When you're a kid, playing the board game LIFE is full of happy anticipation - which career card will I draw? Will I get to live in a big house? How many children will I have? Maybe you'll land on the space that wins you a Noble Prize and $100,000. But even if you land on a bad space like "Tornado Hits House," not to worry - just spin the wheel again and go on to something better.

David Plunk, a 22-year-old spring 2006 graduate of the University of Tennessee, lives at home with his mom and sees no reason to rush out the door to quickly settle down with a career, wife and family. Plunk is part of a growing trend of millions to marry later in life, go to school longer and generally take longer to "find themselves" in life.

When Jason Radish pledged Kappa Sigma in the fall of his freshman year of college at The University of Memphis, he was well aware of the infamous fraternity lifestyle. "My brother was already a member," said Radish. "I wanted to be a part of the good times.

Imagine exposing 320 bus loads of children to unhealthy air for an entire summer. Put another way, nearly 27,000 children suffer from some form of respiratory problems due to poor air quality in Memphis, according to environmentaldefense.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to informing the public about environmental hazards.

Imagine one of your earliest memories as a child. Do you have it in mind? Are you thinking of a tender hug from mom or a fun-filled pillow fight with a sibling? Now replace that image with one of an unstable uncle's hand on your under-developed genitalia, while he whispers things in your ear that you've never heard, but instinctively know aren't quite right.

When students enter the computer labs on campus, they will notice a sign on the door. No, it isn't the "turn off your cell phone" sign. This one is bigger and brighter. This neon sign states in bold letters: "NO MYSPACE, FACEBOOK OR GAMES WHILE OTHER PEOPLE ARE WAITING.

When Sam first tried crystal meth at the age of 26, he was a little worried about getting addicted. "I'd always heard stories of people getting hooked on it and having a tough time getting off when, and if, they decided to quit," said Sam, who asked not to be identified.

It is a Wednesday afternoon, and the sounds of music legends like Isaac Hayes and Booker T. & The MG's can be heard through the halls of the Soulsville Charter School. Patrick Nolan, a seventh grader at Soulsville Charter School, said his grades have gotten much better since he came to the school in the sixth grade.

People don't usually think of Memphis when they hear the term "third world." Most probably think of far away places where children are starving and people drink from the same river they bathe in. But most people probably don't know that in 2002, when the statistics were last made available, 31 babies out of 1,000 didn't see their first birthday in the 38108 ZIP code alone.

Sometimes having cash in your wallet can be a bad thing, especially when you're alone in the desert and you just want a drink. From bars to gas stations and even grocery stores, no matter where you go in Reno, it is hard to escape gambling, said Jim Lester, a student at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Michael Heidingsfield doesn't want job security. Many people would be happy if he didn't have a job, but they're safer because he does. Heidingsfield, CEO and president of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, is one of many people who fight violent crime in Memphis, but that mission is becoming tougher.

Judy Ruth clenched her blue jacket a little tighter around her body. Huddled inside the bus stop at Cooper and Union Avenue, she waited for the No. 2 bus to take her to "Mr. Gadd's" barber shop. "I used to ride the No. 2 and cross the street to see my barber, Lisa, to get my hair cut, but now they (MATA) put that right turn in on Union," said Ruth.

Things that are considered "normal" while growing up can be anything from bumps and bruises from childhood accidents, making promises to be best friends forever with your kindergarten friends and learning about the world in general. But what if "normal" includes watching a parent in a drunken stupor? "I always thought that it was normal for someone to drink," said Bryan, a former U of M student who asked not to be identified.

For some college students, a typical weekend activity involves sitting around the coffee table and passing a waterpipe, legally. Hookah smoking among college students has increased in recent years, which has many health officials worried about the health risks and the potential for further tobacco addiction.

For the 1.1 million immigrants who entered the United States legally in 2005, there is the promise of a new life. Their reasons for immigrating - a needed job skill, joining family or having refugee status - doesn't really matter. What matters most is that they have permission to be here.