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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

Two figures hold hands and walk beneath the DeKalb Theatre sign in Downtown DeKalb. The recent grants approved by the DeKalb City Council are investing in DeKalb's community and a sign of positive support from the city. (Gabriel Fiorini | Northern Star)

Editorial: New grants show love for DeKalb community

By Northern Star Editorial Board | February 4, 2024

DeKalb City Council approved over $700,000 in grants, split between community development and local 501(c)(3) nonprofits on Jan. 22. The investment into DeKalb’s community this year shows a strong continuance of crucial support from the city. DeKalb...

An illustrated police scanner radio sends off blue, red and white radio signals. The Northern Star Editorial Board encourages readers to listen to police department radio scanner streams. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

Editorial: Listen to police scanners

By Northern Star Editorial Board | December 10, 2023

While it is impossible for citizens to follow along with police officers every day, there are ways to follow what is going on in the community.  Police scanners are the one of ways police officers, dispatchers and other employees stay in contact when...

A person looks at a Northern Star Tweet. The Northern Star Editorial Board explained the delivery issues experienced with its daily newsletter, TLDR. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

Editorial: TLDR newsletter flagged ‘malicious’

By Northern Star Editorial Board | December 3, 2023

The Northern Star’s daily newsletter TLDR is not being delivered to Outlook emails, but the management board will continue to produce it despite this setback. Northern Star staff and readers began reporting on Nov. 7 that their Monday and Tuesday...

A group of students gather outside an SGA meeting. The Northern Star Editorial Board is disappointed that the SGA would let another petition, aimed as helping students, fail. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

SGA disappoints by failing another petition

By Northern Star Editorial Board | November 26, 2023

NIU’s Student Government Association has failed students again by overthinking approval of another petition.  The SGA now has two failed petitions, proving its failure to help students.  A petition is the SGA’s highest form of authority; and...

Three colorful food trucks fly above a purple background. Food trucks need to come back after Spring Break. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

Editorial: Food Truck Wednesdays already an NIU staple

By Northern Star Editorial Board | November 19, 2023

Each Wednesday, an array of local food trucks lined Normal Road, selling delectable food and drinks that ranged from burritos to frozen custard to lemonade. Dozens of students could be seen eating in MLK Commons or huddled around the trucks. This amount...

A group of Northern Star staffers sit around a table. The Northern Star Editorial Board outlines the basics of news literacy. (Joey Trella | Northern Star)

Editorial: ‘The truth shall bear all light,’ journalism explained

By Northern Star Editorial Board | November 12, 2023

Not everyone understands the function of news or news organizations, so the Northern Star Editorial Board is outlining its functions and the capabilities of journalism. The Society for Professional Journalism: “Members of the Society of Professional...

Editorial: Victor E. statue falls short of expectations

By Northern Star Editorial Board | November 5, 2023

A new Victor E. Huskie statue was unveiled in downtown DeKalb. While a nice gesture, it's ugly. The statue is a painted Victor E. mascot holding up the Huskie hand symbol. However, the statue isn’t even a 1:1 recreation. It is significantly shorter...

Victor E. is dressed as a ghost hold a pumpkin basket. The Northern Star Editorial board wishes everyone a "Happy Howl-oween!" (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

Editorial: History behind the ghostly holiday

By Northern Star Editorial Board | October 28, 2023

How did we go from carving turnips and frightening evil spirits to carving pumpkins and creating Jack-o'-Lanterns?  Halloween traditions, such as going around our neighborhoods asking for candy, dressing up in creative costumes and carving pumpkins...

An open suitcase shows the various additions NIU students would like to see in DeKalb. If NIU wants to minimize its reputation as a "suitcase school," it needs to give students a good reason to stay. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

Editorial: DeKalb, give us a reason to stay the night

By Northern Star Editorial Board | October 22, 2023

If NIU doesn’t want students to leave on weekends, then it needs to give students a reason to stay. NIU has a well-known reputation as a “suitcase” or “backpack” school – a university that is comprised of students that come to campus for...

A person on a ladder pulls barbed wire out of a "Barb City" sign. The Northern Star Editorial Board believes its not Barb City if the old barbed wire factory is reduced to a slab of pavement. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

Editorial: DeKalb’s ‘Barb City,’ not ‘Parking Lot Haven’

By Northern Star Editorial Board | October 8, 2023

On Sept. 25, the contract for the city of DeKalb to purchase the building that was once the first barbed wire factory was approved. At the same time, an insulting conversation about turning the building into a parking lot ensued.  The property at...

Two figures run with spray paint and artwork. While new security measures are welcomed, it was a little too late for the NIU School of Art and Design. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

Editorial: School of Art and Design makes appreciated, late effort

By Northern Star Editorial Board | October 1, 2023

The Northern Star Editorial Board believes the School of Art and Design is making the right security decisions after another break in to the building this year. However, these changes should have been talked about after the first break in, not the third. "On...

An illustration of Paul McCartney sits under the words “Paul Lives on!” The Northern Star Editorial Board apologizes to the singer for encouraging false rumors of his death. (Eleanor Gentry | Northern Star)

Editorial: Northern Star apologizes to Paul McCartney 54 years later

By Northern Star Editorial Board | September 24, 2023

The Northern Star Editorial Board would like to sincerely apologize to Paul McCartney, a musical icon, for our false Sept. 23, 1969, print issue that unethically speculated that he was dead. In 2004, the Star finally decided to yield to the truth...