My plan for the semester is to include columns that relate to students and discuss topics that affect their day to day lives. Re-occurring topics like life in residence halls, academic policies and student involvement are issues I will have columnists look at from new angles. I have confidence that each week’s issue will catch people’s attention whether they agree with the opinion or not.

As the new Perspective Editor at the Northern Star, I plan to make the Perspective section an outlet for students to state their opinion on the issues that matter most to them, and to publish content that informs and surprises at the same time. I began my time at the Star last year as a columnist and in that time I have learned about what readers find most interesting and relatable. In the past, Perspective published columns on general, repetitive topics. I plan to publish columns on topics students may not even be aware of such as limited handicap access around campus; I hope content like this will raise student awareness on a variety of issues.

Even larger than columns written by one columnist, I look forward to publishing many editorials from the Northern Star’s Editorial Board as well. These editorials will allow the Star to represent itself in a concrete way and give an opinion where usually we would not. Editorials on Student Association issues and new NIU policies are just some of the larger topics the Star covered in the past. Issues like these are what most affect students and the opinions on these issues are what I do not want to go overlooked; it is my goal that these editorials present a strong opinion to remind readers that the Star is an organization run by students with valid opinions just like theirs.

Letters to the editor are also a very important and a valued part of this section because this part of the paper is all about opinion. I encourage readers to submit letters to the editor this semester. Even if someone disagrees with something published by the Northern Star, I highly recommend sending in a letter so that all sides of the argument will be represented.

News is generally about giving people important information and always without bias. What makes Perspective a unique section is that students are able to voice their opinions on the news and other things going on around campus. This is exactly what I want the perspective section to be this semester ­— a voice for students with different opinions.