April 5, 2021
Games for Exploring
Most people have favorites for a whole slew of things, from food, to seasons, to even favorite socks (Jasmine’s are white ones with a rainbow around the band). Well, below are our all-time favorite games, ones that we find both chill and enjoyable, and perhaps a bit nostalgic as well:
Sims 4
Editor’s Verdict: All-Around Winner
As the Sims say in Simlish, Sul Sul! Sims 4, the fourth major game in the Sims franchise, is an immersive simulation game that allows you to create your “sim” (character) and live out their best (or worst) life. Find their true love, adopt a pet, go on vacation to a beautiful resort world, and more while in “live” mode. Or, if you want to take a break from that, you can build your own houses, mansions, community lots, or anything else your heart desires in “build” mode. With a multitude of expansion packs that you can choose from to spice up your game play, plenty of neighborhoods and secret lots to explore, stunning graphics that submerge you for perhaps hours on end, and a nostalgia value for someone who has played the previous Sims games, this game definitely earns the “All-Around Winner” verdict this week. Available from Maxis on Origin, as well as PS4, Xbox One, and other platforms.
Editor’s Verdict: Honorable Mention
Mini Ninjas is an action-adventure game released in 2010. Set on Ninja Mountain, the game has you play as Hiro, a young ninja forced to leave his dojo to save his ninja friends from the evil samurai Ashida. As you find your friends along the way, your traveling party and skillset expands more. This game focuses on intense action and lets the player learn new moves and ninja magic as the game progresses, making it a game you won’t want to quit playing. The imagery of the different worlds throughout the game is beautiful, and as many times as I’ve played this game, I’ve always discovered something new. Mini Ninjas is pure fun with lots of replayability, which earns it the “Honorable Mention” verdict this week! Available from IO Interactive on Steam for Windows, as well as Xbox 360, and Playstation 3, and other platforms.
Dysfunctional home lives and chance foster care placements brought Kentucky teens Noah, Isaiah, and Beth together; they’ve forged a bond so tight that they’ve become family. On the outside, the members of this trio are tough, independent, battle-tested teenagers…yet, what they hide from the rest of the world is how broken they really are—haunted by heartbreaking and dangerous demons, both past and present. These YA romance books by Katie McGarry have been some of my all-time favorites for many years! If they sound like they’re up your alley, you can read them either in order as a series or as standalones.
Ten years ago, Laurel’s golden child, Ellie, mysteriously disappeared without a trace. The police came to the conclusion that Ellie simply ran away, but Laurel thought differently—and she still does even a decade later. When Laurel starts dating the charming Floyd, she thinks she might be able to finally move on from her daughter’s disappearance. But then she meets Floyd’s daughter, Polly, who looks startling like her precious Ellie, and Laurel wonders if there is more to Ellie’s disappearance to uncover. I’ve reread this book several times, and it remains one of my favorites still. Lisa Jewell writes the “disappearance-with-a-twist” trope well, without being cliché or too predictable. One of the things I love best about this book is that it’s clear what happened to Ellie, but the circumstances surrounding her disappearance are not. If you’re a fan of Gone Girl, I can’t recommend this book enough!
One of my all-time favorite albums is Lorde’s 2017 album, Melodrama. Despite this album being almost four years old, and since we’re still waiting on Lorde to release new music, I continuously find myself returning to Melodrama for its intricate rhythms and unique songwriting. Lorde proves that truly good music can withstand time. On “Homemade Dynamite,” Lorde uses an explosive metaphor to describe meeting someone for the first time. The track “Supercut” feels like something straight out of a teen coming-of-age movie. This album only produced one single, “Green Light,” but I’d encourage new listeners to give the whole album a try and see how talented Lorde is as a songwriter.
Heavy Weather by Weather Report is a legendary album in the jazz genre. It is a staple for any jazz listener and for good reason. The artists that make up Weather Report felt the need to change up what jazz can sound like, using older jazz techniques as well as new electronics of the time to create a sound no one had heard before. Every tune is jam worthy, yet a marvel to listen to as you discover a new sound every time you listen.
