Author: brooy18

Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Aries individuals may feel the urge to make positive changes in their lives. Avoid acting too hastily and instead be patient but persistent. Dedicate your energy to productive projects and you’ll find rewards waiting for you.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Tauruses will take control of their professional and social lives this month. You will accomplish more than you think you will and exceed your goals.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Geminis may feel fatigued during March. This could discourage you from pursuing new opportunities. So, take an active and purposeful approach this month to push yourself to progress.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Cancers are usually domestic homebodies, but this month you will be much more active. Embrace the change instead of resisting it and you could achieve rewarding results.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Get ambitious, Leo! This month, instead of pursuing those easy goals, dream big. Make the most of your opportunities; they could be very promising. Don’t doubt yourself.

Virgo (August 22 – September 23)
Virgos, if you schedule your time efficiently and get organized, this month could be very beneficial for you! With extra motivation this month, increased productivity and progress towards your goals is attainable. Don’t lose focus, or you’ll be second-guessing yourself. Remember, your projects don’t have to be perfect.

Libra (September 23 – October 21)
March will provide perfect circumstances to make meaningful progress in your life, Libra. Now’s not the time to be lazy. Put forth effort to be rewarded and recognized for your hard work.

Scorpio (October 22 – November 20)
For you Scorpios, March will bring positive changes and development. Through the grapevine, you may overhear some helpful news. This could bring clarity to a situation and allow you to pursue your goals more decisively. Figure out what’s most important to you and focus on pursuing it.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
Something’s been holding you back, Sagittarius. This month, it’s time to break free. Let go of the unhelpful patterns that have been keeping you from reaching your full potential. Change your mindset and you’ll realize those obstacles were not all that you thought they were. You may feel a renewed sense of freedom and enthusiasm to pursue your goals.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
Capricorn, examine what you want out of life. This month, self-reflect and think about what gives you a sense of purpose. Once you do this, start setting a plan into motion, step-by-step. Make goals.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
Your intuition may be heightened this month. Focus on reflecting upon yourself and your environment. Center your attention and energy on the things that really matter. Don’t fret about the small things. Embrace change and you’ll be rewarded with growth.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
Happy birthday, Pisces! It’s your birth month. It’s time to treat yourself! Reward yourself with some self-care and focus especially on your well-being. What nourishes your mind, body, and spirit? Engage in activities that fill your cup, and you’ll feel much more balanced.

Human civilization has been around for over 8,000 years! Within that time, a lot of things have happened. There is not a single day that goes by that is not the anniversary of some event throughout human history. Maybe it’s the end of a war or the publishing of an important book or even the birth of a celebrity. No matter the day, there is always something, so without further ado, here is…

This Week in History

Feb 20:

• 1942: Pilot Edward O’Hare becomes the first American WWII flying ace
• 1962: John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit Earth
• Birthdays: Oliva Rodrigo, Rihanna, Miles Teller

Feb 21:

• 1965: Malcolm X is assassinated
• 1981: Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” hits #1 on the pop charts
• Birthdays: Alan Rickman, Corbin Blue, Jordan Peele

Feb 22:

• 1819: The United States acquires Spanish Florida
• 1980: The U.S.A. hockey team beats the Soviets in a game dubbed the “Miracle on Ice”
• Birthdays: George Washington, Drew Barrymore, Steve Irwin

Feb 23:

• 1954: The first polio vaccine is administered to children
• 1978: The first-ever tie for the Best Song Grammy Award happens between Barbra Streisand’s “Love Theme from a Star is Born (Evergreen)” and Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life”
• Birthdays: Emily Blunt, Dakota Fanning, Josh Gad

Feb 24:

• 1803: Marbury v. Madison established judicial review
• 1868: President Andrew Johnson is impeached
• Birthdays: Steve Jobs, Daniel Kaluuya, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Feb 25:

• 1870: Hiram Rhodes Revels becomes the first African American sworn into Congress
• 1964: Muhammad Ali knocks out Liston and earns his first world title
• Birthdays: George Harrison, Rashida Jones, Jameela Jamil

Feb 26:

• 1929: Grand Teton National Park is established in Wyoming
• 1993: The World Trade Center parking garage is bombed
• Birthdays: Johnny Cash, Nate Russ, Michael Bolton

Useless knowledge we dug up this week.

