DeKALB — The Northern Star Alumni Association has announced the establishment of a $50,000 endowment to fund staffers' salaries. The endowment is named after NIU alum and longtime Chicago journalist Phil Kadner. The Northern Star/Phil Kadner Endowment...

Now that marijuana is legal in Illinois, there is a concern regarding employment. How will business’ drug-testing policies affect employees who use marijuana? Because marijuana is now legal, using it should be the same as going home and drinking a beer....

Governor J.B. Pritzker signed bipartisan legislation providing increased state surveillance over Illinois firearm retailers and combating illegal gun trafficking on Jan. 17. For Illinois residents, the bill represents the first step in a string of much...

Enrollment at state universities in Illinois has been showing a downward trend, including NIU, and officials from universities across the state are looking for reasons and solutions.NIU’s ten-day enrollment numbers were released Sept. 12 and with them...

“Manspreading” and improper commuter etiquette has not gone unnoticed by some Huskie Bus riders.Manspreading refers to when people spread their legs and put their belongings on vacant bus seats. This results in a lack of seats on crowded buses.Though...

DeKalb needs to switch to eco-friendly alternatives to salt for melting icy roads.Salt has proven to be effective at combating icy roads, but DeKalb should consider using alternatives like soy products, molasses and urea. Not only are these products more...

Pass: SA holds courses on sexual preventionThe Student Association sponsored a series of Rape Aggression Defense training sessions, an informative seminar on teaching women self-defense techniques, which end today.These sessions were a great addition...

Your vote has little sway in some Illinois elections because district lines are drawn with a political bias.Under law, the Illinois General Assembly is responsible for the redistricting process after each federal decennial census. I think it’s time...

Pass: First 5,000 gun licenses sent outThe first 5,000 licenses from more than 50,000 Illinois applicants for concealed carry were approved and mailed on Friday, according to the Chicago Tribune.This marks a long-anticipated moment following a December...

Pass: 'Paperless classrooms' set for school districtDeKalb School District 428 is planning to have electronic devices available to every student by 2016, according to the Daily Chronicle.Students in elementary school will likely use iPads, while high...

Pass: Chicago police increase foot patrols in dangerous areasIt’s no secret Chicago isn’t exactly what you’d consider safe.According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Police Department has increased foot patrols in 20 of the most dangerous areas...

The Northern Star Editorial Board doesn’t think Eddie Williams, executive vice president and chief of operations for Finance and Facilities, is doing his job. Since the summer, the Finance and Facilities division at NIU has been through controversies...