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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media since 1899
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

A group of students perform in the Student Showcase Talent Show. The first annual talent show saw several groups show off their skills on-stage in the Huskie Den. (Ethan Quirk | Northern Star

Student talent featured in inaugural student showcase

By Ethan Quirk, Lifestyle Writer | April 18, 2025

It takes courage and strength for students to walk upon a stage and perform a talent in front of people, but hearing the applause is worth every practice. At 7 p.m. Thursday in the Holmes Student Center’s Huskie Den, the first annual Student Showcase...

Jonathan Shelby stands behind the Weekend Rundown logo. In this Weekend Writeup, you can find events such as a medieval event, a new convention and the soft opening of a new store in Sycamore. (Jenny Javkhlantugs | Northern Star)

Medieval play, new conventions this weekend

By Jonathan Shelby, Lifestyle Editor | April 18, 2025

In this Weekend Writeup, you can find events such as a medieval event in a museum, a brand new convention, the soft opening of a new Sycamore store and more.  HUSKIE GAMING RERUN GAME NIGHT Date and Time: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday  Location:...

A person sits across a cake for the muisc of "Off The Meter" for Ken Carsons new album "More Chaos". Ken Carsons fourth studio album "More Chaos" is a chaotic mess. (Ken Carson Under Free Use)

The chaotic mess that is ‘More Chaos’

By Kahlil Kambui, Opinion Editor | April 17, 2025

Ken Carson, signee of opium PlayBoi Carti’s record label, released his fourth studio album “More Chaos.” With 21 tracks, “More Chaos” belongs to the mosh pits of Coachella or Rolling Loud and hardcore fans of Carson and the whole opium label. This...

The faces of Assistant Video Editor Ryan Day and Opinion Columnist Nia Jackson sit to the left of the StarNotes logo. "A Minecraft Movie" shook theaters in the U.S. with the Chicken Jockey trend. (Ryan Day | Northern Star)

StarNotes: ‘A Minecraft Movie’ is much, much worse than we thought

By Jonathan Shelby and Ryan Day | April 17, 2025

In this episode of StarNotes, Assistant Editor Ryan Day and Opinion Columnist Nia Jackson discuss the impact “A Minecraft Movie” has had on not just in the film industry but also in meme culture.  Despite the film’s explosion in meme culture,...

MAVI stands in the aisle of a church for the music video of his song "drunk prayer." MAVI, Jordan Ward and REDVEIL are three artists who deserve more attention. (MAVI under Fair Use)

Underappreciated artists who deserve more love

By James Bennett, Sports Reporter | April 16, 2025

A beautiful thing about music is just how many artists there are to enjoy. As a result of the different sounds there are to experience, some amazing artists, unfortunately, fall to the wayside of mainstream ears.  I want to shine a light on some of...

A picture of the Reality Bytes Film Festival sign sits on the floor of the Holmes Student Center. The Department of Communication kicked off day one of the Reality Bytes Film Festival in Room 100 of Cole Hall. (Kahlil Kambui | Northern Star)

Reality Bytes Film Festival kicks off with twist endings

By Kahlil Kambui, Opinion Editor | April 16, 2025

Movie and short film lovers are in luck as an abundance of independent short films and animations come to the big screen during the Reality Bytes Film Festival.   The Reality Bytes Film Festival kicked off from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Cole...

The Tekken 8 logo sits in a black void. The NIU Esports players are competing in Tekken 8 as part of the Collegiate Fighting Game Conference. (Playstation under Fair Use)

Collegiate Tekken program breathes new life into NIU Esports

By Alex Lockwood, Lifestyle Writer | April 15, 2025

NIU Esports has taken a powerful step forward in the form of a new competitive fighting game collegiate program.  First introduced in February 2024, players competed each week over the span of 12 weeks in the popular fighting game “Tekken 8” to...

A man puts an earbud into his left ear. Hearing loss is a growing issue in millennials and Gen Z and is irreversible but not unpreventable. (AP Newsroom)

Noise, the not-so-silent danger among Gen Z

By Kahlil Kambui, Opinion Editor | April 15, 2025

There's a not so silent killer among Gen Z, one that's constantly attacking our health and is taken for granted without us realizing it: The constant noises we choose to immerse ourselves in. Hearing loss is growing among our generation with 10% of...

The trend logo sits in front of a purple background. Episode 35 of “The Trend” discusses Coachella 2025. (Northern Star Graphic)

Coachella returns, falls off | ‘The Trend’ Episode 35

By Brynn Krug and Sarah Rose | April 15, 2025

In this episode of “The Trend,” Editor-in-Chief Brynn Krug and Managing Editor Sarah Rose discuss Coachella 2025 Weekend 1. The music festival seemed like a let down as a whole with long shower lines and unenergetic crowds. Krug and Rose...

Three different colored energy drinks sit next to each other. Some energy drinks can be very appealing but contain a high level of sugar and caffeine. (AP Newsroom)

Energy drinks, appealing yet addictive

By Caleb Johnson, Lifestyle Writer | April 14, 2025

Being a college student, the pressure to stay up and be active so we can finish our school work and get through the day can be enticing.   This makes the idea of energy and health drinks very appealing and, with colorful labels and a variety of enticing...

The seats of the Egyptian theatre remain empty as the stage curtains are drawn. The Reality Bytes Film Festival will have two showings on Tuesday and Wednesday and feature several student-made films. (Brynn Krug | Northern Star)

Reality Bytes brings student short films to DeKalb

By Jonathan Shelby, Lifestyle Editor | April 13, 2025

NIU’s annual Reality Bytes Film Festival returns this week, featuring student-made films from around the world.  Reality Bytes is a free event where short films are shown to the DeKalb community over the course of two days.  This year, the film...

Jonathan Shelby stands behind the Weekend Rundown logo. This Weekend Writeup contains events such as a new art exhibit, uno game night, student ensemble recital and more. (Jenny Javkhlantugs | Northern Star)

Closing concerts, algorithmic art exhibits this weekend

By Jonathan Shelby, Lifestyle Editor | April 10, 2025

In this Weekend Writeup, you can find events such as an algorithmic-based art exhibit, the closing concert of a World Music Festival, a game night of UNO and more.  SHAHRZAD MOTALLEBI - “CODE TO CAST”  Date and Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday  Location:...

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