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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
Ally Formeller

Ally Formeller, Former News Reporter

All content by Ally Formeller
Huskie Line bus sits outside of Holmes Student Center. Busses no longer require masks.

Students react to masks no longer being required on busses

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
May 7, 2022
Transfer student reflects on two years at the Star

Transfer student reflects on two years at the Star

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
May 5, 2022
8 alderpeople at DeKalb City Council meeting on Monday.

City Council approves Lincoln Highway lane reduction

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 26, 2022
NIU bus driver waits at the bus stop on University Circle. NIU public transit, which includes the Huskie Line busses will no longer require masks.

DeKalb public transit drops mask mandate

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 24, 2022
Michael Thomas is sworn-in as Fire Chief before the DeKalb City Council on April 11.

New DeKalb Fire Chief aims to make department more efficient

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 24, 2022
Whether the options are there or not, when faced with the average time and money constraints of an average student, sustainable living is not affordable.

Going green as a college student is not affordable

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 17, 2022
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the Parental Rights in Education bill at Classical Preparatory school Monday, March 28, 2022 in Shady Hills, Fla. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is a step back for LGBTQ+ rights

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 8, 2022
Current Dean of Health and Human Sciences Lynda Ransdell will be stepping down effective June 30.

Dean of College of Health and Human Sciences steps down

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 7, 2022
President Lisa Freeman discusses potential program offered by Braven in collaboration with NIU at the Thursday Board of Trustees meeting. (Zohair Khan | Northern Star)

Braven Inc. prepares underserved students for job market

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 7, 2022
(left to right) graduate student Eric Cnus and Sareh Nerwell, first-year psychology major work in the Anderson Hall Communiversity Gardens, 520 Garden Rd. The gardens are open for volunteers every Wednesday.

Communiversity Gardens invites volunteers to learn about food production

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 7, 2022
The East Lagoon on Northern Illinois University's campus is a beautiful spot for students to enjoy the outdoors.

Appreciate natural resources on campus

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
April 6, 2022
A photo of the Altgeld Hall building.

NIU ranks on best value college list, DeKalb ranks as a top college town

By Ally Formeller, News Reporter
April 5, 2022
A woman does a handstand while her friend takes a picture for social media.

Social media enables gym culture’s toxicity

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 31, 2022
Kaylin Lee, sophomore music education major, is running for vice president of SGA. Lee hopes to break the stigma around mental health.

SGA vice president candidate hopes to be a voice for students

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 26, 2022
A difference of $

Rising gas prices cause concern for students

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 24, 2022
Bicycles line up at a rack outside the NIU Rec Center.

Bike lanes are a vital part of society

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 20, 2022
Lincoln Hall sits in front of New Hall and will be torn down to be turned into a Health Informatics Technology Center.

Health Center to replace Lincoln Hall

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 10, 2022
Navigating a male-dominated field can be challenging

Navigating a male-dominated field can be challenging

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 10, 2022
Listening to music while doing schoolwork is very common among college students.

Unpopular opinion: Listening to music while studying is too distracting

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 8, 2022
Counseling and Consultation Services is located in Campus Life 200.

NIU budgets to hire more mental health counselors

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 8, 2022
AP FILE - United States' Megan Rapinoe, left, and her teammate Alex Morgan, right, react after winning the Women's World Cup final soccer match between the United States and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. U.S. women soccer players reached a landmark agreement with the sport’s American governing body to end a six-year legal battle over equal pay, a deal in which they are promised $24 million plus bonuses that match those of the men.

US Women’s Soccer lawsuit is too late to the game

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
March 4, 2022
Columnist Angelina Padilla-Tompkins believes NIU can do more for their transfer students.

Upcoming enrollment plan focuses on issues relating to students

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 28, 2022
Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity promoting their organization at the Feb. 2 involvement fair to attract new members.

COVID-19 stress causes decrease in student engagement

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 28, 2022
Many students find themselves wandering on NIU's catalog to see what other majors are out there.

Questioning your major is normal in college

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 27, 2022
American rapper Kanye West and socialite Kim Kardashian pose together at the red carpet of the Met Gala in 2019.

Kanye West’s behavior is dangerous

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 24, 2022
Companies often limit the amount of products they have to accommodate different types of hair.

Hair care needs more diversity

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 17, 2022
Having more diverse restaurants in the area can also allow students to find food that suits their dietary needs.

OPINION: DeKalb needs more cuisine options

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 15, 2022
The Olympics are not just a competition to win the gold, but a celebration of all of the talented athletes.

Olympics are an important symbol of diversity and unity

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 10, 2022
The list of the contents placed in the Huskies Care and Serve Blessing Bags. CAB will host these events every first and third Tuesday of the month.

