March 17, 2025
The Quill’s Flame: Celebrating March, a Month of Recognition and Reflection
March is a month rich with significance, as it brings forth various celebrations and observances that highlight many aspects of our society. From promoting literacy among children during National Reading Month to honoring the achievements of women in Women’s History Month, this month serves as a reminder of the importance of growth, awareness, and community.
Additionally, we embrace the spirit of inclusivity through Disability Awareness Month, celebrate cultural heritage on St. Patrick’s Day, and witness the beauty of nature during the March equinox. By delving into these celebrations, we acknowledge the varied experiences and voices that enrich our lives, fostering understanding and unity.
National Reading Month
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” —Dr. Seuss
In the U.S., about 25 million children struggle with reading proficiency, which can hold them back from succeeding in school and pursuing their dreams. Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) offers effective programs and valuable resources to address this literacy challenge. Encourage a child today to read.
Women’s History Month
“How you process success is going to be just as important as how you process failure.” —A’ja Wilson, MVP #22 for the Las Vegas AcesIn the spirit of the month, Olympic gold medalist and exemplary athlete A’ja Wilson (pictured left) dedicates her time to inspiring young girls and empowering them to embrace their identities. Through her advocacy work and engaging writing, she aims to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and education, encouraging a generation to pursue their dreams unapologetically. Wilson’s commitment to uplifting the voices of marginalized communities displays her belief in the transformative power of self-acceptance and resilience.Disability Awareness Month
“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” —Helen Keller
March has been recognized as National Developmental Disability Awareness Month since 1987. This month is dedicated to supporting, promoting, encouraging, and raising awareness about developmental disabilities, helping all come together for a great reason: awareness!
St. Patrick’s Day
“May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.” —Irish Blessing
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, an enjoyable occasion that honors the vibrant Irish culture and heritage. It’s a time filled with lively parades, people wearing their favorite shades of green, and cheerful gatherings with friends and family. Over the years, this day has transformed into a global celebration of everything Irish, delightfully moving beyond its religious roots.
March Equinox“From frost to bloom, light erases gloom.” – Unknown
What’s unique about the March equinox?When the March equinox arrives, the Earth stands perfectly upright to the sun, allowing the sunlight to beam directly toward the equator. Isn’t that fascinating? This extraordinary alignment means that both the north and south poles enjoy an equal distance from the sun, resulting in day and night being beautifully balanced in length. The March equinox takes place on Thursday Mar 20, 2025, 4:01 a.m. Central Time.
Roronoa Zoro: the green-haired, almost always shirtless, legendary swordsman from the anime One Piece which fans all know and love. With a current bounty of 1,111,000,000 berries, Zoro has millions of people out for him — but how would he act if you were out for his love instead? Would you be cut down by the three katanas he carries, or would this scarred swordsman treat you right?
Studio Ghibli — predictable, I know. What can I say: they’re popular for a reason. When considering the studio that made fan favorites like Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and more, it’s hard to choose a movie to focus on for this section. Having just rewatched this specific masterpiece, however, I wanted to draw attention to the first Ghibli film I had ever watched — one that I feel doesn’t get nearly as much hype as it should. The film I’m talking about is Princess Mononoke.
February 25th, 2024, was an incredible day for all the “Richonne” (Rick + Michonne) shippers in the world. On this day in history, we were blessed with the on-screen return of beloved characters Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira), formerly from The Walking Dead (2010-2022). They’re now back in the limited series spin-off, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024), where the audience gets to see what these characters went through during the past five years after they disappeared, leaving fans wondering if these two unstoppable characters would ever find their way back to one another well into the zombie apocalypse.With this spin-off series, we get to see what Rick and Michonne have endured in their years split apart from each other. Rick was taken and brainwashed by the Civic Republic Military (CRM), fighting to get back to his family every day. Michonne helped new friends make it home to their families, only to lose them before reuniting with Rick. We get to watch as they help one another bring out a side of themselves they believed was lost forever, not only by remembering the history they have together but also by recalling their loved ones back home as well as those they’ve lost along the way. They then make the hard decision to stay and stop the CRM from hurting anyone else, even if that means they don’t make it out alive.
