February 25, 2022
Trash Travels
“Ugh…what a horrible experience I had! I stayed at the worst hotel, the tour guide driver was rude, and I was stranded in the most miserable place on Earth!” Most people have encountered at least one awful, piteous travel story. Maybe a hotel you slept at had bed lice and stained carpets, maybe you stepped foot on a beach only to storm into a pavilion due to inclement weather, maybe you got into a bad fight with someone, or maybe your car broke down and it took two hours until help arrived. Here, you may share your worst travel experience, whether it may be about a bad camping story, a trip to California gone wrong, or a visit to a crummy amusement park, etc. The word limit is between 200 and 500 words. —Conner Tuthill, Travel Editor
Campground DisastersA pitiful campground worthy of contempt, this trash heap of a bucket of trailers was not worth the stay. T’was the summer of 2021, and my family and I were simply looking for a campground to pass the summer by. I will not reveal the name of the site, but I will, however, tell you that it’s location is north of the town of Gresham, Wisconsin. My family and I anticipated a campground of amusement, peaceful nights, and warmth…but we were wrong. As soon as we entered the campground with our trailer behind us, we saw before us political flags with profane language, garbage and machine parts, and a group of deflated inflatable bouncers, regardless of a beautiful day without rain. The fee was outrageously expensive, and we needed to pay extra to use the inflatables, even though they were deflated. The restaurant at the campground was attached to a massive arcade, which was sensational. The restaurant waiter served us only foods that were deep fried, and I felt sick after eating because it was too greasy. The waiter also seemed to be ignoring us, watching TV instead of refilling our beverages. There was also a “petting zoo” at the campground, but the only opportunity for interacting with animals was a coop with a collection of chickens and ducks that we were not allowed to pet. Is that really a petting zoo? A swimming pond was also a festivity—well, the only festivity, because the inflatables were still not inflated the next day. I hesitated to jump in the water when I noticed it was dyed something blue. Who knows what was in that water? Worst of all, the owner was uncouth and insane. Rumor says she picks fights with newcomer campers. We were scolded for leaving an hour late, and she gave us a huge fee. What a pathetic campground.
—Conner Tuthill, Travel Editor
Ann Arbor ConferenceIt was the worst time of year to hold a conference in the Mitten. February was throwing a fit, complete with blinding night snowstorms behind plow trucks and a bitter wind for the whole duration of the trip. While Ann Arbor was known for its high-quality universities and hospitals, there wasn’t much to it. Even still, we managed to get lost late at night, trying in vain for our Google maps to update before we missed yet another exit. The actual navigator was asleep, so the driver’s yelling fell on me, baffled over a town I’d never been to in the first place. We made the whole eight- or so hour trip in one shot. What came next was a minimum-comfort hotel paid for by the conference, which appeared run-down and dirty, followed by no breakfast. We searched the town for food, in which the only place to eat that was open on the weekend was Panera Bread. The food was bland and not worth the drive. The conference itself should’ve been a momentous occasion for me, because I was accepting a fiction-writing award that had won at both my community college’s level and the community colleges across the state level. Instead, we had a few good speakers for the morning, in addition to a short ceremony in which my faculty mentor wasn’t able to attend, and my anxiety was at an all-time high. All in all, it would’ve been easier and far less stressful to have the certificate sent in the mail. There went time I could’ve been studying from the comfort of my home with a bed no stranger had slept in, a warm meal, and no reason for the misdirection of angry yelling by family members.
—Grace Kraniak
Storms OverheadIn the summer of 2019, my family and I went camping along the St. Croix River, which forms part of the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. On the first day, my aunt, cousin, dad, and I were driving around the nearest town. The clouds looked heavy with rain, but we could survive a sprinkle. Then, we heard the tornado sirens. We raced back to the campground where the rest of my family had closed the campers’ awnings to protect them from the whipping wind. Since we weren’t staying in a stationary building, we evacuated to the only solid structure nearby: the bathrooms. Crammed into the small, warm bathrooms with other campers, we stood watching the sky grow black and tinged with a harsh green light. Thunder rumbled through the trees, and the air became thick with massive raindrops, which pounded the earth. My heart raced, and I was terrified that we would be left with ruined campers and crushed vehicles: no way home. After about twenty minutes, the sky turned from an angry green, to black, and finally back to grey. The campground grew quiet as the thunder and lightning moved away. We emerged from the bathrooms, my parents’ dogs still shaking in fear of the intense booms that filled the air just minutes before. We were okay. There had been a tornado across the river, I found out later that day. Thankfully no one was hurt and there was minimal damage. I still relive those feeling whenever a thunderstorm passes overhead.
