This Week in History- January 6th through January 12th

(2000s – Present) Waiting Until the Last Minute: The Nature of Procrastination, 2007

 

Procrastination is a college student’s best friend and worst enemy. It allows us to ignore the assignments we don’t want to do yet, and then once we can’t put them off any longer, the adrenaline rush of it being due in a couple of hours powers us through the entire thing. The problem of procrastination is definitely not exclusive to college students though. I think most people have a habit of procrastinating the things they don’t want to do to some extent. If you struggle with procrastination, then hopefully you find some helpful knowledge from this article published in The Norfolk Daily News on January 12th, 2007 titled “For Procrastinators, this story can’t wait until later”.

The article shares the knowledge compiled by Professor Piers Steel from the University of Calgary regarding the human nature of procrastination. Steel is quoted as saying that procrastination is in fact natural, and between 15-20% of people procrastinate. His study took him over 10 years to complete, due to the sheer amount of information he was researching, but also his own tendency to procrastinate. One of the biggest factors when it comes to procrastination, steel found, is self-confidence. If you believe you can complete the task, you may have an easier time motivating yourself to complete it. Another important factor is the task’s deadline. Many will not complete a task if there is ample time to do so and will opt to complete more instantly rewarding activities, leaving the task unfinished until closer to when it is due. 

While procrastination is natural, especially for students, it is not a permanent curse. Steel cites preparation and perseverance as ways to eliminate procrastination. It takes effort not to procrastinate, like deciding to complete a task even if it seems impossible. And, even if you struggle to hold yourself accountable when it comes to preventing procrastination, it isn’t a lost cause. Steel found that as we get older and learn more, we tend to procrastinate less. Maybe sometime in the future, we will all stop procrastinating on those tasks we don’t want to do, but for now, most students like me will stick to writing papers the day they are due!

(1980s – 2000s) A Tale of A Town: 1987 in Review, 1987

 

A common practice at the start of each new year is to reflect back on the events of the last one. The writers at The Pioneer, published in Brandenburg, Kentucky, took the liberty of compiling their own list of memorable moments to review from the year 1987. Events shared were mostly local stories rather than world news, which gives us a glimpse into what they believed were the most important events for their community that year. In January, a $1.3 Million classroom expansion was approved for the Meade County School district. Later that month, concerns began to arise over the possibility of closure for their junior high following state recommendations to centralize students. In February, over 250 community members met to discuss the future of the Junior High.

 In March, Junior High students were transferred to the middle school building, which seems to be the end of the school changes. In April, local police discovered an auto-theft ring. In May, 200 YMCA Campers at Camp Piomingo fell ill. In June, 175 workers were laid off by Olin. In July, insurance rates increased, potentially due to the two local robberies that happened that month. In August, new commonwealth and county attorneys were appointed. In September, residents showed concern over what appeared to be slime in their rivers. In October, it was reported that the town’s teenage pregnancy rates were ‘alarmingly high’. In November, the local soil district announced that it needs $3000 in order to last another year. Finally, in December the town sees many position changes in local government. 

This reflection of their year tells a story of the problems that a person living in Meade County faced each month. From changing schools to job layoffs to insurance rates increasing after hundreds were laid off from their jobs. A year of changes that very easily could have led to instability is an image painted very clearly in this reflection. I find it fascinating that we can put ourselves in the shoes of others in unique ways, not solely by reading their personal accounts. 

(1945 – 1980s) New Jobs and New Buildings: McGregor Year Reviewed, 1957

 

Like the last selection, The North Iowa Times, published in McGregor, Iowa compiled a list of their most notable events from 1956. They reflect on the year as one full of civic improvement. Lots of buildings were constructed, including offices, homes, a new fire station, and the renovation of their community hospital. Along with improved civic infrastructure, more job opportunities arose and employment rates increased. It seems that the people of North Iowa had a much better year to review than those in Kentucky we covered previously. However, both reflections give insight into the lives of people living in these communities, and how local events can be more impactful than large global events sometimes. 

New Year’s resolutions are a long-standing tradition, and writers at The Osceola Tribune encouraged readers to choose sane driving as their resolution. Published in Osceola, Iowa on January 7th, 1936, they shared that 1935 was a year that stood apart for its tremendous amount of automotive accidents. They shared that over 36,000 were killed in the US in auto accidents, emphasizing that as individuals we should make an effort to promote safer driving. They provide a list of 6 ways to drive safer in the new year. First, you should drive with consideration for those around you. Second, to drive and walk with the care of safety for yourself and others. Third, to fully understand the rules of the road to properly operate a motor vehicle. Fourth, practice the skills that make a good driver (specific skills are not mentioned). Fifth, use common sense when driving (I feel like this goes without saying) and in scenarios where the law does not have specific instructions. Lastly, to cooperate with fellow drivers and pedestrians to get everyone where they need to be safely. I think many could follow these pieces of advice today, as I’m sure we all have seen our fair share of questionable drivers.

Last, a piece is shared about the scientific wonder of animals who live in abnormal places. Scientists had long believed that toads lived inside rocks, but not all had seen proof of this theory. Published in The Tipton Conservative in Tipton, Iowa on January 6th, 1904, a quarryman found what appeared to be a toad living within a solid rock. Obviously, there would be no way for the toad to survive in solid rock, as it would be trapped without food and water, but the toad could have used small holes to get in and out of the rock. They use the tiny passages in rock they created to navigate to and from their rock home, allowing them to survive. While this story happened over 120 years ago, their scientific fascination is similar to discoveries today. Each year, we learn even more about the world around us!

My search tip of the week is that sometimes the word you think you want to search for will actually just make it harder for you to find the right information. For example, I started my research this week by searching for “resolution” in various Community History Archives. The results I got were not related in the slightest way to what I was looking for, and instead of showing me goals people had set, all I got was information about local government proceedings. I went back to the drawing board, and decided to look for “New Year’s”. I made the mistake of searching for ‘new’ and ‘year’ separately, which brought me results of any paper that included the words (and trust me, it was a lot). I finally found success in searching for “New Year’s” as an exact search, as well as just browsing through papers published on the dates I was looking at. This is a great example of how sometimes you need to adapt your search criteria to collect better results, as it may be too generic or easily confused with a different subject. 

Going into the new year, my resolution is to continue to share the stories of the past with you! I believe there is no better place to learn than within the pages of our past. Join me again next week to discover more of history’s hidden gems and timeless tales!