From MTV to NIU, Cribs is in the house … well, apartment.

Throughout the semester, Sweeps will delve into the dopest domiciles that NIU students inhabit.

This week, we visit the the spicy pad of Nirag, Kaushal and Viju Patel.

The apartment itself might look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill home-away-from-home, but this unassuming domicile packs a serious punch – literally.

“A lot of [delivery people] are taken aback by it,” said senior finance major Nirag Patel.” [They’ll] come in and look around.”

What seems to startle these poor delivery boys is the unusual decorating medium Nirag and his two friends with the same last name utilize. Surrounded by various posters of beautiful girls and alcohol paraphernalia is a sea of red and orange … hot sauce packets.

“It all started when we were sitting around eating some Maggie [Indian noodles] and we decided to put some hot sauce on them,” said junior finance major Kaushal Patel. “We were putting up the posters at the time and just decided ‘Hey, lets put the hot sauce up there, too.’”

Since that fateful day in late September, the guys have added considerably to their creation. What started as a simple border atop a back wall has grown into a collection of over 4,000 Taco Bell hot sauce packets.

One back wall features a design of a table-sized medallion of the Indian symbol for peace. The guys created the image by using the white backside of the packets for the symbol iand its border and then using to front side of the packets for the background color.

But where on earth did these guys get over 4,000 Taco Bell hot sauce packets?

Whenever the guys go to Taco Bell, it seems they make a point of grabbing a few extra hot sauce packets. They have even begun to enlist the help of friends to pick a few up whenever they go.

“We will go just to get sauce now. Like, go in and order some nachos and just fill the bag with hot sauce packets,” Kaushal said.

The threesome have big plans for expanding the collection onto the ceiling.

“We are still thinking of ideas for the ceiling,” said Viju Patel, a pre-elementary education major. “We were thinking about maybe constellations of something.”

Nirag said he is very protective of their creation.

“People like to joke around and say that they are going to punch the packets or throw something at them,” Nirag said. “We take it pretty serious though; we do not mess around.”

Jerky friends are not the guys’ only problem, though.

“Our biggest fear is that we will come back from winter break and all of the packets will have fallen down,” Nirag said.

The guys have every intention of continuing the theme throughout next semester and perhaps even onto next year.

“Maybe after I leave [next year,] they will put up a new condiment,” Nirag said.

Where: 935 Pappas Drive, Unit 2

Who: Senior finance major Nirag Patel, junior finance major Kaushal Patel and pre-elementary education major Viju Patel

Claim to fame: Hot sauce enthusiasts