Most people have heard the saying “new year, new me” that generally goes hand in hand with the concept of New Years resolutions. Yes, this is a concept because out of the estimated 80 percent of Americans that make new years resolutions approximately only 8 percent of people actually follow through with them. Although we are already halfway through February, I believe that people have … Continue reading Resolutions versus reality
Minnesota is the state with the highest number of Scandinavian Americans, boasting a population of about 1,603,124, according to the Stevens History Museum. This number accounts for over 30 percent of Scandinavian Americans in the U.S.A. With such a large amount of Scandinavians in our great state, it is no surprise that many of us have become accustomed to some of their holiday traditions. If … Continue reading Scandinavian Christmas traditions
We have reached the home stretch of the first semester, and with the impending rigor of finals, sometimes our bodies decide to give up early. The combination of daily stress and several overworked late-nighters (or in some cases, all-nighters) can too easily lead to illness, which certainly isn’t helped by the chilly weather outside. Once a bug begins, it’s only a matter of time before … Continue reading Prevent the spread of sickness!
I’ll be the first one to admit that I can get really lazy when it comes to cooking. It takes work, and I’m often hungry at that moment and just desperate to eat. When I entered college, that fact was reinforced by my caf account. Having that account allowed me to come in and get food whenever I wanted and it was nice to have … Continue reading Cooking: A delicious pastime
The world we live in is a large, complex thing. All actions have reactions, and some consequences are so far-reaching we might never see them coming. So how do we make choices? How do we decide what to support, what to believe, and what to protect, modify, or use? Nowadays, the decisions we make as humans have consequences we might never learn about or be … Continue reading Are ethical decisions possible?
There is nothing quite like glancing at your aunt and uncle’s local newspaper on the morning before Thanksgiving to find an article about Wisconsin’s abolishment of the minimum age for a gun license on the front page. More specifically, it covered a six-year-old girl’s first successful deer bagging. That certainly put a damper on my holiday spirit. It’s difficult to say what terrifies me more; … Continue reading The gun problem
Thanksgiving has come and gone. The turkey has been eaten, the tables have been cleared, and the family has gone back to Wisconsin. As Thanksgiving dinner died down another “National Holiday” emerged from the remnants of stuffing and mashed potatoes: Black Friday. As I scrolled through my Twitter feed while laying on the floor, I saw many a tweet criticizing Black Friday and the stores … Continue reading Black Friday bonding
Here in the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving around this time of year. Most of us return home to visit family, catch up with old acquaintances, and eat far more food than we ever should. However, there are quite a few of us here (and around the world) that also partake in an additional tradition: Black Friday. It has led to some interesting and tragic … Continue reading The slow and deserved death of Black Friday
As early graduation looms near and some of us are preparing ourselves to be thrust out into the world of adulthood, some more willingly than others, I can’t help but wonder why essential life skills like how to negotiate a job offer or rent an apartment weren’t a part of my public or private education. Attempts were made at my high school to educate us … Continue reading The irony of education for an informed citizen in the real world
It’s that time of the year again: the holiday season. This means colder weather, sweaters, and my personal favorite, comfort food. Despite all the fun activities that are associated with this time of the year, there is a downside. The average person gains 4 pounds between October and January. Having family food traditions is very important. They can help you de-stress and get away from … Continue reading The weight of every bite
