C.L. LINDSAY 12 Campus students and the law. Learn the pitfalls students can avoid when it comes to what some may have considered innocent acts. MARC ELLIOT 18 Marc delivers a lecture riveted with tolerance and understanding for the handicaps and problems that others face in life. 2010 ROCK ‘N ROAD SHOW Campus Activities Magazine’s® 5th Annual Show was at the University of Akron and an outstanding success.
NICK CANNON 14
This Year’s Host of “America’s Got Talent” Takes His Comedic Talents On The Road to America’s Campuses. Not Only Does He Write, Produce, Sing, Act and Tell Jokes, but is acting Chairman of “Teen Nick.”
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HOT SPEAKERS 2011 28 Top picks run the gamut from celebrity to traditional speakers with exceptional choices for 2011. D E P A R T M E N T S
From the Publisher Real Life w/ Elaine Pasqua Laff Guru Hot Speaker Section
4 8 10 28
Mona Sampath Khan Dance 32 Human Race Machine 33 Artist Report Cards 34
Z-MAGS® ONLINE VIDEO INTERACTIVE EDITION: campusactivitiesmagazine.com
RANDOM THOUGHTS & OTHER MINDLESS DRIBBLE The Credit Card Debacle
In a time when the government is trying to protect us from ourselves, they seemed to have really ticked off the credit card companies by sticking their finger in the eye of those who provide us with credit for the everyday conveniences. I was always taught to use a credit card rather than a debit card because if you were charged unjustly for a product or service, you could dispute the charge and in most cases the credit card company would protect the consumer. And this has been pretty much the case in the past. But going forward, it appears that credit card companies are more likely to protect merchants who use their services on a regular basis because they stand to collect much more revenue from these sources as merchant fees.
Here is my case in point. We are a completely Apple-based operation, as most publications are. Last time we purchased iPhones, the Apple Store offered us a deal on a service many of you know of called “Mobile Me.” This service allows you to be completely connected to your data whether you are in your office or on the road through the services of the Mobile Me applications. The first year we bought it, we got a reduced cost on the “family plan” for $99. But when it came time to renew, it apparently was a self-renewing program and the cost was somewhere around $159. Upon notice that the plan was ending, I found a corporate price through Mac Mall which would allow us to purchase the same program for $114 with no sales tax and free shipping. Not only that, the purchase allowed for a $30 rebate which reduced the cost to $84 and we saved the 6% sales tax.
The card we had originally used for the iPhones purchase two years ago, still charged us $159. Originally the card had been a GM Mastercard and although it still contains the GM logo, the card is now issued by HSBC Card Services. Obviously when I received the statement, I disputed the charges. When first connected by telephone, I reached a nice guy in customer service, who spoke plain and clear English, obviously an American. However, after waiting on the line for about ten minutes for a dispute expert, I was transferred to a lady who was obviously from India and spoke a very broken version of English. It took me nearly fifteen minutes to explain what had happened, having to repeat it numerous times, never clearly understanding the process she was explaining. But at the end it seemed clear that HSBC was going to send me documents that I would either fax or mail back to them supporting my case for the dispute. In the meantime, I was issued a credit. That being said, as soon as the paperwork arrived, the documentation was sent to HSBC. 4, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, Nov/Dec 2010
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A few weeks later I received a letter saying the card company had reversed the temporary credit they had placed on my account and were denying the dispute.
At that point, I called once again to disagree with their decision. Once again, I got a very pleasant guy in customer service. Once again I had to wait 15 minutes while my call apparently once again went across the ocean. The dispute representative I was connected to this time has even worse English than the one I had spoken with the first time. After reading me a complete list of statements that were nothing but government required word-vomit, she assured me that new paperwork was on the way.
