End of Spring Semester

As we all know, the semester is slowly coming to an end. Many of you are probably working on final projects or studying for final exams. As a creative writing major, I always find myself working on a lot of final projects. I usually either have papers, presentations, or writing workshops to turn in by the end of the year. With so many classes, this can start to add up, but I love doing final projects. I think they can be just as stressful as exams, but there is a lot more creative freedom when it comes to them, which is something I really enjoy.

One project I enjoyed working on was my presentation for my video games in society class. For this class, we were given two options for our final projects. We could either do a research project and present our findings, or we could do a creative project that related to the class material. I decided to do a creative project because it sounded a lot more fun. I had to create a piece of fan fiction based off of a video game and present the creative process behind it to the class. As a creative writing major, I found this much more enjoyable than the idea of doing a research project. I find that it's easier to speak to people when you're talking about something you love to do. Our presentation at to be ten minutes long, and I used up every last second. I hope you guys don't get too stressed these last couple of weeks. We're almost done!

Midwest Shooting Range

Over the break, my family and I decided to go visit the Midwest Shooting Range in Cridersville. We aren't a big shooting family, so we thought it would be something that would be interesting and fun. Midwest Shooting Range is an indoor shooting range that allows you and your group to rent shooting lanes as well as guns and ammunition. You aren't required to have a gun to shoot there because everything you need is available to rent or purchase. However, I have a Ruger 10/22, so my family decided to bring that along with us so we only needed to rent one other gun. The building is incredibly cool, and the staff was really friendly. However, we were definitely out of our element.

While I was familiar with my rifle, we didn't know a thing about the handguns that we rented. There weren't really any tips or instructions given to us when we rented them, they just gave us the guns and ammunition. We had to figure these handguns out while we were in our shooting lane, which made me a bit uncomfortable. My brothers happily put in the time to figure out the guns and shoot them, but I tried to stick with what I knew and stayed with my own rifle. After we got over our initial nerves, we relaxed and were able to have more fun. I would definitely suggest this place to anyone looking for a nice place to go shoot, or to even learn to shoot.

Holidays with Kids

This last weekend, my family had our cousins and their kids over for a cookout. My cousins, Keith and Ryan, have two kids named Lucy and Annie. Lucy is 4 years old and Annie is 7 months old. Since Easter was only a week away, we decided that we would hide eggs for Lucy to find around the house. This was so exciting for us because the youngest in our family is currently my step sister, who is 15 years old. That means we've gone a long time without Santa, the Tooth-fairy, or the Easter Bunny. While holidays are still really enjoyable, there is something about having little kids that still believes around that make the holiday that much better. I was so excited to go home Sunday and see Lucy's reaction to the Easter Bunny visiting the house. I got to fill up a bunch of eggs up with candy and hide them around for her. She was so excited to go egg hunting and it made the day that much more enjoyable!

I really enjoy spending the holidays with my family, but we don't have any little kids anymore. When we go to the larger family events, there are plenty of children around, but we tend to only go to those for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We still miss out on Halloween and Easter. What do you guys think? Do any of you have younger siblings who still believe? Are holidays less exciting without little ones?

Infographic

This week, we were tasked to design an infographic for class for one of the panels that presented at ONU's Social Media Workshop. For this assignment, I decided to do the Dublin Irish Festival. I thought that this assignment was really interesting, especially since I have never created an infographic before. One thing that I found myself really focusing on was the design and layout. I spent hours trying to arrange everything and get it to a point where I thought that it looked good. Since this was for an Irish festival, I decided to use the same color scheme as Ireland's flag. I think this really worked well because the colors were easy to match and were manageable.

I tried to make the image as eye-catching as I could while also using the shapes and colors to draw the viewers' attention to where I wanted them to look. For example, I used the triangle in an attempt to trick the eyes into flowing down to look at the other businesses and companies that had sponsored the Dublin Irish Festival. I made sure to incorporate some of the larger brands that people would recognize. I didn't want everything to just blend into the background, so I also tried to use white to help make things pop out of the green a little bit more. While creating this image, I learned that infographics take a lot longer to make than I thought they would! It may have just been me because I fussed over the design, but it took me a few hours to get it to look the I wanted it to.