Huskies Care and Serve program gives back to community

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 9, 2022
Valentine's Day is not only for romance

Valentine’s Day is not only for romance

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 7, 2022
NIU President Lisa Freeman spoke on the universities strategies to adress “equity gaps,” educational strategies and obstacles caused by COVID-19 during her State of the University speech in November.

Explaining Freeman’s long-term goals for university

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 6, 2022
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas at a Holi Party in 2020 in Mumbai. They announced on their Instagram pages on 21 January 2022 that they had welcomed their first baby, born via surrogacy.

Surrogacy is a necessary option for couples

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 6, 2022
A performance by Neil Young on October 8, 2016 from the music festival Desert Trip, held at the Empire Polo Club.

OPINION: Neil Young is justified in removing his music from Spotify

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
February 3, 2022
A student's laptop displays the opening screen for Blackboard, NIU's primary website for classes. Blackboard is still vital to classes no matter the method of instruction.

Fill in the blank: Best format of classes

By Summer Fitzgerald, Ally Formeller, and Angelina Padilla-Tompkins
January 30, 2022
NIU students and DeKalb residents are able to utilize fitness equipment at the Rec Center and other fitness centers on campus.

Gym memberships aren’t worth it

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
January 26, 2022
Rapper Kanye West met with then President Donald Trump at the Oval Office in October 2018. His open support stirred up a lot of controversy among his fans.

Art cannot be separated from the artist

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
January 20, 2022
Opinion Editor, Summer Fitzgerald, is stressed out looking at her computer screen.

COVID-19 impacts students’ mental and physical health

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
January 19, 2022
A calendar.

Trimesters may be better for students

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
December 11, 2021
Cold showers aren't the best, but they aren't terrible either.

Cold showers are okay (sometimes)

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 29, 2021
A laptop displays a Cyber Monday webpage. Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving. (Brionna Belcher | Northern Star)

Cyber Monday is better than Black Friday

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 21, 2021
The Netflix home page shows a list of trending shows on a laptop screen.

What I’m watching this weekend: Ally Formeller

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 19, 2021
Graphic of a shadow of a man silencing a distraught woman by shushing her.

Stop invalidating women’s issues

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 19, 2021
Cancel culture has become a cycle of celebrities receiving vicious attacks online after fans or other netizens disagree with them, even if that celebrity has realized their mistakes and tried to change.

Cancel culture has gone too far

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 18, 2021
November is National Native American Heritage Month.

Importance of listening to Indigenous people

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 15, 2021
Columnist Ally Formeller enjoys the holiday season, but dislikes the constant loop of Christmas music that starts every November.

Unpopular Opinion: I don’t like Christmas music

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 12, 2021
Eating out is expensive and can lead to unhealthy eating habits. Cooking is a skill that everyone should learn.

Cooking is a skill everyone should have

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 8, 2021
Columnist Ally Formeller describes her isolating first year at NIU as a transfer student.

Firsthand account: Transferring schools during a pandemic

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
November 5, 2021
Columnist Ally Formeller writes that Halloween doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, watching cute and festive Halloween movies is a better way to celebrate than watching scary movies.

Unpopular opinion: Cute Halloween movies are better than scary movies

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 29, 2021
An overwhelmed person looking at a laptop.

Work-life balance as a student seems near impossible

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 27, 2021
Columnist Ally Formeller lists her favorite books to read during fall.

Top 5 books to read this fall

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 22, 2021
Burnt popcorn.

Unpopular opinion: Burnt popcorn is good

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 18, 2021
A person holding a smart phone.

Facebook continues to value profit over people

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 15, 2021
Columnist Ally Formeller expresses how failing a test does not mark the end of the world.

That time I… failed a test

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 15, 2021
A bicycle leaning against a wall in Brittany, France.

That Time I… visited the French countryside

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 8, 2021
House Bill 641 is a step in the right direction

House Bill 641 is a step in the right direction

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 8, 2021
Dorm life during COVID-19 was not worth it

Dorm life during COVID-19 was not worth it

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 5, 2021
Two people pretend to kiss through their smartphones.

Unpopular Opinion: LDRs can be fulfilling

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
October 1, 2021
Chicago-style deep dish pizza in a cast Iron skillets.

Deep dish pizza slaps

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
September 30, 2021
A dog sitting on a couch it has destroyed, to the dismay of its owner.

Unpopular Opinion: Pets are overrated

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
September 24, 2021
Weekly events

Students need mental health days

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
September 20, 2021
NIU Northern Star Columnist Ally Formeller reflects on her running journey.

That time I… made running a daily habit

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
September 19, 2021
Columnist Ally Formeller believes candy corn is the perfect seasonal treat for the fall.

Unpopular opinion: Candy corn tastes good

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
September 10, 2021
Opened laptop with blank screen display on the floor in a dark room.

Laptop notes keep students from learning

By Ally Formeller, Columnist
September 10, 2021
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