Author: fernandt

May 19, 2025 (Summer)

Fantasy Fight Club: Ezra Bridger vs. The Ronin

Are you ready to rumble?

This week’s brawl is between two animated heroes skilled with kyber blades. Both have been shown to be formidable against opponents with blades, and both are cunning, quick thinkers. Tonight’s showdown will be sure to leave the arena showered in sparks and light.

In the blue corner, as blue as his hair and his custom blade, is Ezra Bridger. This quick, freedom-fighting street rat has been shown to be formidable in lightsaber combat, even against those who are more skilled than he is, such as the inquisitors or even the Grand Inquisitor. Tonight’s challenger, however, is no inquisitor.

In the red corner, as red as his blade, is one only known as “The Ronin.” Appearing mainly in legends, The Ronin has shown his combat prowess against a gang of bandits and then against a Sith lord. Both fell by his hand. Will Ezra meet the same fate? Or will he use his cunning and great strength in the Force to fight his way out of this one? Only one way to find out.

The bell rings, the gates rise, and the fighters step into the ring. The Ronin is first to unsheathe his blade, but Ezra isn’t far behind. The Ronin takes notice of his blue blade, however, and holds back; his oath is against any who would call themselves Sith, but Ezra’s blade is blue. Nonetheless, The Ronin senses that despite his blue blade, there is a darkness within his opponent, visible not only through the Force, but also in how he strikes and in his eyes.

Ezra continues to deliver blow after blow, and The Ronin continues to parry, countering with his own strikes, which Ezra quickly deflects. As they both fight, they grow more and more exhausted, frustrated, and angry. They begin to let the darkness out. Ezra starts to become reckless in his strikes, and it is this recklessness that grants The Ronin the opening to finish the fight. In just one quick slash of his kyber katana, Ezra falls, and the fight is over.

The Ronin gives him a respectful nod, sheathes his saber, and walks out of the ring, silent, victorious, and untouched.

That’s this week’s fight. Thank you for coming to Fantasy Fight Club, and we’ll see you next season!

May 19, 2025 (Summer)

Fantasy Fight Club: Stanley Pines vs. Dr. Doofenschmirtz

Welcome back to Fictional Fight Club, where fictional characters FIGHT TO THE DEATH!

When looking back on my favorite childhood TV shows, two come to mind right away. One thing I never noticed they had in common was that the old, middle-aged man was the best character. On one side, we have a professional con man in the middle of nowhere, Oregon, where he runs a tourist trap while taking care of his visiting niece and nephew. The other side features a pharmacist trying to take over the “Tri-State Area,” only to be foiled by a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal. Give it up for Stanley Pines from Gravity Falls, and Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb!

Starting off with Stan, he’s been swinging straight out the gate. Growing up in New Jersey, he has spent most of his life scamming people and fighting whoever got in his way. As he got older, his fury grew stronger. Now taking care of twins Dipper and Mabel Pines for the summer, he is sharing his wisdom about the world to help them scrape their way through life.

Doofenshmirtz has had a rough background. Originally from Drusselstein, he has been neglected by his family and overshadowed by his older brother Rodger. Once he made it to the Tri-State Area, he was destined to take over for various reasons. The only reason he hasn’t done anything significant is because of his archnemesis, Perry the Platypus.

The two of them dash into battle, but in very different ways. While Stan would rather fight hand to hand, Doof uses his “inators” (inventions) for combat. Dodging lasers, all Stan needs to do is deliver one swift look hook, and Doof is done. The problem is that Doof is lean, meaning he can move faster than many other people.

While being chased by Stan, Doof fires a laser from the Get Rich Quick Inator, directly hitting Stan. He was presented with a variety of scams, taking every single one of them at face value. Doof approached him, ready to deliver the final blow, but was stopped in his tracks. Stan offered him a deal. Let him win, and then Stan will scam Rodger out of everything he owns. Before thinking twice about it, Doof agrees. He takes the hit, and Stan is off to take all of Rodger’s money.

Even though this didn’t have a climactic final battle, I like to think that Stan and Doof would be allies. Stan can sell Doof’s inators in his gift shop, while Doof can entertain Stan’s niece and nephew for a while. I bet Doof would rock a Mabel sweater!

That’s a wrap on Fictional Fight Club. Tune in next semester to see a new slew of fighters enter the ring.

