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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Huskie Line may lose its mush

By Nick Swedberg | January 23, 2003

The Huskie Line may face problems with below-zero weather in the next couple of days. A windchill warning is in effect through Thursday morning, NIU staff meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste said. The temperature could get as low as nine degrees below zero...

‘Kangaroo Jack

By Casey Toner | January 23, 2003

Nothing is redeeming about this predictable flop that's staged in Australia about a rapping, smart-ass, stupid Kangaroo, and even dumber supporting actors. Jerry O'Connell, plays the stepson (Charlie Carbone) of Christopher Walken, a known New York mob...

Health Services provides quality care

By Kristin Caveretta | January 22, 2003

It’s on-campus, inexpensive and professional. Their staff can help smokers quit and prepare partygoers for Spring Break. Plus, students don’t have to be full time to get the free stuff they have. Just one hour of credit on-campus makes a student eligible...

Interview with President Peters

By Kristin Caveretta | January 22, 2003

NIU President John Peters has had a front row seat watching the university’s national profile move in a positive direction; but rather than holding a bucket of popcorn, he has been holding the reins. "It really has been a very good two and a half years,"...

Chick Evans to be put to use

By Matt Knutson | January 22, 2003

With the opening of the Convocation Center, the Chick Evans Field House no longer was needed for basketball and volleyball games. But it is not going to sit and collect dust; it will be turned into another outlet for NIU students to work out. Currently,...

Two car accidents, two injured Two car accidents, two injured

By Rachel Helfrich and Joseph Martillaro | January 22, 2003

Two car accidents within two hours Tuesday afternoon left two victims injured. One took place when a speeding Chevorlet Cavalier ran a red light about 2:30 p.m. The car smashed into two cars at the intersection of Annie Glidden Road and Hillcrest Drive....

CAs juggle roles and responsibilities

By Cara Donfrio | January 22, 2003

Residence hall students should have one person on their floor that they are able to turn to in times of trouble or who are just there to talk to. This person is the community adviser - more commonly known as the CA. Currently, there are 141 CAs on campus....

Referendum refuses to die a quiet death

By Joe Healy | January 22, 2003

The District 428 School Board committee hopes to see a referendum for the third time. The board voted 4 to 1 for the referendum to be put on the April 1 ballot at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. Since the vote wasn’t unanimous, there were some...

Court date in February for football player

By Frank Rusnak | January 22, 2003

NIU football’s Al Chaires, who began the year as the No. 4 fullback, will have a court date in February. The 22-year-old senior sociology major was arrested about 1:50 a.m. Saturday outside of The Dungeon night club, 1027 W. Hillcrest Drive, on two...

Convocation woes

By Michael Klaas | January 21, 2003

The Convocation Center hosted more than 40 events during its first few months of operation, but brought in financial losses for more than a quarter of the events it held, making $100,000 from its events last semester.

The earnings from last semester only include the profits and losses from individual events. The costs of day-to-day operation of the building, the salaries for its 14 full-time staff members and the building’s construction costs are not included in this figure.

"We’ve got to find our niche," Convocation Center Director John Gordon said. "So, we’ve got to experiment with different kinds of events."

This experimentation showed mixed results. Bill Cosby, Counting Crows and October’s Fall Home Show were among the biggest dollar earners for the center.

Cosby was the most expensive and ambitious event that the Convo Center has held to date. Bringing in Cosby cost the center more than $150,000, but ticket sales totaling more than $200,000 recouped all expenses.

However, 16 of last semester’s events were financial losses for the center.

The greatest losses were from the President’s Opening Address, Mike and Joe and the open house that took place during Cornfest.

"We knew that Mike and Joe would cost us money, but it was an event we wanted to have for the students," Gordon said.

Many of the losses were because of low ticket sales and over-staffing at events.

"We knew that in the first year we would over-staff," Gordon said. "You have to err on the side of caution to have more people available to show people the building."

Many of the events that lost money, like the open house, were designed to introduce the building to the community. Those events are one-time costs for the center and required a great deal of money.

"It takes as much as two to three more years to figure out what average costs are," Gordon said.

By late summer, the university should have a clearer picture of its total gains and losses from the Convo Center’s first year of operation. Then, administrators will begin to piece together a long-term plan for the facility.

For now, event planners will continue to hold diverse events in the arena in order to find what is successful.

"At least for the first year or two, we want to be as aggressive as we can," said Robert Albanese, associate vice president of Finance and Facilities. "So, we’re willing to take a loss. In the second and third year, we’ll start focusing on what was successful."

In February, the Convo Center will host a variety of events, including a monster truck show and a theatrical event that will be announced this week.

"We go on a run starting on Feb. 5," Albanese said. "We’ll, probably, in a 30-day period, do over 20 events."

Wrestling splits weekend matches

By Jason Watt | January 21, 2003

The good news is the 15th-ranked NIU wrestling team beat another Big Ten squad on Friday, but it lost its conference opener against Kent State on Sunday. The Huskies’ (8-6, 0-1 MAC) trip to Evanston was successful, as they beat a 5-4 Northwestern team...

Housing rates may increase

By Jessica King | January 21, 2003

Note: These are only possible changes, they haven’t gone through or been officially proposed yet. The Room and Board Advisory Committee is looking to increase rates for students living in residence halls next year. The proposed rates may go up between...

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