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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

Anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller (middle), Thursday arrives at The Supreme Court in London, Thursday. The Supreme Court is set to decide whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson broke the law when he suspended Parliament Sept. 9, sending lawmakers home until Oct. 14 — just over two weeks before the U.K. is due to leave the European Union.

A no-deal Brexit would be detrimental to the U.S.

By Anthony Parlogean | September 24, 2019

A no-deal Brexit would be bad for the U.S.If the United Kingdom chooses a no-deal Brexit, then there will be major economic and political implications. Not only will the UK be negatively affected by a no-deal, but the United States will feel the rippling...

Democratic candidate for state representative pushes for bipartisan collaboration

By Dan Doren | September 6, 2019

Paul Stoddard, a DeKalb County Board member running for state representative of the 70th Illinois House district in 2020, had his campaign kick-off event 5:30 p.m. Thursday at 720 Somonauk Street in Sycamore. There, Stoddard gave a speech on his reasons...

Representative Underwood talks gun control, healthcare at town hall

By Kierra Frazier | September 5, 2019

U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood held a town hall for students on Tuesday and discussed how Congress plans to reauthorize the Higher Education Act this fall.The town hall meeting was the first one Underwood held specifically for college students....

Restaurant workers need to be efficiently trained on food allergens to avoid health hazards

Restaurant workers need to be efficiently trained on food allergens to avoid health hazards

By Veronica McCulloh | June 17, 2019

 Plenty of people subscribe to what some may refer to as an “alternative” diet; a diet excluding common ingredients such as wheat, dairy, eggs, meat, tree nuts and countless other items. Maybe a personal preference to some, but for others, lives...

SA elects 51st session speaker of the senate

By Kierra Frazier | March 31, 2019

DeKALB — Legislative Director Ian Pearson was elected Speaker of the Senate for the 51st session of the Student Association with all 14 senators who discussed and debated the position advocating for him.At Sunday night’s meeting, Pearson won with...

Bethany Christensen (middle), sophomore physical education major, plays hockey with Ozzy Loda (right), sophomore medical laboratory sciences major, and another student for Outdoor Adventures.

Outdoor Adventures encourages wellness and experience

By Taher Zeitoun | March 18, 2019

Bethany Christensen (middle), sophomore physical education major, plays hockey with Ozzy Loda (right), sophomore medical laboratory sciences major, and another student for Outdoor Adventures.

History made by number of women sworn into congress

By Lisa Lillianstrom | January 13, 2019

A total of 127 women were sworn into Congress Jan. 3 as a result of the 2018 midterm elections, marking the largest number of women ever elected and proving the future is, in fact, female.Not only is there a large number of women in Congress, there are...

Government officials should reflect the US demographic

By Northern Star Editorial Board | October 17, 2018

With midterm elections approaching and recent polarizing activity in government, the Northern Star Editorial Board implores readers to begin educating themselves on the current composition of those in elected bodies.Midterm election voting is held Nov....

Students should support Violence Against Women Act reauthorization

By Northern Star Editorial Board | September 26, 2018

The Northern Star Editorial Board urges students to contact their legislators immediately to ensure the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, which will expire Sept. 30 without action.VAWA, passed in 1994 by Bill Clinton, aims to support abused women...

FILE - In this Jan. 2018 file photo Jeanne Ives, Illinois Republican Gubernatorial primary candidate speaks to the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board in Chicago. Gov. Bruce Rauner is trying to win a second term after becoming Illinois first Republican governor in a decade with promises to shake up Springfield and pass a business-friendly agenda. But first he faces a primary challenge from state Rep. Jeanne Ives, who jumped into the race after he angered conservatives with his actions on issues such as abortion and illegal immigration. (Rich Hein/Sun Times via AP File)

Illinois officials ignore prejudice

By Editorial Board | March 8, 2018

Elected officials should use their right of free speech when candidates who are attempting to unseat the representatives employ bigotry, hate and fear to win a race.

Republican Rep. Jeanne Ives has a bigoted political advertisement sarcastically “thanking” Gov. Bruce Rauner for his support of birth control, unions, sanctuary cities and for allowing grown men in dresses to use girls’ bathrooms, according to the BenedictRauner.com ad.

Ives mocked the transgender community and inflamed the bathroom debate by mischaracterizing Rauner’s support of House Bill 1785. The ad depicts a man wearing a dress thanking Rauner because he can now use the women’s bathroom. This representation is inflammatory as Ives is insinuating the transgender community is illegitimate and bills that grant them equal rights are just tools for illegitimate members of the trans community to be sexual predators.

House Bill 1785 actually amends the Vital Records Act. The bill requires those who have undergone “gender transition treatment” to have a licensed health care or mental health care professional make a declaration about the individual’s transition before issuing an updated birth certificate with their new gender and name, according to the bill.

When Ives’ decision to run the commercial and its intent were questioned, her spokesperson doubled down and said “she is not pulling the ad because she is not intimidated by Gov. Rauner and what she called his paid party mouthpieces,” according to a Feb. 3 WGN article.

What’s most interesting about Ives’ political ad is Rauner never publicly denounced her bigoted ad; he remained silent on the topic altogether.

While Ives is in her own right to say and think what she wants about the transgender community, her ad is not a true reflection of the bill passed by Rauner.

Elected officials especially Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner ,should be representing all communities, and Ives’ misleading attack against Rauner was also an attack against the very communities Illinois elected officials are supposed to represent.

The only way to combat an individual’s right to spew hate and bigotry is by using the same right to counter their words.

People in power have an obligation as elected officials to use their voice to represent people. By staying silent, they aren’t doing their job.

Pass/Fail: Positive student activism; Community responses to student activism

By Lucas Skye | March 1, 2018

PassPositive student activismNIU student groups are doing an excellent job when it comes to raising awareness about campus issues. One of the most recent examples of this was the Feb. 22 diversity march that was composed of students from the Latino Student...

Occupy Wall Street will fail

By Joe Palmer | September 26, 2012

Occupy Wall Street is dead. Correction: Occupy Wall Street has never lived. For too long, America has been focused on this sad excuse of a protest. Occupy has accomplished nothing beyond ruining the beauty of a few park areas and laying waste to the strong...