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When NIU accepted a bid to the Independence Bowl on Dec. 7, 2008, it propelled the Huskies into their third bowl game in the past five seasons. But while the team was focused on winning its postseason opportunity, officials such as Eddie Williams, executive vice president and chief of operations for Finance and Facilities at NIU, were focused on keeping a balanced budget. While the goal on the field is for the Huskies to win, the goal for the university in a low-payout bowl is to break even, Williams said. Although NIU procured a $750,000 payout from the Independence Bowl, because of expenses acquired from the required ticket allotment, travel, lodging and other expenditures, the university found itself $154,125 over budget.

Independence Bowl goes $154,125 over budget

“You can’t explain it with the bottom line. It’s an investment. If you want to compete at this level, you have to be willing to invest.”

Jeff CompherNIU director of athletics

INDEPENDENCE BOWL SPENDING SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONby Ben Gross

Story continuation on PAGE 02Expenditure sheet on PAGE 03

How NIU got there

The 2008-2009 college football postseason produced a record 34 bowl games. When the regular sea-son came to an end, 72 teams were left bowl eligible. This meant four bowl eligible teams would not enter the postseason.

Of these 72 teams, 13 teams had a 6-6 record, the minimum record to reach the postseason. One of these 13 teams was NIU.

The Huskies hoped to win their fi-nal game against Navy, as this would have given them a 7-5 record. A 7-5 record would have improved NIU’s chances at a bowl game, as the NCAA restructured a few years ago the manner in which at-large bids were selected. Bowl games are forced to take a team with a winning record for an at-large slot, before inviting a 6-6 team. This meant teams such as Western Michigan with a 9-3 record, had to be selected for an at-large bid before a 6-6 team like Notre Dame.

Western Michigan proved to be the crucial piece of the puzzle to get NIU into a bowl game.

The Broncos ultimately accept-ed an invitation to the Texas Bowl in Houston. At first, however, WMU wanted to accept an invitation to the Independence Bowl. The motivation, it seemed, was money.

“The net payout in Shreveport was $330,000. In Houston, it was $270,000,” said MAC commissioner Rick Chryst. “Prior to any bowl invi-tations, we wanted to take the mon-ey part off the table. I think we felt Shreveport was the best opportunity for Northern.”

NIU agreed with Chryst, feeling that if it were going to make it to the postseason, it would be in Shreve-port.

“Rick [Chryst], and his staff, we re-lied on them to be really the kind of conference voice for us as the nego-tiations occurred,” said NIU Athletic Director Jeff Compher. “We feel like the more teams from our conference that go the better. We didn’t want to be the one sitting out, but we didn’t want anyone else sitting out.”

In order to convince WMU to ac-cept the invitation to Houston, NIU agreed to give $29,380 of its reve-nue from the Independence Bowl to WMU.

Sliding payout scale

Bowl games guaranteed every par-ticipating team at least $750,000 for its involvement. This, however, has changed.

“About 1992, it kind of leveled off at $750,000 and stayed that way for 12 or 13 years,” said Glen Krupica, NIU deputy athletics director of Ex-ternal Affairs. “The NCAA, ever since they lost the lawsuit with the part-time assistant basketball coaches, is

definitely afraid of anti-trust. There-fore it became pretty easy to estab-lish a bowl game in a different num-ber of communities. You draw that mentality even further, and now you have games where there is almost a sliding scale.”

Krupica, who from 1994 to 2005 was the executive director of the In-dependence Bowl Foundation, said there are now privately owned bowl games. Some of these games, such as the Bell Helicopters Armed Forces Bowl, Papajohns.com Bowl, Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl and Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, are owned by TV networks. In the cases of these four games they are all owned by ESPN.

Other bowl games are now in the hands of private investors, like the Texas Bowl. The Texas Bowl, according to Krupi-ca, is actually owned by a group of investors in the Houston Texans organization. This ex-plains the location of the game and why it is the only bowl game tele-vised through the NFL Net-work.

The issue with these private bowls, as Krupica explained, is they do not guarantee what a par-ticipating team will receive for its payout.

“There are some games that are owned by private entities where you might not know what the payout and the ticket arrangement is until you actually get in the thing,” Krupica said. ”It’s a whole different game. It’s changed the game a lot, and I’m not sure it’s for the better. Going in, you want to know what you’re going to make out of it and what you’re go-ing to spend, and tickets is a big part of that.”

Possible future changes

Krupica said the main change the Athletic Department needs to make in the future is to be more prepared from a marketing standpoint. In or-der to achieve this, however, he said NIU needs to know it will be partici-pating in the postseason earlier than it did this year.

“Hopefully we’re in a little bit better position that we’ll know we’re playing a bowl game,” Krupica said. “Our fans will then be conditioned to going to a game and to be able to float out there are some pre-sale opportunities where people can lock into tickets regard-

less where we go. And then in early November, we lay out five options.”

Krupica and Compher see this as one of the key ways of selling more of the required allotted tickets when accepting an invitation to a bowl game. By achieving this, the pair hopes the university will no longer have to use a majority of the payout to purchase the allotted tickets.

“Maybe someday you’re not wor-ried about defraying but maximizing your payout,” Krupica said. “I think that’s when you start getting at the point bringing five, six, 7,000 people to a game.”

In order do to this, however, Com-pher said a mind set has to be creat-ed at NIU where fans expect the Hus-kies to go to a bowl game. This may only be the case, however, if NIU can produce better regular season re-cords in the future. Williams said he believes there will be a reduction in bowl games in the future, as games are now struggling to find sponsors.

“I am concerned about bowls in general. There may be too many of them. There may not be enough spon-sors,” Williams said. “When you are in that situation, the payouts may be smaller for the non-large bowls.”

While Williams did not see any spe-cific changes needed for the future, he did say each bowl game presents

its own challenges. He believes NIU needs to enhance its

mechanisms that handle these bowls.

“There is not go-ing to be a one-frame fit-all,” Williams said. “You’re going to have

to have a mechanism that has the basic struc-

ture, the right thing to look at, but also flexible enough, in-

formed enough, experienced enough to handle that Shreveport and De-troit are not the same, San Diego or Toronto are not the same, and the de-mands and what they ask of us will be different.”

Is the cost worth it?

Compher said the financial mat-ters cannot illuminate the entire sit-uation.

“You can’t explain it with the bot-tom line,” Compher said. “It’s an in-vestment. If you want to compete at this level, you have to be willing to invest.”

Compher said a bowl game helps

add spirit to the campus, creates the college experience, helps recruit players and coaches and adds to the student-athlete experience.

“We came to a conclusion that this was about a student-athlete experi-ence and making sure that their ex-perience was as first class as we could make it and that we would work very hard in that regard,” Compher said. “But we had to be cost-conscious along the way.”

Krupica echoed the benefits Com-pher mentioned and added that bowl games help to attract administrators to the department and benefits the university in general.

This investment cost NIU $154,125. The amount will not be paid by the university, Williams said. Instead, it will be paid by the Athletic Guar-antee Fund. This fund is money NIU receives for playing single games against teams such as Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee.

