Huskie Pride Lights
Huskie Pride Lights
NIU Huskies accomplish and celebrate great things. We’re shining a light on those key moments!
Huskie Pride Lights is an initiative designed to not just increase the visibility and awareness of accomplishments and to provide an easy way for the community, on and off campus, to see what’s being celebrated.
This effort is grounded in the mission, vision and values of the university. The iconic Holmes Student Center (HSC) tower can be seen for miles in every direction around the DeKalb area. The standard lighting on the tower is white, but when special events or accomplishments occur, we light the tower up in Huskie red so the entire community knows there’s cause for celebration at NIU.
When You'll See the Huskie Pride Lights
The tower will be lit red during celebratory university events such as:
- Commencement Weekend
- Homecoming Weekend
- NIU’s Anniversary (July 15)
- Welcome Days
- Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day
- Faculty and Staff Award Ceremonies
- Red and Black event
- Special events at the Holmes Student Center
Additionally, the tower will be lit red in recognition of the athletic achievements including: Mid-American Conference Championships, NCAA Tournament wins or selection, Bowl game wins and more.
Other occasions to light the tower red will be when the university receives national recognition or at the president’s or president’s designee’s discretion.
About the Holmes Student Center
The Holmes Student Center (HSC) first opened in the fall of 1962. The facility was eagerly anticipated by the growing university community and was warmly received. The center contained the first campus bookstore, meeting rooms, guest rooms and other facilities. Originally known as University Center, the building was renamed the Leslie A. Holmes Student Center in 1974, in honor of the former NIU president.
Today, the HSC is home to restaurants, a hotel, book store, recreation facilities, administrative offices and more.
About the Huskie Pride Sculpture
The “Huskie Pride” sculpture was unveiled in October 2019. Comprised of the letters N-I-U in 6-foot-tall block type painted in the university’s signature cardinal red, the sculpture sits in the center of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commons on the university’s DeKalb campus.
“This sculpture, with its bold, classic lines, speaks loudly and proudly about what it means to be an NIU Huskie,” President Dr. Lisa Freeman said. “It speaks to the legacy of our alumni and the spirit of our student body ... it creates a new opportunity for all of us to share our Huskie Pride with the world.”