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Northern Star

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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 2024 Staff

Olivia Zapf
Editor in Chief

Olivia Zapf

Olivia Zapf is a second-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...

Sarah Rose
Managing Editor

Sarah Rose

Sarah Rose is the managing 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.

Emily Beebe
News Editor

Emily Beebe

Emily Beebe is a senior 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...

Kahlil Kambui
Assistant News Editor

Kahlil Kambui

Kahlil Kambui is a sophomore English major and the assistant news editor 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...

Lucas Didier
Sports Editor

Lucas Didier

Lucas Didier is a senior journalism student serving as the sports editor for the Northern Star. He began as a sports reporter in fall of 2023 and became the assistant sports editor in spring of 2024. He has primarily covered women's...

Edison Miller
Assistant Sports Editor

Edison Miller

Edison Miller is a senior journalism student serving as the assistant sports editor for the Northern Star. He began as a sports reporter in spring of 2023 and became the assistant sports editor in fall of 2024. He has pri...

Brynn Krug
Lifestyle Editor

Brynn Krug

Brynn Krug is a junior 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 to music, watching movies and hanging out with friends.

Jonathan Shelby
Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Jonathan Shelby

Jonathan Shelby is currently a senior 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 s...

Lucy Atkinson
Opinion Editor

Lucy Atkinson

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

Jackson Shields
Assistant Opinion Editor

Jackson Shields

Tim Dodge
Photo Editor

Tim Dodge

Tim Dodge is a senior journalism major and sports journalism minor student serving as the photo editor for the Northern Star. He began as a photographer in the spring of 2023 and became the senior photojournalist in the spring...

Jenny Javkhlantugs
Video Editor

Jenny Javkhlantugs

Jenny Javkhlantugs is a time arts major. She has worked with the Northern Star as a videographer since the Fall 2023 semester. In between classes Jenny enjoys her free time by listening to K-pop and pop music, spending time...

Ryan Day
Assistant Video Editor

Ryan Day

Ryan Day is a junior majoring in media communications with a minor in marketing as well as pursuing certificates in digital media production and creative writing. He joined the Northern Star in the fall of 2024 as a videographer...

Austin Lamb
Senior News Reporter

Austin Lamb

News Reporter

Mariestrella Corral

Gray Edelstein
News Reporter

Gray Edelstein

Abel Naranjo
News Reporter

Abel Naranjo

Abel Naranjo is a junior from Albany Park, Chicago, Illinois, majoring in journalism and double minoring in environmental studies and sports journalism. He joined the Northern Star in 2024 as a news reporter with goals of being...

Joseph Ndu
News Reporter

Joseph Ndu

Devin Oommen
News Reporter

Devin Oommen

Devin Oommen is a news reporter at the Northern Star. He is a senior at NIU majoring in political science. Devin is involved in the economic student association and mortar board honor society. He also works part time as a personal...

Victoria Wakeford
News Reporter

Victoria Wakeford

Anna Wittenkeller
News Reporter

Anna Wittenkeller

Anna Wittenkeller is a sophomore from Plainfield, Illinois, currently in the process of completing a major in English and a minor in communications. After graduation, she would like to work in the book-publishing field. She joined...

Skyler Kisellus
Senior Sports Reporter

Skyler Kisellus

Skyler Kisellus is a sports reporter for the Northern Star covering NIU football. He joined the Northern Star in fall 2021 and served stints as the publication's assistant sports editor and sports editor. Before assuming the football...

Eric Avila
Sports Reporter

Eric Avila

L.J. Bennett
Sports Reporter

L.J. Bennett

L.J Bennett is a senior English major, minoring in professional communications. He joined the star in February 2024 and has spent time as an opinion columnist and is now a sports reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching...

Andy Inboden
Sports Reporter

Andy Inboden

Andy Inboden is a senior communications major minoring in journalism. He joined the Star in September 2024 and works as a sports reporter. In his free time, he likes to watch sports and enjoys creative writing. He plans to eventually...

Kalin Schaefer
Sports Reporter

Kalin Schaefer

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

Joseph Segreti
Sports Reporter

Joseph Segreti

Joseph "Joey" Segreti is a sports writer for the Northern Star covering NIU track and field. He is a junior at NIU majoring in journalism and minoring in sports journalism. Before joining the Star in Fall 2022, he ran cross country...

Sports Reporter

Claire Valenti

Lifestyle Writer

Myles Germany

Brynn Hussemann
Lifestyle Writer

Brynn Hussemann

Caleb Johnson
Lifestyle Writer

Caleb Johnson

Caleb Johnson (they/them) is a lifestyle writer for the Northern Star, covering film and television. They are a senior majoring in anthropology, with minors in English and LGBTQ+ studies. They are also the editor-in-chief of Towers...

Yari Tapia
Lifestyle Writer

Yari Tapia

Opinion Columnist

John Carrillo

Sofia Didenko
Opinion Columnist

Sofia Didenko

Opinion Columnist

Ethan Ernst

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...

Opinion Columnist

Lalita Rai

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...

Cartoonist

Aidan Renteria

Cartoonist

Jayce Weir

Totus Tuus Keely
Senior Photojournalist

Totus Tuus Keely

Totus Tuus Keely is a sophomore mechatronics engineering major serving as the senior photojournalist for the Northern Star. He began as a photographer in the spring 2024 semester. Outside of his busy class schedule, he enjoys phot...

Marco Alvarez is a freshman majoring in Photography and is an assistant as a photographer news for the Northern Star. Some of my favorite things to do during my free time are hanging out with my friends, listening to music while walking on campus, taking photos of the fountain, gooses, mission when I see him, birds, etc that I see. My favorite Netflix show is called Gray's Anatomy. A fun fact about me is that I have a Siberian Husky named Luna, who is four years old. A favorite quote that I like is "Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything." — Aaron Siskind.
Photojournalist

Marco Alvarez

Marco Alvarez is a freshman majoring in Photography and is an assistant as a photographer news for the Northern Star. Some of my favorite things to do during my free time are hanging out with my friends, listening to music while...

Sam Dion
Photojournalist

Sam Dion

Katherine Follmer
Photojournalist

Katherine Follmer

Ro Hong
Photojournalist

Ro Hong

Ro Hong is a junior nursing major that has been with the Northern Star since February 2024. Ro has a lot of hobbies she enjoys, including running and cooking. She really loves to film and edit videos....

Photojournalist

Nia Jackson

Ethan Rodriguez
Photojournalist

Ethan Rodriguez

Ryanne Sandifer
Photojournalist

Ryanne Sandifer

Zahra Yousif
Photojournalist

Zahra Yousif

Alexis Williams
Videographer

Alexis Williams

Kate Bansa
Copy Editor

Kate Bansa

Lindsay Curtis
Copy Editor

Lindsay Curtis

Copy Editor

Mya Greenfield

Anastasia Monica
Copy Editor

Anastasia Monica

Anastasia Monica is a senior majoring in English and minoring in Japanese studies. They are a copy editor at the Northern Star and also work for the Northern Ambassadors. In their free time, they like to draw, hike and listen...

Copy Editor

Nicolas Ortegel

Copy Editor

Kendra Remrey

Rachael Swinson
Copy Editor

Rachael Swinson

Rachael Swinson is a freshman from Rochelle, Illinois, majoring in English and minoring in theatre studies and political science. She joined the Northern Star in fall 2024 as a copy editor and is looking forward to being a part...