For gamers in the NIU Computer Gaming League, weekends don’t involve bar-hopping. NIUCGL members spend many Saturdays playing video games for 16 hours at what they call LAN parties.

Mike Taveirne, co-founder and original president of the NIUCGL, started the organization in 1999 with Art Hughes, former vice president.

“It was designed to be a place to meet and compete with fellow gamers and computer enthusiasts,” Taveirne said.

By 2001, the nearly 200 Web site members and more than 100 active members of the CGL would meet at Local Area Network parties, Taveirne said. LAN parties, which typically last from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends, enable members to be connected directly, alleviating uneven play advantages.

Because members must bring their monitors and towers to LAN parties, switches are needed to connect all the computers together. Computers communicate through these switches or boxes during competitions, NIUCGL President Lee Roberson said.

Several teams were formed, Taveirne said, and played competitively in local tournaments. NIU gamers played against other

universities in the first couple years of the league’s existence, Roberson said, but recently has gotten less competitive, only competing against fellow gamers.

Counter-Strike, Quake and Half-Life are among the popular games played. The Online Gaming League (www.ogl.org) and Cyberathlete Amateur League (www.caleague.com) are some Internet Web sites the NIU clan played on and maintained a good record, Taveirne said.

In 2002, because many original members, including Taveirne, graduated from NIU, the CGL became inactive. After Taveirne graduated, the new president wanted to run things differently and the opportunities once available to get together for LAN parties faded away, Roberson said.

Roberson became the NIUCGL president in fall 2003. Many obstacles interfered with approval to reinstate the recently inactive student organization. Finding a new faculty adviser and filling out the necessary paperwork was complicated, Roberson said. By November, he had overcome those barriers.

Roberson said he decided to put things off until the following spring semester. Previous rental fines needed to be paid and better relationships needed to be formed, he said. Roberson intends to officially start the group in the fall.

“I’m sure it will be fun when it gets going,” said Melissa Hawrysz, a current NIUCGL member. “Despite our best efforts, the Student Association has been making us jump through some hoops to get re-certified as a student organization.”

Hawrysz has played computer games for most of her life but became interested in computer gaming leagues four years ago, she said.

The NIUCGL faces problems including rental costs and space for LAN parties, Roberson said. Some buildings only allow 40 computers for a LAN party; any more than that likely will blow circuit breakers.

Previously, Douglas Hall and a few other buildings on campus were used for LAN parties but are no longer available to CGL members, Roberson said. Renting a room at the Holmes Student Center is a possibility, he said.

Anyone who is a current NIU student can apply to join the NIUCGL. Applications are available on the club’s Web site (www.niucgl.com).

“I’ve met a lot of people through the CGL,” Hawrysz said. “This club is great for people who love to talk about and play computer games.”