Ever wondered what it’d be like to battle against monstrously-sized, human-eating Titans while living in a city encased in ginormous walls? Well, if you have or haven’t, Attack on Titan offers action-packed, heart-pounding sequences of just that, interspersed with charismatic characters, drama that is large enough to surmount the Titans themselves, and a mystery of how the Titans came to be in the first place, the latter of which is somehow linked to the main protagonist, Eren Jaeger’s family history. Amusing moments with the lovable characters help take the edge off of the frightening Titan attacks, and a gripping plot will have you wanting to watch more, giving this anime the “Fright Night” verdict for this week. Available on Funimation and other streaming platforms.
Most have heard of, if not read, the popular detective novels about Sherlock Holmes and faithful companion John Watson by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Well, this anime is about getting to see the other side of those stories, with the protagonist being the elusive, dashing, and cunning William James Moriarty—Sherlock’s arch-nemesis—and William’s brothers Albert and Louis. Moriarty the Patriot follows the lives of these three brothers and their group of companions as they bring about retribution for crimes against working-class people. With crafty characters, interesting crimes,and a compelling plot that takes a look at class differences in the1800s, this anime gets the “All-Around Winner” verdict this week. Available on Funimation and other streaming platforms.
Now that we’ve covered a little bit of how you can tone your upper-body muscles, it’s time to make a rotation and focus on your lower-body muscles. Your legs and thighs also need attention; without them, you wouldn’t be able to do half of the things you’d do throughout your day; since they’re the core support of your entire body.
It always takes a while to get back into the grind after coming back from the relaxation time that is Spring Break. And with coming back comes the stress of continuing homework and preparations for upcoming finals. We compiled some things that should help you out as you get back into the groove.
See the images included here for some ideas of things to include and some basic layouts if you wish to give this a try. And I shall also give you your first compliment on the second image!
For something that’s supposed to calm you and leave you feeling relaxed, meditation can be kind of taxing sometimes. Soon you’ll realize that you’ve given up on meditating and have put on another episode of your favorite TV show. Meditation is supposed to help reduce stress, control anxiety, generate kindness, and improve sleep. So, how do you finally buckle down and do it? There is a simple solution: apps. Meditation apps are a great complement to a mindfulness practice as they help you meditate anytime, anywhere, putting the power of mindfulness meditation in the palm of your hand.
Sometimes, we just need to sit down and enter into some mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice that came out of Buddhism but has now entered the mainstream. It’s when you focus on what you are sensing and feeling. According to the American Psychological Association, the benefits of mindfulness include stress reduction, a boost to memory and focus, and more.
Sometimes you don’t really feel like getting anything too extravagant to eat, just a quick lunch, or a small meal before an event. Pubs are a great place to find a speedy meal like a burger, some soup, a sandwich, or a variety of appetizers, and if you’re over the age of 21, a great place to have a drink and something to eat with your friends. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many pubs and restaurants have switched to delivery and take-out, but those listed below are all open for dine-in and take-out.
Calling all UWGB future entrepreneurs: The 
The 20th Annual UW-Green Bay Academic Excellence Symposium showcases the academic excellence of our undergraduate and graduate students. It will once again be held in conjunction with the 
It’s important to continue to be diligent in respecting COVID-19 protocols. An outbreak of infection after spring break could wind up disrupting classes and campus services for the rest of the semester. Plus, we want you and your family to continue to be safe and healthy.To that end, we encourage students to continue getting tested for COVID every two weeks. Testing is available on the Marinette campus, including during spring break.
With several UW-Green Bay classes still online during the pandemic, some students have been frustrated by internet connection problems. (Thanks, Coronavirus.) If this inconvenience sounds familiar, here are some tips to boost or fix your wi-fi.