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

Kayla Schaffer, a senior health and human sciences major, responds to a street interviews prompt. What are your plans for after graduation? (Northern Star Graphic)

Street Interviews: Graduation

By Lucy Atkinson and Sofia Didenko | November 19, 2024

December graduation is only four weeks away. On NIU’s campus, some students are experiencing a classic mix of stress, excitement and extreme senioritis.  Others, with a cozy few years until their graduation, don’t have to think about post-graduation...

A graphic shows money burning as an arrow, representing the United States' growing national debt, shoots upward. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst believes that the U.S.'s debt problem is a ticking time bomb with no simple solution. (Jackson Shields | Northern Star)

The national debt has no easy solution

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist | November 18, 2024

Elon Musk, co-head of Donald Trump’s planned Department of Government Efficiency, has suggested that he can cut $2 trillion from the annual budget of the United States. Immense government spending is certainly increasing the national debt, but this...

A candle glows orange over a transgender pride flag. In an Express Yourself opinion piece, Christy-Lynne Lapine reminds readers that the Transgender Day of Remembrance is not a celebration, but a commemoration of transgender lives lost. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Express Yourself: Transgender Day of Remembrance is commemoration, not holiday

By Christy-Lynne Lapine | November 18, 2024

For a group only representing a small percentage of the population, one day each year to honor and mourn our dead might seem pointless. Beginning with a website meant to educate the trans community and inform the cisgender world, the holiday and the list...

A protestor holds the Israeli flag during a protest following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of the Israeli Defense Minister Nov. 5. Opinion Columnist Santiago Montañez Bertoletti warns that if Israel continues to navigate conflicts with little regard for human life, it’ll be no better than the terrorist organizations it aims to defeat. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

Israel crosses dangerous moral lines

By Santiago Montañez Bertoletti, Opinion Columnist | November 18, 2024

Editor's note: This column contains triggering content relating to war.  Israel has begun what it considers its final crusade, but the nation must act with more humanity as it navigates – and furthers – various conflicts.  Israeli Prime Minister...

Mt. Thamserku sits under a pink sunset sky east of Khumjung village in Nepal. Opinion Columnist Lalita Rai grew up in Nepal and attends NIU as an international graduate student. (Lalita Rai | Northern Star)

International student pushing through

By Lalita Rai, Opinion Columnist | November 17, 2024

I was born and raised in Khumjung, a small village in Nepal. My father was a teacher before he retired. When I was a child my father taught me that knowledge is the only asset no thief can steal. So, I began dreaming of collecting as much knowledge as...

Two legs with pink roller-skates glide over a wooden surface. The end of the semester is coming soon, and students are racing toward the end of classes. (Daniela Barajas | Northern Star)

Skate to the finish

By Daniela Barajas, Cartoonist | November 15, 2024

A manacle hangs in the center of a red portrait, blood splattering off of it. Assistant Opinion Editor Jackson Shields believes that America's continued use of punishments like penal labor and the death penalty is evidence of a bloodthirsty system. (Jackson Shields | Northern Star)

For America, justice means blood

By Jackson Shields, Assistant Opinion Editor | November 14, 2024

An infernal machine rests in America’s heart, growling with power as its operators bark orders at technicians, cuffed and shackled, toiling away at its circuitry. Those that don’t drop dead of exhaustion are bound to be driven insane, unless they're...

Lanterns and candles glow in celebration at Pottenger House, the location of the NIU Center for Burma Studies and the NIU Center for Southeast Asian Studies, on a late autumn evening. Opinion Columnist Lalita Rai encourages international students to find ways to connect with their culture on campus. (Courtesy of Aye Myat Mon)

Culture must be evolved, not abandoned

By Lalita Rai, Opinion Columnist | November 13, 2024

Culture is an identity for all human beings, and each person reflects their culture. Every international student has their own culture, traditions, customs and languages. International students may miss that culture when they are away from home, but...

Nuclear reactors, a solar panel and a wind turbine sit beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and above the topic of the week. Is nuclear or renewable energy more beneficial and realistic? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Nuclear and renewable energies

By Ethan Ernst and Santiago Montañez Bertoletti | November 13, 2024

RENEWABLE ENERGY By: Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist The output of a nuclear power plant compared to its environmental impact is far superior to renewable energy. Even still, nuclear energy is too expensive and time consuming to adopt widely. Small...

Five segments display five elements - sodium, iron, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen - as they appear on the period table and with a basic atomic structure diagram. Which periodic element is most like your personality? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Poll: Which periodic element best represents your personality?

By Lalita Rai, Opinion Columnist | November 12, 2024

Chemistry is the science of the structure, composition and unique properties of elements and compounds.  To date, scientists have identified 118 elements, each with its own distinct characteristics. Just like elements, people also have unique personalities...

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...

Tamaya Duplechin, a senior business administration major, responds to a street interviews prompt. What are you grateful for? (Northern Star Graphic)

Street Interviews: What are you grateful for?

By Jackson Shields and Ethan Ernst | November 12, 2024

In this time of uncertainty and stress, it’s more important than ever to surround ourselves with the people, places and things which bring us comfort and relaxation. Whether it’s a hard working parent who's always there for you or a quiet space...