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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

An open letter to moviegoers

By ORLANDO LARA | October 19, 2008

Dear moviegoer, Listen, I know your life is pretty busy. You've got work, family, friends and a bunch of other stuff going on. So I understand you wanting to go to the movies to relax. But I don't think you realize you're not the only one in the theater....

Five things that ruined my childhood

By DAN STONE | October 19, 2008

5. "Saved By the Bell: The College Years"

This terrible attempt at keeping a show alive taught me the world loves sequels. They like to milk as much as they can from anything with a fan base. Appreciating a show for the good times and letting it die gracefully just doesn't happen. If there's still money to be made, it just keeps on going, even if it's at the fans' expense.

4. "Doug"

This show taught 5-year-old Nyssa that if she did something wrong, all would be well if the "Doug" theme song were played after the inevitable scolding. If I dropped a plate, I'd play the "Doug" theme song in my head, imagining that my mom would react like the characters on "Doug" did whenever he screwed up. If I just imagined a fuzzy outcome, I assumed everything would turn out fine. Yeah, life doesn't work that way. Wow, was middle school a rude awakening.

3. "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion"

This movie prematurely scared me out of enjoying high school. Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino were just so cool, I knew I couldn't possibly be a member of the A Group. If they were outcasts, then I wanted to be an outcast too. In reality, I wish I hadn't thought of high school that much as a kid. It totally took the fun out of hating it when I actually attended.

2. "Are You Afraid of the Dark"

This show cost me nights of sleep. My parents were ready to ban the channel from our living room, but every time I pleaded with them to still let me watch it. I was getting older, I argued. I could totally handle it, I said. Every time they obliged, and then every time I'd watch it again and proceed to be totally freaked out. By the time I was older and watched "The Exorcist," I fell asleep. I'd already lost too much sleep over scary stuff.

1. The Spice Girls

I wanted to be Posh Spice. It's taken years to be able to admit it in public, but I'm stepping out of my box of shame. In the fifth grade, I owned countless pairs of platform shoes, had perfected the two-fingered peace sign for any impromptu photo shoots, and took it upon myself to own every piece of Spice Girl memorabilia ever manufactured. My obsession made them all filthy rich.

Palin, SNL fail to be funny Saturday

By CHRIS KRAPEK | October 19, 2008

After much not-so-secret speculation that vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin would be appearing on "Saturday Night Live" this week, her overall role in the show was about as exciting as the Cubs in the playoffs. Palin appeared during a sketch within...

Presidential candidates debate ‘Scooby-Doo’

By DEREK WALKER | October 16, 2008

Coming off the heels of last night's sit-down debate, Senators Obama and McCain have agreed to come together once more. Moving away from tired, trivial topics such as the economy (which is booming), foreign policy (also booming) and the war (literally...

New NIU play ‘The Exonerated’ receives standing ovation

By LINDSEY KASTNING | October 16, 2008

The theater is dark with black ceilings, floors and walls situated in the corner of a room. As the quaint audience files in, there are nine wooden chairs situated at the front of the stage with three chairs on a platform above. The only backdrop is a...

Funeral for a Friend’s ‘Memory and Humanity’ best work to date

By DAN STONE | October 16, 2008

Funeral for a Friend's second release in just over a year, "Memory and Humanity," feels like an attempt to bring back fans that were turned off by the band's 2007 release, "Tales Don't Tell Themselves." Fans were split over "Tales." Many felt the album...

Beer of the Week: Red Hook Blonde Ale

By DAN STONE | October 16, 2008

Red Hook Blonde Ale is a light tasting American Blonde Ale with a taste that is reminiscent of American style lagers. However, the taste has significantly more character than American-style lagers from the major macro-breweries. The Good: Blonde Ale's...

Music industry delivers so far this fall

By NYSSA BULKES | October 16, 2008

New music this fall has far surpassed summer selections. Bands like Kings of Leon and Oasis and individual artists, like Ingrid Michaelson, have proven that this summer was indeed a dry spell in the music industry. The only summer album worth anticipating...

Top 5…with communications teacher Marjorie Askins

By DAVID MATZ | October 16, 2008

The Northern Star asked communications teacher Marjorie Askins her top five items in each of the categories below. Top 5 Books 1. "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers 2. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" By David Sedaris 3. "The Bean Trees"...

Ringo Starr gets grumpy with age

By NYSSA BULKES | October 16, 2008

It's official: Ringo Starr is the grumpiest man on the planet. In a video to his fans - not that they'll call themselves ‘fans' for much longer - the ex-Beatle announced that after Oct. 20, he'll no longer sign anything sent to him. In essence,...

Your DeKalb zombie survival guide

By TONY MARTIN | October 16, 2008

The TV goes off the air, and a faint voice on the radio says "The bodies of the recently deceased are coming back to life and attacking the living." And as if things could get worse, you are stuck in DeKalb. Could you make it out, or would you eventually...

Five albums to look forward to this fall

By HEATHER SKRIP | October 16, 2008

As I mentioned in a previous blog, this fall is a slow season for the entertainment industry. However, I was able to create a list of 5 albums that you should look for in these coming months. 1) Snow Patrol - "A Hundred Million Sun" (10/28) The first...

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