Antipope

You’ve heard of the pope; get ready for the antipope. “Antipope?” you might be asking, “Like an antihero pope?” Yeah, kinda! An antipope is someone who claims to be the pope in defiance of the one officially elected by the Catholic Church. These guys usually have followings within the Church, however. At several points throughout history, there have even been several antipopes at once! Confusing, right?
If this sounds pretty Game of Thronesian, you’re not far off: monarchs would back  antipopes with varying regularity in the hopes of furthering their own ambitions. This was an especially common move by the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. To make it even twistier, popes who disliked the current emperor might sponsor their own king, called—you guessed it!—an antiking. No wonder power struggles got so messy.
To the relief of any would-be Wikipedia historian, these faux-popes (fauxpes?) are named appropriately on their respective pages; you won’t be mixing up Antipope John XXIII (c. 1370 – 1419) and Pope John XXIII (1881 – 1963) any time soon!

Helpful YouTube Videos for College Students

Welcome to the Youtube Corner! In this section, you will find three videos that will be helpful for time management, water consumption, and writing.

YT1: How I Manage My Time:
The Tri-Calendar System

YT2: The Benefits of Drinking Water

We’d all rather drink coffee, soda, or an energy drink to keep us awake during these grueling school days. This video tells us about the benefits of water and how water helps us stay healthy and energized.

YT3: 3 Easy Tips to Write Better College Essays

As college students, we often have to write essays and discussion boards. Oftentimes, we may be unsure of how we sound and how to write. This video gives a few quick and easy tips on how to write better for us college students!

—Kelsey Vanderpool, YouTube Editor

Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations are phrases or statements loaded with encouraging words, outweighing negative or unhelpful thoughts. Most times, affirmations are used to motivate people, encourage positive changes, and boost self-esteem. Personally, every morning I say a different affirmation depending on what I have planned for the day. I was introduced to positive affirmations when I was struggling, at first, I thought they were stupid and wouldn’t help. As I slowly started saying them, writing them, or even hearing them, I noticed they helped me start the day off on the right foot.

Using Positive Affirmations: You may be thinking, how do I incorporate these into my everyday life? Simply set a reminder on your phone to display when you wake up. Have a sticky note with an affirmation written on it and put it somewhere you’d see it every morning, like a bathroom mirror or the back of your bedroom door. This one is more common and simple to do. It is also powerful to look in the bathroom mirror and say something positive/empowering about yourself to your reflection. Putting positive affirmations on a sticky note and posting them in various locations throughout the day has a beneficial effect.

Benefits: There are numerous benefits to using affirmations. In simpler terms, they better your mental and physical health. Boosting confidence, reducing anxiety, decreasing stress, improving physical health, and improving emotional well-being are just some of the positive impacts. There are major rewards for using affirmations every day or as often as you can, and those are strengthening your sense of self and starting to change your mindset. Now these two benefits also correlate with the others, because ultimately the goal is to help you improve your self-worth and make you a more confident person.

Potential phrases: I am strong, I am beautiful, I am smart. These phrases are basic ones that would be easy to start with. Putting “I am” in front of a powerful phrase adds a sense of self-empowerment to it. My best work is enough, my needs and wants matter, my problems are solvable, and my potential for success is limitless. Now these phrases get a little more in-depth, but their contents scream powerful, successful, and amazing.

Personally, these would give me all the confidence I needed to conquer the day, but you don’t have to use these exact phrases. You can come up with phrases that will benefit you because they are aimed at helping you promote self-care. I can assure you that they help, even though they may seem cheesy. Words can change the way your brain processes, thinks, and reacts, so with these positive affirmations, your brain will start to rewire itself more positively. You can use these as often as you need or want to. Using positive affirmations is a step in the right direction of putting yourself first!

Whether you’re looking to do a calming, solitary hike in the woods of Northeast Wisconsin or to throw an impromptu beer and brats party on a sandy beach, we have recommendations for the best nature scenes in NE Wisco!

