The Quill

Fun with Google Gemini

In our last issue of The Quill, student editors Sylvie Cavros, Alex Lopez, and Julia Hahn got creative with their “fantasy fight club” pieces; Sylvie pit the Road Runner against The Flash, Julia had Captain Boomerang battle it out with Wile E. Coyote, and Alex reimagined the Flash-Road Runner match-up as a D&D battle. Since time was of the essence, I decided to turn to Google’s Gemini AI tool to generate images for their pieces.

Gemini did pretty well with all of them. Until, that is, I turned to Julia’s Captain Boomerang vs. Wile E. Coyote battle. Up to that point, Gemini and I had been having a grand old time, but like Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars, my overconfidence would prove to be my undoing.

My initial prompts generated a few riffs on this concept:

The outfit wasn’t even close to what Captain Boomerang wears, with its adult diaper, waist bandolier, and Army-green tricorn hat. Also, this supervillain was apparently an idiot who mistook random pieces of metal for boomerangs. Judging from the words at the top of this image, Gemini garbled my prompt and generated Captain BOM-BARTHAANG instead of Captain Boomerang. An easy mistake. I tried again.

(I also wasn’t sure what that random guy was doing in the back, but pieces of his face appeared to be flying off. Perhaps making bits of one’s face spontaneously separate from one’s head is Captain BOM-BARTHAANG’s superpower.)

PROMPT: Take out the words and the guy in the back.

Gemini stubbornly refused to remove the words, and none of its subsequent attempts looked any more like the actual Captain Boomerang and less like Captain BOM-BARTHAANG. This despite the fact that Gemini is powered by arguably the smartest search engine in the world.

Respecting Gemini’s right to nurse an unhealthy obsession, I decided to take my prompts back to basics.

“DC supervillain, Australian, throws boomerangs for fun and profit,” I muttered.

PROMPT: Hugh Jackman in a navy blue supervillain outfit with a dark gray trench coat fighting Wile E. Coyote in a DC Comics illustration.

This looked promising! Face, hair, and outfit were close, but a slight tweak was needed.

PROMPT: Remove Hugh Jackman’s third arm and give him a boomerang.

Who needs a boomerang when you can have a boomerang-shaped Wile E. Coyote holding a pair of handlebars with legs? As one does.

PROMPT: Hugh Jackman should hold a boomerang.

As you can see, this attempt had him holding a giant hypodermic needle with a weird growth on the top. Captain Giant Hypodermic Needle is not a catchy supervillain name. But on the upside, everyone had two arms and two legs! I took a deep breath and went in for another attempt.

PROMPT: Take whatever Hugh Jackman is holding out of his hand. Hugh Jackman should be holding a boomerang.

I could show you what Hugh Jackman ended up actually holding, but I would probably lose my job. Needless to say, it was not a boomerang.

PROMPT: Make the boomerang curvier. It needs to look like a boomerang, not a [REDACTED].

Still not a boomerang, but at least this metal jump rope won’t get me sent to HR. Something seemed off with Wile E.’s hands and feet, though.

PROMPT: Make the boomerang look more like a boomerang. Wile E. Coyote should have only two arms and two legs.

Like Gemini with Captain BOM-BARTHAANG, I can’t let this go. I will have a boomerang. I will not shame Australia’s signature pastime after submitting one of the country’s best-known stars to numerous indignities.

I … kinda liked this one. Except this Captain Boomerang was so dimwitted, he replaced his boomerang with a deeply unsafe sword with no handle. Oh, and he had three feet, but maybe The Quill readers would be too distracted by his excellent supervillain suit-and-trench combo to notice. I unceremoniously gave up on the boomerang.

PROMPT: Use this same illustration. Take out Hugh Jackman’s middle foot so he only has two.

Spoiler: Gemini did not use this same illustration.

I was oddly distracted by the fact that Captain Boomerang/Hugh Jackman’s costume was Blue Beetle blue, not Captain Boomerang blue. But … was that …? Could it be…?

In my excitement over the actual, honest-to-goodness boomerang-shaped boomerang in this image, I almost missed the fact that Wile E. Coyote had a third foot growing out of his right toes, as well as a second tail inexplicably sprouting from his opponent’s left thigh. What in the name of Elisasue from The Substance have you wrought, Gemini?

I decided to distract Gemini by craftily veering in an unexpected direction.

PROMPT: Give Hugh Jackman a navy blue beanie hat with a white V on it.

Captain Boomerang does not have prosthetic chicken legs with clown shoes. Nor does Wile E. Coyote have a third floating arm or a reason to throw a boomerang, as his name clearly does not include the word “boomerang.” Spot-on with the beanie, though.

PROMPT: Hugh Jackman should not have prosthetic legs. Take away Wile E. Coyote’s middle arm.

PROMPT: This is a mess, Gemini. You should be ashamed of yourself.

PROMPT: I miss Captain BOM-BARTHAANG.

I logged off before Gemini could respond. I apologize to all of Australia for having to deal with this on top of the existence of Sydney funnelweb spiders.

