The older I get, the less it bothers me to be called a weirdo, because, well, I am a weirdo.Weirdo was an insult that cut me to the quick in my youth. Like so many other young people, I longed to fit in and be an integral part of things, be it a circle of friends or in a classroom setting. But ...

MARQUETTE - When I think about my childhood, it's mostly a blur. But it's my mother who stands out the most.Relationships with our parents are always complicated. I don't see eye to eye with my mom on a number of things, but her role in my life has been unambiguously, overwhelmingly and ...

MARQUETTE - An art education major typically focuses on two major things: the art itself, and educating people about that art.Amanda Kucharek, a senior at Northern Michigan University, is majoring in art education with a concentration in ceramics. She balances her efforts between her unique ...

MARQUETTE - A few weeks ago, I got the dreaded phone call. One of those calls where before words are even spoken, you know that something isn't quite right.My mom had just left the doctor's office. She was told she had skin cancer."I'm going to be OK," she said, speaking softly in an attempt to ...

MARQUETTE - If James Lunning isn't an avid hiker by now, he soon will be.Lunning, who hails from Minneapolis, recently came through Marquette as a thru-hiker on the North Country Scenic Trail.At 4,600 miles, the North Country Scenic Trail is the longest of the national scenic trails, stretching ...

MUNISING - David Kronk of Munising has interesting memories of working for the National Park Service. Now other people can share them as well as the recollections of other NPS employees.A new book published by the Yosemite Conservancy, "The Wonder of It All: 100 Stories from the National Park ...