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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

An eye peers out beyond chaotic gray and brown scribbles. Opinion Columnist Jackson Shields views his anxiety as a myopic - or near-sighted - enemy that aims to keep him from meaningful experiences. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

My myopic self and I

By Jackson Shields, Assistant Opinion Editor | September 10, 2024

My myopic self and I have problems. We’re not exactly on speaking terms.  Anxiety has followed me for as long as I can remember, but it was the worst at the beginning of high school when I was at my most vulnerable. During those years, I was a passenger...

A figure in bed sits between a map icon for school and a map icon for home beneath the words "Look Both Ways" and the subject of the week: first-years on campus. Should first-years be required to live on campus? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: First-years on campus

By Santiago Montañez Bertoletti and Will Thiel | September 9, 2024

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO LIVE ON-CAMPUS By: Santiago Montañez Bertoletti, Opinion Columnist During their first year, many university students may have doubts about how university life works. Among the many decisions you have to...

A speaker wearing blue talks at a podium with a smile while images of a figure surrounded by destruction and fire are visible over her shoulder. Opinion Columnist Jackson Shields believes the conflict in Gaza deserved greater attention from the Democratic National Convention last month. (Daniela Barajas | Northern Star)

Silence isn’t an option, Democrats

By Jackson Shields, Assistant Opinion Editor | September 9, 2024

Rage echoes in the streets outside of the United Center in Chicago where the 2024 Democratic National Convention is being held. Passionate chants gather force as a crowd of thousands forms. Protesters demanding an end to U.S. aid to Israeli forces in...

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the Eastern Economic Forum Thursday in Vladivostok, Russia. Opinion Columnist Sofia Didenko was disappointed in the International Olympic Committee’s failure to uphold its ban of Russian athletes who supported Putin’s stance on the Ukraine-Russian war in the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

2024 Olympics should’ve held Russian athletes accountable

By Sofia Didenko, Opinion Columnist | September 8, 2024

A little over a month ago, viewers all over the world tuned into the 2024 Olympic Games held in Paris, France. These are games that historically bring nations together through the spirit of athletics. However, Russian athletes who were found to support...

I’liyah Jones, a freshman health sciences major, responds to a street interviews prompt. What’s the nicest thing someone’s done for you today, and what’s the nicest thing that’s ever been done for you? (Northern Star Graphic)

Street Interviews: National Courtesy Month

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | September 8, 2024

September is National Courtesy Month, so from random acts of kindness to polite exchanges to lifelong love — we’re celebrating niceness in all its forms.  Like in most places, life at NIU can have its chaotic and stressful moments, but campus...

A chalk drawing from the NIU CRU Christian Ministry at MLK Commons spells out “Explore faith in Jesus.” Opinion Columnist Will Thiel identifies as Christian and inspires his politics from religious values. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Everything will be OK

By Will Thiel, Opinion Columnist | September 5, 2024

I am the by-product of sin, a man forged from lust into a world of frailty and imperfection. But that is not my fault.  There is an excuse to forgive myself for everything that has happened or will happen to me, regardless of the circumstances. For...

An old brown water tower is marked with gold graffiti lettering on Pleasant Street next to the Forge Resources Group in DeKalb. Without obtaining permission ahead of time, graffiti may be defined as vandalization instead of art. (Tim Dodge | Northern Star)

Graffiti is vandalization, not art

By Emily Beebe, News Editor | September 4, 2024

Art is considered a form of self-expression and self-care for people all over the world, and what is considered true art could be up to interpretation. There are many different kinds of art including drawings, paintings, sculptures and, some argue,...

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...

TyLyn Martin, a junior pre-med major, responds to a street interviews prompt. How did you handle the heat on campus? (Northern Star Graphic)

Street Interviews: How do you manage heat on campus?

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | September 3, 2024

Last week was the first week of the fall semester, and Huskie students and faculty alike braved sweltering weather.  Trekking across campus with a heavy backpack and five minutes until your next class can work up a sweat on an average day, but...

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, Assistant Opinion Editor | 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...

Explosive devices sit in Thomas Matthew Crooks’ car as they were originally discovered July 13. Crooks was responsible for the shooting that took place at a Trump rally over summer, wounding the former president in the ear. (FBI via AP)

America numb, political violence not satirical

By Will Thiel, Opinion Columnist | September 2, 2024

Making light of a disaster is one thing, but the distinction between satire and going off the deep end is a line worth defining. In the United States, the influence of political correctness has become so potent that when someone defies it, the outcome...

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris talks with Liberty County High School marching band members Wednesday in Hinesville, Georgia. Popular social media platforms are among the tools the Harris Walz campaign is using to generate engagement with young, Gen Z voters. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Kamala HQ campaigns right with social media

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | August 29, 2024

The Harris Walz campaign is revitalizing the youthful energy voters were craving earlier in the presidential race, and the social media content it’s producing feels refreshing after years of being subjected to Former President Trump’s habits on X.  Social...