Portland

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to be able to go to Portland, Oregon with some of my classmates for a conference. We arrived on Wednesday and didn't return to Ohio until late Sunday evening. I had never been out west before, I have only driven down south to states like Florida. That's why I was so excited to go on this trip. I wanted to experience a new place.

There were a lot of things to do in Portland. While the conference and its panels were interesting, I mostly just wanted to explore the city. My classmates and I tried going to different restaurants every day so that we could try new foods that weren't available to us in Ohio. I got to try real dumplings for the first time at Frank's Noodle House while we were there, and they were delicious! We also went to Powell's City of Books, which was a huge book store that took up a whole city block! I had never seen so many books before in my entire life, but I limited myself to only buying a few. We also explored the Lan Su Chinese Gardens while we were in town since it was only a twenty-minute hike from the conference center. We walked over one of Portland's many bridges, which was a cool experience on its own. While it's usually pretty rainy in Oregon, we were lucky enough to have beautiful weather! In the evenings, we had nice meals outside where we enjoyed the lovely sixty-degree weather. I was a little heartbroken to have to fly back to Ohio, but I'm glad to be back at ONU again. If you're ever looking for a place to go, I would definitely recommend Portland!

Accepted Students Day

Today, Ohio Northern University had its Accepted Student's Day on campus. This is an event where all incoming freshmen who have already been accepted for the fall semester come and spend the day at ONU. They get tours of the campus, they can put down their deposits, they get served lunch, and they get to see some of the student organizations that ONU has to offer.

This year, Mock Trial was able to have a booth at the event. Myself and two other members of the team went to go meet some new students so that we could potentially recruit them for Mock Trial this year. Unfortunately, due to a mix up that happened last year, Mock Trial was unable to have a booth at Accepted Student's Day and Welcome Fest. Since we didn't have any booths, we struggled to recruit new members. By the time the season had ended, we only had six members on the team, which was the minimum we needed to compete. We met a lot of great students today and hopefully sparked some interest in our club. Our goal this year is to triple our numbers to we can have two full teams for competitions. Hopefully we'll get some people to sign up at Welcome Fest this fall!

The Last Light of the Sun

Over spring break, I had to read "The Last Light of the Sun" for one of my English classes. As an English major, I have to read a lot. However, I haven't read for pleasure in a really long time. Not since middle school. I always find it hard to find a new book to start and, on top of that, I was always assigned books to read throughout high school. When I got to college, I was overloaded with books, short stories, and poems I had to read for my classes. For example, I have nine books that I had to rent for my Literature in Medicine class alone. With so much reading, I found myself spending a lot of time reading through chapters and writing responses for my classes. After I read all the chapters and stories I was required to read, I was completely burnt out. I didn't want to read something else for fun after I had just been forced to read several chapters or stories for school.

I don't hate most of what I read, but I'm not always overjoyed with the selections either. However, I really loved this particular book. "The Last Light of the Sun" reminded me of the "Game of Thrones" series. The characters are all very well written and the plot captures your interest from start to finish. There are numerous characters that you follow through the story. Each one has their own baggage and issues that drive them forwards until multiple paths begin to intertwine. While it is a long book, nearly 500 pages, I found myself easily cruising through it alongside my favorite characters. If you guys are ever looking for a good book to read, I would highly suggest this one!

New Horse in the Barn!

Our barn became just a little bit bigger over spring break. My step-father, Kevin, has been looking for a new horse that he could ride in competitions. After some looking, we were lucky enough to come across this beautiful grey. He is currently four years old, but he is not yet fully broke. This means that he isn't not completely trained when it comes to riding. Since he is so new, he hasn't yet acquired a barn name, though we are thinking of calling him Steel. We had not seen Steel in person before we purchased him, so once he was brought home we had to see what his temperament was like as well as see how he would ride. We learned pretty quickly that he was a big sweetheart. He loves to have his face pet and he is as calm as can be. Much calmer than some of our other young horses!

