CHICAGO — Here's what we're reading on this downright LOVELY Monday.
The Hidden Cost of College Think taking out college loans is stressful? Imagine not having a place to rest your head after class ends. RedEye reports that about 56,000 college students were homeless in the 2013-'14 school year, and Illinois’ population — about 34,000 — was the third largest. Services for homeless students are few and often hard to find, but change may be on the horizon. At DePaul, for example, there’s a "home host program,” in which nearby homeowners offer rooms free of charge for students who are “housing insecure.”
Coked-Up Eels: Slimy and limbless eels are terrifying enough without Italian scientists deciding to add cocaine to the equation. Hakai Magazine reports on research efforts to figure out what happens to eels when you get them hooked on coke — surprise, they get hyperactive. Reporter Sam Cholke's nightmares aside, it seems like this is a real question in Italy, where rivers polluted with cocaine is a real concern and can seriously disrupt the life-cycle of eels.
Boozy Slushies Coming to Wicker Park's New Taco Bell? Thrillist reports that Wicker Park's Taco Bell, which wants a liquor license, plans to serve up boozy slushies if approved:
"Along with the typical Taco Bell fare like Crunchwraps and smothered burritos, an outline of the location's menu, dated Feb. 26th, includes 'Wicker Park Specials' such as two draft beer options, as well as 'Twisted Freezes,' which are described as 'Frozen Beverages featuring Vodka, Tequila, or Rum.'
Don't get too excited yet. Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) is not a fan of the plan, so the liquor license might not get approved.
Pulling Back the Hood: "Thirty years after we put a man on the moon, we discovered the clitoris," declares The Huffington Post. Reporter Ariel Cheung was fascinated by the "Clitoracy" series, in which HuffPo provides a run-down of our understanding of the clitoris, which has been given adorable nicknames through the years like "the devil's teat," a woman's "shameful member" and "the sweetness of Venus." The interactive, beautifully designed project explains the history, anatomy and education behind the misunderstood lady part.
Repelled By Politics: The Economist reports that "young Americans are losing faith in electoral politics as a way of tackling society’s ills." The article focuses on Brendon Paulin, a 19-year-old mayor in the small town of Indian Head, Maryland, who has been involved in politics since he first spoke before his town's council at age 11. Paulin, who won by a landslide, identifies himself as "a centrist" and is typical of the generation of people aged 18 to 34 who distrust labels including Republican and Democrat. The Economist says that young Americans are more repelled by modern politics than ever before.
A poll of young Americans by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics found that only just over a quarter called themselves either strong Democrats or Republicans, while 40 percent claimed to be politically independent. Only one in nine in the poll of over 3,000 Millenials said they can imagine running for public office and nearly half do not have confidence in the U.S. justice system.
Wicker Park reporter Alisa Hauser notes that in Chicago, on an unusually foggy and rainy day in April, only about 40 percent of registered voters trekked out to the polls in the mayoral and aldermanic elections. Meanwhile, earlier this month, when the newest member of Britain's royal family was born, crowds camped out for days and screamed and cheered when baby Charlotte arrived to her family's 10-bedroom home at Prince William and Duchess Kate's house.
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! Scroll down if you saw "Game of Thrones" last night or don't care.
Did "Game of Thrones" Go Too Far? "Game of Thrones" has been an ever-so-pleasant bookend to the weekend for the past six weeks, but Sunday's episode left viewers - including Howard Ludwig - disturbed.
Titled “Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken,” the show ended with the rape of Sansa Stark. This isn't the first time rape has been part of the script, but it seemed particularly gratuitous last night, and Vanity Fair agreed.
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