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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
Ethan Ernst

Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist

All content by Ethan Ernst
A cartoon depicts a bunny holding a piece of paper that is covering its body. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst argues that Project 2025's proposed pornography ban won't work. (Nicholas Rojas | Northern Star)

Project 2025’s pornography ban won’t work

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
March 25, 2025
The word "Work" and a person relaxing sit beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and above the topic of the week. Should breaks be used to catch up on work or to relax? (Emily Beebe | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Use of breaks

By Ethan Ernst and Emily Beebe
March 19, 2025
A cartoon depicts a munchkin cat. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst argues that breeding munchkin cats should be illegal because of the genetic disorder that munchkin cats have. (Kaylee Rutherford | Northern Star)

Breeding munchkin cats is unethical

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
March 18, 2025
A graphic depicts a dog, a cat, a rabbit, a bird and a fish. What type of animal is the best to have as a pet? (Emily Beebe | Northern Star)

Poll: What type of animal is best to have as a pet?

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
March 17, 2025
A graphic depicts books, the word "English," a pencil writing on paper and a graduation cap. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst changed his major from engineering to English and found his passion. (Emily Beebe | Northern Star)

Losing, then finding purpose

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
February 23, 2025
A prison cell and a prisoner sit beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and above the topic of the week. Is the El Salvador prison system necessary? (Emily Beebe | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: El Salvador prison system

By Santiago Montañez Bertoletti and Ethan Ernst
February 20, 2025
A manual toothbrush and an electric toothbrush sit beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and above the topic of the week. Are manual or electric toothbrushes better? (Emily Beebe | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Manual vs. electric toothbrushes

By Lucy Atkinson and Ethan Ernst
February 6, 2025
A graphic depicts a scale, a clock, the words "find balance" and books. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst appreciates the little things, especially when it comes to finding balance between being a busy college student and doing things he enjoys. (Emily Beebe | Northern Star)

The importance of finding time to relax in college

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
January 26, 2025
The Barb City Manor retirement home, formerly known as the Joseph F. Glidden Hospital, sits on a Thursday afternoon. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst believes that raising the retirement age is needed, but also may be difficult. (Ethan Rodriguez | Northern Star)

Change the retirement age with care

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
January 24, 2025
A group of adults play pickleball during the "In the Kitchen" community event which took place Tuesday. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst believes more emphasis should be placed on people living a healthy lifestyle in order to avoid contracting conditions such as cancer or heart disease versus treating these conditions once they occur. (Jesus Aranguren | AP Photo)

Society should advocate more for healthier lifestyles

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
January 16, 2025
The Valles Marineris canyon system runs along the Martian equator. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst believes ambitions to colonize Mars, like Elon Musk’s goals, may be dangerous and far-fetched. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Martian colonists would need more than rockets

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
December 5, 2024
An analog clock in 12-hour time and a digital clock in military time sit beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and the topic of the week. Is telling time in two 12-hour periods or one 24-hour period more inconvenient? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: 12-hour versus 24-hour clocks

By Ethan Ernst and Lalita Rai
December 5, 2024
A protest sign from 2018 reads “Your religion doesn’t trump my rights!” Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst worries Christianity has become too closely intertwined with conservative politics, degrading the true purpose of the religion as well as America’s fundamental values. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Remove religion from politics

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
December 2, 2024
A graphic shows money burning as an arrow, representing the United States' growing national debt, shoots upward. Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst believes that the U.S.'s debt problem is a ticking time bomb with no simple solution. (Jackson Shields | Northern Star)

The national debt has no easy solution

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
November 18, 2024
Nuclear reactors, a solar panel and a wind turbine sit beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and above the topic of the week. Is nuclear or renewable energy more beneficial and realistic? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Nuclear and renewable energies

By Ethan Ernst and Santiago Montañez Bertoletti
November 13, 2024
Tamaya Duplechin, a senior business administration major, responds to a street interviews prompt. What are you grateful for? (Northern Star Graphic)

Street Interviews: What are you grateful for?

By Jackson Shields and Ethan Ernst
November 12, 2024
Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst’s Neptune West residence hall window is firmly shut on a chilly autumn day. Ernst encourages all students in residence halls to remain cognizant of the impact seemingly small decisions can have, like leaving dorm windows open during cold weather. (Ethan Ernst | Northern Star)

Don’t leave residence hall windows unattended

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
November 11, 2024
Shopping bags, a ghost holding a trick-or-treat bag, and craft supplies sit beneath the words “Look Both Ways” and above the topic of the week. Is it better to wear store-bought or homemade Halloween costumes to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Store-bought versus homemade Halloween costumes

By Ethan Ernst and Lalita Rai
October 28, 2024
Five segments display different planets and symbols associated with them, all surrounding a tiny astronaut reading a book. If you had to take a remote class in outer space, which planet would you choose to study on? (Lucy Atkinson | Northern Star)

Poll: Remote learning in space

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
October 23, 2024
A card reader system keeps a dorm room door locked, while posters explain how students can use their OneCards to access their dorms. Residential halls have various methods of security, but Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst encourages students to remember the individual choice to not let strangers into halls should serve as another layer of security. (Marco Alvarez | Northern Star)

Don’t let in people who knock on dorms

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
October 20, 2024
Crash and Eddie, two orange and white tabby cats that live with Opinion Columnist Ethan Ernst's family, sit together near a doorway. Ernst credits Crash and Eddie with teaching him empathy toward other living creatures. (Ethan Ernst | Northern Star)

Learning to care about cats

By Ethan Ernst, Opinion Columnist
October 17, 2024
A couple of autumnal leaves and a branch carrying a bird sit beneath the words "Look Both Ways" and above the topic of the week. Is spring or fall semester best? (Jackson Shields | Northern Star)

Look Both Ways: Spring versus fall semester

By Ethan Ernst and Sofia Didenko
October 16, 2024
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