This time, I received the paperwork in a few days and I carefully copied all the receipts and documents I had and both faxed and mailed the copies to HSBC. In literally days, I had their answer: “The merchant has notified us that the charge was for a subscription. Because the merchant provided services for which your authorization was given, we are unable to pursue a dispute in your behalf.� Apparently at no time did HSBC notify Apple that what they were providing was a duplication of services already ordered and paid for and nowhere on the receipt they posted was there ever a way to contact Apple and dispute the charge. My only alternative is to pay off the credit card less the charges in dispute and let HSBC use the services for which they have denied credit. Sadly, I know that Apple is a very customeroriented company and has prospered on customer loyalty. Unfortunately, finding the right department within the company to deal with an issue such as this has been difficult.
Since we have heard other even more extreme stories from college students regarding similar incidents with other companies when using their credit cards, this might be an excellent time to educate your campus consumers by inviting experts to campus who deal with credit card issues because it seems that no one is immune to credit card policies. Selecting the right credit card provider can be more important than simply finding a cheaper introductory rate.
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BY ELAINE PASQUA
Alcohol
So many of my friends are getting wasted drinking, is it really harmful?
Looking back most say that their college years were some of the best in their lives. Many college students love to have a good time and party, but some drink excessively, putting their lives and future in jeopardy. Alcohol is the high-risk behavior that interferes most with a successful college education today and it is the substance that has caused the most harm and suffering to humans. We need to respect it more.
up with beer you now have 16 ounces so you are consuming more than one drink.
We should look at why students drink excessively. The need to loosen up in a social setting is the number one reason for abusing alcohol. Learn to feel comfortable with yourself. Having confidence and feeling good about who you are will enable you to have a good time without needing alcohol as a social lubricant. Studies show those under the age of 21 who use alcohol to loosen up in a social setting may tend to
What quantities of alcohol constitute one drink; twelve ounces of beer, five ounces of wine and one and a half ounce of hard liquor. People are drinking from much larger containers and are consuming more than they realize. Wine glasses are much wider than they use to be and hold more. The red Solo cup is the favorite at parties. If you fill it
• 41% of all academic difficulties and 28% of all college drop outs are due to alcohol abuse • 1,825 students die annually from alcohol related accidents • 300 die from alcohol poisoning • 696,000 students are physically assaulted by another who is under the influence • 400,000 engage in unprotected sex and • 100,000 don’t remember if they consented Underage drinking can be harmful to the brain. The brain does not fully develop until you are 25. For those under the age of 25, a high-risk drinking episode can damage the white matter of the brain and shrink the area that regulates memory retention. When run through cognitive testing, MRI’s shows decreased activity in the brains of students who regularly abuse alcohol versus the ones who drink infrequently. Those who have a history of high risk drinking retrieve 10 % less information compared to those who didn’t.
When abused, alcohol can be detrimental but we can learn to drink responsibly and keep each other safe. Looking at alcohol use on college campuses today, the proportion of students who drink and binge are the same as in the past, but we are seeing an increase in frequency of high-risk drinking and consumption of larger quantities at one time. Previously known as binge drinking, it is now referred to as high-risk drinking.
So what quantities are considered highrisk? If a male consumes five drinks and a female four drinks within a two-hour period of time, that will bring the blood alcohol to .08 which is when a person is considered legally drunk.
Alcohol is tied to so many negative outcomes on college campuses today. Let’s look at some of the annual stats:
carry that pattern with them through their adult life. Many addictive patterns with alcohol start in college.
The body can only clear one drink per hour. When you consume more than that, the brain absorbs the excess alcohol and you systematically shut down one area of the brain after another. The area of the brain that controls our higher rational thinking shuts down first. That’s why so many students do things that they would not normally do or wake up the next day with regrets!
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So how can one drink safely and responsibly? The rule of thumb is no more than one drink per hour. You can catch a light buzz but not get wasted by over loading the body and brain with too much alcohol. Also drink a non alcoholic beverage in between each drink. You will give the liver a chance to break down the alcohol and rehydrate the body so you feel better the next day. Have fun, but most importantly be safe and protect your friends who could be in harms’ way. Questions on college life? Email me at elaine@elainepasqua.com. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
older woman) who can’t understand my resistance to spend the evening sitting next to her watching the Lawrence Welk Show. I have learned to always pack a book so I can entertain myself in privacy (no, not that kind of book!).
