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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media 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 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, Former 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, Former 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...

In recent years, streaming services and television channels have profited off of remaking some of the most popular shows and movies in history.

Can we please stop with the nostalgia baiting?

By Quade Evans, Opinion Columnist | November 27, 2022

As I finished watching the new movie “Pinocchio” on Disney+, I found myself utterly and completely underwhelmed. The music, the acting and the CGI all pointed to a lack of caring. Only one phrase came to mind: nostalgia baiting. There seems to...

Columnist Angelina Padilla-Tompkins managed to get five tickets for the Eras tour through Ticketmaster's verified fan presale.

That Time I… made it through the great Ticketmaster queue

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Former Editor in Chief | November 20, 2022

Unsurprisingly, millions of fans flocked to Ticketmaster Tuesday trying to get their hands on tickets to Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” and I was one of them.  I have been a fan of Taylor Swift since the release of her self-titled debut album...

Opinion columnist Lucy Atkinson presents a poll on which Christmas movie is the best to watch for the holiday season.

Poll: Which Christmas movie are you watching?

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | November 18, 2022

While the grass remains stubbornly green, the first fairy-like flakes of snow have begun to float down around us. For those who celebrate the holiday, the urge to begin Christmas festivities is becoming increasingly difficult to resist.  One way to...

 On June 25, 2019, protestors gathered outside U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's office in Juneau, Alaska, to protest the proposed Pebble Mine.

The EPA should stop the Pebble Mine proposal to protect Bristol Bay

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | November 17, 2022

The Environmental Protection Agency needs to ban mining in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska, the proposed Pebble Mine, and preserve the beautiful, fragile and crucial environment that exists there. Bristol Bay is a special region in Southwest...

See why Columnist Max Honermeier says we should stop wasting helium on balloons.

Unpopular Opinion: We need to stop taking helium for granted

By Max Honermeier, Opinion Columnist | November 17, 2022

We need to cease taking helium for granted before the last of it vanishes like a child letting go of a balloon. The most important use of helium is to keep superconducting magnets at the low temperatures they need to operate. Lifesaving technologies...