Williams, who examines the game from a financial perspective, said he was happy with the results.

“I think that the key thing was, I have to look at it in dollar and cents, and I was very pleased in the way that we were able to manage the cost,” Williams said. “I think these bowl opportunities are even more attractive because we can manage our cost because we can make it fit in with what we have available, and that’s the key.”

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.info Bowl spending investigation02

INDEPENDENCE BOWL SPENDING SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

NIU finds itself on wrong side of budget

BASIC BOWL EXPENSESThe Independence Bowl adver-

tises a payout of $1.1 million per each participating team. This pay-out, however, is only given to teams which come from the auto-matic tie-ins to the Independence Bowl (one SEC team and one Big 12 team).

“If you’re an at-large team, then that kind of payout becomes more negotiable or kind of mandated

based on not getting one of those affiliated teams, and it drops off significantly,” Compher said. “Most people don’t get that. I wish [the Independence Bowl] wouldn’t put that out there. People think: $1.1 million; you’re set. If it were $1.1 million, we’d be fine.”

Once negotiations were reached, NIU received a $750,000 payout. But this entire payout did not come back to NIU.

As part of accepting an invita-

tion to a bowl game, teams must commit to selling so many tickets to the game. In the case of the In-dependence Bowl, the Huskies had to commit to 12,000 tickets at $35 a ticket. This produced a $420,000 expense for NIU.

If a program is unable to sell all its tickets, it must pay for the un-sold tickets. This cost is defrayed from the bowl payout.

NIU produced around $38,000 to $39,000 in ticket revenue for the

game, Williams said. Not all of this, however, was profit as some of the ticket revenue went to tickets that were given to spouses and other family members.

“Some tickets you have for spouses or relatives,” Williams said. “The bottom line was a majority of the funds had to come from the al-lotment, and that’s basically what happened in the other bowls.”

The Independence Bowl also re-quired the Huskies participate in a

Christmas night gathering and the Minuteman luncheon prior to the game. These required experiences cost NIU $2,220.

Comparatively, when the Huskies went to their last bowl game in San Diego, they were required to go to Sea World, which cost $9,000.

The bowl payout also goes to cov-er other expenses that a team will incur such as travel and lodging for the players, coaches, marching band and cheerleaders.

Student packagesNIU offered a package for stu-

dents that included a round-trip bus fare, two nights in a hotel and a ticket to the game at a total cost of $125. The bus for this package cost NIU $6,200, but half of that cost was split with the Student As-sociation, Williams said. The lodg-ing cost NIU $6,435.72.

These costs are less than what NIU incurred from the student packages it put together for the Poinsettia Bowl. In 2006, the Department of Athletics spent $44,000 on helping students get to and stay in San Diego.

After the Poinsettia Bowl, Wil-liams said he thought NIU would no longer provide student packag-es because they were too expen-sive. He said, however, that NIU was able to do student packag-es for the Independence Bowl be-cause the university was able to send students to the game on a bus instead of a plane.

“When you can use a bus when compared to buying an airline ticket, it’s a lot cheaper. That was the biggest thing,” Williams said. “I think the time and the date of the bowl had a big impact. This bowl is right at the holiday, so I think it had an impact there.”

Northern Star file photo by Mike Greene

NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish (12) carries the ball during the Independence Bowl during the last football season.

Every team receives gifts for participating in a bowl game, Kru-pica said.

“You get ‘x’ number because there’s a limit that the NCAA says you can give,” he said.

When participating in the Poin-settia Bowl, NIU went over this limit, as it gave players, coach-

es, donors and friends team gifts. In 2006 these gifts were an iPod Nano, an iPod Nano case, men’s/women’s watch, sweatshirt and ski cap. These gifts cost $12,000.

At the Independence Bowl, all members of the NIU football team re-ceived a Timely Watch Co. watch, New Era cap and Trek mountain bike.

Williams said the bikes were giv-en to the players through a spon-sor of the bowl, and were not paid for by NIU.

He thought, however, NIU paid $13,000 for the other gifts.

“I know that we got some things for the team ... It’s on the bud-get; it was $13,000 on our bud-

get. So something should be there somewhere, unless they ordered it through the I-Bowl,” Williams said. “I know what it was because I have it down at $13,000.”

Upon review, however, Wil-liams said in an e-mail NIU did not spend any money on these gifts, although he had a budget

for them.Krupica said NIU did spend some

money on gifts, but did not have a number.

“We spent a little bit, but not a fair amount beyond our compli-mentary packages,” he said. “That was to really take care of our staff and the folks who worked hard.”

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.infoBowl spending investigation 03

The expenditure sheet102246 12/16/2008 Lodging for football team between 12/23/08 to 12/29/08

Purchase Order Number Date Item description Cost

Food for the football team between 12/23/08 to 12/29/08 $144,300.37

102256 12/15/2008 Network switch and custom travel case for video equipment for NIU football $3,500.00102244 12/12/2008 Equipment truck for football team travel to Shreveport, La. $2,845.00102233 12/16/2008 Airfare for football team 12/23/08 to 12/29/08 $115,428.00102958 1/30/2009 Broadcasting for Independence Bowl $700.00102324 12/18/2008 Lodging for cheerleaders and band from 12/27/08 to 12/29/08 $12,752.26103199 2/17/2009 Reimbursement for buses used by NIU for the Independence Bowl $26,958.90103084 2/4/2009 Independence Bowl rings for 107 players and 29 staff members $21,172.48103084 2/4/2009 Independence Bowl pendants $249.005290 2/11/2009 Airfare from Independence Bowl to Kansas (Sylvia Carter) $297.00

4602 1/15/2009 Ship Bowl Game Tickets via UPS $122.62

103548 2/20/2009 Remove Independence Bowl patches off 72 jerseys $222.004378 1/7/2009 Independence Bowl patches for jerseys $339.004378 1/7/2009 Game jersey repair $9.00102343 12/18/2008 Apparel for Independence Bowl from Adidas $8,455.99

102323 12/18/2008 Lodging for students at Independence Bowl from 12/27/08 to 12/29/08 $6,435.72102315 12/17/2008 Printing and shipping of media guides $1,794.21

103030 2/2/2009 Tailgate reception rental fee $1,000.004044 12/26-12/29 Bill Baker airfare to broadcast game $404.00

4344 12/26-12/29 Bill Baker meals and care rental $252.764375 12/25-12/29 Shelley Binegar, Carly Newlands and Matt Mattmiller airfaire $1.204.00

4526 12/26-12/29 Russell Bonder meals and automobile $845.904064 12/26/2008 Thomas Bough airfaire to game (bus back) $414.004624 12/26-12/29 Thomas Bough band per diem $9,835.004367 12/15-12/20 Adam Clark meals for team prior to trip $29,968.004425 12/22-12/29 Adam Clark (large array of items) $22,422.234073 12/25-12/29 Jeff Compher airfaire to game $352.504371 12/25-12/29 Jeff Compher car rental and airport parking $312.744464 12/26-12/29 Anthony Del Fiacco car rental and airport parking $295.52

