Many of us will be going home to see friends soon, but seeing people only during the summer can strain those relationships. "No Excuses," by stalwart grunge band Alice in Chains, is a reminder that old friends are worth far more than you might expect....

First, they told you not to drink until 21. Then, they said you couldn't watch rated "R" movies until you were 17. Now, the U.S. Congress is attempting to remove another form of escapism â€" the video game. That's right. U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)...

Saturday night, the roles will be reversed when the NIU School of Theatre and Dance faculty members present a concert reading of George Bernard Shaw's "Don Juan in Hell." "You can only teach theater so long before you succumb to the temptation to show...

Rating: 8/10 The local band Loose Lips Sink Ships will release its new album "Puptent" today, and the band gave an exclusive first listen to the Northern Star. For the first track of the album, "OK, I'll Brainstorm," could not have been a better choice....

Rating: 6 / 10 There are "retro" bands, and then there are bands like Clifton Roy & Folkstringer. The group, centered on singer and guitarist Clifton Roy, doesn't use any electronic instruments, opting out of any pop/rock formulas. Instead, with NIU...

Starring: Morgan Freeman Synopsis: When the stern Joe Clark is made principal of a failing inner-city high school, he rules with an iron fist and takes crap from no one. To keep drug dealers out, he chains the school's doors closed during school hours,...

Summer Hits "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (May 22) It use to be that Harrison Ford was "that guy" who made movies with George Lucas, but recently, the actor's face has been plastered everywhere to hype the fourth installment of...

The rap group known as A Tribe Called Quest probably had no idea that its single "Scenario," featuring Dinco D and Busta Rhymes (then of the group Leaders of the New School), would eventually become the super anthem of the hip-hop universe. The song represents...

Before teenagers were wearing mascara and donning tight jeans, there was Neil Diamond. His songs of sorrow and loss are probably some of the most downright emotional songs ever written. Therefore, it should be assumed that "Home Before Dark" would continue...

I'm irritated again. Not because of "Dancing with the Stars" or over the price of arugula going up; it's Miley Cyrus this time. The 15-year-old Cyrus offspring is exploring her womanhood, getting to know what angles to use in nude shoots and warding off...

Grade: C+ Red Hook Long Hammer India Pale Ale is an American take on the IPA. IPAs are known for their strong, bitter taste and high alcohol content. When compared with other IPAs, Long Hammer is one of the less bitter brews. However, Long Hammer is still...

Brian "Hash" Aureden and Aaron "Tac" Aleman, two junior communication majors, started the hip-hop group ABiCA five years ago. "When we first started, we were just jokin' around, making funny songs for our friends," said Aureden. "But then people really...