The moral of this story? Take care when using AI for assignments, friends. Unless you want it to BOM-BARTHAANG up your class papers, in which case, vaya con Dios.

April 1, 2025

Thank You to Our Submitters!

A huge thank you to everyone who submitted their work to the Northern Lights Literary & Arts Journal! The submission deadline for this round was March 23, and we are incredibly grateful for the creative energy, talent, and diverse voices that you’ve shared with us.

We are currently reviewing all of the wonderful submissions, and we can’t wait to see what’s to come. Stay tuned! We will be in touch soon with updates on the next steps. You can expect to hear back about the outcome of your submission by mid-April.

We are so excited to see the magic that’s being created, and we truly appreciate each and every one of you for contributing to this vibrant community.

Keep an eye on your inbox, and thank you again for being part of the Northern Lights Literary & Arts Journal journey!

—Ginger Knauer, Co-Editor-in-Chief

April 1, 2025

Publishing Doesn’t Come Easy

April 1, 2025

Protect Yourself from Foolish Attacks

We have all been victims of foolish pranks. The Vaseline on the door handle, the phone call saying we won a prize, and the “big” announcement. This year can be different by following these seven foolproof tips.

1. 1. 1. Do not open anything dated April 1. Delete all emails without reading them. They will be your colleagues and acquaintances trying to prank you. Nobody works on April Fools’ Day.
      2. Do not answer the phone. People don’t call people anymore, so this must be a prank.
      3. Do not answer your door. Unless they have balloons. You can trust anyone with balloons.
      4. Do not touch anything. Handles, faucets, spoons … they have all been manipulated to mess with you.
      5. Do not believe anything you hear. Assume every human is lying. Except your closest family and friends, they would never prank you.
      6. Do not go into public areas. Avoid leaving home. Pranks can’t happen at home.
      7. Do not believe the news on TV or radio. Fact-check everything online. If it is on the internet, it must be true.

April 1, 2025

5 Great Places to Cry in Green Bay

As we adjust back into our school routines after spring break, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. You may even need to cry, or already have, which is totally okay and healthy! If you’re getting tired of crying in your dorm or around campus and need a change of scenery, here are five other great places to cry in Green Bay.  

1. 1. 1. Bay Park Square Mall: From 10 a.m. through 8 p.m., the mall is a great place to get lost amongst the crowd for a good cry. Although it would be slightly humbling, you can grab a sweet treat from the food court after!
           
      2. Kwik Trip: A Midwest staple and classic place to cry.
           
      3. Culver’s: Another Midwest staple. Specifically, cry in your car in the parking lot and not inside of Culver’s. You can get ice cream after you finish crying.
           
      4. Bay Beach Amusement Park: When it’s open, kids cry here all the time. You’ll be able to blend right in. And if you need a distraction, a mix of the amusement park rides and the smell of the lake may snap you out of your funk.
           
      5. Lambeau Field: Last but not least is the football stadium home to the Green Bay Packers, which is no stranger to wins and losses. Plenty of people have already cried here over their teams losing so you’ll fit right in! 

—Clover Cicha, Local Favorites Editor 

April 1, 2025

Free Spring Events 

Here are some favorite events for spring time.

• The Farmers’ Market on Broadway: Every Wednesday from May 21-Sept. 24, come to downtown Green Bay to shop from more than 150 local vendors.
• UWGB Concerts & Music Series: The series stages different perspectives presenting a fresh variety of musical styles at the Weidner Center. On Wednesday, April 5, don’t  Grammy-nominated composer, arranger, and educator John LaBarbera with the Green Bay Jazz Orchestra. On Wednesday, April 9, enjoy a lecture recital with soprano Whitney Myers and pianist Joseph Welch: “Wagner’s Träume: Mathilde Wesendonck, the Poet, the Muse, the Dream”
• Draft City Music Fest: On April 24-26 (which is also NFL draft weekend), enjoy this free two-night music festival at Leicht Memorial Park in downtown Green Bay. While the musical acts haven’t yet been announced, the festival promises “nationally known performers” in multiple genres, as well as food trucks, artisan vendors, and children’s activities.

April 1, 2025

Warriors Series
by Erin Hunter

Love them or hate them, we’ve all most likely encountered a cat at some point throughout our lives. But have you ever looked at a cat and wondered, “What if my sweet little Daisy were a part of a warrior clan in the wilderness?” If your answer is yes, then Erin Hunter’s Warriors series may be for you! Spanning nearly 45 novels, 21 novellas, 14 double-length super editions, and 15 manga volumes, Warriors is a tale about bravery, loyalty, and survival.

The first story arc, which consists of the first six novels, begins in Into the Wild. We follow Rusty, a kittypet — cat slang for a house cat — as he becomes bored with his indoor life, eventually choosing to embark on a quest into the wilderness. As Rusty soon discovers, there is more to be found beyond the boundaries of his old home than expected. This discovery comes in the form of a society of wild cats, divided into four rival clans who each inhabit their own territory: ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan.
It doesn’t take long for Rusty to become a member of ThunderClan, known for their bravery and ferocity in combat. Can Rusty, now renamed to Firepaw, along with his trusty friends Graystripe and Sandstorm, protect ThunderClan from their enemies? You’ll just have to read to find out! Warriors can be found on Amazon in physical and digital format, and can also likely be checked out at most libraries as well.