4442 12/26-12/29 Patrick Gorman gas to airport, parking and bag check $109.284625 12/26-12/29 Cindy Green cheerleaders per diem $1,388.164377 12/23-12/29 Glen Kupica player incidental per diem $12,840.004158 12/28-12/29 Mark Lindo airfaire to bowl $374.00

4373 12/28-12/29 Mark Lindo parking and meals $103.004374 12/25-12/29 Matt Mattmiller random car cost $24.50

4376 12/25-12/29 Carly Newlands rental car $236.724441 12/22/2009 Zach Peters drove Glen Kupica to the airport $56.924452 12/26-12/29 Eric Shultz travel cost $116.22

Cost of tickets $420,000.00Payment to MAC $29,380.00

Bus cost for students (half paid by NIU, other $3,100 paid by SA) $3,100.00Christmas night gathering and the Minuteman luncheon $2,220.00

Travel cost $37,511.46TOTAL EXPENSES $920,348.46

Team Gifts

The Athletic Department origi-nally estimated lodging and food for the football team would cost $200,000. The department, how-ever, was able to cut this project-ed total to $144,300.37, a reduc-tion of 27.8 percent.

NIU was also able to reduce the housing for the cheerlead-ers and the band for their two-day stay. It was expected to cost $13,109.25 for the lodging, but the university was able to reduce this to $12,752.26, cut-ting off 2.7 percent from the total.

Airfare for the football team was estimated at $130,000 but was reduced to $115,428. This was a reduction of 11.2 percent. Apparel costs were also reduced 15.4 percent from $10,000 to $8,455.99.

The NIU Athletic Depart-ment had originally estimated $13,109.25 for lodging for stu-dents at the game. This was reduced to $6,435.72 but only because the department orig-inally expected to bring two busses of students to the game but was only able to fill one.

Glen Krupica has a travel voucher for $12,840 with the type of expenditure listed as “Player Incidental per diem.” Krupica ex-plained this as extra spending cash given to every player for the days they are down at the bowl game.

Each player is allowed $20 a day to buy things they might need at the bowl, such as extra food, toiletries and other items.

“That gives them money, so if they need to buy a tube of tooth-paste, they can,” Compher said.

The athletic director did say players had to sign a contract every day they received the money that it would be used appropriately.

NIU paid Chase Carter’s mom, Sylvia Carter, $297 for airfare back from the Indepen-dence Bowl. NIU athletic di-rector Jeff Compher explained that this must have been a re-imbursement to Sylvia for the cost of a plane ticket for Chase to return to his home in Kan-sas, rather than to return to DeKalb with the team after the bowl game.

NIU’s philosophy with bowl money

A payout from a bowl game, at least a smaller game, is to cover the expenses a participating team will incur from its participation in the bowl game, Williams said.

“That’s what those funds are for, to support the travel and expenses for games,” he said.

Larger bowl games, such as the Rose Bowl, do produce revenue for the university and conference, Wil-liams said. In the case of NIU, how-ever, the goal of the payout is to break even.

On the purchase order for bowl rings, there was a portion covered by Wite-out. Upon re-moving the Wite-out a phrase saying “1338.76 Official party 20,082.72” could be read.

The official party, according to Williams and Compher, is the designated delegation of NIU officials that represent the uni-versity, such as the president.

No source, however, was able to explains this whited out in-formation. Williams was espe-cially confused, as this infor-mation was not on his copy of this purchase order.

NIU was able to cov-er all expenses through the $750,000 payout and ticket revenue except for $154,125.00.

To pay the remain-ing balance, the ath-letic department used money from its Guaran-tee Fund.

The following was taken directly from area police and fi re department records, or from DeKalb County court records. Anyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proved guilty in a court of law.

POLICE BEAT | Blotter

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Ridge Road

Hillcrest Drive

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Twombly Road

Lincoln Highway

Lucinda Avenue

N. 7

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Dresser Road

Ridge Road

Hillcrest Drive

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Twombly Road

Lincoln Highway

Lucinda Avenue

N. 7

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At 6:41 p.m. Monday, police were called to the 300 block of Bush Street for a car accident. Po-lice witnessed two people involved in the accident fi ghting. The offi -cers arrested Jacob H. Lemay , 17, of DeKalb, for possession of cannabis and Kaylyn R. Smith , 17, of DeKalb, for domestic battery. They were lat-er released on bond.

At 7:03 p.m. Monday, police were called to the 700 block of Rus-sell Road for domestic trouble. The offi cers learned a person involved in the incident had a warrant. Rob-bie L. Franklin , 24, of DeKalb, was arrested and charged with failure to appear on a suspended license charge. He was later released on bond.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.info News04

THE FINE PRINTOnly events occurring today will be featured in print. Have an event? Go to www.northernstar.info/fyievents.php or visit the Northern Star of! ce, Campus Life Building, Suite 130 to submit your event for publication. Forms must be submitted two days prior to the event. Placement is not guaranteed.

THE NIU GRADUATE FILM SOCIETY is showing “Sleeper” at 3:30 p.m. in Reavis Hall, Room 211. The last fi lm of the semester, Woody Allen’s 1973 futuristic comedy, will be shown. For more information, e-mail Anthony Coman at niufi lm@gmail.com.

THE COMMUNICATIVE DISORDER STUDENT ASSOCIATION is hosting a “Better Speech & Hearing Month” celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Wirtz Light Court. The event will have treats, games and give-aways, along with information on better speech and hearing. For more information, e-mail Jackie Schul-dt at jschuldt@niu.edu.

THE BLACK STUDENT UNION is hosting Unity Day sign-up. For more information, e-mail Natasha Thom-as at nthomas@niu.edu.

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www.northernstar.info

Police investigate 2 related cases of graffi ti

Shaun ZinckStaff Writer

DeKALB | DeKalb Police are in-vestigating two related incidents of obscene graffi ti.

DeKalb Police Lt Gary Spangler said the incidents occurred at Var-sity Square Apartments, 1212 Var-sity Blvd., and 846 Spiros Court , an S&E Properties building .

The vandalism on both build-ings targeted a local business owner, according to the DeKalb Police blotter.

Varsity Square Apartments had no comment on the issue, and S&E Properties could not be reached as of press time.

S&E Properties fi led a police re-port at 10:51 a.m. Monday, accord-ing to the blotter.

The report said the build-ings do not have security camer-as, and the investigation by the offi cer did not turn up any evi-dence.

Spangler said graffi ti cases in DeKalb are sporadic.

“It goes in cycles,” he said. “We could go weeks without an inci-dent, then we’ll get a few all at once.”

He said occasionally police will make an arrest in these types of cases. However, most of the time it happens in the middle of the night with no witnesses, which makes it diffi cult to catch the cul-prit, Spangler said.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.infoNews CITY EDITOR: Kevin Kovanich ´ 815.753.9646 05

Summer means chasing the boredom awaySmart options for summer fun prevents burning holes in students’ pocketsKim SkibinskiStaff Writer

DeKALB | As summer break creeps closer, many students are count-ing the change in their pockets with hopes of an event-filled hiatus. With a little creative thinking, students who are pressed for cash can have a pleas-ant summer without burning holes in their pockets.

