Presenting the man, the myth, the legend: Dennis Barsema.

Barsema, for whom both the business building and the alumni center are named, will speak to students at 6 p.m. today in Barsema Hall, Room 300. The event is hosted by the American Marketing Association but is open to all majors.

“I left the speech mainly up to [Barsema] as far as what he wanted to touch on, but he will be talking about his experiences in the ‘real world’ and what he’s learned over the years,” said Ashley LePard, a junior marketing major and vice president of corporate relations for the AMA. “His message is motivational so it benefits everyone, not just business majors.”

Barsema was more than happy to return to his Alma mater as a guest speaker, said Jennifer Kincaid, a sophomore marketing major. Barsema was contacted as a possible speaker upon the AMA’s executive committee’s decision.

“We choose Dennis Barsema because he is a very influential person within the college of business,” LePard said. “He has been very successful, and we feel he is a good role model for not only our members, but all business students. We have had other speakers throughout the semester, but Dennis Barsema was the obvious choice for our big speaker event.”

The event is free and open to all NIU students. The event should last about an hour with time allowed for a question and answer session, Kincaid said.