I’ll Leave The Light On For You
“I once stayed in a hotel that was such a dump, on the postcards the bed wasn’t made.” - Mickey Freeman
Let me start by stating how grateful I am to have a job in the entertainment industry; I am truly blessed to live the life of my dreams. Not to brag, but I have nibbled caviar with movie stars, done shots of tequila with rock stars, celebrated pagan holidays with European royalty, and shaken the hands of Presidents. That being said, I am currently writing this in a motel that has a number in its name. (And you know what you never hear a guest of a motel with number name say? “Guess who I just met on the elevator?”) I can attest that living the life of your dreams is not always a dream-life. One of the greatest misconceptions about show business is the notion that it is eternally glamorous. TV programs like “Lifestyle’s of the Rich & Famous” and “MTV Cribs” have people believing that just because one stands in front of a microphone or camera for a living, they live in continuous luxury.
The stereotypical lifestyle of a “star” may hold true for a select few, but for the vast majority of comedians who spend the vast majority of their time performing on the road, we are at the mercy of the person who provides our accommodations. I can speak for all comics when I say our life is a roller coaster ride spanning the entire economic spectrum of housing, from the mansions to the slave quarters. There has been much talk of late about the gap between the rich and poor; my lifestyle requires leaping that chasm with regularity.
True, there have been times when I’ve been lucky enough to receive the royal treatment, literally; I once stayed in a palatial suite in the luxurious Adolphus Hotel that had previously been occupied by the Queen of England, and in Vegas, I stayed in a room fit for a King (AKA Elvis Presley). But these experiences are exceptions to the rule, and that rule is: the person who hires me wants to spend as little as possible putting me up. There are three forms of accommodations that my employers use: rental properties (commonly called comedy condos), hotels, and my least favorite, staying onsite.
I’ve performed at some colleges offering degrees in hospitality whose students maintain a one or two unit “hotel” on campus. I always feel odd when they give me a key to my room and then another key to the front door of the Student Center it is located in. Worse than that is when they expect me to stay in a dorm room, usually without a television or private bath; sure, dorm rooms look comfortable in movies and TV, but in real life they are closer to prison. Worse still is being stuck in the dreaded Alumni Guest House, which I invariably have to share with the caretaker, usually an older woman (actually, the mother of an
The comedy club equivalent to the Alumni Guest House is when you are expected to live at the club owner’s house. Thankfully this is rare, but when it happens I always feel a flashback to my teenage years when I was living with my parents, only this time we are the same age. Ask yourself, how comfortable would you feel if your roommate was also the person who signed your paycheck?
Comedy condos are like living with the owner once removed, since they are always furnished with their hand-me-downs; when the owner gets a new couch the condo gets the old one, so you feel as if you have traveled back in time, because you reside in a decor that was popular about the time you were born. I can say in all honesty I have shared sheets with some of the hottest female comedians in the world, from Sarah Silverman to Chelsea Handler, unfortunately, not at the same time. To give you an idea of how often condos get new sheets, I once had the son of the club owner visit the condo and comment “Oh wow, those were my sheets when I was in third grade.” At the time he was thirty-five. These condos are frequently lacking what most would consider modern necessities; these days, I don’t know anyone, even a five-year-old, which does not have cable or internet connection. But in condos, you consider yourself lucky if you’re provided toilet paper. If fairness to the owners I have witnessed some comedians realize they will not be asked back to the club and trash the condo in their wake. This barbarous behavior runs the gamut of tossing baked beans on the ceiling to defecating in dresser drawers. This happened at a condo in Oklahoma City the week before I arrived. The owner was so incensed he removed almost all of the furniture; my bedroom had nothing left but a mattress on the floor, I felt like I was on the set of “Roots”. I’ve also encountered a handful of lonely club owners that impose a “no guest” policy in their condo; if they are not getting lucky they don’t want you too either. Sometimes this policy is limited to the club’s staff. I worked a club in Houston that was so concerned about the waitresses visiting the condo the manager would get drunk and raid the place in the middle of the night, reminiscent of a Gestapo Storm Trooper bursting through the door while screaming “Vere are da Jews?”
