Justin O’Connell is psyched for Fridays.

“It makes me wish I had a red-and-black pantsuit,” he said.

O’Connell, a junior history major, is just like every other NIU student in that wearing red and black on Friday can result in a visit from the Huskie Prize Patrol, a group that searches the campus every Friday in hopes of rewarding students for wearing the school’s signature colors.

Previous prizes have included food, coffee mugs, movie tickets and even dinner at local restaurants, said Phyllis Dupre, event and marketing coordinator for Housing and Dining and coordinator of the prize patrol.

The prize patrol promotes school pride, raises morale and builds a sense of community among the campus, Dupre said.

“This helps people get excited about where they go school,” she said.

The patrol works in partnership with many organizations around campus, including the athletic department, the University Bookstore, Housing and Dining and various other volunteers.

This is the eighth year the group has patrolled NIU, Dupre said. She said the campaign can help make NIU more than just a place of education.
“I am so excited when I talk to alumni who are still wearing red and black,” Dupre said.

Like O’Connell, Elizabeth Savio, a freshman psychology major, thinks the prize patrol presents a unique way of spreading school spirit.

“I think it’s kind of nice. It’s out of the ordinary,” Savio said.

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