NIU football fans will feel the thunder at Saturday’s game against Toledo.

And no, it’s not because of the steaming rivalry with the Rockets.

Instead, it’s because of the work of a dedicated student organization. The Red Riot, a group of NIU athletics fans, is bringing thunder sticks back to Huskie Stadium.

Thanks to the Riot, the first 9,000 students on the west side of the stadium will receive the noise makers for the annual Homecoming football game. Fans on the east side of the stadium will split another 1,000 pairs of the sticks.

“We have worked very hard this past month visiting several different companies and local businesses to get sponsors,” said Red Riot President Justin Kuryliw. “If this is successful, we may try to do it again because we love them.”

Saturday’s Homecoming contest is the only game scheduled to feature the thunder sticks this year. According to Kuryliw, 10,000 pairs of the sticks cost roughly $5,000, making it difficult for the group to provide them at every home game.

However, the University Plaza and the NIU Alumni Center both made donations to the Red Riot and are the highlighted sponsors making the thunder sticks a possibility for the Homecoming game.

“Many students think that the thunder sticks were banned by the MAC or NCAA or something,” Kuryliw said. “But in reality we just ran out of resources to have them, and it takes a lot of work to get them. They are just incredibly expensive to do.”

NIU found itself without resources not even halfway through the 2007-08 season, leaving students without the noise makers for most of the season.

“Thunder sticks made the games seem more electric,” said senior communications major Dave Drury. “The crowd became so much louder and I think it had an impact on both the Huskies and the visiting teams.”

Drury is excited to see that the Red Riot will be providing the sticks for Saturday’s game, but admitted that he’d like to see the noisemakers at every home contest. Since the Red Riot cannot always find the donations, Drury suggested the responsibility be placed into the hands of the NIU Athletics Marketing department.

“The marketing department should be responsible because it’s a good way for local businesses to advertise,” Drury added. “I mean, almost 20,000 people, on a good day, will be exposed to them.”

Junior elementary education major Marisa Conte doesn’t agree. She believes that since students gain direct benefits from the sticks, that they should look to student organizations like the Red Riot for help.

Though the two students disagree, they both believe they help the stadium atmosphere.

“How can you not cheer when you have thunder sticks in your hand?” Conte asked. The junior added, “I was really disappointed when I found out that they were not going to be at all the games anymore, so I saved as many as I could.”

Thanks to the Red Riot, Conte and Huskie fans won’t have to grab their backups.