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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

Columnist Max Honermeier shares his experience nearly drowning while kayaking in Montana.

That Time I… almost drowned in a river

By Max Honermeier, Opinion Columnist | October 13, 2022

The gentle, serene surface of the East Rosebud Creek disguises an overwhelming force. I witnessed this awesome power firsthand as I spent my summer in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana. My stay started with a storm that gave me a new respect for rain....

What really happens while we sleep? Scientists are not completely certain yet, and it’s part of what makes dreaming so fascinating.

Unpopular Opinion: Listening to others’ dreams is fascinating

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | October 13, 2022

Many people bore easily when another begins to describe the events of their dream, and many have been the subject of boredom themselves, desperately attempting to convey the powerful emotions of a recent dream to a friend who is just not interested. As...

Columnist Abhishek Poddar associates rainy days with some of his favorite memories.

Unpopular Opinion: Rainy days are better than sunny days

By Abhishek Poddar, Opinion Columnist | October 12, 2022

The skies and the earth wouldn't have met if it weren't for the rain. Rain is undoubtedly an accomplice in all forms of feelings.  After the first showers, that lingering fragrance, petrichor, oh! That sweet smell. Rain is often associated with gloomy...

The Marvel section at the Graham Crackers Comics of DeKalb. Marvel is well-known for their blockbuster movies ranging from Black Panther to Iron Man.

Fill in the Blank: Comic book movies are…

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | October 12, 2022

Comic book movies are incredibly confusing, but incredibly impactful. It would be completely understandable if one were to question my credibility in filling in this blank. I have multiple friends who worship the massive universe that is comic book...

Storytelling ranges from conversations to television shows to books.

Poll: What’s your favorite way to experience a story?

By Max Honermeier, Opinion Columnist | October 11, 2022

Stories let us become immersed in realities outside our own, from our ancestors telling tales of their hunt around a fire to the vast collection of media at our fingertips today. After a long day, it’s time to escape into another world. What medium...

Northern Star is located in room 130 in the Peters Campus Life building.

That Time I… joined the Northern Star

By Quade Evans, Opinion Columnist | October 11, 2022

So there I was, a freshman in college. If there was anything else I wanted more it was to find something to fill my time. I had already had a few extracurriculars before in high school that I had taken with casual interest, but never before had I actually...

To become more empathic, it has been suggested to read more fiction books.

Reading fiction helps develop empathy

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Editor-in-Chief | October 10, 2022

It’s a rainy dreary day and you have nowhere to be, so you pull out your favorite novel and begin to read. What many might not know is that, through the action of reading a fiction novel, you are learning how to empathize with others.  Americans...

A female moose and her calf in columnist Lucy Atkinsons front yard in Anchorage, Alaska.

That Time I… got charged at by a moose

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | October 9, 2022

Occasionally, Alaskans require intervention from nature to remind them where they live. My family lives very close to a bog, which is a wetland habitat of northern climates, similar to a swamp in the south. Around this bog, my father, who is a bird-watcher...

Columnist Max Honermeier believes that this technology will help pave the way toward humanity’s future in space.

NASA needs to crash spacecraft into asteroids

By Max Honermeier, Opinion Columnist | October 9, 2022

There are copious ways the world could end, most of them with humans at fault. However, our vast and uncaring solar system could also bring about mass extinction on earth. Countless asteroids like the one that killed the dinosaurs speed through the void,...

A stack of oatmeal cookies with a glass of milk in the background.

Unpopular Opinion: Oatmeal raisin cookies are better than chocolate chip

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Editor-in-Chief | October 6, 2022

It’s no secret that the majority of people enjoy indulging in a chocolate chip cookie, but not me. I would rather have no cookie than a chocolate chip.  My favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin. If I had the option between all the different kinds of...

From left: Eric Lindstrom, Max Honermeier, Kevin Lindstrom, Travis Churchill and Tim Heiser. The group made the spontaneous decision to explore a swamp during an evening get-together.

That Time I… walked through a swamp with the boys

By Max Honermeier, Opinion Columnist | October 6, 2022

Generally, I like to have a plan when going out with friends, but sometimes a random, spontaneous idea turns into a great night. On a brisk evening in late March, one of the boys proposed that we go explore the swamp near our neighborhood. As high...

According to a study by PEN America, 1,648 separate book titles were banned in schools across the United States.

Why banning books is so dangerous

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | October 5, 2022

Over the past few years, the debates over banning books in American education have increased, but the actual act of book banning has a long and ugly history in our nation.  A recent study by PEN America has found that between July 2021 and June of...