IS THE ST. ANTHONY CHORALE IN THE METHODIST HYMNAL? More resources for advising at Northern Illinois.

The Board approved a resolution to enter negotiations with the United Methodist Church for the former Wesley Foundation and United Campus Ministries building at 633 Locust St., located by the NIU Parking Deck. The price negotiations will reflect NIU's interest to renovate the building and to use it for a central advising location, [president John] Peters said.

I await the release of the university's strategic plan, and the instructions these advisors will be given, which will probably be along these lines.

It also appears that a $750K guarantee from the Poinsettia Bowl might not cover the incremental costs of participating.

The Board later passed a resolution allowing entry into negotiation for upcoming Poinsettia Bowl costs. Eddie Williams, vice president of Operations, Finance and Facilities, said he will report the results of the negotiations at the next Board meeting in March.

NIU football coach Joe Novak and running back Garrett Wolfe were present to speak on behalf of the team.

That's proven too much for the Northern Star's editorial board.

Teams participating in bowl games typically incur costs, even after receiving money to go to the games. Bowl games are positive investments for any university; it gives the program exposure which results in increased student interest.

NIU gets $750,000 from the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl for playing in the game, and the NIU Foundation also covers the cost of some of the extra expenses for the game. After the BOT's decision Thursday, NIU will cover the remaining costs.

We have no qualms with NIU spending the amount of money it needs to adequately provide for the football team's well-deserved postseason game, but the BOT's decision raises some interesting questions that anyone paying student fees should demand an answer to.

What sort of message does it send to other departments in this academic institution when an athletic program that already gets a quarter of student fees receives what is, in essence, a blank check to do whatever it wants? What sort of checks and balances are set up when one individual has the authority to give away whatever figure is necessary?

Has somebody reminded the editorial board that a front porch is high-maintenance?

It is scant consolation that the bowl guarantee may not be sufficient to cover the incremental cost of sending one of the country's traditional football powerhouses to the Emerald Bowl.

Florida State University President T.K. Wetherell decided it was too expensive to take the world's largest collegiate marching band along with FSU's football team, which will play at the Dec. 27 bowl game, Lee Hinkle, FSU vice president of university relations, said today.

At the margin, however, it might be too expensive to take the team.

The bowl put up $1.2 million for expenses to bring the Seminoles to the west coast. That will cover the cost of flying out the team, feeding them and giving them rooms in the bowl-picked Hyatt Regency Embarcardero.

Economics prelim question: If the team is capable of playing in one of the January bowls with a larger guarantee and additional television revenue, by qualifying for the Emerald, has it lost money?