Golf, shopping and movies

Lisa Hall, f r e s h m a n pre-nurs ing major, plans on having the ‘usual’ summer with a twist. Be-sides shop-ping and w a t c h i n g

movies, Hall wants to go miniature golfing with her friends.

“My family and I go to the ‘Pirate’s Cove’ chain, and it’s a lot of fun,” Hall said. “I want to putt-putt golf in Peo-ria with my friends.”

Fun for free

The cost for miniature golfing may be too much for some, but making fun at home with friends is almost always free. Freshman accountancy major, Roopak Pandya, wants to spend a lot of quality time with friends in any way possible.

“I plan on play-ing a lot of sports [such as] f oo t ba l l , volleyball and bas-k e t b a l l ,

hanging out with friends, going to the pool and maybe wasting time on Facebook every once in a while,” Pan-dya said.

Pandya looks forward to cooling down in his friend’s pool after a day full of sporting events.

“When we swim, there’s usually some sort of basketball or football be-forehand,” Pandya said. “So it’s nice to go for a swim after getting all sweaty.”

Quality outdoor time

Some students, such as freshman undecided major Breanne Lindsay, just want to spend time outside.

“I’m go-ing to go fish-ing, plant a garden and have a barbecue with my f r i end s ,” L i n d s a y said.

A l -t h o u g h

Lindsay enjoys the idea of fishing, what she does may not be considered fishing at all.

“I don’t actually catch fish,” Lind-say said. “I don’t have the patience. I usually catch tadpoles and pick flow-ers, but I like to be one with nature sometimes.”

Amanda WaldeStaff Writer

DeKALB | Students who are looking to kick back this summer might want to use their time to give back.

Local volunteer organizations have many opportunities avail-able for students who are look-ing to improve their resumes and spend their time giving back to the community.

Robert Hellmuth, administra-tive assistant for the Hope Haven homeless shelter, said any kind of volunteer help the shelter re-ceives is greatly appreciated.

“Our organization is entirely run by volunteers, so they are, of course, essential,” Hellmuth said. “We have received a great deal of help from local churches, and we would love to see more.”

The TAILS Humane Society is also in constant need of assis-tance. From cleaning cages to sim-ply spending time with the ani-mals, all support is welcome.

Courtney Marshall, volunteer coordinator for TAILS, said NIU has been a huge partner in main-taining the animal shelter.

“The football team has come in to volunteer their time by walking dogs,” Marshall said. “[Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity] and many so-rorities have also been a wonder-ful help. Because we are a non-profit organization, anyone that comes to help really stands out to an employer as an individual who gives back to his or her commu-nity.”

The TAILS staff has written many letters of recommendation for students who have donated

their time to the organization, Marshall said.

Safe Passage, an organization dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence and sexual as-sault, is also accepting volunteers to help maintain its shelter.

Natalie Walker, volunteer co-ordinator for Safe Passage, said volunteers would be welcome this summer to help with plant-ing, maintaining flower beds and brainstorming ideas to help im-prove the lives of those affected by domestic abuse.

“Our volunteers represent a great sense of maturity by dis-playing their commitment to preventing domestic violence,” Walker said. “A volunteer’s will-ingness to give back to their community says a great deal about their character.”

As students head home for the summer, DeKalb turns into ‘ghost town’Desmond LaweStaff Writer

DeKALB | Next week, the an-nual migration out of DeKalb for summer break will begin. However, some students who live in apart-ments off-campus will remain as DeKalb returns to a quiet rural town.

Those who choose to remain may find the town feels remarkably dif-ferent.

“It’s like a ghost town here be-ginning the second week after fi-nals,” said senior marketing major Dave Moore, who has spent three

summers in DeKalb. “You pretty much need to do whatever you can to combat boredom.”

One of the activities Moore has picked up is frisbee golf, or “frolf.” Over the summer he can be found frequenting the frisbee golf course at Prairie Park off Gurler St. in DeKalb.

“I started frolfing out of necessi-ty,” Moore said. “Other than that, I pretty much hang out with whoev-er else happens to be here.”

Anthony Ianno, junior engineer-ing technology major, is preparing for his second summer in the area, and is better prepared to handle the downtime.

“Last year whenever I went into town for groceries I noticed that

the park district pool was packed,” Ianno said. “I am definitely go-ing to get a membership there for the summer because it looked like such a good time.”

On-campus summer activities are limited, however. Campus Ac-tivities Board does not have any activities planned for the sum-mer at this time and does not an-ticipate any being added. Guest speakers do occasionally make trips to NIU.

“I went to see a guest speak-er once last summer,” Moore said. “Unfortunately, when I got to the auditorium I was the only person there besides the speaker and the tech guy. It turned into an awk-ward two-hour one-on-one conver-

sation.”But while DeKalb may seem like

a ghost town to some, other stu-dents enjoy the quiet time over the summer.

“I split my time between home and here over the summer,” said junior psychology major Sean Fol-ey. “Whenever I need to get away from my hectic work schedule at home I come to NIU to relax at my apartment with my friends.”

Senior psychology major Anasta-sia Wiltgen uses the time to catch up on one of her favorite hobbies.

“I spent a lot of time last sum-mer hitting up the library,” Wilt-gen said. “I love to read and the peace and quiet was a great atmo-sphere.”

Students interested in volunteering at these organizations can reach them at:

• Hope Haven 1145 Rushmoore Drive815-758-3166

• Safe Passage 151 N. Fourth St.815-756-5228

• TAILS Humane Society 2250 Barber Greene Road815-758-2457

More volunteer opportunities can be found at http://www.kishwaukeeunitedway.org/give/volunteer.html.

FOR MORE INFO

Taking time to help the community

Northern Star file photo

Igor Melnichek lets loose a putt while playing “frolf” at Prairie Park frisbee golf course in this September 12, 2005 file photo.

In a unique opportunity for students looking to add extracurriculars to their resume, or for anyone hop-ing to make a difference, the Campus Antiwar Net-work NIU chapter has announced openings for offi -cers for the 2009-10 school year, including chapter President.

“If you are interested in being CAN president next year...we can meet,” according to current President Mariel Mentink. If the meeting goes well and the or-ganization approves, Mentink added, “I’ll share my contacts and knowledge.”

Known for their successful rallies and ‘Drop Beats, Not Bombs,’ the Campus Antiwar Network tries to bring the social aspect back into social activism, bol-stering their messages with the fun sort of gatherings

that will entice the uninitiated into service.Unfortunately for C.A.N., however, many of their

most dedicated members will be graduating in just a few short weeks, leaving gaping holes in their ros-ter.

“This is something that should be taken care of soon if C.A.N. is going to live on at NIU for another year,” Mentink said.

“Please let me know if you or someone you know are interested in the jobs.”

For more information, e-mail Mariel Mentink at niu@campusantiwar.net, or visit the NIU Campus An-tiwar Network page on Facebook.

