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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Yellow and blue flowers and a line of school pencils surround a cartoon school building and the country Ukraine. Opinion Columnist Sofia Didenko grew to love the Ukrainian School she attended as a child, grateful for the exposure it provided to her heritage. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Too cool for Ukrainian school

By Sofia Didenko, Opinion Columnist | September 4, 2024

I remember pushing through the heavy iron doors, taking a breath of air that smelled 50 years old and tasted like a sour spider's web. I greeted the man at the front desk and told him my grandpa said hi on my way to the classroom.  I was probably...

A Huskie reaches through trees in a forest, staring uncertainly at a calculator and a compass that reads “Deficit Plan.” Students and faculty should not be overtly concerned about the deficit, but Huskies should also be aware that NIU is not out of the woods yet. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Editorial: NIU deficit not dire but worth attention

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | September 3, 2024

Colleges and universities across the United States are staring down significant debt. While NIU’s roughly $32 million deficit is not an anomaly, it is something to watch. NIU ended the fiscal year 2024 with around $77 million in total holdings and...

Box fans line the windows in Neptune West, one of the residence halls without air conditioning. How do you manage the sweltering heat on campus? (Lucy Atkinson| Northern Star)

Poll: What’s the best way to spend a hot day?

By Jackson Shields, Opinion Columnist | September 2, 2024

Only a few weeks from its end, summer shows no signs of easing up. As DeKalb boils in the midst of a heatwave, many students are trying to keep the sweat off their backs by any means necessary.  Bottled water, portable fans and the almighty air-conditioning...

A plane symbol flies from the Colombian flag and an outline of Colombia to the United States' flag and an outline of Illinois. Opinion Columnist Santiago Montañez Bertoletti emigrated from Colombia three years ago. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

What I left behind in Colombia

By Santiago Montañez Bertoletti, Opinion Columnist | August 29, 2024

As humans, we often have no control over the events that happen around or to us. In the face of adversity, therefore, what we can or cannot do is not what matters most, but how we react to each obstacle. Through “The Travelers,” Bruno Catalano...

Three figures sport different clothing styles against a red background. Fashion is creative choice for different students to explore, speckling campus with a colorful variety of styles. (Mary Ngo | Northern Star)

Cartoon: Many fashion choices to choose from!

By Mary Ngo, Cartoonist | August 28, 2024

Cartoon characters of the seven members of the 2024 fall semester Northern Star Editorial Board sit around an office table. The Northern Star Editorial hopes readers will benefit from a run-down on the basic purposes of editorials in news media. (Jenny Javkhlantugs | Northern Star)

Editorial: Read editorials, spark conversation

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | August 27, 2024

Welcome back new and returning readers! As the school year begins, the Northern Star Editorial Board wanted to explain what content you can expect from the board this semester.  WHAT’S AN EDITORIAL ANYWAY? An editorial is an opinionated story...

A figure stares at a computer as a red, demon-like being with yellow eyes peers over their shoulder. Artificial intelligence is a new temptation in the classroom for students to overcome. (Aidan Renteria | Northern Star)

Cartoon: LifeHACK

By Aidan Renteria, Cartoonist | August 26, 2024

A computer in the Founder’s Memorial Library displays NIU’s 2024-2025 academic calendar. Some universities outside the United States rely on year-round academic calendars different from the calendar used at most American universities, like NIU. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Consider year-round academic calendar

By Santiago Montañez Bertoletti, Opinion Columnist | August 25, 2024

Summer break has the perfect weather for summer outings through the different villages of the Midwest, and the perfect opportunity to attend — without pressure — different sports championships, concerts and more. However, the extended break in...

One “Just Well & Dandy” panel depict the brothers, Well and Dandy, and their uncle. In this comic, they find a moment to just slow down and relax. (Christa Kim | Northern Star)

All is: Just Well and Dandy

By Christa Kim, Cartoonist | May 2, 2024

Two students with pensive expressions study a professor with three stars above his head but only one star filled in. Students should consider Rate My Professor reviews when registering for new classes and contribute to the website to benefit future students. (Aidan Renteria | Northern Star)

Rate your professors

By Alberto Briones, Opinion Columnist | May 1, 2024

With the vast accessibility of information students have at their fingertips, it’s easy to look up courses or professors before selecting class schedules for the semester. Online platforms like Rate My Professors can be useful to students for sharing...

Various pills are scattered on the table. May will begin National Mental Health Awareness Month, and it's important to discuss the benefits of mental health medication as a form of treatment. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Normalize mental health medication

By James Bennett, Opinion Columnist | April 30, 2024

Medication is one of the greatest advancements in the history of humankind. It has changed people’s ability to live healthy lives and done exponential good for those who take it. Of the different types of medication, those that provide support for mental...

The “no internet connection dinosaur” runs in his desert landscape alongside the “no internet connection” robot underneath a “no internet connection globe” sun. Internet is a necessity to everyday life in the modern world, and there must be federally-funded programs to support internet accessibility. (Gabriel Fiorini | Northern Star)

Editorial: Internet needs federal funding in modern world

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | April 28, 2024

Many of the pandemic social service programs are coming to a close: the Affordable Connectivity Program is one of them. In recent years, internet access has become a necessity – not merely a want; thus, this program should be worked into the federal...

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