Two months ago, marijuana for recreational use was banned across the United States. But as of Election Day, the people of Colorado and Washington changed this. Taking their constituents’ opinions into consideration, both states have recently passed...

The Northern Star staff is getting ready to act its age. We are, after all, children of the Internet era. Despite previously winning top national awards for our online efforts, the Northern Star’s website, blogs and video sections have fallen into relative...

PASS In a recent Pizza Hut commercial, two enormous, buttery “cheesy bites” are hurled into a gargantuan bowl of marinara sauce to an epic, slowmo splash. Suddenly, two mirrored pepperoni pizzas (with finger-like “cheesy bites” instead of crust)...

The Northern Star Editorial Board doesn’t think Eddie Williams, executive vice president and chief of operations for Finance and Facilities, is doing his job. Since the summer, the Finance and Facilities division at NIU has been through controversies...

I am a wealthy individual. Between the three jobs that I juggle, I bring in about $16,000 annually. I barely exceed the poverty line—in the U.S., that is. But what defines poverty depends on where we are talking about. According to a BBC News interactive...

Reflecting on Oxford Dictionaries USA’s “Word of the Year,” Katherine Connor Martin, a lexicographer on the judging panel, said the goal of the project has been to choose a word that “embodies in some way the ethos of the year.” With this objective...

10. Don’t stuff your mouth: I tell my son this all the time, but it’s true. I’m so happy when I see him savoring flavors rather than gobbling down all of his food. It means he’s enjoying the journey. 9. R-e-s-p-e-c-t: In a given day I might talk...

All the food at Thanksgiving is simply amazing. More importantly, after a semester of dorm food, Thanksgiving means a fresh, home-cooked meal. But every year there is one thing that stands out in my mind and stomach. I just love a well-done turkey. Last...

The hardest part of going vegetarian and coming to a family dinner is turning down food that someone made with love for you. Many won’t understand, will worry about your nutrition or think you’re being rude. However, with time and a little practice,...

10. Opposite-sex friendships: A lot of people think it’s OK to have a close friend of a different sex. The problem is the uncertainty it creates in your partner’s mind. If you care for that person, then he or she should be your first concern. Why...

It’s the final countdown. Only two more days until my personal favorite holiday. But Thanksgiving is not my favorite just because I gather with family and we enjoy time together; every holiday has that component. It may sound heartless, but what makes...

PASS French government Nutells it like it is Despite an outcry in support of the chocolate and hazelnut spread, the French Senate passed the “Nutella Tax,” a measure that would triple the tax on palm and some other vegetable oils in the hope of cutting...