8
Thursday, March 24, 2016
815-753-5606 H @NIUNorthernStar H NorthernStar.info/Opinion
Students should get to advising early to avoid waiting
Perspective
See what’s a pass and what’s a fail as judged by columnist Kaylyn Zielinski.
Pass
New road repair price saves money
Faith Mellenthin | Northern Star
Point/Counterpoint: Social media in politics Social media has become an important aspect of any political campaign. Voting for the Student Association elections begins 9 a.m. Tuesday and ends 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Social media spreads Voters must do more political knowledge than like and share Kara Mercer Columnist
Social media sometimes gets a bad reputation, but can be good for getting information on the main points of a political candidate’s campaign. Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat have become a popular way for political figures to spread their messages and gain a following. People are all over social media, especially college students. During the U.S. primaries, users are able to follow presidential candidates on their Snapchat stories.
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: Jackie Nevarez Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0105 Managing Editor: Rachel Scaman Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0177 News Editor: Alexander Chettiath Editor@NorthernStar.info
Social media allows people in political positions to reach a broader audience. NIU’s own student government uses social media as well. The Student Association at NIU has a Twitter account with 979 followers and a Facebook page with 1,625 likes as of Wednesday. Whenever the SA posts something on their Twitter or Facebook page, they reach their followers in a way they could not do by just hanging fliers around campus. While decisions about a candidate should be based on more than just posts and shares, social media is still a good place to start to learn about a candidate for an election. Social media is a good way for students to stay up to date on campaign while using something they are typically on anyway.
Kaylyn Zielinski Columnist
Social media is affecting political campaigns in different ways, but not for the better. Social media has become a widely used tool in terms of political influence, not just for the typical user but also the politicians themselves. While social media can be a great outlet for politicians, voters should get more information on the candidates from other sources like live debates. Thirty-nine percent of American adults use social media and
815-753-9643
815-753-5606
Assistant News Editor: Leah Nicolini Editor@NorthernStar.info
Photo Editor: Nick Bosshart Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-1602
Digital Editor: Margaret Maka, Jessica Plessner Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9644 Perspective Editor: Angela L. Pagan Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637 Sports Editor: Chris Loggins Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637 Assistant Sports Editor: Thomas Hiley Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9637 Scene Editor: Darius Parker Editor@NorthernStar.info
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 About us The Northern Star is a limited public forum whose content is determined exclusively by its student editors. Information presented
of those, 66 percent have engaged in a civic or political activity on social media, according to the Pew Research Center. Publicity, regardless of good or bad, can influence voters. Those who use social media to engage with politics need to remember that sharing a post or ‘liking’ one does not ensure their favorite candidate will win. Some of the candidates running for Student Association positions have turned to Facebook to encourage students to vote for them. Students trying to figure out who to vote for should attend debates like the one being held today in the Holmes Student Center, Heritage Room, instead of trying to pick the best candidate based on their Facebook pages. 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
The Lucinda Avenue repair cost has been lowered from $550,000 to $440,000, which is great news because the money being used could go towards more important repairs needed around campus. The misalignment costs will be paid for partly by a grant from the Federal Highway Administration and the remaining costs will be covered by a 2010 series bond fund, according to a Northern Star article Monday. The fact the misalignment even happened was already a fail in terms of planning, but now that NIU has figured out a way to lower the cost, the situation does not seem so bad. Before the lowered cost the university would have had to use more money outside of the grant. Now, the university will spend less of its own money.
Fail
Towers Magazine needs NIU support NIU’s annual Towers Magazine is having funding issues and is looking for donations through a GoFundMe campaign. The NIU community should donate as much as it can to help keep this creative publication going. The magazine is one of the few magazines published annually by the university, and the only one that lets students publish their artworks and their writings. Students and members of the DeKalb community should donate to the GoFundMe to help the magazine and the students who submit their work. This magazine is a great way for students who work hard on their artwork or writings to get recognition. The magazine is looking for a donation of any amount. Support fellow students’ work by donating.
More information Tower Magazine is NIU’s annual literary and creative arts magazine. To find more information on how to donate, go to bit.ly/1Zqg4Za.
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 bit.ly/1QahfYd Social Media Facebook.com/NIUNorthernStar Twitter: @NIUNorthernStar Snapchat: NIUNorthernstar