One of my strangest experiences was when a club mailed me a map to their condo with my airline ticket. I arrived to find the door unlocked and walked in with my luggage to see a large man holding a butcher knife while making a sandwich. I assumed he was the other comedian, so I introduced myself and asked him which bedroom was mine. I walked down the hall with my bags exploring the place as he followed stammering “What the f…” After a few very awkward moments I discovered that the club had moved their condo and had not bothered to tell me; I had just tried to move into a stranger’s apartment.
Hotels offer a vast range in quality, from Plaza to Bates, and I’ve stayed at every kind, from the ones that make you wonder what the peasants are doing to the ones that make you fear for your life.
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My biggest complaint with hotels involves the people I have to share them with. Living on the road is lonely enough without having to hear the couple next door on their honeymoon. If the unmistakable sound of sex gets too much for me to bear I resort to dialing room to room and saying, “This is hotel security, we’ve had reports of screams coming from your room, is everything okay?” A panting voice then assures me everything is fine and promises to keep it down.
The hotel employees are usually no more considerate than the guests. It is common comedy fodder that to get a job as a hotel maid you must prove you are unable to comprehend the words “Do Not Disturb.” (For the funniest take on this, seek out the late, great, Bill Hicks’ routine on hotel maids.) Too get even, before I check out, I unroll about twenty feet of toilet paper and write “Help! I’ve been kidnapped by the maids! Call 911!” Then I roll it back up neatly for the next guest to find. Hotels offer more scares than a Halloween Haunted House, from two-legged lunatics to six-legged bedbugs. You just never know what malady is lurking. For example, while performing in Saint Croix, my opening act, a comedian named Martha Jane, had the rudest awakening ever. During the night, a drain underneath her hotel bed backed up... raw sewage! The moisture seeped up the linens and woke her. Still half-asleep, she stepped barefoot into the ankle-deep mess to see her luggage floating in it (without a paddle). My comic friend, Al Ducharme, was shaving in his hotel bathroom. In the mirror he caught the reflection of a large rat crawling in his luggage. He was forced to ponder whether it was from his present hotel, or if he had packed the rat from the seedy hotel he was in the previous night.
At a Super 8 in Wise, Virginia, I was locked in a bathroom for over an hour with no one to hear my screams, before I turned into MacGuiver and finally took the lock apart with a fingernail clipper, a Q-tip, and a box of Kleenex. But being locked in is better than being locked out, as I learned at the Salisbury Hotel in the heart of New York City. At the time I was married to a woman who had been tremendously over-served by a bartender that evening, resulting in her vomiting in the hotel room trash can, before passing out. The rancid smell soon became such a problem, I decided to place the trash can out into the hallway... without a stitch of clothing (I had the same bartender). No sooner out the door, than I heard it click behind me. Locked out of my room with nothing to hide my shame but a bucket of barf! And she was too unconscious to hear my pounding on the door. As fate would have it, at this very moment, the elevator opposite my room opened. I'm not sure who had the more shocked expression, me or the dozen people, who upon seeing a nude man holding a small trash can at waist level chose to stay in the elevator. Ooops, I’ve got to go get some clothes on; the maid just barged in… “The Laff Guru” has taken his message of LAUGHTER=NIRVANA to all 50 states and 23 countries. He is represented by GP Entertainment. To find out more about his awardwinning comedy act please visit: laffguru.com
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C.L. Lindsay 12, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, Nov/Dec 2010
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SPEAKER PROFILE
COLLEGE LIFE AND THE LAW
College is a fun and exciting time in every student’s journey, but as in life, there are certain rules and regulations to follow. All too often students (not to mention admins and profs) get caught up in the web of do’s and don’ts and navigating the course can be tricky.
The is where C.L. Lindsay steps in. As a successful attorney, C.L. decided to leave his NYC practice in 1998 to found COSTAR, the Coalition for Student & Academic Rights. He has since built a national network of attorneys across the country who volunteer to help students and higher ed staff with their legal problems, free of charge.
