Throughout his nearly two-hour speech, Arnost Lustig kept his audience both laughing and in a state of sad awe while describing his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp.

Lustig, a professor of film and literature, screenwriter, and author of 13 books - including “Night and Hope” and “Lovely Green Eyes” - spoke about his experiences to an audience of about 60 people Tuesday night at Douglas Hall.

Lustig was brought to NIU to speak about the Holocaust at an event sponsored by the University Honors Program.

“I hate serious discussion. I want to be clever, but that is impossible,” Lustig said. “You would not laugh if you read my books.”

English professor Steve Franklin introduced Lustig as the greatest of Holocaust writers; one who transformed his experience in Nazi Germany into the most remarkable literature of our time.

Lustig spoke about his experiences living in a Nazi concentration camp, working as a screenwriter during the Soviet occupation and as a freedom fighter in Czechoslovakia. He also talked about literature, life, faith, joy, politics and how they all meet.

“Literature is imitation of life,” Lustig said. “It pretends that the writer sees and understands everything. We need story to share the experiences of others, to have beauty, meaning and stability.”

Lustig said in literature you cannot lie, and that literature must have truth. It’s a crime to lie in literature, he said. That’s why the Nazis and totalitarian regimes never had good writers, he added.

Even after horrors such as living in Auschwitz, having his father killed, seeing his mother’s dignity stripped away in the Nazi camps and being exiled from his home, Lustig still sees life as a miracle.

Lustig’s parting request from the audience was that within the year, they would read one of his books; perhaps so the reader, too, could understand his experiences, pains, joy and appreciation for life.

After months of preparation, student radio is returning to NIU.

NS*Radio, a Web-based radio station broadcasting a diverse selection of music, launches today on www.northernstar.info.

The station’s programming will highlight the latest releases in a variety of music genres.

“We’re excited to launch the station because of the void in student broadcasting on campus,” said Scott Smith, NS*Radio program director.

To coincide with the debut, the Northern Star is sponsoring a live music event at 2 p.m. today at the King Memorial Commons. The show will feature After the Fall, a local rock band.

“In the next several weeks, we’ll be adding live on-air personalities to host specialty shows,” Smith said.

Interested students can apply at the Campus Life Building, Suite 130, or online.

Live broadcasts will begin as early as November; until then, the station will feature automated programming.

NIU has remained without a student radio station since WKDI shut down in spring 2002.

For the fourth time in school history, the NIU football team will play on ESPN.

The announcement came Monday that ESPN2 would carry the Huskies’ game at Bowling Green on Saturday, Oct. 25.

“Wow, that’s cool,” quarterback Josh Haldi said. “It’s fun to be on national TV. We have to worry about Western Michigan first, but that will be fun when we get there.”

NIU also was on ESPN in 1983 for the California Bowl, in 1987 against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and against Northwestern.

The contest marks the first nationally-televised game from Perry Stadium.

NIU and BGSU are both undefeated in conference play going into this week.

NIU (6-0, 2-0) hosts Western Michigan (3-3, 2-1) while BGSU (5-1, 2-0) visits Eastern Michigan (1-6, 0-3).

Bowling Green’s only loss this season was a 24-17 setback to Ohio State.

NIU is No. 12 in the country, while BGSU enters this week at No. 27.

Starting QB a go

Haldi will play this week against Western Michigan.

Haldi suffered a mild concussion in the third quarter against Central Michigan. The junior was shaken up when he tried running a naked bootleg into the endzone.

“We ran a naked and it was covered,” Haldi said. “I was covered, and I tried to run it in. I jumped and a guy’s helmet hit me in the back of the head.”

Haldi said he felt “out of it” until the middle of the fourth quarter. The junior wanted to return, but was kept out for precautionary reasons.

Azar five away

Senior kicker Steve Azar’s 16 points against Central Michigan moved him within five points of the MAC’s all-time kick-scoring record.

Toledo kicker Todd France (1998-’01) holds the record with 320 points.

Azar passed Western Michigan’s Brad Selent and Miami’s Gary Gussman on Saturday.

Turner, Azar MAC Players of Week

The MAC announced an NIU-Bowling Green dominated players of the week list Monday.

The Huskies Michael Turner was rewarded for his season-high 199 yards in Saturday’s win over Central Michigan. The junior running back was one of two Huskies named a MAC Player of The Week Monday.

Along with Cole Magner of Bowling Green, Turner was named co-offensive player of the week.

Kicker Steve Azar also earned special teams player of the week for the Huskies.

“Michael and Steve played major roles in our comeback,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “It was good to see Michael have that breakout run. That 46-yard touchdown ignited us in the third quarter. He looks back in form. That was a Michael Turner game.

What do you say about Steve? He had another great day with 16 kick-scoring points. He’s just had a a great career here. I hope I never take Steve Azar for granted.”

Turner ran for 199 yards on 28 carries in the 40-24 comeback win over the Chippewas.

Turner had a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, including a 46-yarder to get the Huskies within seven.

Magner had 11 catches for 140 yards in Bowling Green’s 32-21 win over Western Michigan. Magner also had two touchdowns and 31 yards rushing for the Falcons.

Azar, who moved to within five points of the MAC record for points by a kick, accounted for 16 points in the Huskies win.

The senior was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and extra points for NIU.

Azar improved to 20-for-20 on extra points this season. He is now 11-for-14 on field goals.

The Falcons Janssen Patton was the Defensive Player of The Week. Patton, a cornerback, had three interceptions and four tackles for the Falcons.

DeKalb resident Laura Barwegen jokingly nudged her husband when she first saw NIU’s new Convocation Center and said, "Toto, we’re not in DeKalb anymore."

Taking two years to complete among continuous planning, NIU’s state-of-the art $35.8 million arena is now complete and fully operational.

Students, faculty, alumni and surrounding area residents alike made their way to the center Friday to see opening performer Bill Cosby. DeKalb residents also were given the option to embark on self-guided tours Sunday at the arena’s open house.

With Cosby bringing in about 6,500 attendants, many hope that the center will attract more entertainment, business and more students to NIU and DeKalb.

Recent NIU graduate Darryl Deer said he would like to see TV’s Bernie Mac come to the arena.

"I think it’s going to attract more students," he said. "It caps off the university with everything they are adding. Once the lagoons are finished, it’s really going to be nice."

Sycamore resident Larry Gorenzi said he thinks the Convocation Center is just right for DeKalb.

"If it brings business and entertainment, then it is good," Gorenzi said.

Matt Harms, a 1997 NIU alumnus, attended the Cosby performance and was impressed by the structure and design of the arena.

"I’m glad to see they’re putting our money to good use," Harms said. "But, I wish we would have had the center when I was here."

Barwegen, who attended the Cosby performance with her husband, is happy to have the arena finally here, although she wasn’t sure at first.

"I think different now than I did when they first talked of a center, because of cost and because of traffic," Barwegen said.

Although everyone enjoyed the new building, those attending the Cosby performance didn’t appreciate the traffic, which stretched along Lincoln Highway all the way to First Street.

"I think it [Cosby performance] was pretty good, but parking was atrocious," Gorenzi said.

Arena officials are coordinating with University Police to improve traffic and parking for upcoming events.

"As usual with first events, there is a lot of stuff to work out," University Police Lt. John Hunter said. "We’ll take a look at each individual problem and devise a new plan for next time. It takes a while but we’ll get it down."