It was another year of fabulous fashion, despite an economy on the downturn. There's always a way to look great, even on modest means, and designers gave fashionistas plenty of options in 2008. Elaine Gu serves as our guide to the most stylish trends to come out of the past 12 months.

Freshman Kathy Qiu will be honored Jan. 24 for her entry in the seventh annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest. Qiu's essay was selected as one of the top 15 this year. Her English teacher, Adele Mazurek-Suslick, will join Qiu at the Krannert Center for the awards ceremony. Check inside for more about the contest.

With the Grammys coming up fast, all the entertainment buzz is about who will take home the awards for everything from the somewhat obscure Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals to the coveted Album Of The Year. Continuing the Gargoyle's best of 2008 series, Katy Metcalf and Will Fernandez present their picks, blissfully free of whiny pop princesses and sneering metalheads.