Steven Cong was stumped when he was handed his first boba drink. He and his friend looked at the plastic-sealed beverage with curiosity, wanting to taste the cold slushy drink and the soft tapioca pearls. Read more...

Photo: Graduate student Steven Cong has compiled a boba database on Tumblr called Bobahol1c. He sampled drinks from 200 shops from the United States and China. (Austin Yu/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Shella Michael arrived in Los Angeles in 1982 after fleeing the aftermath of the Armenian genocide and the Lebanese civil war. She later had the opportunity to showcase her artwork at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Read more...