I was so terrified of the answers to my questions that I simply stopped asking. How could the Church love gay people but hate that they were gay? Why did the same people who quoted Exodus and Deuteronomy refer to other human beings as “illegals”? Was I actually going to go to hell because my family went to church on Sunday instead of Saturday? If God was good, why was I so alone?

Part of learning how to get over my social anxiety was learning that conversations with strangers could be playful, fun and deeply fulfilling at the same time if I was willing to reject some social norms and shift to topics that brought a deeper narrative, such as the ones I asked the first gent.

Even though spring is in full swing, spooky things still linger in the air. Every Saturday, the Dr Pepper Museum hosts its weekly Paranormal Experience — a two-hour tour that reveals a side of the museum far beyond just the drink.

Graduation is nearing, and before the bittersweet tears of youth start rolling, plan for your party by adding these five songs to your playlist. Some are upbeat, some are danceable and some are nostalgic, but each fits the night of celebration and reminiscence.