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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student news organization 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

Cutline: Lucy Atkinson types on a computer during a Northern Star opinion section budget meeting. The Northern Star opinion section shares what they do in their section and why they enjoy it. (Joseph Howerton | Northern Star)

Meet the Northern Star | Opinion

By Joseph Howerton, Video Editor | February 20, 2024

Ever wondered how a student newspaper works? Meet Opinion Editor Lucy Atkinson and the opinion section team of the Northern Star. See what goes into forming an opinion piece, cartoon and why the team does what they do.

A gray cup pours water into a sink. DeKalb should not have won the award for Best Tasting Water on Jan 26. (Olivia Zapf| Northern Star)

DeKalb’s water isn’t best tasting

By Kahlil Kambui, Senior News Reporter | February 20, 2024

For people who don't drink bottled water and like to indulge in the city's tap and fountain water – great news – DeKalb won best tasting water at the Illinois Section American Water Works Association, but it is not well deserved. To determine who...

Delicious but lonely fries rest in a basket without any dipping sauces. What dipping sauce is best with french fries? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Poll: What dipping sauce is best with french fries?

By Alberto Briones, Opinion Columnist | February 20, 2024

French fries, a quintessential comfort food, are hard to beat. Fries are always a hit, regardless of the cut: waffle, straight, julienne, shoestring or crinkle. Many sauces go well with fries, such as ketchup, cheese, ranch, barbeque and honey mustard....

An illustration of a heart has lines around it. Women masturbating has always been stigmatized. (Camilla Dziadosz | Northern Star)

Break stigma around women masturbating

By Camilla Dziadosz, Opinion Columnist | February 19, 2024

The conversation around sex is ever-changing, but what about masturbation? Getting in tune with our bodies through masturbation, especially for females, is healthy and empowering.  Masturbation has long been addressed and directed toward males, but...

Fuzzy handcuffs and a set of keys sit against a red background. BDSM is a normal and healthy form of sexual expression. (Camilla Dziadosz | Northern Star)

Normalize BDSM

By Camilla Dziadosz, Opinion Columnist | February 19, 2024

BDSM – bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism –  has notoriously been considered “other” or “deviant” within society. When practiced healthily, BDSM is simply another form of expression – it’s not weird,...

Stacks of romance books with cartoon covers are displayed at the Peoria Barnes and Nobel location. Books with smut should not be marketed toward minors. (Angelina Padilla-Tompkins | Northern Star)

Stop giving kids smut

By Olivia Zapf, Assistant Opinion Editor | February 19, 2024

“Icebreaker”, “The Love Hypothesis” and countless other romance novels are smut-ridden (shoutout to Chapter 9). While these may be good reads for adults, they should not be marketed to minors.  Experiencing sexual content through a book –...

The Holmes Student Center stands beyond the Balance of Equality statue on a chilly winter day in MLK Commons. The 4.2% decrease in graduate enrollment between spring 2023 and spring 2024 is negatively impactful. (Northern Star File Photo)

Decreasing graduate enrollment negatively impacts NIU

By Olivia Zapf, Assistant Opinion Editor | February 18, 2024

NIU has historically focused on retaining and recruiting undergraduate students. While focusing on undergraduate retention and recruitment is important, graduate students remain vital to NIU’s campus and community. Students continually worry about...

Comic: So Much S- – -.

By Isabel Cambray, Cartoonist | February 18, 2024

Paris Martin, sophomore political science major, responds to a street interviews prompt. What is the best Girl Scout Cookie? (Northern Star Graphic)

Street Interviews: Girl Scout Cookies

By Kahlil Kambui, Senior News Reporter | February 16, 2024

It's that time of year again, Girl Scouts around the country are selling their delicious Girl Scout cookies to fund their troops. Some of their most popular flavors of cookies include samoas, crisp caramel cookies with coconut and chocolate stripes;...

A girl in a pink coat, hat and scarf stands on green grass between patches of snow. She is witnessing the snow melting as the weather starts to become warmer. (Mary Ngo | Northern Star)

Cartoon: At the End of Winter

By Mary Ngo, Cartoonist | February 15, 2024

A phone with a pink heart is surrounded by floating white hearts beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and the topic of the week: Dating Apps. Are dating apps worth it? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Dating Apps

By Emily Beebe and Alberto Briones | February 15, 2024

DATING APPS AREN'T WORTH IT By: Emily Beebe, Senior Opinion Columnist Love is in the air, but it’s certainly not in dating apps. Dating apps are redundant and can lead to problems, not true love. Dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble and Hinge...

An ambulance waits at a red light in front of the NIU Visitor’s Center. EMTs should be compensated well for their life-saving work. (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

EMTs deserve more pay

By Emily Beebe, Assistant News Editor | February 14, 2024

EMTs are best known for working in high-stress environments and saving people’s lives. EMTs should be paid more for the lifesaving work they do. EMTs play a pivotal role in the medical field by providing immediate life-saving medical care, according...