When it came to riding, he did pretty well too! It was clear that he wasn't fully trained, but he proved to be a horse that we could work with. With a little bit of time and training, he could become a good competition horse. He has long strides and does a good job listening to the rider. We put him through some tests like in the picture shown above. We took him to an indoor arena where we had him try to step up onto a few little platforms. This was just to try and see if he would listen or if he was skittish around new things. Another test we did was we tried walking him through a shredded-up tarp. The sound the tarp makes and the feel of it can be scary to a young horse, but Steel managed to walk through it with a little bit of work. I am excited to see how he does over the next couple of months or so!

Spring Break Hustle

Spring break 2019 is quickly approaching, and not a moment too soon. If you're a college student like myself, you're likely feeling pretty overwhelmed with papers, projects, and exams. The week before spring break is typically an uphill battle, with relief only coming after the last class on Friday. However, some students may find themselves with projects they have to do over break, whether it be extensions on papers, upcoming projects, or books that they need to read for when they return.

While some of you guys may wait till the last minute to finish up any homework you have, I would encourage you to get it done as soon as possible. I know that one of my classes offered an extension on a paper that we have due before break. While it may be tempting to take the extension so that you can lighten your load for the week, I would advise you not to do so. I think it's safe to say that most of us tend to procrastinate quite a bit. If you really are swamped and need the extension, then feel free to take it! However, you should really ask yourself some important questions before you do...

• Do I really need extra time to complete this assignment? 
• Is this extra time going to allow me to improve my assignment? 
• Am I gonna be motivated enough to finish it when spring break rolls around? 

If you answered 'no' for any of these questions, then I would suggest pushing through and getting them done before break. You'll thank yourself for doing it later! Hopefully you guys don't have too much to finish up this week! Good luck and have a great break!

11 Grizzly Bear Tips

As a creative writing major, I find myself writing a lot of different types of stories, though I tend to write more fiction stories. This gives me a lot of freedom when it comes to deciding what I want to write and how I want to write it. However, sometimes, when I'm writing more realistic fiction, it requires me to do a bit of research on subjects I may not be particularly knowledgeable about. I recently had to write a workshop piece for one of my creative writing classes, which had me researching some interesting topics. In my story, two of my protagonists are attacked by a grizzly bear. Since I'm not a grizzly bear expert, I had to do a bit of research to uncover some of the dos and don'ts when it comes to grizzly bear attacks. I thought I would share some of this information with you guys just in case you ever find yourself in a situation like this.

PBS wrote an article on what you should do if you ever encounter a grizzly bear.

Here’s what the experts say to do:

1. If you encounter a grizzly, do not run.
2. Avoid direct eye contact.
3. Walk away slowly, if the bear is not approaching.
4. If the bear charges, stand your ground (You cannot outrun it. They can run up to 40 mph).
5. Don’t scream or yell. Speak in a soft monotone voice and wave your arms to let the animal know you are human.
6. If you have pepper spray, prepare to use it.
7. If the grizzly charges to within 25 feet of where you’re standing, use the spray.
8. If the animal makes contact, curl up into a ball on your side, or lie flat on your stomach.
9. Try not to panic; remain as quiet as possible until the attack ends.
10. While in bear country, be aware that you may encounter a bear at any time.
11. Be sure the bear has left the area before getting up to seek help.

I really hope you guys never have to use any of these tips, but it can't hurt to spread the knowledge!

ONU Mock Trial Team

Last weekend on Feb. 16 and 17, Ohio Northern University's Mock Trial team went to our regional competition at Eastern Michigan State University. My team had been working with this year's case since early Sept. of 2018, with the regional competition being our very last tournament of the season. We won several of our ballots while in Michigan and we also won two individual awards. Kyla Gray, a graduating senior, won an award for best attorney while I won an award for best witness. For this Mock Trial season, we received a civil case about negligence. The case summary, provided by the American Mock Trial Association, was this, "On June 29, 2017, Defendant Danny Kosack was scheduled to appear on the highly-rated show Midlands After Dark with Alex Grace (produced by Plaintiff, Midlands Television Studios, Inc.) with Elias, Kosack's chimpanzee.  But a rehearsal before the show went terribly wrong when Elias attacked the people in the room.  Plaintiff's writer, Chris Villafana, was killed during the attack, and Plaintiff and Defendant have sued each other for negligence."

