Soccer and creativity rarely go hand-in-hand.

But for NIU goalie Joe Zimka, many creative opportunities have come to him through student athletics. From designing a championship ring, to creating a dog for Huskies on Parade, Zimka uses his creativity in his everyday, sports-filled life.

Zimka sat down with the Northern Star to talk about the start of school, classes he is not looking forward to, and his passion for creativity.

Northern Star: What’s it like seeing everyone back in DeKalb?

Joe Zimka: Over the summer we were all kind of anxious. Me, Drew [Jeskey], [Brian] Abdallah, and Danny [Lopez] were all together and we wouldn’t go a couple days without talking about how good this season would be. So it’s really good to be back.

NS: What’s the one thing you are looking forward to this semester?

JZ: I want to see more athletes and more fans at the games this year. With what happened on Feb. 14, I want to see people can come together as a family and as a university.

NS: Are there any classes you are looking forward to?

JZ: Well, I am not looking forward to my statistics class. I hear statistics is pretty tough. I am an art major, all the art classes are good.

NS: I hear you designed one of the dogs for Huskies on Parade. How is that going?

JZ: I just got finished with my first dog. I am going to turn it in and then start on my smaller dog. But it’s fun and I am happy with it.

NS: How did you design the Huskie?

JZ: The athletic department asked me to design something for the athletes. It’s about what it takes to be an athlete, and what is in the heart of an athlete. I called coaches and players and I got some feedback on what it takes to be an NIU athlete. It takes charisma, power, strength and character.

NS: Did you add anything to show your personal dedication as an athlete?

JZ: No, it was more of a team thing. I wanted it to showcase the athletic department. But some of the words like family and faith were personal.

NS: Do you know where they are putting your Huskies?

JZ: There are two people designing, but one will go outside the Yordon Center and the other will go by the Convocation Center.

NS: Are you excited to show your teammates and friends once the dog is placed?

JZ: I am excited but I don’t want people to be like ‘Oh jeez, couldn’t he have done a better job?’ The worst thing about being an artist is having people who don’t know what they are talking about telling you what you should have done.

NS: Have you had any other creative opportunities while being a student athlete?

JZ: Yea, back when we won the MAC Championship in ’06, I was a sophomore, but the seniors asked us to design our championship ring. I ended up designing it with the help of the seniors which was pretty cool. I’m very creative.