8
Monday, March 2, 2015
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: Kelly Bauer Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0105 Managing Editor: Keith Hernandez Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0177 News Editor: Jackie Nevarez Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9643 Digital Editor: Margaret Maka Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9644
815-753-5606 H @NIUNorthernStar H NorthernStar.info/Opinion
Numbers you need to know Falling enrollment and state funding combined with rising tuition and fees puts NIU in a bad place Total fall enrollment 1995: 22,218 1996: 21,609 1997: 22,082 1998: 22,473 1999: 22,843
Perspective Editor: Rachel Scaman Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637
2000: 23,248
Sports Editor: Frank Gogola Sports@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637
2001: 23,783
Scene Editor: Sabreena Saleem Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-5606
2002: 24,948
Photo Editor: Ryan Ocasio Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-1602
2003: 25,260
Other Assistant Scene Editor: Darius Parker 815-753-5606
2004: 24,820
Advertising Manager: Derek Noel Ads@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0108 Circulation Manager: Andrew Parnell 815-753-0707 Adviser: Shelley Hendricks 815-753-4239 Business Adviser: Maria Krull 815-753-0707 Departments Newsroom: 815-753-0105 Advertising: 815-753-0107 Classifieds: 815-753-0707 About us The Northern Star is a limited public forum whose content is determined exclusively by its student editors. Information presented in this newspaper and its website is not controlled by NIU administration, faculty or staff. The Northern Star has a circulation of 10,000 Mondays and Thursdays. It publishes online at NorthernStar.info every day. A single copy of the Northern Star is free. Additional copies are 50 cents. Letters to the editor Letters should not exceed 300 words and may be edited for clarity and brevity. The deadline for a letter is 4 p.m. one day before the desired date of publication. Submissions may be held due to space limitations. Letters written by students should include the author’s year and major. Letters should include a phone number where the author can be reached. Phone numbers will not be published. Letters may be submitted to Editor@NorthernStar.info. Advertisement policy The Northern Star does not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, handicapped or veteran status, or sexual orientation. Nor does the Northern Star knowingly print ads that violate any local, state or federal laws. To place an advertisement, contact the Northern Star advertising team at 815753-0108 or ads@NorthernStar.info. To view advertising rates, go to NorthernStar.info/site/advertise/. Hiring Student employees must carry a minimum of six NIU semester hours and must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. Students of all majors and experience levels are welcome to apply. Apply at www.NorthernStarJobs.info.
Perspective
2005: 25,208
NIU’s funding from state 1995: $88.6 million 1996: $91.5 million 1997: $94.5 million 1998: $97 million 1999: $101.5 million 2000: $105.9 million 2001: $111.3 million 2002: $118.2 million 2003: 110.9 million 2004: $101.8 million 2005: $102.3 million 2006: $103 million 2007: $103.9 million 2008: $105.9 million 2009: $107.4 million 2010: $107.4 million 2011: $100.7 million 2012: $99.6 million 2013: $93.5 million 2014: $93.4 million
NIU’s revenue from tuition and fees 1995: $56.9 million 1996: $58.1 million 1997: $60.4 million
2006: 25,313 2007: 25,254 2008: 24,397 2009: 24,424 2010: 23,850 2011: 22,990 2012: 21,869 2013: 21,138 2014: 20,611
Star staff to ask sources for preferred pronouns and inform readers, the staff Effective immediately, the may at times clarify and define Northern Star will require emterms and pronouns that may be ployees to ask sources for their unfamiliar to the public. preferred pronouns. If a Northern Star journalThe Northern Star recognizes ist fails to ask for the source’s the responsibility journalists have preferred pronoun, editors will to educate and inform the public avoid the use of pronouns and while being fair and accurate in adhere to the use of the source’s the representation of sources. To last name to avoid any assumpenforce this responsibility, all tions of their pronouns. Northern Star journalists will be The Northern Star will reach required to ask anyone they inter- out to the Gender and Sexuality view for their preferred pronoun Resource Center for training or to respect their sources’ identities. information that can be provided Genderqueer and gender non- to the staff to enforce this policy. conforming pronouns — those For any questions or concerns, outside of traditional masculine contact Editor in Chief Kelly and feminine pronouns — will Bauer at 815-753-0105 or Edibe respected. In order to educate tor@NorthernStar.info. Northern Star Editorial Board
1998: $65 million 1999: $68.6 million 2000: $70.9 million 2001: $77.5 million 2002: $61.9 million 2003: $70.9 million 2004: $84.5 million 2005: $92.8 million 2006: $100.6 million 2007: $110.3 million 2008: $116.8 million 2009: $125.8 million 2010: $138.5 million 2011: $144.2 million 2012: $138.5 million 2013: $141.2 million 2014: $149.1 million See what’s a pass and what’s a fail as judged by Perspective Editor Rachel Scaman.
Pass
Fail
NIU assists vets with networking
Insurance fee hike burdens students
Military Student Services’ Bridges to Employment event is a great way to help student-veterans get on their feet after returning from the armed forces. The event is 3-6 p.m. March 18 in Altgeld Hall’s second floor ballroom. A panel of veteran professionals will be there to give veterans guidance about transitioning into the workforce. Networking and interview opportunities will be available. This will help NIU interact with its vets better and help studentveterans prepare for getting a job. Hopefully it will help students feel like NIU cares for their success.
NIU’s health insurance fee might be raised from $744 per semester to $1,052 — as if students weren’t spending enough money. The Board of Trustees Finance, Facilities and Operations Committee will decide if it will approve the recommendation at its March 12 meeting. NIU’s tuition is already the thirdhighest amount among public Illinois universities, and now students will have to pay even more in fees. Although NIU is not choosing to have health insurance fees set high, increasing fees will be a burden on students.