As commendable as this work is, perhaps an even more pertinent service C.L. offers are presentations designed to keep students and other members of the higher education community from ever needing a lawyer in the first place. Presenting legal advice (general, not personal) to campus audiences across the country, C.L. has talks covering several very relevant subjects, including “Alcohol & Parties” and how students can safely and LEGALY enjoy themselves on campus, “Sex & The Law” which tackles the issues of sexual harassment, stalking, rape and date rape, “Classroom Law: Professional Privilege to Plagiarism” and “Campus Computing: From Free Speech to Facebook.” It’s not really fair to think of C.L. as just a lawyer. “Ha, that really depends of what you think of lawyers,” he jokes. “Being a lawyer and a professor are the two main things I do. I graduated from law school in 1996 and practiced in Ohio for a bit before moving to New York City as a sports/entertainment specialist in the labor industry. My firm (not me personally) represented the Yankees, all the Viacom entities like MTV and Comedy Central, Matt & Trey from ‘South Park’ among others.”
In the fall of 1999, a friend of C.L’s called him with an academic freedom problem. “Some of the other teachers were beating him up about how he was teaching his www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
courses. They told him to stop and he didn't want to, so he called me for help. I didn’t know anything about higher education law at the time, so I took a few weeks off of work and started calling around to see what I could dig up. I looked for people to help him and there wasn’t anyone, so I basically taught myself. C.L. lost six weeks of work teaching himself higher education law, but he was able to help his friend and out of this amalgam came CO-STAR. “All we do is help college professors and students with their legal problems for free.” Oh, that’s all! Anyone who has dealt with any sort of legal fees appreciates how modest C.L. is being.
CO-STAR now has 500 attorneys that donate their time, but at some point C.L. sort of felt like he was spooning sand off the beach. “You just can’t help everybody,” he says a bit wistfully. “We get thousands of requests for help every year, so at some point we sort of shifted over into education. The reasoning is it’s way better to teach people how to stay out of trouble in the first place than it is to put the fires out after the damage has been done.” Teach a man to fish? C.L. hosts four lectures, with a fifth to come on landlord and tenant law. “My current lectures cover classroom law, things like plagiarism, grade grievances and dealing with professors. The second is on sex and the law, which goes from contraceptives up to the bad stuff like date rape and sexual assault.”
These two programs C.L. presents with regularity, but by far the most popular are his other two talks. “How to stay out of trouble online is a top pick, which tends to change almost every six months based on what is going on online. Currently, I cover privacy issues with Facebook and blogs, ‘sexting’ and unlicensed downloading of music and movies (many involving the now-suspended RIAA lawsuits). I also cover alcohol, parties and how to have the safest and most legal events possible.”
This course includes many issues one would think students would work out ahead of time, but all too often, they do not. “What are the laws about underage drinking in your state? How do you deal with the police if they show up at your party? How do you set up the party so you are not liable for other people doing stupid stuff at your house?” Some may wonder if there is a conflict of interest between C.L. performing this program and the administration which is trying to get students to cut down on parties. To qualify, it does not. “I would never tell people how to get away with things they shouldn’t be doing and that is definitely not part of the program. People often jump to that conclusion which is funny because people who know me and book me sometimes get flak from their higher ups who say ‘Hey, is this guy going to teach them how to get away with a party?’ That’s not what we do. I want to teach students to host safe and legal parties. I would never in any shape or form advise students to break the law. I am a lawyer and can’t condone ii. It is unethical and I am not allowed to. That said, students do have a right to know how the laws work and they definitely should know what the consequences of their actions could potentially be. Much it is just an honest talk and most of the time, when the campus officials and police come and see the show, they are nodding their heads in agreement by the time I am done.”
C.L. presents unique and insightful programs for students not based strictly on observation, conjecture and opinion, but on the law and legal fact. It can be a learning experience for students and staff and perhaps will make their lives just a bit safer, and keep them out of trouble.
BOOK IT! For more information contact Bass/Schuler Entertainment at (773) 4812600. For virtual links, including C.L.’s online profile at our brand new Campus Activities social networking site, log on to www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com to join our community.
