Skip to Main Content

Northern Star

 

Advertisement

 

 
Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student media since 1899

 

Ensure student journalism survives. Donate today.

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Celebrating our veterans 365 days a year

By Colin Remes | February 7, 2012

It's great and wonderful that we celebrate Veteran's Day once a year. A day when everyone as a nation is reminded to recognize those who serve, make sacrifices and sometimes give their lives to protect our freedoms. There are, however, another 364 days...

McDonald’s is more than just fast food

By Parker Happ | February 6, 2012

What is a McReality versus a McStereotype? To some, the association of McDonald's and climbing a corporate ladder may not be synonymous, but that is not a valid. McStereotype: "Would you like fries with that?"McReality: "Would you like NIU credit with...

Marriage is threatening my civil union: A feminist satire

By Linze Griebenow | February 6, 2012

Marriage is threatening the sanctity of my opposite-sex civil union.When my partner and I became engaged, little did we know the legal and ethical oppositions we would face as an opposite-sex couple.Not wanting to participate in a historically oppressive...

Thoughts on Super Bowl XLVI

By Colin Remes | February 5, 2012

I could not have been more pleased with the Super Bowl matchup yesterday. Four years ago when the Giants went up against the Patriots, and the heavily favored Pats fell was one of the happiest sports moments of my life. The Patriots are the 800 pound...

My identity according to Super Bowl commercials

By Dan Martynowicz | February 5, 2012

According to NBC, the average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad is $3.5 million. I would imagine this puts quite a bit of pressure on advertisers to hit the correct demographic. Thomas Oates, assistant professor of journalism, told me about a game his...

Point, Counterpoint: College Republicans vs College Democrats

By Parker Happ and Aaron Brooks | February 1, 2012

Parker Happ: College Republicans are open minded. You may have raised an eyebrow at that statement, but believe it. College Republican Chairman Marc Belbis said, "If you have libertarian values, conservative values, neoconservative values, social conservative...

Don’t call me a Chick, Chick

By Linze Griebenow | January 31, 2012

When I was little, I remember wearing out tape after tape of Disney movies, blissfully unaware of the pervasive consequences to which their story plots would ultimately help contribute.The Little Mermaid was one of my favorites. I saw Ariel as a rebellious...

Climate change is becoming political

By Colin Remes | January 30, 2012

here is no doubt that the debate over Global Climate Change (previously known as Global Warming) is a very heated one. What is ridiculous is that it has become a political issue.According to www.edf.org (Environmental Defense Fund) one piece of evidence...

Master your domain: owe no gold

By Dan Martynowicz | January 30, 2012

"The Man," more commonly known as ComEd, Comcast, Nicor and your apartment complex, expects you to pay your bills. They want their money, and they want it on time. Or else.Paying bills isn't fun, but it is awesome. Allow me to explain. 1) Staying out...

Vision 2012: What NIU should work on now

By Parker Happ | January 29, 2012

Were you thinking about college in forth grade? Future freshmen of 2020 literally have no idea what NIU has in store for them, and in case you don't either, read NIU President John Peters' Vision 2020 plans at niu.edu/vision2020. The plan is the administrations'...

Point, Counterpoint: Do you think Facebook ruins 10-year reunions

By Kyla Gardner, Dan Martynowicz, and Jimmy Johnson | January 25, 2012

Kyla Gardner: I spend too much time on Facebook. I can’t resist stalking. Sometimes, I daydream about giving it up. But my inability for self-control shouldn’t reflect poorly on the site. Facebook is, overall, a good thing. It definitely ruins class...

Technology doesn’t make the person

By Parker Happ | January 24, 2012

The Moken are among the last least touched by civilization. Living at sea for up to half the year, they are a 10,000-year-old society of people living in a 21st century world.In their culture, lessons are learned through an oral tradition that chiefly...