Just about everybody likes a good practical joke. Unfortunately these jokes have a bad reputation because they hurt people. A joke at an Interstate-57 overpass killed a 57-year-old construction worker who lived in Chicago. According to a story in The...

The recent decision by U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz to bar PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat from entry into the United States can best be summed up by two quotes. The Swedish government, in an appeal to Washington to rethink the American position,...

If the recommendation to retain university control of the Holmes Student Center Bookstore is an indicator, then NIU might have a chance to start turning its reputation and the bookstore around. William Herrmann, Bond Revenue Operations director, had something...

The Board of Regents that governs NIU is sure to be asked about the firing of CHANCE counselor Martha Palmer during its meetings at NIU today and Thursday. Hopefully, the questions will not fall on deaf ears. When protesters interrupted a meeting in September,...

Well now here's an interesting little tid bit... A professor was forced to resign because he was found guilty of plagiarism. That's not setting a very good example for students all over the U.S., now is it? What's even worse is that the 67-year-old professor...

Students who are interested in learning more about Tae Kwon Do can attend a demonstration on Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. in Anderson Gym. Jim Shipley, vice president of NIU's Tae Kwon Do Club, said, "(The demonstration's) basically to enlighten people about it (Tae...

Experiencing a few extra "minor" problems with your vehicle lately? For example, does Ole Beater start only on calendar days that are prime numbers? Are you starting to keep track of miles per quart rather than miles per gallon? Do friends suggest you...

Let me go on record as saying the John Lennon Society is an asset to the NIU campus as a WHOLE. The JLS led the total campus population when racism appeared in the form of a blatant flyer on campus. The JLS has demonstrated that they have done research...

Hey, is CHANCE counselor Martha Palmer in jail? I'm not sure, but there is a group of students who call themselves the "Students for the Freedom of Martha Palmer." What is she behind bars or in chains or something. I don't get it...the "freedom" of Palmer?...

I really don't think the installment of a kiosk in the commons will "deter students from taping fliers to the ground and writing on the ground with chalk." I doubt these activities take place because of a need for a recognized "information center." Aren't...

The situation concerning the termination of Martha Palmer is terrible. Ms. Palmer's attributes to the NIU community are great. Her dedication to the students is outstanding. She is a very caring person who goes out of her way to help not just students...

As an avid reader of The Northern Star, I was very disappointed to see the bad timing on their part with the way the paper handled the Homecoming King and Queen story. A major racial barrier was broken when Willie Fowler and Marthony Longo, both black...