Mariel Mentinksenior visual communications major

Editor’s note: Mariel Mentink is a former Northern Star design editor.

Campus Antiwar Network’s members to graduate, leave plenty of open positions

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.info/opinion Perspective

06 PERSPECTIVE EDITOR: Lauren Stott ´ 815.753.9643 ´ perspective@northernstar.info

Phone: 815.753.0101Fax: 815.753.0708Web: northernstar.info

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Editorials re! ect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board; columns re! ect the opinion of the author, not the Northern Star.

The Northern Star has a circulation of 16,000 Monday through Thursday, and 13,000 Friday. A single copy is free. Additional copies are 50 cents.

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I was grateful to be part of a lively and education-al exchange at NIU, following an eyewitness account of experiences in Gaza which I was invited to present on April 23, at the Holmes Student Center.

The Northern Star correctly reports that there was an extensive network of tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.

Because Israel had closed the border crossings that formerly allowed importation of needed goods, Ga-zans resorted to creating a “tunnel industry,” which could be quite lucrative for anyone who owned a tun-nel.

The article states that “Kelly entered the Gaza Strip through one of the nearly 3,000 tunnels from

Egypt.” I entered Gaza at the Rafah border crossing, above

ground, carrying a notarized letter from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo which facilitated this entry.

The letter simply stated that I was responsible for my own safety.

A tunnel owner had suggested that for $3,000 U.S. dollars it would be possible to enter Gaza through a tunnel, but this sum was well beyond what I could afford.

It’s estimated that there were 1,700 tunnels built between Egypt and Gaza.

Thank you for receiving these corrections to Kyle Nabor’s otherwise accurate and thoughtful cover-age.

Kathy Kellyco-coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence

Giles BruceColumnist

It was a few weeks ago when my mom fi rst started hinting at it.

She’d say things such as, “So, Giles, where are you going to sleep when you move back home?” or “Are you going to live with me or your dad?”

I guess I’d been naive about the weak job market.

But, until then, I honestly hadn’t thought I’d be moving back home after graduation.

Now, I’m not so sure.So I asked economics professor

Khan Mohabbat : With the econ-omy in recession, will more stu-dents be moving in with their parents after graduation?

“It is indeed a very diffi cult time for all — parents and stu-dents alike,” he said. “If grad-uating students cannot fi nd jobs or summer work, there is no doubt that most will go back home and stay with their par-ents.”

Well, I’ve applied for 15 to 20 jobs. A few were even nice enough to send a letter to re-ject me.

So I called my mom. “Do you really

think I’ll be mov-ing back home?” I asked.

“Yeah, ha ha,” my mom, Vicki, said.

“But why?”“Because you

don’t have any money. You don’t have a job.”

True and true.But during our

conversation my mom reminded me some students aren’t as lucky as me.

“I think a lot of parents might be foreclosing on their homes, or the parents might be losing their [own] jobs,” she said.

OK. She got me with the senti-

ment. Who will I live with then? (My

mom has a two-bedroom apart-ment with my sister.)

“Probably Dad’s because he’s got a spare room. Because I

don’t know where you’ll stay here. The couch?”

She then gets distracted by our cat and dog.

“Max is funny. He’s walking real low to the ground. Now Lucy’s going after him ... You’d move in with dad. We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”

My mom’s short attention span on that day reminded me of one of the pluses of living at home: I’d always be able to see our cute-as-can-be pets.

Not to mention I’d get free meals, cable, Internet, heat, air conditioning, electricity, water and rent.

But, on the other hand, I could see myself getting com-fortable with all those free ame-nities, leading to complacency.

And then there’s the lack of freedom, being in my mid-20s and still living at home.

Next, I called Xiaolin Xie , co-ordinator of family and child studies .

“Will I make my parents cra-zy?” I asked.

Xie laughed. “Yeah you will.” She laughed again.

But setting ground rules ahead of time will help keep us

all sane, she said.

Before our call ended, Xie informed me that, on average, men live at home longer than women, who are gener-ally more i n d e p e n -dent. Then she laughed again.

OK. Say I do move back home.

I’ll only be there a short time. Right?

Maybe not. Forty percent of last year’s

college graduates still live with their parents, according to a sur-vey by the Web site, Monster.

Regardless, I think it’s time to step up that job search.

I have until Aug. 14, the last day of my lease.

Wish me luck.

After 4 years of college, students still stay homeA bachelor’s degree can give you the credentials to work a certain job; it does not ensure that job

Kelly given a notarized letter from U.S. embassy in order to enter Gaza Strip

VISUAL COMMENTARY | Swine fl u

Greg Merema | Northern Star

But, on the other hand, I could see myself getting comfortable with all those free amenities, leading to complacency.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR | Your perspective

CROSSWORD | Tribune Media Services

SUDOKU | Tribune Media Services | LEVEL 2

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.info/opinionPerspective 07

FIXING A HOLE | Jake Bock

PUDGE | Dominic LoBello

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Jacqueline E. Mathews

FOR RELEASE APRIL 29, 2009

ACROSS1 Scrapes6 Made public

11 Drops in themorning

14 Nebraska city15 Mary Tyler or

Garry16 __ Perón17 Meadow

adornments19 Peeve20 Wapiti21 Subtle

emanation22 Bee’s home24 Gobi or Mojave26 Sheer curtain

fabrics28 Connections30 Gave only a

scanty amount33 Dr. visits36 On __; having

continued luck38 Fruity drink39 Draw40 Hostile nation41 Common Latin

abbr.42 Within: pref.43 Move slightly44 __ de la crème45 Intestinal

disease47 Teheran money49 Last scene51 Deep furrow55 In contest

against57 Profound59 Oaxaca gold60 Address abbr.61 Jaywalking or

littering64 Mariner’s place65 Cooking herb66 1 of 2 New

Testament bks.67 Conclusion68 Snicks and ___69 Bratlike

DOWN1 Used oars2 “Walk __ in My

Shoes”3 Jonas & family

4 Higher degree:abbr.

5 Trips for theadventuresome

6 Spanish love7 Resident of

Des Moines8 Fish eggs9 In a wayward

manner10 Ravage11 Ruin totally12 Always13 Like some

kitchen floors18 Old instrument23 Place to stay25 Diminutive end27 Similar

chemicalcompound

29 Open shoe31 Dutch cheese32 Take out33 Sir Guinness34 Urge on35 Check for typos37 Like gasoline,

but not prem.

40 One of mixeddescent

41 __ StanleyGardner

43 Deadens44 Floor coverings46 Fleur-de-__48 Knickknack50 Actor __ Albert

52 Midafternoonprayers

53 In a bad mood54 Steed, to a tot55 Bouquet holder56 Level58 Long fishes62 Direction letters63 “Eureka!”

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

(c) 2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.All Rights Reserved.

Get Busters Grad Shirt Here!

WWW.NORTHERNSTAR.INFO

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.info News08

Students currently taking spring courses, but who are not enrolled in

summer courses, can purchase an extension for summer eligibility.

Call 815-753-1311 for details.

