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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

General education classes are pointless

General education classes are pointless

By Cody Laplante | February 20, 2013

COMS 100, ENGL 103, MATH 109: the dreaded courses first assigned to every freshman entering the gates of NIU. I think it is safe to assume there is not a single person on this campus that has not once thought something along the lines of, “Why do I...

Choose a major you are passionate about

Choose a major you are passionate about

By Annastazia Camerena | February 18, 2013

Once you have entered your college career the million dollar question remains “What’s your major?” It’s the infamous icebreaker that you get asked from family, fellow students and faculty throughout your college years. Personally, I was sick of...

Attendance shouldn’t affect grades

By Anthony Szudarski | February 4, 2013

As a student, every now and then I’ve realized that there will be days where I simply cannot go to class and days where my bed is just too comfortable to leave. My question is this: Should my grade for a class I’m paying to take be affected by this...

The dangers of too much technology in education

The dangers of too much technology in education

By Cody Laplante | January 15, 2013

It’s everywhere! There is an insane push for technology, including increased use of smartphones, tablets, mini tablets, ultra-super-uber-duper mini tablets and whatever other devices hit the market. Yes, we are in a world where fast, small and virtual...

Post-graduation paths aren’t always clear

By Dan Martynowicz | November 20, 2011

Graduate school or real world, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of further education, or to take arms against a decimated economy. I would continue parodying Billy, but he's boring and this is detracting...

Is Joe Walsh what America needs?

By Parker Happ | November 9, 2011

Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh (R-8) spoke at NIU College Republicans' meet and greet event yesterday night, Northern Star columnist Parker Happ spoke with Walsh on his views about education, the Republican Party, and curbing student apathy towards politics....

Students need to respect their professors

September 26, 2011

Even though we are all adults, faculty members rank above students. Therefore, we should give them more respect for doing their jobs. Unfortunately, many students seem to think that they own the classroom, and it's their right to play by their own rules....

Aaron: How to get Americans back to work

By Aaron Brooks | September 7, 2011

Cut: DefenseTo get Americans back to work we need a strong economy, and one of the most corrosive elements to a strong economy is war. War has evolved. Nations no longer face an opposing military in an open battlefield for an extended period of time;...

Parker: How to get Americans back to work

By Parker Happ | September 7, 2011

Cut: ObamacarePresident Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act looks hardly affordable. The Congressional Budget Office reported that the first ten years Obamacare existed would cost $940 billion or almost $1 trillion to tax payers. Don't forget about the...

Even if attendance isn't mandatory, it's still important

Even if attendance isn’t mandatory, it’s still important

By Phil Case | April 19, 2011

At some point during our time in college, I'm sure we have all noticed that attendance in large lecture halls tends to be rather sparse. Whether students are nursing themselves through another hangover, avoiding the walk through unbearable DeKalb weather...

Professors should not push their agendas in class

Professors should not push their agendas in class

By Jack Baker | April 18, 2011

Teachers are, and should be, entitled to their opinions, but they should keep them out of the classroom. Their responsibility to educate is more important than their political viewpoints. When teachers bring their biases into the classroom, it can bother...

General education courses are not a waste of time

By Letter writer | April 17, 2011

As a person who works in advising and is a student balancing a major and a minor, I have heard both sides of the argument concerning general education requirements. While many students roll their eyes, I have seen numerous benefits from having the requirement,...