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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

Dark substance floats up toward the Illinois state flag while light and heart-shaped flowers burst from the top of the flag. The Northern Star Editorial Board encourages other states to dedicate government action toward addressing hate crimes, as Illinois will do with the Help Stop Hate program. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons | Northern Star Graphic)

Editorial: Help Stop Hate program heads Illinois in right direction

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | November 19, 2024

With recent political unrest, hate crime is at a record high. Action needs to be taken to lower this number. Illinois’ launch of the “Help Stop Hate” program is a step in the right direction. “We are here today to officially launch Help Stop...

An outline of Illinois is filled with a depiction of Lake Michigan's shoreline, healthy with green vegetation, clear waters and avian wildlife. The Northern Star Editorial Board applauds the state of Illinois' financial dedication to preserving the Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline. (Jayce Weir | Northern Star)

Editorial: Mother Earth wins with Illinois’ preservation plan

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | November 12, 2024

The recent decision by the state of Illinois to spend $73 million to preserve the only undeveloped stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline is a valuable investment in environmental sustainability and community well-being.  As urban development continues...

Presidential nominees former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris speak at separate campaign events Nov. 4 in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The Northern Star Editorial Board encourages Donald Trump and his supporters to accept their victory with grace and respect. (Evan Vucci, Jacquelyn Martin/ AP Photo | Northern Star Graphic)

Editorial: Move into new presidency with grace

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | November 6, 2024

Donald Trump was declared the 47th president of the United States in the early hours of the morning. With this historical race finally coming to a close, let America move into the new administration with grace.  The polls have been close all season,...

A robot in a hat labeled "press" holds a newspaper in front of the Northern Star's red star logo, while a Huskie paw points accusatorily at the robot. The Northern Star will not publish any content created by artificial intelligence and encourages readers to review its AI policy. (Daniela Barajas | Northern Star)

Northern Star introduces its AI policy

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | October 29, 2024

As artificial intelligence becomes more prominent in everyone’s lives, the business of journalism has to navigate its use. The Northern Star Editorial Board has come together and decided readers should know our policies on AI and what services like...

A border of fast foods surrounds a dream bubble with the logos for Chick-fil-A, Shake Shack, Krispy Kreme and In-N-Out Burger, while hands clap beneath it. The Northern Star Editorial Board asked for NIU students’ help to prepare some suggestions for the fast food chains that should come to DeKalb next. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (logos) | Northern Star Graphic)

Editorial: DeKalb needs better fast food

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | October 22, 2024

Every college town needs lots of cheap places to eat with your friends and family. Here in DeKalb, we currently have McDonald’s, Culvers, Pizza Hut, Burger King and D.P. Dough among others. But the Northern Star Editorial Board has some suggestions...

A Huskie happily accepts a bulging bag of cash. The Northern Star Editorial Board would like to thank the Baustert Family Foundation for the $40 million donation toward building a Health and Technology Center at NIU. (Aidan Renteria | Northern Star)

Editorial: The Northern Star expresses gratitude for Baustert Family Foundation

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | October 15, 2024

The Northern Star wants to thank the Baustert Family Foundation for their recent historic $40 million donation for the Health and Technology Center.  This generous gift not only shows the Foundation’s commitment to advancing healthcare technology...

A teal ribbon, the ribbon for sexual assault, floats in the faint light of a prison cell. Juvenile detention facilities in Illinois and across the U.S. have recently received disturbing allegations of sexual assault, and the result lawsuits deserve the public’s attention. (Daniela Barajas | Northern Star)

Editorial: Illinois failed its juvenile inmates

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | October 8, 2024

TRIGGER WARNING: This story and its sources include some graphic discussion of sexual assault. Juvenile detention centers across the state are facing lawsuits for decades of sexual abuse. We need to talk about it. Illinois is one of multiple states...

A Huskie holds a microphone while the YikYak yak takes notes in a red notepad. Citizen journalism is growing more prevalent through social media and has the brilliant potential to expand news reach. The Northern Star Editorial Board, however, encourages readers to be critical of what they read on social media and verify information that comes from less credible sources. (Aidan Renteria | Northern Star)

To believe or not to believe: News

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | October 1, 2024

Flyers, word of mouth, social media posts and the Northern Star are all ways to get news on campus. However, not all of these sources are trustworthy. When anyone, not just professional news organizations, can post information online, it can be hard...

A student runs after a departing Huskie Line Bus, papers flying from their backpack. The Huskie Line is free for students, but far from a perfect transit system, and the Northern Star Editorial Board is eager to see tracking improvements. (Daniela Barajas | Northern Star)

Editorial: Students deserve Huskie Line improvement

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | September 24, 2024

Many students on campus have had the pleasure – or lack thereof – of experiencing the Huskie Bus Line. There are 12 bus routes that you can use to go to grocery stores, residence halls and academic buildings, among other spots. However, many students...

A Huskie holds a bone in its mouth that reads “Notre Dame” in front of a larger stack of bones. NIU’s status as an underdog makes spectacular wins like the victory over Notre Dame more meaningful. (Jayce Weir | Northern Star)

Editorial: NIU’s underdog status is prideworthy

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | September 17, 2024

Collegiate athletics is full of great traditions passed down from class to class, but few represent their university like the “boneyard” tradition that represents NIU. Since 1983, NIU football has marked its wins over Power Four – formerly Power...

A personified Supreme Court building holds a judge's gavel threateningly over a personified blue book labeled: "College Debt by Biden." The Northern Star Editorial Board is unsurprised but disappointed to see federal government continue to reject plans to forgive student debt. (Aidan Renteria | Northern Star)

EDITORIAL: Government’s failure to support students follows disappointing trail

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | September 11, 2024

While the Northern Star Editorial Board encouraged students not to get their hopes up, the continuous blows to Biden’s student loan debt plans are still a disappointment. Millions of Americans’ pleas for the forgiveness of student loan debt were...

A Huskie reaches through trees in a forest, staring uncertainly at a calculator and a compass that reads “Deficit Plan.” Students and faculty should not be overtly concerned about the deficit, but Huskies should also be aware that NIU is not out of the woods yet. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Editorial: NIU deficit not dire but worth attention

By The Northern Star Editorial Board | September 3, 2024

Colleges and universities across the United States are staring down significant debt. While NIU’s roughly $32 million deficit is not an anomaly, it is something to watch. NIU ended the fiscal year 2024 with around $77 million in total holdings and...