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Thursday, August 27, 2015
Northern Star
815-753-5606 H @NIUNorthernStar H NorthernStar.info/Opinion
Perspective
NIU needs different Welcome Back Days events
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 Digital Editor: Margaret Maka Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9644 Perspective Editor: Rachel Scaman Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637 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 Other 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.
Faith Mellenthin | Northern Star
MAP Grant credit good move for NIU Northern Star Editorial board
NIU did the right thing when it credited MAP grant recipients in the midst of a state-wide budget impasse, an action Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner needs to take note of. With no budget in sight, more than 5,000 NIU students are on the line between a state Senate intent on funding MAP with a bill, SB 2043, that will Letters to the editor grant the program $373 milLetters should not exceed 300 words and lion and a governor who has may be edited for clarity and brevity. The pledged to veto that bill, which deadline for a letter is 4 p.m. one day awaits a House vote. before the desired date of publication. Submissions may be held due to space “Unfortunately, nothing has limitations. changed since the Senate’s considLetters written by students should include eration of HB 4146,” said Richard the author’s year and major. Letters should include a phone number where the Goldberg, Deputy Chief of Staff author can be reached. Phone numbers for Legislative Affairs, about a will not be published. Letters may be bill that proposed appropriations submitted to Editor@NorthernStar.info. for MAP earlier in the year, according to a prepared statement. Advertisement policy The Northern Star does not knowingly ac- “Therefore, absent proposals from cept advertisements that discriminate on the majority to reduce spending the basis of sex, race, creed, handicapped and balance the budget, SB 2043 or veteran status, or sexual orientation. would simply pave the way for Nor does the Northern Star knowingly print ads that violate any local, state or more debt or higher taxes.” federal laws. The state may be broke, but To place an advertisement, contact the things will get a lot worse if we Northern Star advertising team at 815turn our college students — who 753-0108 or ads@NorthernStar.info. To view advertising rates, go to will one day turn into a skilled NorthernStar.info/site/advertise/. work force — away because they can’t afford tuition. If we lose engiHiring Student employees must carry a minimum neering students now, we lose realof six NIU semester hours and must have life engineers down the road, and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. likewise for all academic fields. Students of all majors and experience The General Assembly has a levels are welcome to apply. chance to override the governor’s Apply at www.NorthernStarJobs.info or stop by our office. potential veto, but only with a
three-fifths vote in both houses. That takes time. Students have a lot of things in abundance, such as motivation and energy, but they do not have time — neither does NIU. Students have not been guaranteed they will be credited MAP funds in the spring if a budget isn’t decided by then; however, NIU President Doug Baker said he doesn’t anticipate the impasse to take that long. “We know how critically important that is to so many of our students, so that is why we and the other universities have said we’re going to step up and make sure the students are going to be covered for this fall,” he said. Be that as it may, it is bewildering the state has gone almost two months without a budget, so expectations are out of the window. Students don’t need expectations; they need action. That is why Rauner needs to pass this bill if it reaches his desk. Make some noise Students and all other NIU stakeholders are affected by the fate of MAP. If 5,000 students can’t afford class, then that means there will be no need for a lot of faculty and staff. Don’t let that happen. Get up and make some noise. Call or write your local representatives and the governor’s office. Let them know how this will affect you and everyone else’s livelihood at NIU.
See what’s a pass and what’s a fail as judged by Perspective Editor Rachel Scaman.
Pass
Fail
If any students have noticed the messages written in chalk on the sidewalks around campus, they should pay attention to them. The beginning of the school year is always my favorite time of year. There’s a ton of oncampus events, free food and of course, the cheap advertisements that let students know there are clubs and groups they can be a part of. Not only are the messages funny — sometimes — but they are a great way to get people’s attention. Freshmen don’t always know what things they can get involved in on campus, and what better way to catch their eyes than putting it right under their noses. Plus, it gives campus some color and decoration. It feels like I’m a kid again when I see chalk drawings on every sidewalk. Oh, what a time to be alive. Freshmen, pay attention to those messages. They might be the key to making your college experience fun and unforgettable.
Parking spaces can now be purchased at the McDonald’s, 545 E. Lincoln Highway, which is an indication that NIU’s parking situation has gotten out of hand. It’s a bummer that I will now have fewer parking spot options when I drop by for my daily McDonald’s Diet Coke. It’s an even bigger bummer to spend $200 for a McDonald’s parking space for the semester — $350 if I plan to park there for the whole year. If students are being forced to buy $200 parking spaces from the home of the Big Mac, then NIU’s parking is worse than I thought. Furthermore, if the home of the Big Mac needs to charge someone $200 for a parking spot, there’s a big picture problem we’re all missing. I urge students to think twice before spending money on a reserved McDonald’s parking space when they could spend a lot less at parking services. Sure, parking on campus is never guaranteed, but neither is parking at McDonald’s, and that is not worth $200, no matter how much I’m lovin’ it.
Messages around McDonald’s offers campus bring joy semester parking
The Northern Star will have an open house today from 1 p.m to 5 p.m. in the Campus Life Building, Room 100.