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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Gymnastics finishes fourth

By Brian Kelley | January 21, 2003

The NIU women’s gymnastics team flew through the Illinois Quadrangular on Friday until it hit a roadblock in the last event and finished in fourth place. The Huskies looked sharp going into the last event, but the uneven bars proved to be too much for...

Donate eggs for cash

By LaShaunna Watkins | January 21, 2003

Many NIU students, mainly female, probably have noticed local newspaper ads from an organization promising to give women $5,000 for donating their eggs. The Center for Egg Options is an Illinois-based company for couples that are not able to produce a...

Students benefit from internships

By Megan Rodriguez | January 21, 2003

Experience counts for everything in the job market, and internships are one way to get your foot in the door. Ellen Anderson, assistant director of the Career Planning and Placement Center, believes students have nothing to lose and everything to gain...

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...

Huskie gymnastics head to Illinois Quadrangular

By Brian Kelley | January 17, 2003

Taking to the road for the first time this year, the NIU gymnastic teams will face a challenge when they take part in the University of Illinois Quadrangular at 7 p.m. today. The Huskies will go up against a University of Auburn squad that is ranked 13th...

Smallpox: the revenge of a killer

By Rachel Helfrich | January 17, 2003

Bioterrorism was a factor only in science fiction books until fall 2001. Once anthrax appeared mailboxes in 2001, the government and health officials began preparing for the worst. This winter, President Bush unveiled his Three Phase Plan to protect the...

DARS report to go online

By Matt Knutson | January 17, 2003

Every semester, the Degree Audit Reporting System, otherwise known as a DARS report, arrives in the mailboxes of NIU students. The report states the progress students have made in meeting their undergraduate requirements. Before speaking with a student,...

Snowfall scarce compared to past winters

By Courtney Cavanaugh | January 17, 2003

Winter seems a bit off this year with the extreme absence of that white powdery stuff. State Climatologist James Angel said there is a lack of snow in Northern Illinois, while Southern Illinois is experiencing more snow than usual. "This year, it’s...

Clock runs out on former SA members

By Nick Swedberg | January 17, 2003

The deadline is up for former Student Association members to turn themselves in on warrants issued for credit card fraud. Former Director of Organizational Development Lonnie Pollard and former senators Richmond Clayton, Anthony Currie, Wendell "Danton"...

HSC’s old style to be revamped

By Bonny Beaman | January 17, 2003

The Holmes Student Center is headed for a little cosmetic surgery. Beginning this May, the ballroom, adjoining Capitol Room and part of the roof will be nipped and tucked into an updated and more fashionable version of NIU’s signature building. The...

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