Currents
Letter from the Editor
Photo courtesy of Nick CharkhedianA little over 100 years ago, my great-grandparents faced forced deportation. Along with more than a million other Armenians, the lands we had lived in for hundreds and thousands of years were left behind — and not by choice.My grandparents and parents lived in Lebanon and Syria — next to countless other Armenian refugees — … [Read more...] about Letter from the Editor
Seeking Home: How The Unhoused Search For Stability
Art by Christine ParkJoseph Kling had just finished another day of high school. As a senior trying to push through his final year, Kling was exhausted after an entire day of class and cross country practice. Wanting nothing more than to go home and lay his head down to rest, Kling began walking up to his Downey, California home. He slid his key in the door and grabbed the … [Read more...] about Seeking Home: How The Unhoused Search For Stability
A Home Reduced to Rubble
Javon Cooley stands in front of his former apartment complex, a year after it burned down during the Palisades Fire. Photo and illustration by Melissa HoustonJan. 21, 2025.Two weeks since thousands of lives in Los Angeles had been turned upside down.Former Pepperdine professor Rachel Collins was lost driving around the Palisades. She and her husband, Troy, couldn't figure out … [Read more...] about A Home Reduced to Rubble
Beyond the Bloodstream: Home Found in Family
Luke Lewandowski (middle) poses with his adopted mother and brother. Photo courtesy of Luke LewandowskiFor some, the age of 18 brings the realities of adulthood and new bounds of freedom. For senior Luke Lewandowski, this milestone involved a unique blood ritual.“When everyone turned 18 in our family, we poked holes in all of our fingers and put the fingers against … [Read more...] about Beyond the Bloodstream: Home Found in Family