One hundred years ago, nine newspapers got together to sponsor a spelling competition for middle school students at the national level. While the words and the spellers have changed, the National Spelling Bee celebrated its 100th anniversary on May 31. This year’s winner, Faizan Zaki, is from Allen, TX and took second place last year. … Read more »
KT Lowe
May is Zombie Awareness Month
Although the term “zombie” dates to the late 18th century, Western depictions of zombies are fairly recent, although myriad in interpretation. Zombies are generally associated with Haiti, a connection fostered through literature at least since the early 20th century. While Wade Davis’ examination of zombies in 1986 became a bestseller and led to a movie… Read more »
All you need is love and the Beatles
On February 9, 1964, a quartet of four young men from the northern port city of Liverpool, England, made their American television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. By April 4 of that year, that same band would hold ten of the top 12 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including the entire top… Read more »
Different forms of poetry
While many Western authors are familiar with traditional and highly regimented poetry forms, such as villanelles, pantoums and rondeaus, poetry is not limited either to the western world or to strict formats. Below are a handful of poem types that may not be familiar to most people Landay Afghan women have been composing and chanting… Read more »
The delights of French yé-yé pop
From 1962 to 1968, some of the most vibrant popular music in the Western world stemmed not from the US or the UK, but France. Dubbed the yé-yé movement, in part after the syllables “yeah yeah yeah” in the then-current Beatles’ hit “She Loves You,” this music combined French chansonwith British and American rock and… Read more »
New year, new habits: How to make the best of 2025 on campus
It’s a whole new semester and the start of a new year. Why not take advantage of all this newness and do some new things on campus? There’s many opportunities to engage with other students, find new places to study and take in some of the work that your fellow students and community members have… Read more »
The Winter Solstice
On Saturday, December 21st at 4:19 AM, the winter solstice will usher in the season of Winter. Along with snow, lower temperatures and less daylight, however, the winter solstice also brings wonder, traditions and atmospheric changes that have inspired and connected humans for millennia. Take a look at some of the phenomena that accompanies the… Read more »
November is National Scholarship Month
Paying for college can feel daunting. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to fund a college education, and scholarships are one of the best available options. Not only are scholarships a form of free money, but there are thousands of them available that can assist every kind of student in virtually every subject. Scholarships… Read more »
A little dose of presidential trivia
Election season is the best season, even more than pumpkin spice latte season, football season or spider season Imagine raking leaves, drinking hot apple cider, munching on donuts and getting ready to participate in democracy – it’s one of the great American fall traditions. Here are a handful of fun facts to take to the… Read more »
Banned Books Week: An FAQ
From September 22 to September 28, the IU East Campus Library will be celebrating Banned Books Week, a recognition of the freedom to read. Since 1982, the America Library Association has maintained a list of the most banned or challenged books in the US. This blog compiles a list of commonly asked questions, providing responses… Read more »