This past summer, Elaine Gu and her friends would sometimes just randomly burst out and exclaim, "We're going to be seniors!" However, the reality of it all hasn't sunk in on her yet. "An entire semester has passed by, but everything seems to be a blur," she writes. "Sundays seem to blend into Mondays, and I just haven't had the time to stop and take it all in."

The creators of The Smart Second Skin Dress claim that "nature has endowed us with one skin too few" and a "fully sentient being should wear its nervous system externally." Welcome to the brave new world of "living clothes," where your scent-spraying dress can create its own smell bubble. Not that Eleni Yannelis turns up her nose at scientific progress, but is this really what we need?

At this moment in time you probably think you are fairly unique. But at the end of the day, with all due respect, are you really? Like most of us, don't you find yourself using annoying buzzwords and phrases, no matter how hard you try? Don't fret. Hadley Hauser feels your pain.

America is a consumption-fueled culture. We are obsessed with stuff and addicted to things. Whether we can afford it or not, we buy. And buy. And buy. And continue to buy until we are drowned in credit. According to Diana Liu, the current economic crisis is sending us a clear message: We must change our way of life.

Who needs to schlep around town (or travel to Chicago or elsewhere) to find the latest fashions? Especially during the holiday season, online shopping is the way to go, according to Eleni Yannelis, a confirmed shopaholic who doesn't need to step inside a store to get her fix. Check inside to find out why online shopping can't be beat, and learn about some of Eleni's favorite shopping sites.

The headlines about the current economic crisis show there is something seriously wrong with our economic system, says Katherine Allen. Our economic institutions have failed, not only financially, but also socially and environmentally. But crisis and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. It is time to re-evaluate the priorities of our economy.

It's official — the U.S. is in a recession — and has been since December of last year. With politicians and economists throwing around stopgap ideas, nothing is getting fixed. So what's the solution to our economic problems? According to Isaac Chambers, the answer is a new energy policy for America.

Lor Sligar traveled to Washington, D.C. (or thereabouts), for Thanksgiving. She spent time with her little cousins, painted her nails, studied a bit, burnt a pumpkin pie …. But the whole time she was wishing that her entire family had been able to make it. Did her Thanksgiving wishes come true? Read more here.

Before the 2008 presidential race, Jason He had little interest in politics and even less familiarity with the candidates. But as the campaign progressed, so did Jason's fascination with the latest election news. How did a once-apathetlc high schooler become a political junkie?

Lor Sligar can readily be classified as … well, let's just say "not tidy." Often misplacing things amidst her clutter, she can occasionally get fed up with never knowing where anything is. Here, she shares her thoughts on the messiness of her room ... and why she still thinks other things are more important. (P.S. — Lor wants you to know that the room in the picture is NOT hers — just a generic shot.)

On Saturday morning senior Elaine Gu was one of about 25 Uni fans who traveled from Kenney Gym to Peoria for the IHSA cross country state finals. They were there to cheer on the Uni boys, who were ready to put an exclamation point on one of the most successful seasons in school history. Don't think these fans were going to going to let the freezing temperatures get in their way!

The first few weeks of the 2008 cross country weren't the best for junior Katherine Allen. But as soon as she corrected some of the problems — mainly stemming from faulty footwear — everything got so much much better. The season is over now, giving Katherine the opportunity to think about what makes Uni cross country so special.

Katy Metcalf is outraged and appalled. Last week 52 percent of California voters decided to take away the right of same-sex couples to marry. These voters interfered in the lives of gays and lesbians whose whose marriage or lack thereof should be a purely personal matter. If this is the will of the people, then we still have a long way to go in this country, even in the age of Obama.

Today's youth are often accused of trying to grow up too fast. Columnist Maritza Mestre thinks the critics might have a point. But instead of trying to be mature adults who can think for themselves and make intelligent decisions, too many young people, especially girls, want to have all the sexual appeal of being older without the responsibility and knowledge gained as one grows older. Check inside for more of Maritza's thoughts on the "Lolita effect."

A recent global mock election conducted online shows that the rest of the world overwhelmingly wants Barack Obama to be the next U.S. president. Setting aside the obvious flaws of that particular vote, the fact remains that the rest of the world seems extremely pro-Obama. Columnist Diana Liu wonders if the U.S. electorate will follow suit.