With this season marking the swan song for seniors on the NIU men’s basketball team, the main focus for these seniors is now concentrated on graduation, and life after NIU.

Just as these seniors had goals for a “season to remember” with hard work on the basketball court, they also have goals for life after NIU and the culmination of hard work in the classroom.

Senior guard Donald Whiteside plans on getting his degree in communications and has several options that he has considered entering following graduation next December.

“I’m looking into some internships at different (TV, radio) stations,” Whiteside said. “I’ve also had two or three coaching offers … and I’ve talked with my old (Chicago Leo) high school, (NIU) coach (Jim) Molinari, and (former NIU) coach Jim Rosborough.

“Of course there is always the option to continue playing somewhere if that comes up, but right now I’m concentrating on the books.”

Senior forward Donnell Thomas is also a communications major and would like to go into news reporting once he leaves NIU next December.

Although Thomas made no mention of possibly playing professional basketball, offers may begin to filter in soon. However, Thomas seems focused on getting his degree and becoming a reporter.

“All the communications classes that I’m taking right now are preparing me for being a reporter,” Thomas said. “The classes stress talking in front of a camera and reading difficult material.

“I’ll take a job wherever it might take me. I know it might take some time, but I’m going to do what’s best for me,” Thomas added.

Senior guard Stacy Arrington hopes that the sociology degree he is currently working on will allow him to work as a parole officer or a probation officer after graduation.

Arrington has interesting plans for where he wants to work and leave an impact on others.

“My emphasis in my major is in criminology,” Arrington said. “When I graduate, I hope to be able to go back to my old neighborhood and work with the kids there.”

Senior forward Antwon Harmon would be quickly able to relate to Arrington’s goals as he too is working on being a parole officer.

Harmon says that he naturally works well with kids and would feel comfortable working with them after he leaves NIU.

“I want to work with kids,” Harmon said. “I had a juvenile delinquency course that helped me to understand kids and to learn how to adjust to them.”

Senior Andrew Wells, who is also majoring in sociology and plans on graduating this May or no later than next December, says he would like a career in criminal justice and more specifically as a parole officer.

“I’ve had experience in past summers being around officers of the law, and the juvenile delinquency and criminal justice classes that I’ve taken have prepared me well,” Wells said. “This is my first priority.

“My second option would be to go overseas and play ball. I think I have a good chance of making it (in Europe).”

If there is one thing these seniors all have in common is that they are all winners. They have proven it for four years on the basketball court, and now they have a lifetime to prove it after leaving NIU.