Sugar Creek County Park

Sugar Creek County Park, up past Brussels in quiet lower Door County, is a wonderful escape for solo travelers and groups who want to get away from it all. Here, you can play disc golf; take a kayak or boat out into the wavy but not wild waters; and enjoy the sights, sounds, and earthy smells of Wisconsin woodlands and the bayside beach. One great appeal of this area is the relative cleanliness of its waters compared to other bayside parks. It doesn’t quite compare to those park counterparts on the Lake Michigan shores, but the park’s waters are wonderful to swim in nonetheless.

—Logan Meek, Nature Feature Editor

February 9, 2024

February Horoscopes

Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Forget Valentine’s Day—keep in mind the 22nd. On this day, Venus and Mars, the planets of love, will align for the first time since March 2022. It’ll be a great time to renew and focus on your closest relationships, platonic or romantic.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Venus and Mars align on the 22nd, an aspect that both ignites passion and stirs drama, and can lead to breakthroughs and breakdowns in your closest relationships. This change allows you to view your romantic life in a new light. How will you move forward?

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
February is more about improving yourself than it is about developing relationships. The full moon in Virgo on the 24th emphasizes how much you’ve grown in your love and private life and how comfortable you are in your skin.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
You’ll spend a lot of this month thinking about love, but think more of the power dynamics in your relationships.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Think about what you need and want from a relationship and communicate. The new moon on February 9th will be a perfect opportunity to set intentions.

Virgo (August 23 – September 23)
While it’s simple to get carried away with fantasies this time of year, in 2024 your top priorities are making the right choices for you and your romantic life. Sometimes the most boring, or reliable, option is the best option.

Libra (September 23 – October 21)
The new moon in Aquarius on the 9th allows you to observe certain people with fresh eyes. Then, on the 22nd, the time will be right to confess to your crush and see where things go. There’s no better time than the present to pursue your person.

Scorpio (October 22 – November 20)
On the 22nd, love planets Venus and Mars will align for the first time since March 2022, providing an opportunity to reset your romantic life. You could get swept away by memories and find yourself reaching into the past for solace and comfort, so be cautious. DON’T TEXT YOUR EX!

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)
If you meet a potential partner this month, be careful not to become obsessed with someone you don’t know.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
Venus and Mars, the planets of love, spend the first part of the month in your sign, giving you the desire and motivation to pursue love!

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)
This month, you’re receiving a lot of love and admiration from everyone!

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
On February 24, the full moon acts as a relationship check-in. If problems emerge, try to be realistic and practical rather than allowing your emotions to get the better of you. It will be easier to tell your truth as you take on your responsibilities on February 28, thanks to the clarifying Mercury and Saturn in your sign.

February 9, 2024

Write an Ae Freislighe Poem

February 9, 2024

Fun Linguistic Fact

Old Irish is the only language with a space between words that is not a blank. In the written form of Old Irish, spaces are also a line. 
The name of the written script is Ogham (the current spelling) or Ogam (the Old Irish spelling). Our oldest Ogam writings are from the 4th century on large stones that were likely grave headers. This script was in use until the 7th century. The Ogam alphabet looks like this (see graphic at right).

February 9, 2024

Useless knowledge we dug up this week.

10 Things I Hate About Life

You know beloved teen romcom classic 10 Things I Hate About You? You ever wish it had a sequel? No? Then you aren’t director Gil Junger. 10 Things I Hate About Life was intended to be a spiritual sequel to Junger’s aforementioned directorial debut. It’s a love story about a man and a woman who meet while attempting suicide, get to know each other, and find their reasons for living as they do. If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking, “This seems like an iffy idea for a romcom.” This project never saw the light of day, so we’ll never truly know, but you can still watch the preview made to lure investors on YouTube.This preview wasn’t too effective on the investors in question, it seems. The project was canned after lead actress Evan Rachel Wood stopped showing up to work, claiming that she had still not been paid the $300k she had been promised by producers. Producers responded by suing her for $30 million. As of 2021, this lawsuit has still not been resolved.