For the trial, I played as Remy Hollis. Remy was the band manager for the band that was supposed to preform that day on Midlands Television Studios. Remy witnessed the attack as well as some of the events leading up to it. Since Remy was a 'swing witness', either side could call this character to testify. Remy ultimately saw negligence from both Danny Kosack and MTS but, in cases like these, the party that is found to be liable by preponderance of the evidence is found to be guilty. Preponderance of the evidence simply means 'more likely than not'. So, if it is found that Danny Kosack is 51 percent negligent while MTS is 49 percent negligent, then the court must rule in favor of MTS. Since Remy is a swing witness, I played this character on both sides all weekend. Overall, ONU did a good job and placed decently among the teams that were there at the tournament.

Two Dollar Radio

On Feb. 9, 2019, Polaris, Ohio Northern University's literary magazine, went on a trip to visit the Two Dollar Radio Headquarters. Two Dollar Radio is an independent family-owned publisher based in Columbus, Ohio. The company was founded in 2005 and specializes in literary fiction. We were lucky enough to get to speak with one of the owners, Eric Obenauf, who gave us all some interesting insight into the publishing company. Eric talked to us about why they had originally founded Two Dollar Radio, one of the reasons being that Eric was struggling to find books that intrigued him and had bold voices. Eric explained to us that most of the larger publishing companies are looking for books that they think will make them lots of money. They want books that are marketable. They aren't necessarily looking for something new or bold. Eric told us that he liked reading quirky books with interesting stories or bold new ideas that haven't really been seen before. He noticed there wasn't really a huge market for this, so they started Two Dollar Radio to give these writers a voice.

Two Dollar Radio also has a small cafe at their headquarters in Columbus, Ohio where people can buy some of the books they've published or enjoy a nice vegan meal. They host numerous activities in their cafe every week. When asked why they decided to open the cafe, Eric explained that it was a way for them to further connect with their community. I really enjoyed Two Dollar Radio because of what the company stands for. They support writers that they feel are underrepresented by larger publishers, which I believe is something that is very important. I also think it's important to support these smaller publishing companies. If you're looking for a good book to read, check out their website and take a look at some of the writers they've published. There is something there for everyone!

Frostbite Ain't Right

Hey, guys! If you're in Ohio right now, you're likely feeling the cold just like I am. The temperature outside is in the negatives, meaning that it's dangerous to be out and about. Since it's so terrible outside, I thought I'd take a minute to talk about the dangers of frostbite. I've seen some students scoff at this cold weather and go out completely unprepared, which can be extremely hazardous. I've provided a video above for you guys to watch from Inside Edition. Since most of my readers are students, I think this video will be most useful to you guys. Here is some more specific information about frostbite.

What is frostbite? 

According to the Mayo Clinic, frostbite is an injury caused by the freezing of the skin and the issue lying underneath.

What are the symptoms?

Here are some of the signs and symptoms the Mayo Clinic says to lookout for.

• At first, cold skin and a prickling feeling
• Numbness
• Red, white, bluish-white or grayish-yellow skin
• Hard or waxy-looking skin
• Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness
• Blistering after rewarming, in severe cases

Seek medical attention if you experience:

• Signs and symptoms of superficial or deep frostbite
• Increased pain, swelling, redness or discharge in the area that was frostbitten
• Fever
• New, unexplained symptoms

If you do have to go outside for whatever reason, never fear! Here are some tips on how to prevent frostbite.

Prevention:

• Limit time you're outdoors in cold, wet or windy weather.
• Dress in several layers of loose, warm clothing. 
• Wear a hat or headband that fully covers your ears.
• Wear mittens rather than gloves. Mittens provide better protection.
• Wear socks and sock liners that fit well, wick moisture and provide insulation.
• Watch for signs of frostbite. Seek warm shelter if you notice signs of frostbite.
• Plan to protect yourself. When traveling in cold weather, carry emergency supplies and warm clothing in case you become stranded.
• Don't drink alcohol if you plan to be outdoors in cold weather.
• Eat well-balanced meals and stay hydrated. Doing this even before you go out in the cold will help you stay warm.
• Keep moving.

