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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

Olivia King, a junior marketing major, responds to a street interviews prompt. In three words, how are you feeling about the presidential election next week? (Northern Star Graphic)

Street Interviews: 2024 election

By Jackson Shields, Assistant Opinion Editor | October 28, 2024

We are officially one week out from the 2024 presidential election – which could be the most important one of our lifetime – and things couldn’t be more uncertain. The polls are close, public sentiment is divided, and the line between hope and...

Shopping bags, a ghost holding a trick-or-treat bag, and craft supplies sit beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and above the topic of the week. Is it better to wear store-bought or homemade Halloween costumes to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Store-bought versus homemade Halloween costumes

By Ethan Ernst and Lalita Rai | October 28, 2024

STORE-BOUGHT COSTUMES By: Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist An iconic part of Halloween is the costumes people wear. Monsters, fictional characters or professions that children may be interested in are common options found in stores. Many people...

Blood with a low battery symbol drips behind a salt shaker labeled “Boundaries” and a garlic head labeled “self-love.” Energy vampires might not seem as threatening as Nosferatu, but it’s important to to prevent the energy vampires in your life from draining you too often. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Don’t let the energy vampires get you

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | October 27, 2024

Most people don’t have to worry about blood-sucking vampires threatening their well-being – let’s hope – but we’ve all faced a foe arguably more terrifying. As you prepare your home for the arrival of ghosts and goblins this week, make it your...

Northern lights dance red and purple in the night DeKalb sky. Opinion Columnist Sofia Didenko gained a new appreciation for DeKalb’s small town beauty when the aurora borealis visited, a phenomenon she’d expected to witness in Iceland. (Sofia Didenko | Northern Star)

Chasing northern lights

By Sofia Didenko, Opinion Columnist | October 24, 2024

In 2018 my mother booked a trip for herself, my sister and myself to the mysterious country of Iceland. Going in winter, we were unsure if the conditions would be tolerable. But we had grown up skiing, and my sister and I had tons of winter layers to...

Grimm the Goblin, a green creature with yellow eyes and a spiny back, crouches on clawed feet. Grimm waits patiently for his chance to terrorize on Halloween next week. (Aidan Renteria | Northern Star)

Cartoon: Grimm the Goblin

By Aidan Renteria, Cartoonist | October 24, 2024

A table in the Founders Memorial Library displays Safe Passage items and information. Opinion Columnist Lalita Rai encourages all cultures, religions and societies to abandon the dangerous ideology that women should remain in every marriage, even abusive ones. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Love should never be violent

By Lalita Rai, Opinion Columnist | October 23, 2024

A Nepali woman is suspected to have been killed by her partner in Virginia. Mamta Kafle Bhatt has been missing since July. She was living with her husband and a 1-year-old daughter. She was a licensed nurse and well-educated.   Her husband Naresh...

Five segments display different planets and symbols associated with them, all surrounding a tiny astronaut reading a book. If you had to take a remote class in outer space, which planet would you choose to study on? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Poll: Remote learning in space

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist | October 23, 2024

“Star Trek” has popularized the idea that space is the “final frontier” for human expansion, and people like Elon Musk aim to make this a reality. Yet human colonists on other planets will still need to learn, and we already have the means for...

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 tombstone reads “The Northern Star Halloween Costume Contest”  between a smiling jack-o-lantern and a black cat. The Northern Star Halloween Costume Contest will open for submissions Oct. 23 and close 5 p.m. on Oct. 29. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Northern Star Halloween Costume Contest commences

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | October 22, 2024

On All Hallows’ Eve, the goblins come to play! The Northern Star is excited to announce it is holding a Halloween costume contest to celebrate the finale of spooky season on campus.  The contest opens for submissions Oct. 23 and closes Oct. 29...

Emma Alquicira, a junior elementary education major, responds to a street interviews prompt in Spanish. What impact do you hope to make in your career? (Northern Star Graphic)

Spanish Street Interviews: What impact do you want to make?

By Lucy Atkinson and Santiago Montañez Bertoletti | October 21, 2024

Latino Heritage Month came to a close last Wednesday, and to continue the celebration of the Latino community on campus, Opinion Columnist Santiago Montanez Bertoletti talked with three Spanish-speaking students about the impact they hope to make in their...

A red squirrel gnaws on a walnut shell on a tree branch at East Lagoon. NIU’s campus is delightfully graced by the presence of many squirrels, and taking the time to watch them can cheer an anxious mind. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Love letter for fluffy-tailed friends

By Lucy Atkinson, Opinion Editor | October 21, 2024

When I first moved to Illinois my first year at NIU, I struggled painfully with homesickness. And like the tiny, acrobatic superheroes they are, campus squirrels helped me cope. I’m hoping they’ll help me face a different challenge this semester.  As...

Two sets of paw prints move toward a symbol for house made up by the European map with ten colorful lines bursting from its roof. Opinion Columnist Sofia Didenko believes NIU should create a place for Eastern European students on campus to connect. (Northern Star Graphic)

Eastern European students need connection opportunities

By Sodia Didenko, Opinion Columnist | October 20, 2024

Claudius Hardrick, a first-year economics major, was walking down a familiar path at NIU when he spotted the Asian American Resource Center and remembered his goal to connect with his grandpa's culture, which he hopes to make his own.  Hardrick recently...