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Monday, November 30, 2015
815-753-5606 H @NIUNorthernStar H NorthernStar.info/Opinion
Students should take advantage of Food for Fines event
Perspective
Legislators, Rauner must compromise
maintain the Stevens Building — a state project — over the winter to The most important word that avoid $1 million worth of damage. should be on the minds of legislaWhile NIU MAP grants usutors and Gov. Bruce Rauner when they meet Tuesday is compromise. ally go six to eight weeks without funding — more than 10 weeks last Their passive-aggressive, fivespring — the “float” period is much month silence over a workable longer this semester, said Rebecca state budget has cost NIU nearly Babel, director of Student Financial $10 million, a bill the university expects the state to pay in full. Pil- Aid. More than $9.5 million in ing on to the issue is NIU’s recently MAP grants were credited to NIU lowered credit rating because of its students for the fall semester. “There is some uncertainty reliance on funding from a state about the final amount that will that can’t pay its bills. Lawmakers and Rauner will meet be approved and paid,” Babel said in an email. Tuesday in Springfield in what will College students, while privibe their first talk in months about a leged in many ways, are people in $5 billion budget hole Rauner said need. Because of the time spent in needs to be balanced. class and studying, we need money “I hate that we’re not getting to make up for the time we’re not scholarships for kids who need working, among other reasons. support,” Rauner said during a Most of all, we need an answer to visit to NIU on Oct. 29. “It’s drivthis impasse because it is our most ing me nuts.” More than 5,000 NIU Monetary immediate and seemingly immovable obstacle to a better life. Rauner Assistance Program grant recipisaid he’s “cautiously optimistic” ents are at risk of having to repay about having a budget by January; MAP grants that were credited by however, some of us can’t afford to NIU despite no money coming wait that long. in from the state, and the univerGet this done now. sity plans to spend $300,000 to
Northern Star Editorial Board
Faith Mellenthin | Northern Star
Fall break not neccesary Faith Mellenthin Columnist
Some students wish Thanksgiving break were longer, but NIU has many solid reasons why more days off in the fall have not been added and should not be added to its academic calendar. Establishing a fall break would create many problems, even though I have heard various conversations from students and staff who think otherwise. Nora Kobayashi, sophomore nursing major and transfer student, previously attended Loyola University in Chicago, which implements a fall break. Kobayashi said students used the break to prepare for exams. I don’t doubt that extra time off is a big stress reliever to students who need to take time to relax or finish projects, but I feel we are already given an appropriate amount of time off without isolating the last two weeks of the semester. Financially, adding a fall break could be more expensive because days off would have to be made up by starting the semester earlier or extending it
Northern Star Campus Life Building, Room 130 545 Lucinda Ave. DeKalb, Ill., 60115 Web: www.NorthernStar.info Fax: 815-753-0708 Editorial Board Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board; columns reflect the opinion of the author alone. Editor in Chief & Publisher: Keith Hernandez Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0105 Managing Editor: Sabreena Saleem Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0177 News Editor: Jackie Nevarez Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9643
longer. Staff would need to stay and be paid an extra week or so if residence halls and dining halls were to remain open for those make-up days. In regard to working off campus, “Students would have shortened employment opportunities because of an early return to campus or they would lose employment opportunities during the holiday period,” according to a 2002 University Council report.
extra stress for those struggling to complete them. All of these points were brought up when this topic was presented in 2002 to University Council, which essentially closed the case regarding fall break; however, University Council did decide to take away classes on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which gave students a longer weekend.
There is no need for fall break Since the topic of fall break There is no time for fall break poses more problems than benefits, I do not think it should Placing more days off would be considered in the near future. diminish an already stressful Students are generally content semester by giving students with Thanksgiving break as it less time to complete the same allows just enough time to catch amount of work. NIU already up without becoming lazy right has the shortest number of school days of any Illinois public before exams. “We have not received any institution, said Greg Long, direct push from the students,” Faculty Senate president and Long said in regard to impleexecutive secretary of the University Council. The fall semester menting a fall break. No classes may always seem is already shorter than spring like a good thing at this stressful semester; we should be looking into ways to add a few more days time, but that hasn’t factually been the case. It doesn’t seem instead of taking them away. necessary to deal with issues There are many majors that require a certain number of pro- that would come along with a fall break since there’s little gram hours before finals week. Nursing and education students, demand for it. If students and faculty really do among others, spend much think having fall break would be a of their time on accreditation hours. While a fall break may be beneficial change, they should be nice, having one toward the due prepared to voice their solutions to the problems it creates. date of these hours may cause Digital Editor: Margaret Maka Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9644 Sports Editor: Chris Loggins Sports@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637 Scene Editor: Darius Parker Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-5606 Photo Editor: Hayley Montalvo Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-1602 Assistant News Editor: Alex Chettiath Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9643 Assistant Perspective Editor: Angela Pagan Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0177
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See what’s a pass and what’s a fail as judged by Assistant Perspective Editor Angela Pagan.
Pass
Library waives late fees for donations
The Founders Memorial Library is running a new and beautiful can drive with a twist. Food for Fines runs now until Dec. 18. Students who have outstanding library fines can lower or even eliminate their balance by donating canned goods. Each canned good is worth $1 toward fees, and students can earn up to $20 off their fees. I think this is a great idea and a clever way to get students to donate. Many organizations hold canned food drives during the holiday season, but sometimes it is hard to get people to donate. What the library is doing is both beneficial to students and those in need. Everybody wins thanks to this creative idea.
Fail
Rate of homeless NIU students rises
The rise in homelessness among students this year is an unfortunate reality. More NIU students have been identified as homeless this year than in any years prior, according to a Nov. 23 Northern Star article. While there are many resources to help students with the difficult situations that lead them to become homeless, it is still disappointing that this number is rising. It is another example of how higher education is much too expensive in the United States. Many people joke about the low-budget things college kids do on a daily basis, but there is truth in that. The average college student today is usually struggling to get by and leaves college with both a diploma and a massive amount of debt. If a rise in homelessness does not scream for more affordable education I don’t know what does.
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