If you guys want more information on frostbite, feel free to visit the Mayo Clinic website right here. Stay safe out there!

Dog Days with Horses

Since I've been at college, I have been missing my horses back home. I have a 16-year-old American Quarter Horse named Chicks Lil Wager and I've had her since I was about 12 years old. Over the past two years, we've bred Chick and gotten two wonderful babies from her! One of them is a friendly little colt named Chick's Brave Warrior and the other is a sassy little filly named This Chick Has Sass. Brave was the very first baby we had in the barn and is now nearly two years old. 

On top of our barn full of horses, we have two dogs named Char and Nala. Char was the first dog we got and was around when both Brave and Sassy were born. Brave was born before we got Nala though. Before we had Nala, Char seemed to get very lonely around the farm. If no one was actively playing with her she'd try to entertain herself by tossing one of her toys to herself or by bothering the horses. However, everything seemed to change for her when Brave was born. Since he was just a tiny colt, he was the perfect size to function as her playmate. She loved to jump over him and lick at his face whenever she could. He tolerated just about everything she did, and, to this day, she still favors him over the other horses in the barn.

I was browsing through my phone the other day and thought I would share some of these moments with you! Here is baby Brave laying out in the sandpit. As usual, Char wasn't very far away.

Another thing she liked to do was lay with him. I came into the barn one morning and managed to capture the two laying down together. This was Brave's favorite spot to lay down because he wasn't tall enough to look over the stall door. Instead of trying to peek over, he would lay down and look under to see what was going on around the barn.

Home Remedy for Migraines

One thing that people don't really know about me is that I suffer from migraines. For me, they started when I was an upperclassman in high school. I had never experienced a migraine up until then, but I have had them ever since. Some people may think that migraines are just really bad headaches, but there is a bit more to it than that. Although, it is important to keep in mind that migraines are different from person to person, this is just me speaking strictly about my own experiences with migraines. For me, I get a really sharp and intense pain in the center of my forehead. It feels like the only way to relieve this pain is by pressing my palm against this spot in the center of my head. However, this pressure offers only a little bit of relief. Once the pain in my head starts to set in, light becomes unbearable. The light becomes so intense, that even the tiny LED on my phone becomes too much for me. Then the nausea begins to set in. My stomach becomes a mess, and I feel like I'm going to need to run to the bathroom at any moment.

There are medications to stop migraines, but I don't have anything that is preventative. If I feel an intense headache coming on, I make sure that I take my migraine medication right away. However, my mom recently discovered a home remedy treatment for migraines that I am very excited to try and share with all of you. For more information, see www.healthyfoodhouse.com

The remedy is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoons of Himalayan Pink Salt or Celtic Sea Salt
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 
• A glass of water (about 8oz)
• 1 teaspoon of raw honey (optional)

Directions:

Add salt and lemon juice to the water and stir until completely dissolved. Add honey to sweeten the mixture.

According to the website listed above, you should notice some improvement within a few minutes. I was developing a headache earlier today, so I decided to try this recipe for myself. Since the honey was optional, I decided to try it with and without honey.

The taste itself was very unpleasant. Salty water with lemon did not taste great. I would highly suggest using honey to help sweeten the mixture a bit, though I ended up adding a bit more than what was recommended. Even with the added honey, this was, admittedly, very hard for me to drink. The salt is very overpowering and the lemon does not help like I thought it would. The taste was just too salty. However, I did notice that my headache was going away, even with the few sips I was forcing myself to take.

I was not able to finish my entire glass of water. The taste was simply too much for me. I had to put a drop of honey on my tongue just to get the taste of saltwater out of my mouth. I think I will try putting less salt in the mixture the next time I try it out. I was quite surprised by the results of this remedy, but I only used this treatment on a mild headache. I was not experiencing a migraine at the time.

If any of you end up trying this remedy for yourself, let me know what you think!