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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media 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

Experiments to help with seasonal anxiety

By Kristin Herout | April 26, 2006

Whether you've been missing the static-charged winter or have been dreading the springtime bugs, these experiments should ease your seasonal anxiety. Explore static electricity by creating an electrophorus or investigate the behaviors of animals in nature...

Filling in O.A.R.’s ‘Missing Pieces’

By Collin Quick | April 25, 2006

O.A.R. bassist Benj Gershman is battling a sinus problem. "I'll apologize now if I sound nasally or if I start sneezing," he said when he called. "I've got some terrible allergies happening." Gershman and the other four members of O.A.R., the Ohio State...

(the secrets of) Nice guy syndrome

By Stephanie Szuda | April 24, 2006

Jerry always listens to his friends' needs. He's really caring and funny, too. Sounds great, huh? Jerry is such a nice guy. Why doesn't he have a girlfriend? Who me? Oh, I don't want to date him. I just don't look at him like that. I'll tell you why....

cooking with richard

By Richard Pulfer | April 23, 2006

Ingredients 2 cups sugar2 teaspoons cinnamon1 1/2 cups olive oilteaspoon salt4 eggs3 cups grated carrots2 cups flour1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)1 heaping teaspoon baking soda Directions: Mix the sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time, beating after...

In Review: ‘silent hill’ (sony pictures)

By Richard Pulfer | April 23, 2006

Playing a video game like "Silent Hill" in the dark is the equivalent of drinking a cement mixer for the first time — it's a sure-fire way to mess you up. Rose Da Silva — Radha Mitchell — is the adoptive mother of Sharon, a young girl who constantly...

What kind of drinker are you?

By Christopher Strupp | April 23, 2006

Level 1 1-2 drinks "Anti-social drinker"You are not very social. You are the person at the party who is nursing their drink and most likely looking at the bookshelf just so you do not have to talk to anyone at the party. People who are on higher levels...

Just Left feels just right on tour

By Rachel Davis | April 20, 2006

Just Left feels just right on tour Tom Nunes, bass player of rock band Just Left, talked to the Northern Star about the band, a full-length album and touring. Northern Star: How did you guys get together? Tom Nunes: Just Left started about two and a half...

Bands battle to benefit business fraternity

By Stephanie Szuda | April 20, 2006

It's a rock ‘n' roll fight to the end at 8 p.m. today at The House Cafe, 263 E. Lincoln Highway, as Delta Sigma Pi hosts its battle of the bands. A portion of the $6 admission is a donation to Delta Sigma Pi. The fraternity, organized to foster the...

Illegal Downloading

By Richard Pulfer | April 20, 2006

Peer-to-peer file sharing may have caused a stir in the music industry, but a new study finds little more than a third of college students still participate in illegal downloading. According to a new study released by the Intellectual Property Institute...

I’m Matt Lee, I’m angry

By Matt Lee | April 20, 2006

All through my youth, for as long as I can remember, my parents made me go to church.

Now, I already know what you're thinking. You're thinking I have an anger problem and there's a good chance I'm going to completely rip on religion. Sorry, that's not the case. I do have an anger problem, but I am going to completely rip on the people who go to church.

My parents used to force me to go to church every Sunday when I was a little kid. I found it boring and pointless, simply because I didn't appreciate the information being fed to me as I sat uncomfortably on a wooden bench.

Now I am 22 years old, and not much has changed. The information discussed in church hasn't changed, the benches haven't gotten any more comfortable. And to make things worse, it has become apparent to me people have little respect for the minister (or preacher) speaking to the congregation.

How do I know this? Well, I currently attend church on holidays — for a specific reason, but I'll leave that for another time. But whenever I do attend, there is always a family in front of me that proceeds to have long, heartfelt conversations about blatantly stupid and irrelevant things.

For example, last time I sat behind two parents and their three daughters, all of whom had significant others. Keep in mind, I had never seen these people before in my life, but it didn't take long to figure out they weren't brothers and sisters.

I could tell one couple wasn't related by the way they would randomly give each other tongue-twisting kisses (while sitting next to their parents), acting as though they were still in high school, even though the rings on their fingers showed they were clearly married.

Another couple, who tried acting as though they were paying attention, repeatedly deviated from obvious daydreams to talk about such random things as who let the dog out last and what color the new recliner should be. This was then followed by a courtesy lean over to the mother by the daughter, at which point the daughter asked her opinion about what color she thought the new recliner should be.

Now, after all this had transpired, I didn't think it could get much worse. Well, that was until the mother actually started having a conversation with the daughter about the color of the recliner. And it was at that very point I could honestly say I was about ready to do something so brutally horrible that I would make Charles Manson look like Mary Poppins.

In the words of a ranger …

By Richard Pulfer | April 19, 2006

"Well, actually I changed my name too, Richard. You know my real name is Carlos actually. And, you know, then when I went into the military I was in boot camp and a Hispanic boy said, ‘You know what the English word for Carlos is' And I said, ‘Yeah,...

Beat this eruption, Old Faithful

By Kristin Herout | April 18, 2006

Double the danger, double the fun, double the experimentation to be done. Make a carbonic geyser and explore jet propulsion by building a match rocket. Both experiments are best conducted outside, as the geyser may reach the ceiling and your rocket will...