The Northern Star’s Issues pages exist for you.

The goal of any newspaper’s editorial page has been best described by Eugene Patterson, a former editor of the Atlanta Constitution.

Patterson said, “The true and lasting value lies in getting people to think for themselves, to talk and to argue, and finally to decide whatever they want to decide.” The Northern Star’s Issues pages are dedicated to this purpose.

Everyday The Northern Star publishes during this semester, two editorials will appear in this space. These editorials will offer opinions on campus, national, and world issues.

These opinions represent solely the views of The Northern Star’s editorial board, made up of Editor-in-Chief Beth Behland, Managing Editor Greg Rivara, and Editorial Editor Dan O’Shea. They do not necessarily represent the opinions of NIU administrators, faculty, staff, and students.

Daily columns by Star staff members and nationally syndicated column writers offer a variety of angles on local, national, and world issues. The work of The Star’s cartoonists compliments our daily editorials and columns. Also, the cartoonists, in their own right, explore some of society’s biggest issues.

Most importantly, however, The Northern Star’s Issues pages are designed to include your opinions and ideas. These pages are your forum. Here, you can discuss with your peers the issues and causes which you have strong beliefs about, whether they are negative or positive opinions.

While it is the editorial board’s policy to publish all printable letters, space can limit the number that appear in the newspaper or how long it might take the letters to be printed.

Once submitted, letters become the property of The Northern Star. The Star reserves the right to reject or substantially edit any letter that is libelous or otherwise unprintable. The Star follows these guidelines for the author’s protection, as well as ours.

The Star fervently encourages reader participation in the issues of the day. In a time when America’s youth and Americans in general have been accused of not keeping up with contemporary and world issues, a display of knowledge and concern about the big issues can go a long way.

Opinions are not to be evaluated on the basis of being wrong or right. The value of someone’s opinion lies in the strength and structure of the argument. These characteristics come from reservoirs which lie inside the mind of the letter writer, waiting to be tapped.

The Northern Star desperately wants to bring society’s hottest issues out in the open, but we need your help to do it.