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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

In the age where everything is digital, making students pay for online access to their assignments while they’re already paying for textbooks, tuition and other fees just is too far.

Opinion: Access codes are absurd

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Former Editor in Chief | September 20, 2022

Many digital learning sites force students to purchase access codes in order to do their homework, and it is ridiculous.  In the age where everything is digital, it is no surprise that professors are assigning homework, tests and quizzes online. However,...

Being rejected can be a difficult life event to experience.

That Time I… got rejected

By Quade Evans, Opinion Columnist | September 19, 2022

Rejection is something that most people dread. The fear of rejection has moved some people to great lengths to avoid this unfortunate experience. This was the case for me too. However, as weird as it sounds, getting rejected was probably one of the best...

For asthmatics, having a generic version inhaler can costs families over $1,000 each year.

Prescription drugs necessary for survival should be cheaper

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Former Editor in Chief | September 19, 2022

There are many Americans who depend on life-saving drugs to survive, but are unable to afford them.  Those who rely on prescription drugs like insulin, Epipens and inhalers, cannot afford skipping doses or just not opting to use them.  Manufacturers...

 Angelina Padilla - Tompkins of Washington, IL has been celebrating her Hispanic heritage since a young age.

Fill in the blank: You should celebrate Hispanic Heritage month because…

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Former Editor in Chief | September 18, 2022

What began as a week’s worth of celebrations was declared to be a month-long celebration by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, according to the Government Publishing Office.  Hispanic Heritage month takes place from Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. It is a month...

The Liberty Bell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

That Time I… visited the Eastern Midwest

By Philip Arduini, Opinion Columnist | September 16, 2022

Traveling is an activity that many enjoy but do not have the funds to do very often. For those that do not have the budget to visit any exotic places, I recommend taking a road trip through the Eastern Midwest. When the price of gas was extremely low...

Columnist Derek Bos captured what it looked like at the top of Angels Landing at Zion National Park.

That Time I… took a road trip to Utah

By Derek Bos, Opinion Columnist | September 15, 2022

Our story out west begins as every good road trip story does — in a tightly packed SUV unable to see out the back window. My three public school besties and I, with our freshly shaven faces, set off west from DeKalb to Utah: The Beehive State.  21...

Columnist Quade Evans thinks that men need targeted advice, but wished that voice was more introspective and helped men genuinely be a better version of themselves.

Unpopular opinion: Men’s health content isn’t that great

By Quade Evans, Opinion Columnist | September 15, 2022

Over the last few years there seems to have been a meteoric rise in the popularity of content aimed specifically for men. When I first heard about this, I was 100 percent on-board. However, after being in those spaces for a certain amount of time, I felt...

Students are paying tens of thousands to attend NIU. It’s important to know where your money is going and how it is being used to benefit your college experience.

NIU students deserve to know what their fees pay for

By Yusra Jaleel, Opinion Columnist | September 14, 2022

Northern Illinois University’s affordable tuition is an appealing and recognizable feature of the school. However, when the “general fee” charged to students each semester amounts to 22.27% of the cost of tuition – and is only the beginning of...

Thomas Rhett performs during CMA Fest 2022 on Friday, June 10, 2022, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.

That Time I… went to a country concert

By Angelina Padilla-Tompkins, Former Editor in Chief | September 14, 2022

When you see a crowd of people in boots, worn jeans, t-shirts and Stetson hats, you know you are at a country concert.  I have been to a handful of concerts over the years, some of the bigger names being Keith Urban, Brantley Gilbert, Luke Combs and...

It is important to realize that users can be banned on many social media platforms, but their ideas might not go away.

Opinion: We shouldn’t celebrate Andrew Tate’s banning

By Philip Arduini, Opinion Columnist | September 13, 2022

Forcing Andrew Tate's audience into an echo chamber means they no longer see the critique or rebuttal to these ideas. This can reinforce potentially harmful concepts into young impressionable minds. Andrew Tate is a controversial figure that many are...

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second left, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba talk during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. Blinken on Thursday announced major new military aid worth more than 2 billion dollars for Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia.

Opinion: We need to stop sending military aid to Ukraine

By Philip Arduini, Opinion Columnist | September 13, 2022

The United States needs to stop sending military aid to Ukraine. President Joe Biden announced Aug. 24 that his administration would be sending nearly $3 billion in military aid to Ukraine. As the student loan forgiveness plan and stateside matters...

The MLK Commons on the campus of NIU in DeKalb.

Fill in the blank: My first few weeks of school were…

By Philip Arduini, Opinion Columnist | September 12, 2022

My first few weeks of school were very time consuming; however, as a transfer student looking to have the college experience, that is what I was hoping for. As one would expect for a junior going to NIU, classwork has been the most time consuming aspect...