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Monday, Oct. 3, 2016
Northern Star
815-753-5606 | @NIUNorthernStar | NorthernStar.info/Opinion
Student employee hour cap forces students to seek jobs off campus
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Students look to make NIU greener
A student research team is researching an eco-friendly way to convert light into electricity, according to a Sept. 29 Northern Star article. This research, if applied to NIU, could eventually save NIU money and make this a greener university. It is impressive and commendable that students are learning how to use environmentally friendly resources that could some day save the planet.
Columns Columns reflect the opinion of the author. Editor in Chief and Publisher: Leah Nicolini Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-0105 Managing Editor: Nick Bosshart Editor@NorthernStar.info
Fail
News Editor: Madison Kacer Editor@NorthernStar.info 815-753-9643
NIU wasting funds on student center
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Perspective
Faith Mellenthin | Northern Star
NIU has been approved to renovate Holmes Student Center, according to a Sept. 29 Northern Star article. After the implementation of program prioritization, it is surprising that NIU is going to spend millions of dollars to renovate Holmes Student Center. Some changes include new retail and food vendors. It does not make sense to spend $20 million dollars to remodel the first floor of the Holmes Student Center instead of focusing projects on like the unfinished Stevens Building.
Chalkings meant to educate Black Student Union director of public relations, for coming up with the idea to draw outlines to represent the bodies of those who have been killed. It seems as though every other Ian Tancun week a new story breaks about an Columnist unarmed black person dying at Students should be aware of the the hands of police under quesimportance of #ProjectOutline and tionable circumstances. of the people whose untimely deaths led to the creation of this project. Chalk outlines of dead people ...If you believe that all were drawn throughout campus lives matter, you should Sept. 22. The outlines were created be fighting like hell to by members of the Black Student include the black ones.” Shada Cook Union as part of #ProjectOutline Director of Public Relations for to make people on campus aware the Black Student Union of the killing of unarmed black people by police officers, which continues to be a major problem in Whether the police officers comour society. mitted a crime or not, these indiThrough #ProjectOutline, the viduals were not given the opporBlack Student Union hopes to en- tunity to be granted a right stated courage students to educate them- in the Constitution twice: due proselves on this serious issue facing cess of law. If a person commits a black people and to highlight the crime, he or she should be arrested importance of the Black Lives instead of killed. He or she is given Matter movement. the right to have his or her case Traci Jennings, Black Student in court. These people were not Union president, said Black Student granted that right. Union members found themselves “As someone who is almost 50 looking for an outlet to express years old, who has a doctorate detheir feelings after the recent shoot- gree, even I know that my interacing of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, tions with police are not the same Oklahoma, and Keith Lamont Scott as my white counterparts,” said in Charlotte, North Carolina. William McCoy, NIU’s BELIEF “It’s kind of difficult being a program director. black student and having to carry McCoy teaches his students the weight of what’s going on and that they should protest injustice what’s happening to black people while being aware of the reality of in this country, and so we just how things are now. needed a way to express that,” JenJennings encourages people to nings said. be open-minded and to be aware Jennings credits Shada Cook, of the real reasons why the Black
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Lives Matter movement exists. She said there seems to be confusion on what the movement stands for. “Black Lives Matter is not anti-police; it’s not anti-white people,” Jennings said. “It’s simply saying, right now, it seems as if our lives don’t matter as a whole in this country.” “Divided: Students respond to Black Lives Matter movement,” a Sept. 26 Northern Star article, included input from a student named Andy. While I respect that people will have opposing viewpoints on various issues, I was disturbed by the comments he wrote next to the chalk outline meant to represent Michael Brown. Dismissing Brown’s untimely death as a law enforcement victory over someone Andy described as a “thug” is a perfect example of why further education on this issue is needed. Justifying the misdemeanor crime Brown committed before his death reflects a system that is in dire need of reform. Due process should be extended to all citizens. While the article ran under the headline “Divided,” Cook points out this was not the intention of #ProjectOutline or the Black Lives Matter movement. “Project Outline was derived from a very honest and true place.” Cook said. “We don’t want to be divided, that’s the whole goal of the Black Lives Matter movement. We want to be inclusive. Absolutely we know all lives matter, but there is no reason to go around shouting something that’s already believed to be true...If you believe that all lives matter, you should be fighting like hell to include the black
Fatal police encounters
The following is a list of 9 black people who were killed by police officers and where they were killed. This list is only a portion of the reported deaths and is not intended to be comprehensive. As of Sept. 30, none of the officers were convicted for these deaths. Michael Brown Jr. Location: Ferguson, MO Eric Garner Location: Staten Island, NY Tanisha Anderson Location: Cleveland Tamir Rice Location: Cleveland Freddie Gray Location: Baltimore Brendon Glenn Location: Los Angeles Jamar Clark Location: Minneapolis Natasha McKenna Location: Alexandria, VA Dontre Hamilton Location: Milwaukee ones,” she said. This is a serious issue that is in need of continued awareness, education and advocacy. Such actions can begin on college campuses and hopefully spread beyond that. This is the goal of #ProjectOutline and the Black Student Union. Cook encourages students who would like to get involved with the Black Student Union or #ProjectOutline to reach out via social media @TheUnionNIU.