311 has made quite an audacious move on its eighth album, titling it, "Don’t Tread on Me." The historical Gadsden flag phrase is indicative of the struggles our American forefathers endured to begin a revolution and claim independence from Britain....

Fall Out Boy, Chicago’s pop/punk rock band spent its summer on the Vans Warped Tour thanks to its sophomore release "From Under the Cork Tree." Bassist/singer Pete Wentz, who penned the first album "Take This to Your Grave" about a girlfriend who cheated...

The story behind "Blade Runner" is simple. Man hunts robots. Man meets attractive robot. Man falls in love. It’s this story that leaves more to be desired from the film. While it has been hailed as one of the greatest sci-fi films in history, I must...

Ever wonder if that person you met online was really who they said they were? With everyone and their mother posting away on sites such as MySpace.com, you’re bound to come across some pretty fantastical profiles. We at Sweeps are getting to the truth...

After I saw this film for the first time, I had to watch it again the next day. It’s a story about the workers and customers of a beauty spa in France and the romance that flickers in and out of their lives. Angele, (Nathalie Baye) the main character,...

Who says DeKalb has nothing more to offer than corn? Although community newcomers and veterans alike may not know it, there’s an abundance of artistic activities hidden within the walls of the NIU campus and scattered throughout the streets of downtown...

NIU’s School of Theatre and Dance 2005-06 season is eclectic to say the least. Ranging from 19th century Russian war epics to 1980s communist Polish Cinderella adaptations to post-Sept. 11 American dinner parties, the unlikely plethora of productions...

Creating a successful power-pop band requires five elements. You need a name that sticks with your image, a debut album with a hit single, some type of gimmick - such as a packaged trading card with every disc - and a shopping mall tour. Put these ingredients...

It’s not every day one gets to know his or her professor/instructor. Either time does not permit, there is no desire to learn more about the individual at the front of the room, or the moment never comes to ask the proverbial "What do you do in your...

What makes an iPod so personal? Out of all the strangers on the street bobbing their heads and mouthing lyrics, which songs make their lists so special? Junior chemistry major Robert Kern insists there is no real theme to the songs on his iPod. When asked...

Greetings and welcome back to the Sweeps section of the Northern Star. We’d like to say we’re new and improved, but that’s for you to decide. Let us introduce ourselves. Desiree Smith is the Assistant Campus Editor and Collin Quick is the Weekender...