Division of Student Affairs

Spring eligibility

ends June 4

Summer eligibility

begins June 5

is open this summer!

www.healthservices.niu.edu

Hours

Monday-Friday

8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

(815) 753-1311

Tim Davis | Northern Star

President John Peters opens the 2009 Faculty Awards ceremony in the Altgeld Hall auditorium with an explanation of the selection process of the teaching awards.

4 professors receive awards for excellence in undergraduate teachingArkeem WilliamsStaff Writer

DeKALB | Four teachers have been honored for their commitment in undergraduate teaching this year:.

Mylan Engel, associate professor of philosophy; Lesley Rigg, associ-ate professor of biogeography; and nursing professor Jeanette Rosset-ti received the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Market-ing instructor Ed Brata received the Award for Excellence in Undergrad-uate Instruction.

“Out of all my teaching accolades, this is the best one,” Brata said.

Brata described his classroom tone as conversational.

“I don’t speak at my students. I speak to my students,” Brata says.

Like Brata, Rossetti also is very

passionate about her students and was honored to have received the award.

“This award really means a lot to me. I really like it because it’s not like any other because you are nom-inated by the students,” Rossetti said.

Engel said he challenges stu-dents to think in a radically refl ec-tive way.

“Learning what our fundamental values are is a crucial fi rst step to-ward living lives that accord with our values,” Engel says.

Rigg, like Engel, has a strong pas-sion for her work and enjoys the many different scenes of geogra-phy.

“I think it was spending a lot of time outside and getting an appreci-ation for the landscape as a whole,” Rigg said. In class, she shares her travel stories along with jokes about geography.

Profs. honoredEdBrata

Mylan Engel

LesleyRigg

JeanetteRossetti

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.infoNews 09

WE ACCEPT ALL CREDIT CARDS 1380 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore | Ph: 815-991-2911

*$0 Down. Plus license, title, doc fee and setup.9.9% APR for 48 mos. With approved credit.

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WE FINANCE SCOOTERS

Charles ColemanStaff Writer

DeKALB | Most bake sales charge everyone equally, but the bake sale the Women’s Resource Center held Tuesday took a different approach.

It’s commonly referenced that a woman makes 75 cents for every dollar a man makes, which is why at this bake sale, women paid only 75 cents for treats while men had to pay a dollar.

“The pricing may seem odd,” said Jamie Bolar, a graduate assistant for the resource center. “But I want to show the pay discrepancy for every dollar a man makes.”

The bake sale was held on Equal Pay Day . Established in 1999, Equal Pay Day is celebrated annually nationwide to raise awareness about un-fair pay for women in America and is acknowledged on the fourth Tues-day in April.

Bolar started the sale after learning more about the topic. “I started researching the National Committee on Pay Equity around

November after reading through some statistics,” Bolar said. Junior business major Kenneth Mitchell expressed his support for the

program, not wasting any time munching through his just-purchased cookies.

“It’s a shame that women earn less money than men in these times,” Mitchell said. “This program shows how even in modern days women are still treated with sexist attitudes, when at times they work twice as hard as men do.”

Shawn Wesson, a sophomore from College of DuPage , also donated to the bake sale as he passed out tiny pamphlets advertising summer work.

“I am all for equal rights and I believe that it’s degrading that wom-en don’t share the same privileges as men do, when they are actually the ones that birth us,” Wesson said.

The proceeds of the event will go toward general upkeep and purchas-ing new books for Founders Memorial Library.

Mike Greene | Northern Star

Jamie Bolar, second year counseling, adult and higher education graduate student, gives journalism major David Fixmer baked goods at DuSable Hall Tuesday. Bolar and senior sociology major Alexandria Springer were selling baked goods as part of the Women’s Resource Center’s Equal Pay Day. Men were charged $1.00 and women $.75 to illustrate inequalities in women’s salaries.

WRC demonstrates pay discrepancy in baked goods sale

NORTHERNSTAR.INFO

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.info/classifi edsClassifieds 11

Aries (March 21-April 19) - Today is an 8 - It’s a wonderful night for a moon dance, and you can make one happen. You know just the right person to invite, and the perfect location. Make a few calls and set up an evening to remember.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) - Today is a 5 - You can afford something that will make your home more comfortable. You do your best work when relaxed, so this is almost deductible. Better consult your accountant before you actually write it off, though.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) - Today is a 9 - Launch new enterprises now. Buy your cruise tickets. Sign up for more classes in subjects that tickle your imagination. These are suggestions, not an order. The idea is: The time is right.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) - Today is a 5 - Cash in some of the stuff you’ve been saving. That isn’t only your recyclables, although they count. It’s also the stuff you don’t need that somebody else could use. Have a sale.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) - Today is an 8 - You and your team have the advantage now, so don’t be afraid. The other guys don’t know how strong you are, but that’s OK. They’ll find out soon enough. Be confident.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) - Today is a 5 - If you’re going to write a story about your adventures, give it a good ending. Have the hero or heroine (you) emerge enormously successful. You don’t have to know how you’ll do it yet.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) - Today is a 9 - When you have a good support team cheering, you can do amazing things. Does that mean you’re a showoff? Maybe a little, but that’s OK. They believe you can do it, so you might as well prove them right.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) - Today is a 5 - Keep the communication channels open, especially the private ones. This takes a little more work. People you need to know about are not volunteering information. You’ll have to ask.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) - Today is a 9 - You and your mate have to get out of town, even if for just a while. You need to stretch your legs and your minds with some kind of adventure. That part will happen naturally, once you get on the road.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - Today is a 5 - You’ll find a way to increase your comfort and satisfaction. No need to suffer; you deserve as much luxury as you can get. Some of this stuff is on sale now, so check out the newspaper ads.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) - Today is a 9 - You’re so full of optimism now, you feel you can’t fail. That may be true, this round of the game. You have everything you need. Move quickly, while conditions are in your favor.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) - Today is a 5 - Working for yourself can be very rewarding, or a big flop. The trick is to build something others will want, before they ask for it. Start with something they’ve asked for in the past and you should do very well.

HOROSCOPES | Tribune Media Services

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009dekalbscene.com Flavor

12 FLAVOR EDITOR: Chris Krapek ´ 815.753.9639

A look at how Martha Stewart enhances her daytime TV show

Everyday I come home from class to have a quick lunch at home. As I sit down to relax and enjoy my meal, I can’t help but wish there was something better to watch on TV.

Between overly dramatic soap operas, Maury and Jerry Springer, trying to fi gure out if a guy named Reggie is some baby’s father and re-runs on VH1, afternoon TV is nothing but garbage.

On one of my tireless lunch breaks channel surfi ng, I stumbled upon the “Martha Stewart Show.”

While this show is usually direct-ed toward middle-aged housewives who enjoy gardening, cooking and crafts, her unexpected guest stars make this show surprisingly enter-taining for everyone.

While she is genuinely offer-ing great advice and tips to stay at home moms, she knowingly pokes fun at some well-known celebri-ties, and they join in by teasing her as well.