Have you ever wanted to enter the world of your favorite novel? To live in the fantasy realms we read of today in search of a modicum of escape from our daily responsibilities? That is exactly the idea presented by The Greatest Estate Developer.Suho Kim is a civil-engineering student who fell asleep while reading Knight of Blood and Iron, a fantasy novel. To his surprise (and disappointment), he wakes up lying on a country road as a character in his book: Lloyd Frontera — noble and resident delinquent. Naturally, his reputation with the local townsfolk, his family, and even the knight who monitors him is overwhelmingly negative. This is a problem he looks to solve the only way he knows how: civil engineering.
This web novel is currently available on Webtoon, but this is not where it first originated. First published on the Korean web novel site NAVER by author BK_Moon, The Greatest Estate Developeris being adapted on Webtoon by Lee Hyun Min, acting as writer and translator, and Kim Hyunsoo, the artist for this series. A great deal of this novel’s popularity is due to this adaptation, as it opened the story up to the English-speaking audience. Another factor in this web novel’s popularity are the faces made by Lloyd Fronterra, a special touch from Kim Hyunsoo. The Greatest Estate Developer is in the isekai genre, wherein a character is transported to a new world. In this case, Suho Kim is transported to the world of Knight of Blood and Iron.
constantly referencing Suho Kim’s previous life, where he lived in South Korea and worked as a construction worker. This is where a lot of isekai anime and manga fall short, as the usual trope is for the main character to be a nobody in their previous life and make a better life for themselves in this new world. For Suho Kim, this is not the case, as he had a job and a place to live, far from the NEET protagonists of the usual isekai, NEET being an acronym for “Not in Education, Employment, or Training”. This subversion is a welcome spin on the genre, as it’s the exact opposite situation.
Love it or hate it, The Twilight Saga is a staple of the early 2010s and had an extremely loyal fan base both at the height of its popularity and even now. Choosing between “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” and fantasizing about being Bella Swan are things that a lot of people who were young adults at the time can look back on with fondness — and maybe a little cringing. I would, in fact, consider myself to be a fan of the saga, but I will also be the first to say the movies are a beautiful disaster. They are so awkward, cheesy, and bad that the series circles right back around to good. The main feelings one might experience when rewatching this series are nostalgia and secondhand embarrassment, which, in my opinion, is a pretty fantastic mix. There are some good things to come out of this series like: Robert Pattinson, memes, and some of the best soundtracks in Hollywood to date.
Whether you’re into farming simulators, crazy about dinosaurs, or just looking for a relaxing game, Paleo Pines has got you covered! In this single-player game, you play as a farmer on an island inhabited by both humans and dinosaurs. That may sound scary at first, but these dinosaurs prefer to eat treats, not humans. Are you a fan of the hit indie game Stardew Valley? Then this simulator may be up your alley.
Open worlds have been a staple of ambitious video games since before the turn of the century, with games like Elder Scrolls: Arena and Fallout: A Post-Apocalyptic Role-Playing Game debuting in the ’90’s and growing into franchises that dominate the genre. Even in these early days of the gaming subculture, gamers had concerns about just how much nothing there was.
Games have struggled with this balancing act for a long time. There are precious few examples of games that can pull it off. Recently, a game called Starfield drew in players with promises of hundreds of real-sized worlds to explore, only for almost all of those worlds to be completely barren or filled with curiously omnipresent wildlife. Open worlds are not a box to check but a commitment to uphold to your players.
Northern Lights Literary & Arts Journal is currently seeking submissions for its Spring 2025 edition, with a deadline of March 16, 2025. This annual, student-run publication is open to creative work from students, faculty, staff, and alumni across all four UW-Green Bay campuses. The journal invites submissions in various categories, including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, art, photography, and interactive digital stories.
Dr. Meacham’s Feather Rousing gets personal by blending intimate memoir with historical fiction. Feather Rousingis a refreshing look at being human. This chapbook, a small book containing ballads, poems, tales, or tracts, takes you on a rollercoaster of tragedy and comedy. LaTanya McQueen, author of When the Reckoning Comes says: “In this genre-blending chapbook of stories and essays, Meacham uses historical events to comment on what it means to be a mother, a daughter, and a wife amidst the uncertainties of our world. Beautifully written, this fable-like collection, full of delight and intrigue, explores what it means to live and love and survive.”