My name is Lauren Links, and I am joining the Gazette writing staff for the summer. I am entering my third year at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and have spent much of the last few years on the East Coast. I have always loved Broad Ripple, however, and have spent many a day in coffee shops reading, celebrating blues and food festivals, and in general walking, window shopping, and people watching. Broad Ripple has a vibrancy that rivals my own college town. I'm very much looking forward to catching up with the Broad Ripple community.

I was born and raised in Indianapolis. I spent my youth on the west side of town, and moved to the near Broad Ripple area six years ago to be closer to my grandparents and my then school, Park Tudor. Currently I am studying history, concentrating on East Asia, writing, and Japanese. I hope many things for my future: journalism - written or broadcast - novel and short story writing, teaching, and graduate studies. I enjoy traveling, and have a newly inspired-interest in anthropological work. I plan to research and travel abroad after graduation.