There's no doubt that social-networking software has become an integral part of youth culture.

If anyone has ever reprimanded you for keeping the water on while brushing your teeth, here is a real fact that could end this nasty habit: If you shut that water off every time you brush your teeth, you can conserve up to five gallons of water per day. If everyone did this in the United States, we would conserve more water than the amount used by New York City in a single day.

Last summer, at Café Kopi in downtown Champaign, I noticed some beautiful photography displayed on the walls. The colors were somehow soft, but intense. There was something about them I just loved.