Lauren Kearns, the co-Editor in Chief of the Western Hemisphere, is a seventeen year old writer, life-enthusiast, and proud user of the Oxford comma. Similar to her favorite TV heroine, Leslie Knope, she is a “yellow haired female who likes waffles and news” and strives to make every day of her life more exciting than the last. Currently in her third year on the Journalism staff (not including a one year hiatus spent living in Berlin), Lauren enjoys writing for her blog, keeping up-to-date on the British royal family, playing tennis, speaking German, and reading The New York Times. Someday she hopes to see the Northern Lights and write a book, but for now, she is trying to keep her goals within reason. “I just want to help make the Western Hemisphere the best student-run newspaper in Albemarle County,” Lauren said, “Or maybe in the entire world – whichever comes first.”