The Huskie Den is a hodgepodge of local celebrities, eclectic history and entertainment.

DeKalbians of all ages flock to the Huskie Den, located directly beneath the Carl Sandburg Auditorium, to bowl, play billiards or dance the night away on the Dance Dance Revolution machine. For 38 years, the Den has provided a diversion for students and community members alike; the destination is more than just “that one place in the basement.”

Bowling and other games

The Huskie Den offers a variety of entertainment options for students, residents and faculty. It houses 17 billiard tables, 16 bowling lanes and numerous video games, old and new. The video game selection includes Dance Dance Revolution, Ms. Pac-Man, a pinball machine, dart board, Soul Calibur and more. Specialty nights such as cosmic bowl, which is held from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. every Friday, features black lights, fog machines and music. In the past, the Den has had DJs at cosmic bowl nights.

Local Huskie Den celebrity Walter Owens has taught bowling classes for 27 years. He has seen it all, including the first person ever to bowl a 300 in his class, alumna Amy Armalis. Owens teaches about six classes a semester which are notorious for having waiting lists second to none.

The classes that Owens offers are KNPE 117 (Bowling I), which is worth one credit hour, and KNPE 118 (Bowling II), which is worth two. Although he has been offered bribes by students to get into his class, Owens will not accept them.

“The bowling class was so popular, each time I tried to get in it it was full,” senior marketing major Jack O’Connor said.

Leagues also are offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The cost is $80 per person for a semester. The leagues start three weeks into the fall and spring semesters and end a week prior to finals.

O’Connor finally got his chance to take the class this semester. He said Owens is one of the main reasons he wanted to take the class. Owens is widely renowned for offering dinner to students who can bowl 300 – although he has only treated to two dinners.

Owens believes bowling is not only a good source of exercise for a person of any age, but also teaches life skills. In his class, students discuss problems with classes, boyfriends and girlfriends and life in general. Owens has a good connection with his students, which makes them come back after graduating to visit him.

“When someone graduates and hits it big, they should take care of the bowling alleys,” said Owens, who would like the addition of television screens to watch games and give students who aren’t into or are too young for the bar scene a place to spend their free time.

Besides bowling, the video game section is one of the Den’s largest draws.

The Huskie Den has 30-40 regulars who play DDR and occasionally participate in tournaments. Senior physical education major Kari Hawk, who has worked at the Den for three years, says some patrons will spend more than $10 in quarters on DDR.

History

The Huskie Den has been a part of NIU in some fashion since 1966.

The billiard tables that inhabit the Den used to have their home in the current Center Cafe. The bowling alley was stationed in the current Diversions Lounge, which was called The Cavern. In 1979, new bowling equipment was placed in the Huskie Den via a large chute in Alumni Court. The bowling alleys had to be installed by crane because they wouldn’t fit any other way.

According to Chris Riddle, the manager of the Huskie Den, the physical “guts” of the machine that controls how the pins move is the same today as it was in the 1960s.

The technology that is usually updated in a bowling alley are the automatic scoring machines. The main difference between the alley in the ’60s and now are the wooden floors. At one time the floors were real wood, but have since been replaced by synthetic wood.

The overall look of the Holmes Student Center was completely different in the early ‘60s. In 1967, the tower was added to the Holmes Student Center, which is now used mainly as a hotel.

Food and Costs

The prices at the Huskie Den are extremely cheap when compared to other bowling alleys. One possible deterrent is the rule prohibiting smoking and drinking at the Den.

Occasionally drunken customers do come in and, according to Hawk, they “can get rowdy and throw three or four balls down the lane at once.” When these situations happen, the offender is kindly asked to leave or is handled by security if he or she refuses to calm down.

Late-night dining is sparse around DeKalb, but the Huskie Den has an adequately equipped snack bar which can satisfy students’ late-night cravings. Customers often come in to get personal pizzas or pretzels.

The Huskie Den also can be rented out for organizations and large events. Renting out the Den includes pizza from Pizza Plus and pop. It usually costs around $230 to $280 for weekday rentals and $280 to $330 for weekend rentals. However, the prices fluctuate depending on group size.

The Huskie Den has something to offer everyone, for a date or night of fun. This hidden gem can provide an enjoyable alternative to the endless repetition of bars and parties.