The NIU athletic department’s latest fund-raising gimmick will cost about $1,100.

This seems to be a contradiction in terms considering how tight things are in Huskieland. Athletic Director Gerald O’Dell and his staff have come up with a “bright” idea this fund-raising season. In an attempt to reach out and touch former Huskies for cash, the athletic department is conducting a phone-a-thon from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on assigned nights in the Huskie Stadium pressbox with the lights shining bright.

NIU coaches and administrators will devote their time on certain nights to make the calls and then sleep in the pressbox to “show their dedication to NIU.”

The whole thing is comical.

First, why contribute more money to Commonwealth Edison? It costs $19.60 an hour to pump the stadium lights. That’s fine if there’s a significant event taking place. In this case, however, a room with a couple of desks and phones would suffice.

Then, having coaches—some of whom were not excited about the project—sleep in a pressbox is laughable. I’m sure many of them would rather be back home in their own bed, rather than counting sheep while they watch the DeKalb lights flicker in the midnight air. Does that actually show dedication? Maybe if it’s voluntary?

This Huskie light show is unnecessary. It’s hard to believe any students are really going to question why the lights are on. And if other members of the community drive by, are they actually going to ask, “Gee honey, I wonder why the lights are on?”

“I guess they’re raising money for Huskie athletics, dear.”

C’mon now, bring the show out of the pressbox (along with the guided tours during fall football games) and raise the money without running up unneeded costs.

NIU desperately needs to raise its fair share of dollars this spring. With a lot of community support (which has been dwindling since Leo Hensley was fired), the Huskie fund-raising program can reach its lofty goal of $325,000.

“This is not an Oral Roberts thing, where we all stay in a tower until ‘X’ amount of dollars have been raised,” O’Dell said, according to a press release. “It’s just a statement to what we’re doing and a commitment to our student athletes.”

Don’t forget Com. Ed.

“When you consider how important this annual giving period is for our program, all of us had been thinking about how to draw attention to that fact,” O’Dell said. “The stadium with the lights on is one of the most visible and recognizable landmarks in the county.”

Let’s hope NIU doesn’t fall $1,100 short in the drive.