Somebody hit the lights.

The NIU Athletic Dept. needed an exciting new fundraising idea to get the attention of NIU alumni, whose contributions to the Huskie Athletic Fund have long been dwindling.

Suddenly, there was an idea. Gerald O’Dell grabbed the light bulb (the universal I-just-got-an-idea symbol) that was hovering over his head and decided to put it to good use, literally.

Gerald said let there be light and whammo! The mega-matches that light up Huskie Stadium became the center piece in the athletic department’s latest marketing gem.

The lights at Huskie Stadium will remain on for a few hours every night while a couple of coaches stay overnight in the pressbox to phone alumni asking for cashola. This will give the fundraising stunt needed attention, the athletic department says.

OK, it seems like an interesting concept and everyone around here would love to see the athletic department’s cup overfloweth with contributions from faithful alumni. However, is all of this really necessary?

Some might relish the thought of Huskie coaches getting bad backs from sleeping all night on pressbox consoles, and others might not even mind the super-wattage lights shining brightly through their bedroom windows each night. But, there must be an easier way.

Setting up a fundraising booth somewhere on campus with big signs where students could walk by and see the coaches in action on the telephones would seem to suffice.