“Technical Difficulties,” a Web series directed by an NIU instructor, was posted Feb. 10 on comedy website Funny or Die.Music instructor Anthony Perrella and several students shot the five-episode series in the fall. The series follows a group of...

The easiest way to insult me is with a generic Secret Santa gift.Apply these tips and become what everyone’s talking about under the watercooler’s mistletoe. Also, I find it highly unethical your work environment has a mistletoe.ResearchI swear to...

Arthur AumannCasseroleThe worst Thanksgiving food is without a doubt casserole.It doesn’t even matter what kind of casserole — broccoli, ham, cheese — because it’s all the same. There’s always that obscure relative who claims he or she has the...

You can’t catch a break from monsters these days.They’re always under beds, hanging out in the closet or crossing your path in kitten form. Protect yourself by applying my advice.Removing the bed frame makes it incredibly difficult for monsters to...

ThursdayWhat: Pumpkin Spice and Everything NiceWhen: 11 a.m.Where: Ellington’s RestaurantCost: $10What: Legend ManeWhen: 9:30 p.m.Where: The House Cafe, 263 E. Lincoln HighwayCost: $7FridayWhat: Steve SmoothWhen: 11 p.m.Where: Rosy’s Roadhouse, 930...

Alumnus Richard Engling fuses experiences with “things just totally invented” in portions of his trilogy, which will be released today.The Afterlife Trilogy covers more than 35 years of writing and includes work from author Fern Chertow, who died...

Unanticipated jokes kept Second City improvisers on their toes and me on the edge of my seat at The Second City 55th Anniversary Tour Friday.The performance, which took place at the Convocation Center and attracted more adults than students, included...

The ghost of Paul McCartney may one day haunt — or maybe it’s already haunting — the Northern Star office.Rumors of McCartney’s death began in 1966 after the Beatles’ bassist was supposedly in a fatal accident and was replaced by a lookalike....

Kevin BarteltThe update to NIU.edu’s Current Student portal provides much more clarity than the prior page.The page’s list layout is easier to read than the boxed-off sections before the change.The best part of the Current Student update is the helpful...

Kevin BarteltI have mixed feelings about the campus construction this summer.I’m excited because the bike paths, a renovated Stevens building and removing Douglas are huge steps in renovating the campus. NIU will look noticeably better in the upcoming...