Illinois leaders must hold themselves to the highest ethical standards. A Feb. 10 State Journal-Register column uncovered a car insurance mailing with a color photo of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, members of his family and an executive of the private insurance...

With a high number of employers, one would think the spring NIU job fair would see huge numbers of would-be employees. After all, a job fair is an important opportunity for any NIU student concerned with post-college plans. Imagine the disappointed look...

If some Will County officials have their way, certain convicted criminals who have been stripped of their freedom will have to pay for it - by the night. No, they aren’t considering making hotels into jails. It’s the other way around. In a money-raising...

The university has a responsibility to uphold the First Amendment rights of its faculty and staff, even in the face of fervent calls to squash free speech. The Northern Star does not support anti-semitic views, but it does encourage free discussion. More...

Whether the blame can be placed on lack of classroom education, lack of parental explanation or just plain ignorance, high school students have a lot to learn about being Americans. According to a study published last week by the University of Connecticut,...

Fine, so sometimes teachers’ lectures are less than interesting, but that doesn’t mean students should be surfing the Web in class instead of paying attention. Barsema Hall offers wireless Internet, which can lead to abuse by students with laptop...

President George W. Bush’s proposal to boost benefits for families of fallen soldiers is a much-needed plan, but it needs some fine-tuning. Under the current proposal, a tax-free "death gratuity" would grow from $12,420 to $100,000. The premier objective...

President George W. Bush assured the American people the state of the union is "confident and strong" Wednesday. We hope he is correct but worry about the next four years. Our country, Bush said, has seen many times of sorrow over the past four years...

Some students will have to pay more for college this fall, and that’s not a good thing. The Bush administration recently announced a change in the formula used to determine one’s estimated family contribution. The EFC affects eligibility for Pell...

If some Illinois politicians get their way, Illinois’ reputation for doing good business could be down the drain. On Monday, Illinois’ chief financial officer Dan Hynes said his office is refusing to pay for millions of dollars of flu vaccine that...

The city of Sycamore needs to stop dragging its feet on its radium problem. Sycamore’s water has been in violation of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency standards for five years, said Sycamore mayor John Swedberg in a Jan. 28 Northern Star article....

Imagine paying $100,000 for a service you do not use. It may sound far-fetched, but NIU students pay every day for a recycling program they let go to waste. Every year, NIU pays $80,000 to $100,000 for the program only to find that more material gets...