—Julia Hahn

May 19, 2025 (Summer)

The most unsettling true-crime cases … 

Creep of the Week: Daniel LaPlante

Home is meant to be a place of solitude and privacy, so when something happens to break that tranquility, it can be extremely unsettling and often leave families feeling paranoid and scared to continue living in their home. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to an unsuspecting family of three in 1986. Coming out of Pepperell, Massachusetts, our case in this week’s edition of “Creep of the Week” surrounds the terrifying home invasion of the Bowen family, who unknowingly had a man living inside their walls for six months.

In the fall of 1986, Frank Bowen and his two daughters, 15-year-old Tina and 9-year-old Karen, were dealing with an incredible loss after their wife and mother had passed away from cancer. Tina and Karen took this especially hard and just wanted to talk to their mother. In their desperation, the girls retrieved an old Ouija board and went down into the basement to use it. They asked questions repeatedly but never received any responses in return. Feeling defeated, the girls packed everything up and retreated back up to their respective bedrooms. That night, and over the next few weeks, the girls would hear tapping noises coming from somewhere inside the house. At first, it didn’t bother them as they thought it was their mother speaking to them; however, as the sounds persisted and the haunting escalated, the girls began to feel scared.

Eventually, they told their father, Frank, about the tapping, objects being misplaced, and written messages left around the house, but he just kept shrugging their concerns off. He figured that it was just their way of coping with their mother’s death. However, as the days went on, Tina and Karen continued to insist to Frank that something was really wrong, and they were scared to sleep at night. After hearing that his girls were losing sleep, Frank decided to intervene. On one particular night, the girls had one of their friends over. However, that didn’t stop Frank. He, with all three girls now by his side, walked into Tina’s bedroom on the first floor where the girls told him they had recently seen a message written on the wall and heard the tappings again. Frank was immediately drawn to a closet in the corner of the room. Cautiously, he opened it and was met by a man who walked out dressed in one of his wife’s dresses, wearing clown makeup, and wielding a hatchet. The unknown man then pointed at Frank and the girls, instructing them to go upstairs to the second level of the house. Before he could get any closer, Frank reflexively stepped between the man and the girls, instructing them to go upstairs as he and the unknown man followed. Once on the second level, Frank told the girls to go into the first bedroom, which they did, and he followed them inside before slamming and holding the door shut, preventing the man from coming in. A struggle ensued to open the door, and Tina, unsure of what to do, ran and jumped out of the second-story window.

She got up, seemingly unharmed, and ran over to the neighbor’s house. She pounded on the door and the neighbor opened it and immediately sensed that something was wrong. All the while, Tina was screaming at him that someone was in her house and for him to call the police, which he did after pulling her inside his house.

When they arrived, the police went into the Bowen household, only to find Frank and the two girls, shaken but alive. The intruder was gone. What followed was a very thorough search of the property that led to police finding nothing. It wasn’t until another search of the residence was conducted that the intruder, Daniel Laplante, was found in the basement, hiding inside a tunnel system that he’d created behind the family’s washing machine. After he was taken out of the wall and arrested, it was discovered that Daniel had a love interest in Tina Bowen and six months earlier, had tried to ask her out on a date, but she rejected him. In response, Daniel broke into the Bowen family’s home, cut a hole in the wall, and began burrowing tunnels that went all throughout the house. He used this as a way to spy on and mess with the family inside by writing messages, moving furniture, and creating tapping noises from all parts of the house.

Daniel Laplante would only serve 10 months in prison for the crimes he committed against the Bowen family. However, after being released, he went on to commit another crime, the triple murder of the Gustafson Family, which consisted of 33-year old Priscilla, 8-year old Abigail, and 5-year old William Gustafson. For this, he would be sentenced to life in prison.

May 19, 2025 (Summer)

Summertime Actions

Summer is a time of relaxation, sunshine, and fun with the people we like best in the world. Everything is green and warm. … I think I’d better cut myself off there. Apparently, I’ve been cold for too long. Anyway, the point is that summer is a time for us to do things that we enjoy. It’s not a time when we want to focus on the damage the environment has sustained. However, it can still be time for us to take steps to protect the environment without missing out on the things we enjoy. Here are some ways to do so. …  Walk or bike instead of driving: One of the biggest sources of pollutants and greenhouse gases is gas-powered transportation. During the summer months, it’s especially easy to cut back our contributions to this problem by simply avoiding gas-powered transportation as much as possible. We can enjoy the weather and protect the environment by not driving. Going for hikes and bike rides can also be fun group activities.

Drink water: Or rather don’t drink commercially bottled water. Bottled water uses fossil fuels to create plastic bottles and to pump and ship the water itself. In most instances, commercially bottled water is not any better than tap water and tastes the same; research has shown that bottled water often contains micro- or nanoplastics. Most of us have access to tap water that is probably just as good as bottled water, so we can use a reusable water bottle instead and fill it up at home.