While I haven’t read Warriors since middle school, it is still a series that I hold close to my heart. Following the passing of my family’s cat when I was little, my parents had initially decided that we would never adopt another cat again. That all changed when I read Warriors. I became so obsessed with cats that I pleaded with my parents to let me adopt one. And while it took a few years for my begging to pay off, I can happily report that it worked. So every time I look at my Simba and Nala, I am always reminded of Warriors, and how I likely wouldn’t be snuggling with them if it weren’t for those amazing books.

April 1, 2025

Calling on Dragons
by Patricia C. Wrede

 There are a lot of books from my childhood that I love and were influential on me — however, this is April Fools. This is a time for humor, instead of a serious discussion about whether a book made me more compassionate (yes) or more invested in a particular issue (also yes). While children’s books do embrace humor and goofiness more than those aimed at adults, there are few that make me smile and laugh as much as Dealing with Dragons and its sequels.

Princess Cimorene is bored. Her parents expect her to be a proper princess and learn how to curtsy and the correct times to scream. Cimorene wants to do other things — literally anything — magic, fencing, astronomy, cooking, arithmetic. So, when her parents arrange a marriage for her, she runs away and becomes a dragon’s princess. Her parents can’t even complain because it’s perfectly proper for her to be abducted by a dragon, and no one believes her anyway when she says she volunteered.

Unfortunately, her efforts to organize her dragon’s library and treasury keep being interrupted by would-be rescuers. As soon as she gets rid of one, another one turns up. On top of that, wizards keep popping up where they shouldn’t be and are acting suspicious. Why is the son of the head of the Society of Wizards picking dragonsbane? What’s so important about the Caves of Fire and Night? One of her would-be suitors even releases a genie who, for some reason, insists he has to kill them now. Each event builds on the one before it to create a hilarious read suitable for all ages.

—Neesa Peak 

April 1, 2025

Stone Fox
by John Reynolds Gardiner

Stone Fox, although a short read, was able to pack such an emotional punch in my childhood and has stuck with me ever since. It’s the perfect blend of adventure and life lessons — with an ending that will leave a scar on your heart forever.
 
The story revolves around a young boy named Willy and his loyal dog, Searchlight. Willy’s grandfather, who is bedridden with depression, risks losing their farm because he cannot pay the taxes anymore. In a desperate fight to save their home, Willy enters the town’s dog sled race, with a grand prize that would be just enough to cover the debt. Yet, the issue isn’t that Willy is a 10-year-old boy with no experience but, rather, that his main competitor is Stone Fox, a Native American man who has never lost a race. Willy has Searchlight, but Stone Fox has five beautiful Samoyed dogs that would leave Willy in the dust. I remember reading it for the first time in middle school and being on the edge of my seat, rooting for Little Willy and feeling every bit of his determination and fear during the race.
 
What makes Stone Fox so memorable to me is the sheer emotional depth that it manages to convey in less than 100 pages. The bond between Willy and Searchlight is incredibly heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It’s one of those stories that makes you realize how powerful storytelling can be — even in a book meant for kids.
 
Stone Fox is not just a simple tale of a boy and his dog — it’s a story about fighting for what you love and the sacrifices you’re willing to make to achieve those goals. If I’m ever looking for a good rush of emotions, Stone Fox is the way to go.
  

—Katie Frank

April 1, 2025

Another Take on the Warriors Series 
by Erin Hunter

On my shelf in my mini library, the biggest series with the most beat-up spines is the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. The name “Erin Hunter” is a pseudonym for the authors Cherith Baldry, Rosie Best, Kate Cary, Victoria Holmes, Clarissa Hutton, Inbali Iserles, and Tui T. Sutherland. The series has 97 books in total, the first being Into the Wild, which was published in 2003. I haven’t bought another book for the series since I was in middle school, but my collection is still about 20 books. It’s a little wild to see that the authors are continuing to expand on this series to this day.
 
Warriors follows along the adventures of feral cats who live in Clans that each have their own territory and unique characteristics. There were five main clans: ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, SkyClan, and WindClan. Each Clan adheres to a strict warrior code that holds honor and emphasizes loyalty, bravery, and skills in combat. The Clans themselves are guided by their ancestors in StarClan through their sent prophecies and other signs.

At the very start of the series, we meet a housecat named Rusty who joined ThunderClan. The first series (The Prophecies Begin), consists of six books and follows the adventures of Rusty. He is renamed Firepaw after joining ThunderClan and is searching for the honor of becoming an apprentice following a fight with one of ThunderClan’s warriors, Longtail.”  Further into the series, Firepaw discovers a prophecy of a fire, the struggles against the rival sinister ShadowClan, and the dark ambitions of betrayal within ThunderClan.
 
If you’re ever in the mood to walk down nostalgia lane, this series offers all the right points of those great middle–school memories!
  

—Jenna Fintelmann