Officials at Northern Illinois University are hoping a new landmark in the heart of campus will get students to stop in their tracks and get out their phones.
The cardinal red sculpture with the letters N-I-U measures 6 feet high by 19 feet wide.
It sits in the center of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commons in DeKalb.
The sculpture was unveiled as NIU completes work on an overhaul of the southern portion of the MLK commons.
The sculpture is part of a gift from Dennis and Stacey Barsema. Dennis Barsema is the board chair for the NIU Board of Trustees.
"So much of today is about social media, and it's about getting your name out in social media," Barsema said. "I think we all look for reasons to show pride in NIU and this is just one more way that students, prospective students, faculty, staff, and alums can show their support for NIU and keep ourselves in front of prospective students."
It's also part of renovation work at the Holmes Student Center, which is scheduled to open to the public during Homecoming weekend later this month.
