The Northern Star hosted its Hall of Fame dinner Saturday at the Holmes Student Center’s Regency Room.

Six former Star staffers and a current NIU professor were inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame.

The first inductee was Ted Bacino, editor in chief from 1954-1955.

Bacino was editor in chief when the Star first got its name. Up until then, the paper was called the Northern Illinois, and Bacino proposed to rename the paper The Northern State News.

Instead of this proposal, the Northern Star was chosen by the President’s Council.

The next inductee, Rick Cerrone, was a sports writer and editor for the Star from 1972-1976. Cerrone went on to create his own baseball magazine in New York called Baseball, and now he is in charge of public relations for the New York Yankees.

“Everything I have ever done, I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t have come out here,” Cerrone said.

John Kringas, the third inductee of the night, was a photographer for the Star from 1984-1990. During his time at NIU, his photos were published in such prestigious publications as the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times and by The Associated Press.

“[The Northern Star] allowed me to come back here and teach advanced photo journalism,” Kringas said. “I still can’t figure that one out.” Kringas taught a class at NIU last spring.

The next inductee, Michael O’Connor, was a copy editor and editor in chief from 1966-1969.

“Everywhere Mike has bought a house, the economy has gone down,” said Jeff Farren, previous inductee into the Hall of Fame who worked on the copy desk with O’Connor. Farren had introduced O’Connor.

Kathy Orr McDonald, the next of this year’s inductees, was editor in chief from 1982-1983. She passed away in 1997.

“She was right there, covering the story the way the worker would see it and not the administrator,” said Ilean Orr, Kathy’s sister who accepted the award for her.

NIU marketing professor Rick Ridnour was the night’s only inductee who was not a former staff member of the Star.

“No one was sleeping in the back; everyone was in tune with what he said,” said Kelly Hahn, a former student of Ridnour’s and former Star advertising representative.

Ridnour has taught many of the marketing students who have worked in the advertising department of the Star.

“I don’t want to be cheesy, but it really is the best job in the world,” Ridnour said.

The final inductee was Cary Spivak, a reporter, editorial editor, newsroom supervisor and public affairs editor from 1974-1977.

“Cary is the kind of guy who wouldn’t want to be a member of a club that wanted him as a member,” said Mark Brown, who is currently with the Chicago Sun-Times. “I wouldn’t want to be part of a Northern Star Hall of Fame that didn’t include him.”

Also honored was former systems manager Steve Woodruff. He was awarded the Bridge Builder award for his continued work with the Star after graduation.

Jaime Jordan, the Star’s first black editor in chief, was honored with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Jordan currently is a reporter for the Dallas Morning News in Dallas, Texas.