Northern Star

 

Advertisement

 

 
Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student news organization since 1899

 

Ensure student journalism survives. Donate today.

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Students take indecisive route

By Courtney Cavanaugh | November 11, 2002

It seems NIU’s reputation of being a "teacher’s school" is threatened by the ever-growing popularity of majors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

According to the findings of Institutional Research, an undecided major in LA&S is the most-popular choice for undergraduates this school year.

Frederick Kitterle, dean at the College of LA&S, said the popularity may be because of the flexibility of the major.

"We’re getting a lot more students, in part because there are a lot of opportunities, and a lot more directions students can go," he said.

The numbers, however, may be misleading.

NIU Vice Provost Robert Wheeler said LA&S is the largest department at the university, and when a student is undecided, he or she is signed into the "undecided LA&S" category for advising purposes.

"We have huge numbers of students who are undecided when they walk through the door," he said. "When you take gen-eds, you get exposed to fields of study you’ve never explored before."

In the past, undecided LA&S, art, teacher’s education and accountancy all have ranked as top major choices. The numbers have shifted over the past five years, but these majors have remained at the top, and still are popular at NIU.

There are 18,115 undergraduates at NIU this year - with 1,312 of those as undecided majors. Wheeler said undecided students will have to choose a major, and once they do, it tends to be within LA&S.

Overall, the College of LA&S contains the most students, followed by the College of Business and the College of Education.

Freshman undecided major Adam Cox said he chose the department because he’s not interested in math.

"I didn’t know what I wanted my major to be when I entered college," he said.

Wheeler said he thinks students may want to consider a major in chemistry or physics.

"These programs have magnificent facilities in Faraday Hall," he said. "There are certainly good, rewarding jobs out there in the scientific sector."

Kitterle added that the LA&S program has an excellent job-placement rate.

"A number [of alumni] have told us they believe the preparation for entering the world of work has been very good, regardless of what the major is," he said.

‘Real World’ cast member to visit NIU

By Stephanie Barnes | November 11, 2002

NIU students will have a chance to see Aneesa from MTV’s "The Real World: Chicago," which was the show’s 11th season. The event will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium. Aneesa will speak to students about...

‘Laramie’ stirs emotions

By Kasmirah Joyner | November 11, 2002

"Live and let live" was a line from the play "The Laramie Project" that mirrored the emotions of everyone sitting in the audience. A cast of NIU students participated in the production Sunday night at the Stevens Building’s Corner Theatre. It left the...

Democratic candidate calls for recount

By Libby John | November 11, 2002

Mario Kemp, a Democratic candidate who ran to represent County District 6, is calling for a recount of Tuesday’s ballots. According to the results, Kemp received 311 votes, while Republican Eric Johnson, who also is the Student Association director...

What’s happening?

By Renee Bersell | November 11, 2002

For many students, the weekend means time to pack up and go home. Are there no exciting things to do in DeKalb on the weekends? For students who want to know what other people are doing this weekend, or just some reassurance that NIU can be fun, check...

CAB amuses students

By Stephanie Barnes | November 8, 2002

Campus Activities Board’s motto is "students providing culture, fun and entertainment to the NIU community." Over the years, CAB, in accordance with the Student Association, has organized numerous events to entertain and promote cultural awareness on...

Spirit on display

By Jeff Goluszka | November 8, 2002

NIU needs help today from any student or community member who wants to help decorate DeKalb in preparation for Saturday afternoon’s big football game against Bowling Green. Angie D’Ambrosio, a senior biological sciences major, is heading up a project...

Solving student housing hassles

By Kasmirah Joyner | November 8, 2002

Surveys may be the answer to better roommate pairings. Roommate compatibility is a concern residence hall dwellers and staff have struggled with for quite some time. Is an Internet survey the answer to roommate woes? The 8-month-old Web-based system WebRoomz...

Rubin stirs up debate

By Joe Healy | November 8, 2002

With growth comes opposition, but in the case of the DeKalb City Council, ethics have been the highlight of recent debates. Herbert Rubin, NIU sociology professor and DeKalb Plan Commission member, made comments in a recent letter to the editor in the...

Bluiett rocks Ellington

By Casey Toner | November 8, 2002

After 42 years of jazz, Hamiet Bluiett still knows how to rock. Renowned baritone musician Bluiett brought the audience to its knees Thursday night in the Duke Ellington Ballroom during a performance with the NIU Jazz Ensemble. Bluiett encouraged students...

Coasters could be the answer

By Andrew Duff | November 8, 2002

One fear of bar hoppers is to have someone slip something into their drink and be sexually assaulted. Date rape drugs are designed to cause a blackout, amnesia or render the victim helpless to sexual assault. Special effects professional Francisco Guerra...

Get arrested for charity

By Linda Luk | November 8, 2002

Ever want to embarrass a friend or get revenge on an instructor? Here’s your chance. The Alpha Phi sorority, with the help of University Police, will give students, faculty and staff a chance to get someone arrested for their philanthropy event, Alphatraz....