Every two weeks, Sweeps will take a look back at NIU decade by decade. This is in no way a rip-off of that VH1 series we’ve never seen and certainly never bought the DVDs of. Television in the 1990s was all about "Beverly Hills: 90120," while college...

Whoever said that ‘70s rock is dead and long gone is wrong. Plug in the lava lamp, grab a spot on the faded shag carpet and get ready to flash back a good 30 years, because the spirit of heavy ballads and swooning vocals lives on in Dead Meadow. The...

"Man of the House" is next in the long line of not-so-prestigious films that juxtapose archetypal (or cliche) action heroes upon a typically mundane setting. Purveyors of this tradition include "Kindergarten Cop" at best and "Suburban Commando" at worst....

Chris Shim, a 2002 graduate of Harvard University, won Weekender’s 2005 Oscar contest by correctly predicting 19 of the 24 winners. The Seattle native came across the Northern Star’s Web site while searching the Internet for Academy Award competitions....

From the signs on the door to the patio bar turned desk, anyone can tell that 528 Grant South Tower B is a bachelor pad run amok. "Neither of us brought anything to decorate with when we moved in," said Patrick Weaver, a freshman business administration...

Omar Lopez and Cedric Bixler constantly reap the benefits of their At The Drive-In days. Even the 2003 debut, an experimental masterpiece, profited from the kneejerk reaction to recall the past. But what that debut had and this follow-up lacks is a rallying...

A spiritual soul searching journey has come to the creation of Tori Amos’ ninth album, "Beekeeper." "Beekeeper" evokes an emotional, physical and mental healing through abstract songs. The tracks are not all autobiographic, but are from stories that...

When riding the bus early in the morning one day, a girl had a loud and unnecessary 15-minute conversation on her cell phone. Do you have any advice for me if that happens again? My question to you is what is so important to talk about at 8:30 a.m? Next...

If love is like a kick to the head, in Tyler Perry’s "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" it’s more like whacking your newly paralyzed husband of 18 years behind his head. In the beginning, the gorgeous Helen (Kimberly Elise) has the "perfect" life: a successful...

Omarion seeks to establish his manhood and solo talent in his self-titled album "O." The former member and lead singer of the boy band B2K is on his own, taking all the spotlight after the band’s bad breakup. The bad blood between them hasn’t hindered...

There’s warmth attained when Sam Beam’s tranquil melodies glide across his simple acoustic arrangements. With the lovely winter weather beating down once again, Iron and Wine’s EP Woman King provides a soothing accompaniment to brave the sting of...

From the outside, the DeKalb Area Women’s Center, 1021 State St., resembles what you might imagine a house constructed in 1917 would look like: unappealing to the eye. The inside, however, is alive with ideas and spirit. Functioning as a meeting and...