Choose an eco-friendly sunscreen: This is most important if you’re going swimming. When we swim, some of our sunscreen is probably going to wash off and then stay in the water. Many sunscreens contain chemicals that harm algae species, which are one of the fundamental organisms in aquatic ecosystems. This can cause a negative chain reaction that affects the whole ecosystem. Unfortunately, there isn’t any active ingredient in sunscreen that is completely environmentally safe and effective; zinc oxide and titanium dioxide seem to be the best options currently. Look for brands that are labeled as reef-safe and/or eco-friendly. The brand I use most often is Badger Balm.

Turn off or turn down (or rather up) the AC: Another big way we can choose to either expand or shrink our ecological footprint is by our use of AC during the hottest months of the year. Turn the setting up by a few degrees or, better yet, turn it off and open some windows.

Go to the museum/library/beach: Do something with your friends or family that doesn’t involve traveling a great distance, that you can all enjoy, and that isn’t centered around consumption. The beach is the perfect place to spend the summer (and not to ruin the mood, but it’s also a great place to pick up litter created by human error or thoughtlessness). If you want to go somewhere cool, museums and libraries are places where anyone can find something to interest them, the AC will already be running, and we can enjoy without feeling guilty.

Making decisions that help protect the environment and our future does not have to be difficult. We can work these decisions into our everyday life and have fun while doing so.

The Quill is written by students for students. This e-newsletter features news and entertainment articles written by and for students in the Applied Writing & English (AWE) department at UW-Green Bay. We’ll bring you tips for navigating life as an AWE major. And we’ll give you suggestions for entertaining yourself when you’re not reading or writing.

Student Editors

• Tiffany Jablonowski: Co-Editor-in-Chief
• Ginger Knauer: Co-Editor-in-Chief
• Sierra Nyokka: Marketing & Engagement Manager
• Sylvie Cavros: The Nerd Zone Co-Editor
• Clover Cicha: Local Favorites Editor
• Kendall Cox: TV Editor
• Shane Ewig: Anime Editor
• Jenna Fintelmann: Self-Care Editor
• Katie Frank: Video Games Editor
• Aiden Gervais: The Trash Vortex Editor
• Julia Hahn: The Nerd Zone Co-Editor
• Alex Lopez: Fictional Fiancé Editor
• Neesa Peak: Eco-Actions Editor
• Mia Perez-Behringer: The Quill’s Flame Editor
• Payton Rhyner: Music Editor
• Brooke Schoening: Book Quiz and Movies Editor
• Cheyenne Shull: Today’s Trends Editor
• Noah Spellich: Books Editor
• Seth Van Ess: True Crime and Sports Editor
• Karrie Wortner: Book Travel Editor

Copyeditors: Gavin Ayotte • Mia Bolyard • Zoom Coe • Brady Hurst • Autumn Johnson • Natalie Johnson • Vic Lyons • Jennifer Poull • Payton Rhyner • Karly Wigand

Faculty Advisor: Professor Tracy Fernandez Rysavy
The Quill Template Design: Kimberly Vlies

Interested in being on The Quill and Northern Lights staff? Enroll in ENG 224: Practicum in Literary Publishing, available every spring.

Questions or News Items? Contact The Quill’s advisor, Prof. Rysavy.

Come to the Northern Lights Launch Party: May 8th!

Northern Lights Literary & Arts Journal is excited to host its annual Launch Party on May 8, starting at 5 p.m. in the Phoenix Club. This special event celebrates the diverse voices featured in this year’s edition, including work from students and alumni. Guests can look forward to light refreshments, lively conversation, and powerful readings from contributors. Writers and artists will share insights into their creative process and bring their work to life through spoken word and storytelling. Whether you’re passionate about literature and art or simply looking for an inspiring evening, the Northern Lights Launch Party is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the campus creative community. All are welcome!

See our next issue of The Quill for news on the Spring 2025 Sheepshead Review launch.

—Ginger Knauer, Co-Editor-in-Chief

April 25, 2025

ENG 428: Practicum in
Community Engaged Writing

Looking to build your writing portfolio and make a real impact in the community? ENG 428: Practicum in Community Engaged Writing, taught by Dr. Kristopher Purzycki, is your opportunity to work directly with a history-focused organization — such as the Midwest Viking Festival (pictured right) or the Door County Museum and Archives — to produce meaningful, professional-quality writing for real-world audiences.

