With the end of the school semester quickly approaching, students eagerly wait for their well-deserved summer break. But what are the best ways to spend these next three months? Many of us find ourselves unable to decide how to spend our summer days, often doing nothing for our summers. Here are some fun (and affordable) ways you could be spending your summer:

Diversity Month

Many people are unaware that April is considered Diversity Month. It is important to embrace those around us despite our differences, and this month is a perfect time to learn from people from all backgrounds of life. Whether they're a different race, religion, sexuality, or gender, we can all learn something by hearing a different perspective.

Earth Day

It's hard to believe that before 1970, there were no regulations for polluting the environment. A time before the Clean Air Act, with dark smoky skies. A time without the Clean Water Act with dark, murky waters. A time without environmental protection and no EPA to keep the Earth clean.

Although not recognized as an official holiday, April Fools Day is celebrated internationally. For centuries, many people have traditionally pulled practical jokes to celebrate. But where did this strange holiday originate?

The Origins of Easter

Easter has been around for centuries, but it wasn't always the chocolate egg-filled holiday we know today. Let's find out how this holiday grew into what we know today.

The earliest record found celebrating Easter comes from the 2nd century (over 1800 years ago). Bede the Venerable (an English Monk) from the 8th century thought the word may derive from Eostre (or Eostrae), a goddess of spring and fertility in Anglo-Saxon culture. 

Spring Equinox

Equinox roughly translates to ‘equal night’ in Latin, a mixture between the words aequus (equal) and nox (night). The Spring Equinox signifies the first day of spring, blooming through the cracks after a long winter. But what is an Equinox?

Like many people, I had no idea what St. Patrick’s Day celebrated. According to this poll conducted by Tullamore Dew (a leading Irish whiskey brand), out of 2143 people (21+), less than half knew St. Patrick was a patron saint of Ireland.

Other findings from the poll include:

• Only 25% of participants knew St. Patrick was NOT born in Ireland (he was born in Britain)
• 34% of participants thought the holiday celebrated the day of his birthday instead of marking the day of his death
• Around 25% of participants believe St. Patrick chased all the snakes out of Ireland (based on the myth)

We’ve all wondered why February is the shortest month. Whether it was a passing thought or you stopped to think about it. This article seeks to answer your questions while teaching you some of the history behind the reason.

As we know today, Valentine’s Day is a day of romance to celebrate the one(s) you love. But it wasn’t always this way. Although no one knows the exact origin of this holiday, historians can infer from celebrations from our past to piece together the origins.

The College of Business at ISU is running its annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program from January 25th to March 14th. This program is an excellent opportunity for low-income families to receive help with their taxes this season.