H U S K I E S! Gooooooo Huskies!

Go NIU!

It's Homecoming at my alma mater Northern Illinois University this weekend. In honor of this annual event, I've invited my NIU friends to share three good memories from our college days back in the mid/late 80's to the early 90's. They didn't disappoint!

So without further fanfare, not in any particular order, and mostly in their own words, I share these happy memories with you. Of course, I chimed in here and there as well!

2. Hanging out with friends in the Plaza eating beer nuggets.
3. Going to Ollie's for frozen custard.
1. Developing my own photos in the darkroom ~ Mark G. (Ohhh, I loved that, too. Hallie H. was one of my favorite journalism professors!)

2. The marching band with all the trips and football games.
3. Loving those beer nuggets.
1. The parties we had in our triple dorm room. ~ Kathy A. O. (Wasn't it amazing how many people we could stuff in a dorm room?)

2. Playing football on the field before Thursday night marching band practices with the KAB - Kick Ass Brass. (Thursday night practices at the stadium were my favorites!)
3. Stand cheers from tuba player Andy R.
1. Any weekend get-together with friends. ~ Todd M.

2. On the second day of my NIU career . . . I had not intended to join the marching band at all, but my high school classmate Steve U. convinced me to come to the first band meeting, so I went back home and got my clarinet. I realized it would be something much bigger than I could have ever imagined. Best decision ever . . .
3. The band trip to West Virginia . . . all of it, having to get out of the bus because it was too heavy to make it up the hill to the stadium, the halftime show, partying in the hotel parking lot at night (dancing on the buses), and convincing the Pizza Hut delivery guy to pick up some kegs for us . . . (Wow, I was on this trip and I don't remember half those things! I must have been in my hotel room studying . . .)
1. The trips to Disney . . . all of them have a story!
And so many more memories . . . ~ Ed H.



2. Marching band with all the wonderful trips and football games. What a great way to make so many instant friends. Go Huskies!
3. Late night beer nuggets after parties. I wish I had the metabolism I had back then. I can't imagine drinking beer and eating beer nuggets then going to bed now. (or late night cheese fries from Lukulo's)
1. Joining a sorority and having amazing times on Greek Row.

I think college was the absolute funnest (is that a word?!?) time of my life. So many friends and parties. It was a great campus ~ Kelly M. G.
(I wholeheartedly agree - FUNNEST times ever!)

2. Going to Ollie's for frozen custard.
3. Beer nuggets (Do I see a recurrent theme here?)
1. My roomies (lifetime friends) ~ Paula S. (Yes, building lifetime friendships is a very good thing!)

2. University Band and playing euchre with Eddie and Sue V.
3. McCabes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (Don't forget growler night, too! Wednesdays I believe.)
1. Meeting some awesome and wonderful people! ~ Robin W. H.


And because there are so many good college memories, I'll add three more of my own:

2. Honing my writing and editing skills in the lovely, er, very old, sorta run-down, Campbell Hall - home of The Northern Star, and winning the Roy G. Campbell Award aka "The Best Damn Reporter Award" sometime in the late 80's.
3. Living "off-campus" in the blue-ish gray, or the grayish-blue townhouses, with the greatest bunch of roommates ever, and eating the famous "tuna noodle s*&%", and sugared-popcorn.
1. Doing the band dance to Al Jarreau's "Boogie Down" at various marching band festivities such as road rallies, Halloween parties, Lake Lawn Lodge band banquets, and whatnot:

FYI: What is a beer nugget? A tasty late-night treat or party food essentially made of chunks of deep-fried pizza dough invented in DeKalb, IL mostly for broke students from Northern Illinois University. It's usually served with a dipping side of marinara or pizza sauce, but can also be served with a cheese or garlic butter sauce or sprinkled with or dipped in cinnamon-sugar. ~ Urban Dictionary (We loved to dip them in ranch dressing. Oh, my mouth is watering just writing about them!)

Thanks to all my NIU friends who helped out with this post. Very good times indeed!