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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student news organization since 1899

 

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Fall 2023 Staff

Angelina Padilla-Tompkins
Editor-in-Chief

Angelina Padilla-Tompkins

Angelina Padilla-Tompkins is a senior majoring in communication minoring in journalism. Originally from Washington, Illinois, Angelina joined the Northern Star in January 2022 as an opinion columnist. She hopes to move south,...

Michael Mollsen
Written Managing Editor

Michael Mollsen

Michael Mollsen (he/him) is a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in history. He is a senior news reporter at the Northern Star who joined in the spring of 2023 and covers campus safety. In his free time, Michael enjoys...

Bridgette Fox
Written Managing Editor

Bridgette Fox

Bridgette Fox is the written managing editor for the Northern Star. She is a senior majoring in English and minoring in anthropology. Bridgette is also a member of NIU's chapter of the International English Honor Society (Sigma...

Anna Scanlan
Digital Managing Editor

Anna Scanlan

Brynn Krug
Chief Copy Editor

Brynn Krug

Brynn Krug is the Chief Copy Editor at the Northern Star. She is a sophomore majoring in communications with minors in journalism and philosophy. She joined the Northern Star in fall 2022 and in her free time, she enjoys listening...

Gabby Crabtree
News Editor

Gabby Crabtree

Gabby Crabtree is the news editor at the Northern Star. She is a first-year and a communication media studies major. Gabby is a percussionist, plays in NIU's Steelband and is a member of NIU Signing Huskies, an ASL club at...

Hannah Soukup
Assistant News Editor

Hannah Soukup

Hannah Soukup is a junior journalism major and copy editor at the Northern Star. Shes been writing since she was a little girl and hopes to make a difference through her writing.

Ethan Gonzales
Sports Editor

Ethan Gonzales

Ethan Gonzales is the sports editor and a podcast host for the Northern Star. He is a junior transfer student at NIU majoring in sport management. He covers NIU’s women’s soccer and men’s basketball teams.

Alex Crowe
Assistant Sports Editor

Alex Crowe

Alex Crowe covers NIU Hockey and is the assistant sports editor for the Northern Star. He is a senior transfer student at NIU majoring in journalism and minoring in sports journalism. Outside of the Star, he plays for the NIU...

Lucy Atkinson
Opinion Editor

Lucy Atkinson

Lucy Atkinson first joined the star in the fall of 2022 as an opinion columnist. Born in Anchorage, Alaska, she is a sophomore at NIU majoring in journalism with hopes to minor in geology. In her free time, Lucy enjoys reading,...

Olivia Zapf
Assistant Opinion Editor

Olivia Zapf

Olivia Zapf is a first-year student majoring in history and minoring in political science. Olivia joined the Northern Star in the fall of 2023 as an opinion columnist. She will graduate in May 2026 and hopes to pursue a career...

Nick Glover
Lifestyle Editor

Nick Glover

Photo Editor

Sean Reed

Sean Reed is the photo editor for the Northern Star. They are a junior at NIU majoring in journalism. Sean joined the Star during the Fall 2021 semester as a photographer, before becoming the multimedia editor for the 2022-2023...

Savannah Lundberg
Video Editor

Savannah Lundberg

Joseph Howerton
Video Editor

Joseph Howerton

Joseph Howerton is a junior communications major and is minoring in digital media production. He has been apart of the Northern Star as a news reporter since October 2022 and is currently the Video section editor. Between his...

Zachary Bertram
Senior Sports Reporter

Zachary Bertram

Zachary Bertram is the senior sports reporter at the Northern Star. He joined the Northern Star in September 2022. He is a junior journalism major with a minor in English. He is from Tinley Park, Illinois, and transferred to NIU...

Emily Beebe
Senior Opinion Columnist

Emily Beebe

Emily Beebe is a junior from Lasalle, Illinois, majoring in English and double minoring in history and political science. She joined the Northern Star in February 2023 as an opinion columnist. She has the goal of being a writer...

Alyssa Berry
News Reporter

Alyssa Berry

Brandon Clark
News Reporter

Brandon Clark

Brandon Clark is a news reporter at the Northern Star. He is a junior journalism major with a minor in sociology. Brandon has written as a freelance news correspondent for two years at his local newspaper and works part-time...

Kathalina Bindas
News Reporter

Kathalina Bindas

Devin Oommen
News Reporter

Devin Oommen

Devin Oommen is senior news reporter at the Northern Star. He is a political science major who transferred to NIU this year as a junior. Devin's hobbies include exercising, yoga, lifting weights, and HIIT workouts and hopes...

Rachel Cormier
News Reporter

Rachel Cormier

Rachel Cormier is the assistant news editor at the Northern Star. She is an English major with a creative writing focus and a journalism minor. Rachel is also a member of the NIU Fencing Club and Kappa Kappa Psi, the band-service...

Kaitlyn Lee-Gordon
News Reporter

Kaitlyn Lee-Gordon

Kaitlyn is a news reporter for the Northern Star. She is a first-year majoring in journalism. When not writing for the Northern Star, Kaitlyn spends most of her time watching TV and consuming media. She hopes to pursue a career...

Sports Reporter

Kalin Schaefer

Kalin Schaefer is a sports reporter covering NIU men's soccer for the Northern Star. She is a freshman majoring in history with a minor in dance. After graduation, she hopes to get her license to teach high school history and g...

