Every two weeks, Sweeps will take a look back at NIU decade by decade. This is in no way a rip-off of that VH1 series we’ve never seen and certainly never bought the DVDs of. In two weeks, we will remember the future in “NIU loves the 2010s.” Just kidding. This is the final installment. Only Sweeps would have the audacity to bring you “NIU loves the 2000s” when the decade is only half over.

The 2000s, thus far, have been a decade of growth and improvement for NIU.

One of the biggest additions in NIU history came in August 2002 and was opened with a performance by Mr. Jello himself, Bill Cosby. The Convocation Center cost $36 million to build and promised to be a top of the line facility for NIU sports, concerts, job fairs and other like events. The Convocation Center has since brought such acts as Brooks and Dunn, Dave Chappelle and the “world famous” Lipizzaner Stallions (comically dressed people on horses doing maneuvers).

Sophomore undecided major Amy Lalowski is unimpressed by the atmosphere of the Convocation Center during basketball games.

“No one shows up for the basketball games at the Convocation Center because they don’t win and then the atmosphere isn’t good,” Lalowski said. “I have been to one concert [Incubus] there, and I think the arena looks nice and was worth the money.”

During the fall of 2002, the construction of Barsema Hall was completed. The new College of Business building is the proud home of a café and a 375-seat auditorium. The construction was made possible by a huge contribution from NIU alumni Dennis and Stacey Barsema.

English professor John Knapp has always been somewhat envious of the business school.

“They graduate a few Captains of Industry, like Mr. Barsema, who make big money and then donate some of it back to NIU,” Knapp said. “We in the humanities are graduate teachers and scholars who have wonderful minds and creative careers, but who sit at the far south end of salary adjustments. Barely out of the Ramen and peanut butter & jelly menus of youth, they can usually ill-afford to buy us at NIU humanities a set of journal subscriptions, much less a new Reavis Hall.”

Throughout the 2000s, NIU’s football team have won on a consistent basis. The Huskies finally reached the payoff by winning the Silicon Valley Football Classic bowl game played on Dec. 30, 2004 in San Jose, California. The game itself wasn’t pretty; instead of beautiful California weather, it was cold, rainy and muddy. The game was also delayed because of a power outage, essentially pairing down the television viewing audience to late night infomercial watchers and some sleep deprived Huskie fans.

Knapp remembers seeing NIU come back from 14 points down.

“I saw the game through the dim lights of a wet, half-lit field. No matter, after a shaky start and a 14-point spot, NIU football came roaring back and beat those Southerners,” Knapp said. “My only concern is to keep this program focused not only on winning, but also on graduating all of its players and making sure that they take real courses with real professors.

In the winter of 2005, Northern Star staff reporter Mark Pietrowski started a series that delighted potentially dozens of readers. “I rule,” he said.