Hello my name is Jalen Smith, also known as Visionary J. Being a Black person is something I wouldn't trade for the world. We have a very unique experience in this life, and a history of so many triumphs. We experience racism, systemic oppression and...

Thursday marked the first of two administrative closure days, but the “break” did not do what the university intended it to do.  The administrative closures were decided at an Oct. 7 University Council meeting.  These dates were Thursday and...

As the winter keeps dragging on, I grow more excited for spring. The most recent two months have been an especially gruelling winter so here are a few things I look forward to every spring. The Warm Weather: I am a very skinny person so, in the name...

As COVID-19 vaccines roll out in Phase 1B in Illinois, college students wait eagerly for their distribution in Phase 2 to go back to social events and a proper classroom setting. However, speculation continues to interject, and vaccines remain optional,...

It is wild how small you can feel when in the woods. Take away the sounds and structures of humanity and you are reminded just how vulnerable you are without any of the comforts of civilization. During the winter months, camping dies down around the country,...

Classes are in session, but how prepared are students to conquer them? With 2021 presenting similar challenges when it comes to remote learning, here is a list of tips and methods to help students stay on track with coursework, minimize procrastination...

In June 2020, the Northern Star Editorial Board wrote an editorial about how we planned to amplify Black voices in the wake of the homicide of George Floyd. Since then, we have not lived up to that commitment, and as the Northern Star Editorial Board,...

Everyone has their happy place, whether it be a specific location or a state of mind. For me, that place is New Orleans. Half of it has to do with my heritage, and the other half is the escapades one can partake in here. My father was born and raised...

Everyday people across the country trust in their local weather reporters to tell them the forecast for the coming days, and a giant rodent is definitely the last choice for this place of authority. Each year on Feb. 2, people all over the country...

When I first arrived at the Northern Star newsroom during my first year at NIU, I was one of the only Black students in the office. Today, I still am, but now as the only person of color serving as an editor at the organization. I had thought about...

It is a well-known fact that fries are the best side of all time. In most restaurants, it is the go-to side for burgers, and there is a good reason for that. Crispy and salty — they are the perfect complement to most meals. A little-known fact, though,...

President Joseph Biden set the tone for this administration in taking various actions as soon as his first day in office.  His activity includes reuniting with the World Health Organization, or WHO, re-signing the Paris Climate Agreement and his continuous...