Sana Polizzi
Sports Reporter

Sana Polizzi

Zack Rodriguez
Sports Reporter

Zack Rodriguez

Zack Rodriguez is a sports reporter for the Northern Star. He is a senior sports management major with a minor in sports journalism. He completed his Associate’s of Arts in Business Administration at the College of Lake County...

Sports Reporter

Eddie Miller

Adrien De La Peña
Sports Reporter

Adrien De La Peña

Skyler Kisellus
Sports Reporter

Skyler Kisellus

Skyler Kisellus is a junior accountancy major and a sports reporter at the Northern Star. Once a "Florida Man" for 16 years, Skyler joined the Star in Fall 2021 as a sports reporter and became the assistant sports editor shortly...

Lifestyle Writer

Lindsay Curtis

Lifestyle Writer

Jonathan Shelby

Jonathan Shelby is currently a junior with a major in journalism. He loves to think about and write stories whether they are fictional or factual. Jonathan enjoys reading books, listening to different types of music, and mindlessly ...

Lifestyle Writer

Tamya Burch

Tamya Burch (she/her) is currently a lifestyle writer for the Northern Star. Tamya is a senior and double majoring in journalism and political science. She enjoys going to hot pilates, bar hopping, and trying new restaurants with...

Elizabeth Nowak
Lifestyle Writer

Elizabeth Nowak

Lifestyle Writer

Eli Tecktiel

Caleb Johnson
Lifestyle Writer

Caleb Johnson

Caleb Johnson (they/them) is currently a news reporter for the Northern Star, covering Greek Life on campus. They are a junior majoring in linguistic anthropology, with minors in LGBTQ+ studies and journalism. They are also...

Alberto Briones
Opinion Columnist

Alberto Briones

Alberto Briones is a second-year MBA student, graduating in the spring of 2024. Alberto joined the Northern Star in the fall of 2023 as an opinion columnist. Alberto is a graduate assistant for the Huskie Service Scholars program....

Opinion Columnist

Rosario Rubio

Lexi Nebel
Opinion Columnist

Lexi Nebel

Santiago Montañez Bertoletti
Opinion Columnist

Santiago Montañez Bertoletti

Santiago Montañez Bertoletti is a transfer student majoring in mechanical engineering. Santiago joined the Northern Star staff in the Fall of 2023 as an opinion columnist. He will graduate by 2027 and hopes to finish his initial...

Kahlil Kambui
Opinion Columnist

Kahlil Kambui

Kahlil Kambui is a freshman English major and opinion columnist for the Northern Star. He joined the Northern Star as an Opinion Columnist in the fall of 2023. Outside of the Northern Star some activities he likes to participate...

Veronica Neville
Opinion Columnist

Veronica Neville

Ashley Vargas
Opinion Columnist

Ashley Vargas

Christa Kim
Cartoonist

Christa Kim

Christa Kim is a first-year student majoring in computer science and minoring in art. She will be graduating in May 2027. Christa joined the Northern Star in the Fall of 2023 as a cartoonist. While she’s still figuring out what...

Daniela Barajas
Cartoonist

Daniela Barajas

Daniela Barajas is a third-year student majoring in drawing. She joined the Star in the fall of 2024 as a cartoonist for the opinion section. Daniela will graduate in 2025, following a path that will allow her to be a character...

Robin Gamboa
Cartoonist

Robin Gamboa

Robin Gamboa is a first-year student majoring in Time Arts and minoring in entrepreneurship. Robin joined the Northern Star in the fall of 2023 as a cartoonist. He will graduate in May 2027 and hopes to pursue a future career...

Eleanor Gentry
Cartoonist

Eleanor Gentry

Photographer

Melody Elbel

Photographer

Sasha Norman

Umer Khan
Photographer

Umer Khan

Ariyonna McGahee
Photographer

Ariyonna McGahee

Hans Herrera
Copy Editor

Hans Herrera

Hans Herrera (he/him) is a first-year majoring in theatre studies (B.A.) in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. He enjoys writing poetry and plays as well as painting in his free time.

Margaret White
Copy Editor

Margaret White

Margaret White is a junior anthropology major with a minor in political science. Margaret joined the Northern Star in fall 2022. In her free time, she likes going out with friends and spending time outside.

Copy Editor

Nanette Nkolomoni

Nanette Nkolomoni is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in Journalism.

Kristen Aragon
Copy Editor

Kristen Aragon

Kristen Aragon is a senior majoring in communicative disorders and doubling minoring in deafness and family and child studies. Kristen joined the Northern Star in August 2022 as copy editor. She is also a part of Sigma Sigma Sigma...

Photojournalist

Cameron Whittington

Photojournalist

Ryanne Sandifer

Photojournalist

Josephine Dunmore

Senior Photojournalist

Tim Dodge

Sarah Rose
Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Sarah Rose

Sarah Rose is the Assistant Lifestyle Editor at the Northern Star. She is majoring in English and double minoring in political science and economics. Sarah enjoys thrifting, reading, and listening to music on vinyl.

Nyla Owens
Photojournalist

Nyla Owens

Joey Trella
Marketing Team Coordinator

Joey Trella

Joey Trella is a senior working towards a Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a double minor in communications and political science. Joey joined Northern Star in February 2022 and has had numerous positions at the star: Volunteer...