Several weeks post-Christmas, you may find yourself in the throes of what the Jews call “Simple Child Syndrome.” …

As we all know, the only way to truly understand the complexities of legal practice is to dedicate eight weeks of your life checking citations and filing mountains of coffee-stained intake documents into alphabetical-chronological order. However, that experience is completely ruined and marred by self-indulgence the moment you receive even…

I am not usually one to speak up in spaces typically preserved for those far more qualified than I; however, upon reading a recent Chicago Magazine article about the sanctity of the modern “proletariat food court,” I found myself unable to stay silent any longer. The Thompson Center is not…

My mother told me that our house was haunted when I was a baby, and that she once encountered the pale translucent figure of Abraham Lincoln while fetching me a bottle one night. She had read that upon encountering a ghost, one is supposed to mentally recite the words, go…

A vampire gets trapped in a parking lot. Chaos ensues. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. A maze of vehicles, combined with the crowd’s laser-focus on the entrance sign, made for the perfect hunting ground. They’d already be so confused, so distracted — they’d never see me…

Are conspiracy theorists mentally ill, or just ignorant? — Like any quarantined, bored adult, I have developed a fascination with conspiracy theories. I may not subscribe to the belief that 9/11 was an inside job or that JFK is living on an island somewhere with Tupac, but I’m intrigued by the passion behind such ideas and the emotional violence…

“Check on your strong friends” isn’t good enough. In fact, it’s making things worse. “Check on your strong friends.” In theory, this gentle encouragement can and should be taken at face value. It’s not much more than a reminder that those who put on a brave face are often the ones best suited at hiding their struggles, and are frequently the ones who play…

Courtney, this one’s for you. I am still very much a baby. At the tender age of 24 (and a HALF!!), I am painfully aware of how little life I have experienced, particularly in comparison to many of my older friends and coworkers. I am often the youngest person in…

I see sounds. Music, voices, and ambient noises all manifest in vivid color for me, as though I were viewing them through literal rose-colored glasses. Oftentimes my synesthesia informs how I perceive those around me; for instance, voices that manifest in shades of green sometimes give me a feeling of unease and mistrust…