—Serenity Block
Personally Victimized by Memphis, TNMy family decided to take my great aunt to Memphis, Tennessee, for her birthday (she is an Elvis Presley fanatic, so this was her dream come true.) This vacation was for her, so I knew it wouldn’t be fun, but I kept a smile on my face so she could enjoy it. The entire week consisted of the most hot, humid, and miserable weather I had ever experienced, which of course transformed my hair into a lion’s mane and made me sweat more than a football player. That alone was enough to make me salty the whole week, but so many dreadful things happened, that sweating and terrible hair was the highlight. Because the whole trip was centered around icon Elvis Presley, we had planned all our activities to be at his estate and favorite places. While touring his house, word got out that Elvis’ grandson had passed away at 27 years old. Of course, this came as a shock to the staff who had met the family and brought the mood down tremendously. Naturally, the whole city was talking about it, and many were visibly upset. This alone ruined the vibe enough for the whole week, but trust me, it gets worse. To cheer us up, we went to a nice restaurant and ordered food. You guessed it—it was awful. After giving up on trying to turn the day around, we went back to the hotel. Although nothing terrible enough to ruin the entire vacation had happened at this point, it seemed like everything that could go wrong was going wrong. That changed when we went on a ferry ride for dinner. It was a beautiful boat with a live band and a surprisingly good dinner. Things seemed to be looking up for us: we were eating decent food for the first time in a while, everyone was getting along, and the sky was gorgeous. After all the bad things that had happened that night going well was what everyone needed. This, however, lasted about 20 minutes. I got a phone call from a friend and was informed that my boyfriend had taken his ex-girlfriend home that night. Needless to say, this is not what I wanted to hear on an already horrible vacation, especially the one time things were going well. The rest of the vacation was a blur; three more days filled with boring tours and mediocre (at best) food. Even without that phone call and a death that sent the whole city into a depressive episode, that vacation wouldn’t have been fun, but those events were the icing on the cake. I am grateful I was able to go on a trip, but at the end of the day, it was without a doubt the worst vacation of my life, and I will never set foot in Memphis again.
—Sydney Hansen
Roger Craig Smith, after working as a comic for 5 years, left stand-up comedy to pursue voiceacting full-time in 2005. He is known for many roles through the years in several popular franchises: Chris Redfield and Kyle Crane—characters from popular games—and even Batman and Sonic. He’s also the voice behind Ezio Auditore, his most notable role from the popular Assassin’s Creed II game.
Karl Boehler, Humanities Department, Green Bay Campus
The UWGB Pride Center has several exciting events planned, and you don’t have to be on the main campus to participate. Here’s a handy list of all of the things you can do with the Pride Center this spring:
Join the Marinette Pride Center Book Club! We’ll be reading and discussing Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz winner of multiple awards, including the Lambda Literary Award. Join the discussion sessions on April 11—in-person from 4-5 p.m. and/or online from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Email the Marinette Pride Center to get your free copy of the book and the Zoom link for the online discussion.
Dust off your camera; get out your art supplies; and polish up those story, article, and poetry files. It’s time to submit your creative work to the 2022 Northern Lights Literary & Arts Journal. 
January 12 & 26
If Beale Street Could Talk: At the heart of If Beale Street Could Talk is a love story both beautiful and poignant. Adapted from James Baldwin’s novel of the same title, Beale Street centers around Tish and Fonny, a Black couple living against the harsh racial landscape of the United States in the seventies. They are young and in love. The film’s camera angles are expertly framed close captures—steady, lingering focuses on holding hands and shots that don’t shy away from centering in on a character’s eyes. It’s near mythical. Tish and Fonny don’t stay in this place of blissful reverie. The viewer quickly learns two things: Fonny has been wrongly imprisoned, and Tish is carrying their baby. The movie is a slow burn as we puzzle together the events. If Beale Street Could Talk is honest, vulnerable even, in its dealings with racial injustice. We are forced to reckon with the truth that Tish and Fonny are not just two people who dream of a life together. Yet, the film’s power comes in the form of love’s resiliency and salvation. We catch soft affections through bars and witness how far a family’s fierce dedication will go. It is artfully done, and I could not look away. If Beale Street Could Talk boasts a talented cast and is worth every tear you might shed. Just remember to bring the tissues! Available on Hulu and to rent on other streaming services. 
Pitch Perfect: Anyone looking to turn away from the traditional romance movie on Valentine’s Day should be tuning in to Pitch Perfect. This comedy, the first in a trilogy, puts a new spin on love and shows it between a group of young girls singing acapella for their university. Beca (a newly enrolled student at Barden University) is told by her father that she must join one after school activity if she wants help moving to L.A. to achieve her dream of becoming a music producer. After joining one of the leading a capella groups on campus, her attention shifts to their competition and building up their team. Seeing the characters bond throughout the movie with jokes, drama, and singing pop songs will leave you happy and smiling. Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Elizabeth Banks, this film and the whole three-part movie series really is the perfect for Gal-entines Day or just a good laugh. Available on Hulu, Amazon Prime, or HBO Max with premium subscriptions, or to rent on any movie-streaming service.
Roma is an Academy-Award-winning film about the life of a family in Mexico City during the 1970s. During that time, the country was filled with political unrest, which often led to citizen protests. The film focuses on Cleo, a middle-class family’s Indigenous live-in-maid. As the parents of the family go through marital problems, Cleo must face the potential of being a single mother while working for this family. Throughout the film, we see that Cleo loves the family’s children, and they love her in return. It shows how even if romantic relationships don’t work out, you will always have someone who loves you. In this case, the selfless familial love holds Cleo, the family matriarch, and her children together during trying times.