I mean where else can you see Ludacris show how he prepares sea bass, while Martha chats about how much she loves his music.

Is she listening to the same Luda I do? I mean I can’t really picture her singing “I’ve got h--- in different area codes,” while

weaving baskets, but there’s a lot we don’t know about her.

On her recent show with SNL’s Seth Meyers, who was a last-min-ute replacement for Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Martha prepared the Easter favorite hot crossed buns, and agreed that it would be an appropriate nickname for the “Tudors” hottie, because of his lovely buns.

Between this and her sup-posed “thing” with Anthony Hopkins, which was revealed in her interview with Ray Liota ear-lier this month, when the actor asked her if Hopkins was a good kisser; it is evident the blushing host is not as innocent as we al-ways thought.

So whether she is coyly mak-ing a Q-tip holder with Q-Tip the rapper, or being reminded of her stint in the big house while dec-orating Easter eggs with Rosie O’Donnell, the “Martha Stewart Show” is a surprisingly funny af-ternoon talk show.

This show pokes fun at celeb-rities including Martha.

Never does it cease to be amaz-ing when a star can laugh at themselves, and all in good fun.

It also manages to take the time to teach valuable tips on be-ing an exceptional housekeeper.

I have fi nally found a show that is worth watching during my elev-en o’clock lunch break everyday, and as the domestic diva herself would say, “That’s a good thing.”

Jen HanceColumnist

Show goes beyond expectations

www.marthastewart.com

Creative host Martha Stewart stands in one of her gardens.

Chris KrapekFlavor Editor

Who is Mike Jones ?Four years after fi rst turning

heads on the rap scene, that ques-tion posed from his 2005 debut al-

bum “Who is Mike Jones?” still can’t be answered. He’s just been too inconsistent.

The Houston native is best known for giving out his cell phone number to fans, 281-330-8004, and for his patented skills of self-pro-motion — he shouts his fi rst and last name whenever he deems ap-plicable. Jones, however, has been suspiciously quiet lately. He’s had singles fail to gain airplay and wit-nessed the demise of chopped and screwed rap, a concept that he helped mainstream.

On his long-delayed second al-bum, “The Voice,” the rapper should be coming back with a vengeance,

putting emcees in their place and reinstating himself as a prominent player. He instead putters to the fi nish line with a song about his grandma.

The album explodes with “Swag-ger Right ,” as Jones, with his Southern, sufferin’ succotash twist, boasts about how he’s got swag-ger to the ceiling. Although he’s no trendsetter — as it seems ev-ery rapper is legally obliged to talk about their swagger — the track maintains Jones’ trademark de-livery while incorporating sounds that resemble the latter half of the decade.

“Cuddy Buddy, ” featuring T-Pain ,

Lil Wayne and Twista, dropped last summer but it’s such a hot and slick R&B jam that it still remains rel-evant. The auto-tuned lothario re-turns later on “Scandalous H--- II ,” a song inherently offensive, com-plaining “I can’t love ‘em, I can’t trust ‘em.” “Drop and Gimme 50” is a lame attempt for a hit for the clubs and features the intolerable ringtone rapper Hurricane Chris. Was Soulja Boy busy?

“The Voice ” is fi lled with too many fi ller tracks at a time in Jones’ career when he must deliv-er nothing but classics.

“On Top Of The Covers ” and “Hate On Me ” should have been left in

the studio, and “Give Me A Call” is laughable. Jones relies too much on featured guests, and most of them are total nobodies. Nae Nae, Essay Potna, Kai? Who?

On this album, Jones, with a few distinctly memorable tracks, is able to fi ll a rap niche that was pre-viously nonexistent. He’s different from the current batch of fl avor-of-the-month rappers, but doesn’t stray too far from candy paint and purple drink.

“The Voice ” is only his second album, but he needs to return to the lab and come back with some-thing that makes him huge before people start to forget Mike Jones.

MIKE JONES- “THE VOICE”

REVIEW

RATING - 6/10

New Mike Jones album lacks swagger, ‘voice’Mainstream rapper’s singles fail to gain airplay, lack creativity

Courtesy

Mike Jones’s album “The Voice” was released on Nov. 11, 2008.

What’s on your iPod?

Courtesy

Virak Hem junior health and human scienc-

es major

PLAYLIST:1) The-Dream - “Rockin’ That

Thang” 2) Mastodon - “Blood and

Thunder” 3) Four Tops - “Ain’t No Wom-

an (Like the One I Got)” 4) Zu - “Carbon” 5) OutKast - “SpottieOttieDo-

paliscious (feat. Patrick Brown)”

Andy FoxStaff Writer

Courtesy

Mike Jones’s album “The Voice” was released on Nov. 11, 2008.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.infoAuto 13

Kim SkibinskiStaff Writer

DeKALB | Jonathan Borowicz has been without a car his first year at NIU. Next year, his vehi-cle status will change.

“My dad bought a BMW, and he’s selling his old car to me,” said Borowicz, a freshman pre–computer science major.

Many NIU students have to rely on new and used car dealers in order to search for their perfect four-wheeled companions. Al-though the idea of buying a car can be overwhelming, anyone can be a knowledgeable customer after a little research.

Brian Bohman, sales manager at Brian Bemis Ford, 1380 DeKalb Ave. in Sycamore, said choosing between a new or used car de-pends on the person’s situation.

“If you are looking for trans-portation on a limited budget

there are some great deals on pre-driven cars,” Bohman said. “How-ever, if you buy a new car, you get full factory warranty [and a car] that no one has driven and best of all, that new car smell.”

Researching about different kinds of cars is also important, Bohman said.

“There is a ton of information online about different vehicles,” Bohman said. “Compare features, prices, reliability and get an idea of what your payments will be. Finally, have a budget and know what you can afford.”

Because they are not new, used cars need extra attention. Tim Jennings, Internet sales manager at Tom Sparks Buick, 216 S. First St., said there are two main ques-tions to ask dealers when looking for a used car.

“[Ask] where did this car come from? [and] Has this car ever

been in an accident?” Jennings said. “The answers to these ques-tions can be found at several in-formational sites, the largest be-ing Carfax Vehicle History Re-port.”

Jennings stressed the impor-tance of making sure the cost of owning a car is worthwhile.

“Figure out cost of ownership for the first year of the vehi-cle you’re going to purchase and weigh that against the value of owning your own vehicle,” Jen-nings said. “[Some hidden costs] include fees and registration, in-surance, fuel and possible repairs and breakdowns.”

For people like Borowicz, the freedom of having a car to go anywhere at any time outweighs its cost.

“I don’t know if I’ ll be going home more, but I’ ll pick up more chicks,” Borowicz said.

John BachmannStaff Writer

DeKALB | How much you pay for gas depends on what the car re-quires.

Economics professor Khan Mo-habbat said people who pay for pre-mium gas do so because their car requires that type of fuel.

“Premium gas is used only for certain cars such as those with V-8 engines because it needs more oc-tane in the fuel,” he said.

Senior economics major Ankur Gandhi said it is necessary for him to use premium.

