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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student news organization since 1899

 

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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 MLK Commons at Northern Illinois University. Northern Stars Madelaine Vikse looks into whether its valuable for students to have a fall break.

Poll: Should NIU have a fall break?

By Madelaine Vikse, Editor-in-Chief | January 19, 2023

Students look forward to school breaks such as Thanksgiving break and spring break, using the time to relax and study. At most universities, a fall break tends to be two days, such as a Thursday and a Friday or a Friday and a Monday, Executive Vice...

Senior Columnist Angelina Padilla-Tompkins iPad Pro with the Hotel at Holmes Student Center in the background.

That Time I… went fully digital for school

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Editor-in-Chief | January 18, 2023

Before the academic year of 2022-2023 began I set a goal for myself, going fully digital.  I was tired of lugging around a heavy book bag filled with textbooks, notebooks, folders, a planner and whatever else tossed in the bag throughout the semester....

A student studying and taking notes.

Fill in the Blank: Starting a new semester is…

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Editor-in-Chief | January 17, 2023

…Exciting  The start of a new semester is full of fresh starts, especially the spring semester which begins just after the new year. Getting back into a routine with new classes and schedules is a thrill.  If you were someone who struggled in...

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin from the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.

Putting man back on the moon might be worth the expense

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Editor-in-Chief | January 16, 2023

The United States' plan to put man back on the moon is underway; though it is not cheap, it is worth the expense.  NASA’s Artemis mission will put the first woman and first person of color on the moon, according to NASA. This mission also marks...

Opinion columnist Lucy Atkinson details her fascination with surrealist art

Unpopular Opinion: Surrealist art is underrated

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | December 2, 2022

In my senior year of high school, I was granted the opportunity to take an AP Art History class, an experience I remain incredibly grateful for. The course covered art ranging from pottery carefully crafted by human hands thousands of years old to symbolic...

The TikTok app logo close-up on a screen. FBI and government officials are concerned about the security of the app and are looking into solutions. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

TikTok cannot be banned despite national security concerns

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | December 1, 2022

Despite the potential threats to national security that TikTok presents, a ban of the app would be both blatantly unrealistic and unconstitutional. The FBI has recently released concerns regarding American use of TikTok, an extraordinarily popular...

See why Opinion Columnist Max Honermeier thinks more people should listen to melodic death metal.

Fill in the Blank: More people should listen to…

By Max Honermeier, Opinion Columnist | December 1, 2022

… Melodic death metal Death metal has a reputation for being scary and harsh, but that’s only one aspect of an extremely broad genre. It’s understandable that a lot of people don’t like the raspy, grating vocal style that death metal is known...

Vanessa (left to right), Aunt Gris, William (Father), Angelina, Thalia, Bianca, Leticia (mother). Angelina’s family joined, in masks, her to celebrate her high school graduation during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That Time I… graduated high school during a pandemic

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Editor-in-Chief | December 1, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic took everyone by surprise and unfortunately affected everyone in one way or another. One thing the pandemic took from me was my traditional high school graduation.  The second semester of your senior year is supposed to be the...

A man cleaning his countertop in the kitchen. Columnist Quade Evans believes men should take on chores like cleaning and laundry more often and be taught at a young age.

Unpopular Opinion: Men need to do domestic chores more

By Quade Evans, Opinion Columnist | November 30, 2022

It's important that men learn domestic chores in order to become well-adjusted and self-sufficient individuals I remember a rather confusing experience at my local laundromat in 2017. Everything was proceeding as normal until seemingly out of nowhere,...

Women dressed in white and carrying suffragist banners of the last century, march to the Capitol in Washington D.C., July 9, 1978. The group urged Congress to extend the time for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Women’s rights have made great strides over the past 100 years

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Editor-in-Chief | November 29, 2022

The Women's rights movement has made tremendous strides over the past 100 years. After the overturn of Roe v. Wade, it's important to remember the positive changes we have made for our current society. Not too long ago, women couldn’t vote, own property...

Every family has their own holiday traditions, especially with their meals. That can include meats, sides and desserts.

Poll: Which holiday food is the best to chow down on?

By Quade Evans, Opinion Columnist | November 28, 2022

Thanksgiving has already passed but while we were busy stuffing ourselves with all kinds of assortments of homemade goods, a debate as old as the holidays itself continues to rage on at various dinner tables. Which holiday food is best? While everyone...

Telling someone to get therapy might not be the right thing to help with their potential mental health problems.

The conversation around getting therapy is flawed

By Quade Evans, Opinion Columnist | November 27, 2022

In recent years, the push toward accepting mental health as a legitimate concern has done a lot of good for society. However, there still seems to be a blind spot in the current dialogue when it comes to mental health.  If you haven’t parsed what...