior Eunice How spent a week in Guatemala last month working with Mission Impact, a U.S.-based Christian organization devoted to helping the poor of that country. Check inside for Eunice's account of her experiences in Guatemala, "a beautiful country that opened my heart and broke it at the same time."

Almost the entire Class of 2008 went to the Wisconsin Dells on this year's senior trip. The seniors stayed in condos, about 12 students per suite, where they cooked their own food, hung out, relaxed, and enjoyed some class bonding. They also had a chance to swim and go skiing. Jie Han was in the thick of it all, and she brought back this first-person account.