From promotional materials and press releases to museum signage, blog posts, editorial articles, and documentation, you’ll create a portfolio of work that goes beyond the classroom. The specific projects you take on will be guided by the needs of the client —  making this a unique, collaborative learning experience every time the course is offered. This course emphasizes professionalization skills, so for many students, it’s a first look into client communication and project management. You’ll practice navigating deadlines, feedback, and collaborative workflows — just like in the professional world.

ENG 428 is required for students in the BFA in Writing & Applied Art program with a Professional & Technical Writing emphasis. It is also a suggested option for those with a Community Storytelling emphasis, and it would be a fun and helpful class for any BFA emphases. The course is repeatable, which is great for sophomores and juniors looking to build leadership over time.

April 25, 2025

AWE Alumnus Interview: Kana Coonce

Where do we go from here? Kana Coonce, one of the previous year’s co-editors-in-chief of the Northern Lights Literary & Arts Journal, faced this daunting question after graduating in spring 2024. He described the experience by saying, “It was terrifying being thrust into the real world without the structure I had been relying on for the past several years.”

Through an internship with The Green Bay Press Times, he already knew he enjoyed the atmosphere at Multi Media Channels, which runs many papers throughout the state of Wisconsin. After graduation, Coonce reached out to his former editor, who had overseen his internship to ask if there were any openings. Kate Leonhardt, the editor of The Green Bay Press Times, created a temporary position for him until his current role as associate editor of Wausau City Pages, a free weekly arts and entertainment newspaper, became available.

Networking had proven time and again to help students succeed after graduation. Although Coonce thought he was prepared when he left UWGB, his first month was spent feeling like a fraud. “It was hard to fight off the imposter syndrome, but patience, good humor, and honest feedback from the staff at the Green Bay office kept me afloat.” Establishing a strong support system and discovering through Google that he wasn’t alone helped him process these feelings.

Coonce advised keeping the first month at a new job free of outside obligations. The transition to a full-time job after operating on a student schedule could be exhausting. Allowing time to decompress and focus on enjoyable activities helped ease the change. He also suggested being honest about one’s abilities. “You’ll save yourself and your coworkers a headache or ten by just admitting you’re kind of a noob in the grand scheme of things.” He encouraged students to never be afraid to reach out and take a chance on their future.

AWE Professor Tara DaPra on Writing

Professor Tara DaPra finds herself in a position that many of us hope to be in someday. She is waiting for news from publishers about her book manuscript that has years of love and labor poured into it. She describes the worst part of the publication process as the silence. Instead of torturing herself with doubts, DaPra got proactive by starting a Substack account. Substack is a combination of a blog and social media platform designed for writers. It provides her with a space to write about what she notices. Her Everyday Epiphanies Substack, where she writes about her thoughts on everyday things she notices, helps clear her mind and gives her a place to write things she feels are meaningful.

DaPra believes that “if you don’t do the work, the ideas will leave you.” By maintaining space to write, she encourages her mind to continue creating. Her posts also provide a way to connect with readers. DaPra now has a growing number of followers, all able to engage with her writing. She encourages us to do the work and find small rewards along the way. Waiting for a grand prize at the end, she warns, can make the writing process unenjoyable. If we discover rewards along our publishing paths, we find the desire to continue the work.

DaPra never knew what she wanted to be when she was growing up and instead grew into her career as a writer and professor. She feels there is often pressure to make one’s career their whole life. Instead, she suggests keeping the writing meaningful to oneself first. For great advice and inspirational reading, I encourage readers to check out Everyday Epiphanies.

April 25, 2025

Things to Do During the NFL Draft

An upcoming event that will impact all UWGB students is the NFL Draft, which is being hosted in Green Bay this year. The NFL Draft is an event held once every year to recruit new players into the National Football League teams. The Green Bay Packers successfully bid to host the event, which is a huge deal for local fans, because it has never been hosted in Green Bay before! The Draft will kick off on April 24th until April 26th, with many local places holding special events for it. Classes will be suspended from April 24th through the 27th to give students the opportunity to enjoy the Draft, or if you’re not into sports, a time to rest and have a break from school. Attending the NFL Draft is free through registration on the NFL OnePass app with the following hours of operation:

Thursday, April 24   12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Friday, April 25        12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 26    9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Pre-Draft Event:

• April 26th – Saturday Farmer’s Market – Draft Edition: On Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, this special edition of the Farmer’s Market will be celebrating the Draft by welcoming vendors from across the state of Wisconsin. Check out the market website to see all the vendors that will be participating!