“I use premium because I have to for the kind of car I drive,” he said.

Mohabbat said a difference be-tween unleaded and premium is the price.

“Premium tends to be 10 to 11 cents more than unleaded,” he said.

Gandhi said despite the high-

er price for premium gas, it hasn’t been affecting him too much.

“It would be a bigger deal for me if gas were $4,” Gandhi said.

Mohabbat said unleaded gas shouldn’t be used on cars that run on premium.

“If unleaded is used on premi-um gas cars it hurts the engine,” he said.

What type of gas people should use for their car can also depend on what the manufacturers sug-

gest, Mohabbat said.“Based on manufacturer state-

ments, they may recommend to use premium depending on what kind of car it is,” he said.

Mohabbat said most cars don’t need premium gas.

“Most other cars run on unlead-ed gas because they don’t require as much octane,” he said.

Junior journalism major Gareth Sleger said he has always used un-leaded gas.

“I use unleaded gas because it’s cheaper for me, and the car I drive works fine with it,” he said. “For all the cars I’ve had, I never used pre-mium because it wasn’t necessary for me to do so.”

Like Sleger, Ryan Mackey, senior business administration major, said he only uses unleaded gas.

“Unleaded costs less and has been working great for my car, so there’s no reason for me to use pre-mium gas,” he said.

Type of gas depends on type of auto

Older vehicles need investigation prior to purchase

In this April 3 photo, prospective buyers look over a 2009 Solstice convertible in the Pontiac display at the Denver Auto Show.

David Zalubowsk | The Associated Press

Northern StarDeKALB | Five errors doomed Il-

linois State against the Huskies on Tuesday night as NIU came away with a 5-3 softball victory.

Morgan Bittner started for NIU and pitched a complete game, allow-ing three runs on two home runs, walking six and striking out six for the win.

Andrea Colosimo led the offense going 3-for-4 and Dani Thomp-son drove in the only earned run against ISU pitcher Chrissy Burton .

The Huskies jumped to the early lead with three runs in the second and one in the third, but ISU posted three in the top of the fi fth to pull within one. NIU increased the lead with one run in the sixth.

Bittner struck out the fi nal hit-ter of the game, ISU’s Michelle Hen-derson , with runners on fi rst and second.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.info/sports Sports14

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Huskies lose 2 to Panthers

Box Score Game 1

UW-Milwaukee 5, NIU 2NIU 200 000 0- 2 4 1UWM 000 005 X- 5 5 0

IP H R ER BB SO Winning Pitcher Franzke 3 3 2 1 1 1

IP H R ER BB SO Losing Pitcher Hermsen 5.2 5 5 5 1 5

Box Score

NIU 5, ISU 3ISU 000 003 0- 3 4 5NIU 031 001 X- 5 9 1

IP H R ER BB SO Winning Pitcher Bittner 7 4 3 3 6 6

IP H R ER BB SO Losing Pitcher Burton 3 7 4 1 1 0

Box Score Game 2

UW-Milwaukee 6, NIU 4NIU 210 001 0- 4 3 0UWM 030 003 X- 6 8 2

IP H R ER BB SO Winning Pitcher Hoy 2 2 1 1 1 2

IP H R ER BB SO Losing Pitcher Reynolds 5.1 7 6 6 2 7

Huskies escape with a 1-run victory over Redbirds

NIU continues to struggle in late innings, drops third straightSteve NitzStaff Writer

The NIU baseball team has seen this movie before.

After giving up a walk-off homer Sunday in a loss to East-ern Michigan, the Huskies suf-fered two heartbreaking defeats Tuesday at Wisconsin-Milwau-kee.

NIU twice took leads into the sixth inning at Henry Aaron Field but twice came out of the frame trailing with the Panthers coming out on top in each game,

5-2 and 6-4 respectively.“It’s a story that we’ve seen un-

fortunately a few times this year,” said NIU head coach Ed Mathey . “We’re playing good up until the other team’s last at bat. We just don’t close it out.”

Only one game was scheduled, but with both teams having a lot of rainouts recently, the coach-es decided to make it a double-header with both games being seven innings. With it being the last week of classes at NIU, some players, including lead-ing hitter Jordin Hood , weren’t able to make the tr ip because of exams and other things related

with their classes.The Huskies (15-27, 6-11 MAC)

were able to get off to a hot start in game one.

NIU had its fi rst two batters reach base in the top of the fi rst when Joe Buonavolanto and Troy White singled. First baseman Dave Reynolds then fl ied out to right-plating Buonavolanto, who had advanced to third on White’s hit. White then scored on Nick Badgley’s single after advancing to third on a wild pitch.

But the Huskies only man-aged one hit the rest of the game while UWM starter Cuyler Franz-ke and three relievers held them scoreless.

“We weren’t centering the ball up,” Mathey said. “We weren’t hitting it the other way as well as we have.”

NIU starter Jake Hermsen cruised through the fi rst fi ve in-nings but hit a wall in the fi fth where the Panthers (18-19, 8-4 Horizon) got to him for fi ve runs with the help of a Tim Patzman two-run homer.

NIU was able to bring the ty-ing run to the plate against Mil-waukee closer Craig Meier in the top of the ninth, but Buonavolan-to lined out to center to end the game.

The Huskies entered the

s ixth inning of game two w ith a 4-3 lead. Star t ing pitcher Dave Reynolds gave up a lead-of f s ingle to Milwaukee catch-er Josh Groves , and af ter re-t i r ing the next batter, walked Shawn Wozniak . With two men on, Paul Hoenecke deposited a Reynolds pitch over the r ight f ield fence to give the Pan-thers a lead which they would keep.

“He got it up into the jet stream, and it cleared the fence,” Mathey said.

NIU will take on Valparai-so Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Ralph McKinzie Field.

www.northernstar.info/sports

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009northernstar.info/sportsSports 15

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Top 50 continues with No. 3

3

BOB BRIGHAMBob Brigham took over as NIU’s athletic director in 1968. He achieved

his fi rst major accomplishment in 1969 by getting the Huskie football pro-gram into NCAA Division I-A. Brigham donned the cardinal and black for 50 years as a student-athlete, assistant coach, head coach, director of ath-letics and special assistant to the president before his retirement in June 2001. Brigham also led the Huskies into the Mid-American Conference in 1973. Under Brigham, NIU installed Astro Turf at Huskie Stadium in 1969 and received NCAA tournament bids in baseball, men’s basketball, men’s soccer and NCAA Championship berths in men’s golf and men’s gymnastics. The NIU football team also made a major bowl in 1983. Prior to the 2003 home opener versus Maryland, the fi eld at Huskie Stadium was offi cially named Brigham Field.

Northern StarThe Northern Star Top 50 Huskies of All Time is a countdown of the

50 greatest fi gures in NIU sports, ever. People are ranked based on their accomplishments and achievements as Huskies, which include coaches, players, administrators and sports information directors.

The list was compiled by the Northern Star sports staff with guidance from Mike Korcek, NIU Sports Information Director Emeritus. The order of the list was decided upon solely by the Star sports staff.

Courtesy photo