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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

 Adult hands cradle baby feet beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and the topic of the week: raising kids. Are adults obligated to raise kids? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Raising kids

By Camilla Dziadosz and Alberto Briones | January 29, 2024

RAISE CHILDREN  By: Camilla Dziadosz, Opinion Columnist Raising kids is ultimately a choice, but given that we live in a world where there are kids who need a home, being a parent is a way to give back and expand our humanity. Raising children,...

An identification card with the year of birth 2004 sits on a wooden table near a virgin margarita with a red cherry. NIU should allow students aged 19 and older to enter local bars. (Daniela Barajas | Northern Star)

Allow students 19 and older in college bars

By Lexi Nebel and Emily Beebe | January 29, 2024

College bars need to be accessible to students aged 19-years-old and up in order to provide a safe and controlled drinking environment. Students that are not of legal drinking age should still be able to spend time with their older friends. Underage...

A figure clutches their wallet with tear-filled eyes as negative money signs float from it. All internships should be paid internships to support students. (Robin Gamboa | Northern Star)

All internships should be paid

By Alberto Briones, Opinion Columnist | January 28, 2024

Internships are an excellent way for students to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical situations. Employers should offer paid internships because interns must be compensated for their work, time and skills. Students seek internships to receive...

Elizabeth Nowak, a freshman anthropology major, responds to a street interview prompt. Are New Year’s resolutions worth it? (Northern Star Graphic)

Street Interviews: New Year’s resolutions

By Olivia Zapf, Assistant Opinion Editor | January 25, 2024

Every Jan. 1, individuals world-wide embark on a new journey with new goals, like drinking more water or trying to be more focused. These New Year’s resolutions are highly-regarded until February, when people stop doing them.  Oftentimes, the...

A teary-eyed rat buries its face in its paws next to a thought-bubble that reads: “Why don’t they like me?” Rats’ undeserved negative reputation causes them harm. (Christa Kim | Northern Star)

Rats deserve respect

By Jescenia Calderon, Opinion Columnist | January 24, 2024

Rats have empathy and are capable of forming bonds. In that way, they are much like humans. It can be highly alarming to spot a rat, but just like all animals, they deserve more respect and protection from animal testing. Rats tend to have a bad reputation...

The Springfield Capitol Building stands under a partly cloudy sky. A multi-party system could improve representation of the American public. (Anna Scanlan | Northern Star)

America needs a multi-party system

By Kahlil Kambui, Senior News Reporter | January 23, 2024

America's two-party system is flawed and needs to change. The current system offers mediocre candidates who don’t represent America. A multi-party system is the necessary fix for underrepresentation and polarization. In the U.S., the two-party system...

Video Editor Joseph Howerton (left) asks Meika Bass, a freshman computer science major, about the best brands of water bottles. Which water bottle brand is best? (Quentin Brown | Northern Star)

Poll: Which water bottle brand is best?

By Alberto Briones, Opinion Columnist | January 23, 2024

With a new year comes new goals. Some students opt to maintain or get better grades, be more organized and use planners or work out and hit the gym. A popular resolution is also to stay hydrated.  Hydration is the latest trend among Generation...

A creek flows into the East Lagoon divided by a bridge where water meets the frozen lagoon surface. NIU’s campus was closed Jan. 9 due to a winter storm heavily impacting DeKalb. (Sean Reed | Northern Star)

Practice resilience, despite cold

By Camilla Dziadosz, Opinion Columnist | January 22, 2024

Winter isn’t the same as it used to be. The playful snow days as children will always have a place in our hearts, but leaving them behind and adapting to the responsibilities we are faced with in our present lives has beauty on its own. Challenges develop...

A Pinocchio figure sits beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and the topic of the week: white lies. Is it okay to tell white lies? (Northern Star Graphic)

Look Both Ways: White Lies

By Olivia Zapf and Lucy Atkinson | January 22, 2024

AVOID WHITE LIES Trust takes years to build and minutes to tear apart, and maintaining trust and honesty is imperative for healthy relationships. White lies, while they seem miniscule, can be detrimental to the trust between two people.  Coming...

A mound of snow blocks 15 parking spots in Lot C after NIU’s grounds department cleared the parking lot of snow. Temperatures will remain below freezing into the start of the semester, meaning the mound of snow will likely continue to block parking spots, according to the National Weather Service. (Sean Reed | Northern Star)

NIU students shouldn’t freeze

By Olivia Zapf, Assistant Opinion Editor | January 21, 2024

After winter break, students came back to DeKalb and were met with 34 below zero degree wind chills and a lot of snow. On Jan. 16, NIU chose to keep university operations in-person despite the intense cold and actions of other local schools and universities.  NIU...

A blue hand crushes the thorny stem of a rose into the palm of a pink hand, causing droplets of blood to fall. The phrase “he’s mean to you because he likes you” can have lasting consequences. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

‘He’s mean because he likes you’ harms young women

By Lexi Nebel and Emily Beebe | January 21, 2024

If you were once a young girl, you might have experienced teasing on the playground by a boy, followed by the adult response: “He’s mean to you because he likes you.”  “Yeah, I heard it all the time,” said Alondra Rodriguez, a first-year...

A screenshot from this week’s street interviews shows Opinion Columnist Santiago Montañez interviewing students Kennedy Smith (left) and Kailyn Williams. Senior Opinion Columnist Emily Beebe and Opinion Columnist Santiago Montañez asked students about the El Niño winter. (Anna Scanlan | Northern Star)

Street interviews: El Niño

By Emily Beebe and Santiago Montañez Bertoletti | January 18, 2024

The first week of the new semester brought frigid temperatures. Before the bitter cold, students were interviewed about their feelings toward the El Niño winter.  Although we haven’t witnessed many warm temperatures so far, El Niño holds the...