There are lots of aspects taken for granted with NIU sports. Most of those things are taken care of by NIU Media Relations. Visit the NIU athletics Web site and check out the profiles for any of the players on any of the teams or read the online game recaps. None of that would be possible without the NIU Media Relations team.

Media Relations is also responsible for putting out and designing the media guides.

Joe Summins, assistant director of Media Relations, took time out of his schedule to do an interview and see what it’s like on the other end of the tape recorder.

Northern Star: Media Day for the basketball season was earlier this week. I know that has to be a busy time for you. What was your day like?

Joe Summins: We wanted to have the media guides ready for media day, which is something that hasn’t been done here ever, I think. The only way for us to have them was for me to go down to the printer in Peoria and pick them up. So I got up at 5 in the morning and packed a bag so I could change for work. I drove down there and was back by about 10, and then I got word that I had to wear a suit, so I went all the way back to Aurora where I live and got ready and made it with five or 10 minutes to spare. When I finally got home at night, I had driven about 300 miles. But it was fun, though. I enjoyed it.

NS: What’s your favorite sport to work?

JS: That’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is. Everyone is so different. I enjoy the personalities of the women’s basketball team, though. I travel with them, so I get to know them more. Their coaches make my job so much more enjoyable.

NS: Since you go to all the games, do you get superstitious like some players?

JS: I did wear the exact same tie for every women’s basketball game last year because they were winning. I don’t think anyone noticed but I didn’t want someone to notice I wasn’t wearing it and then if we lost, I’d have to hear about it.

NS: So are you bringing it back this season?

JS: It got beat up pretty good last season. It was a nice red one. I’m trying to get a rotation in play for this season.

NS: What is your favorite part of your job?

JS: Publications. Designing media guides and coming up with new ideas and then topping it. That’s always my goal, to blow someone’s mind and then top it down the road.

NS: How about the hardest part?

JS: Trying to top yourself from one media guide to the next or one sport to the next. Just trying to always out-do yourself. I’m one of those that always has to improve on what he does so I would say trying to top it is always my tough thing.