DeKALB — Heavy weights crash to the ground like thunder inside of the Prairie State Barbell gym, 328 Dietz Ave. The gym is a recycled warehouse with rubber mats on the ground and flags representing various organizations on the walls, including an NIU flag on the western wall. The smell of rubber greets visitors at the doors, while the music playing in the background vibrates throughout the gym.
Although the gym is hidden in the back of a long line of rustic buildings, it's hard to dodge the action being heard from inside.
Prairie State Barbell is the home of NIU Barbell, a student organization with undergraduate and graduate competitors in Olympic barbell lifting.