Nov/Dec 2010, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 13
There aren’t many folks who had their face seen by more people this summer than Nick Cannon, host of this summer’s smash hit on NBC, “America’s Got Talent.” Nick is a Da Vinci of the entertainment industry, this guy literally does it all. Singing, dancing, acting and of course, his true love, stand-up comedy.
Even more impressive than Nick’s many talents (and the fact that he’s Mariah Carey’s spouse) is the way raw grit, determination and talent got him to the top of his game.
He now not only writes, produces, sings, acts and tells jokes, but he is a legitimate executive and holds the illustrious title of Chairman of Teen Nick at Nickelodeon Networks. One would be hardpressed to find an entertainer with a finger more on the pulse of the trends in America’s youth than this man.
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The best part of all is that Nick Cannon is a real, down-to-earth guy. He’s the type that you can approach on the street and he’ll say hi and sign an autograph. His genuine personality is quiet and unassuming despite his electrical stage presence and he is truly modest and humble. Born and raised for the first part of his life in small-town Chester, SC, Nick carries the matching small-town sensibility and humility. And, despite having his first television appearance at just 11 years old, he hasn’t let any of his many talents or wide acclaim go to his head.
That’s right, 11 years old. Sure, it was a public access show, but the resulting story of how he made his way from smalltime southern public access to strolling right onto the stage at Nickelodeon and his first success with “All That!” is nothing short of inspiring. Like the cliche´story of the mail clerk working his way up to CEO, Nick made his way from warming up the crowds in Nickelodeon’s TV studios to shining on the shows himself. Here is his story, as he sits down for this exclusive interview with Campus Activities Magazine.
Nick began his career warming up audiences for “All That.” Despite being very young, he had garnered some impressive buzz around the LA Improv. This got his foot in the door for one of the toughest jobs in show-business and where he took it from there was a result of pure charisma. “I started warming up the audiences after one of the producers saw me doing standup at the Improv Comedy Club in Hollywood. They were interested in me because it was uncommon to see a teenager in the clubs. They offered me the emcee job which I immediately jumped into, then as I began to see all the behind-the-scenes workings of a television show, I thought, ‘Yo, I can do some of this stuff!’”
That he could, and he did. It wasn’t long before Nick rewrote the script...by writing himself it. “I became the youngest staff writer in television history. I fell into the writing of ‘All That’ and ‘Keenan and Kel.’ From there, I just started writing myself into stuff (laughs)…” He makes it sound so simple, but there’s a sly humor behind Nick’s words, as it’s obvious he’s proud of his tact, yet modest about the accomplishment. “That’s a pretty sound strategy,” I laugh. Chuckling, “Yeah…” he wryly says. Probably the single most impressive thing about Nick is the incredible amount of experience he carries into every gig. At just 30, he’s already a bona fide veteran. “As
For the college market, Nick is focusing on his standup which makes perfect sense, because it is his bread and butter. “Yeah man, I am coming full circle. I started doing standup in North Carolina when I was 11 or 12, then began professionally around age 15.”
Nick moved from the Southeast where he was living with his father to the Los Angeles area with his grandmother. “That is when I was discovered by the people at Nickelodeon and all that.” When Nick says “all that” he literally means “All That,” Nickelodeon’s popular sketch comedy show for kids.
Despite his incredible success on various television shows (and a pretty incredible underdog story in his rise to the top), Nick’s one real goal came back to his true passion. “My dream has always been to do my own standup concert special and I am preparing for that now, so I am hitting every corner of the country to get ready.”
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much time as one can put in is as close as one can become to perfecting their craft. When someone starts very young, you can also tell more easily if they have a natural talent. Combine that with the amount of time they have to put in, and the craft becomes sharper. The fact that I was able to tap into live performance as a young kid meant it was in me naturally; and, I have been developing it for quite some time.” It is a uniquely supportive family structure that would support the idea of a career in performing, especially here in the South where aspirations tend to be a bit more down to earth. “Ironically, my father had a public access televangelism show in Charlotte and was doing a lot of ministries. I literally started out opening up for my father’s show. I would get out there wherever he was speaking. He thought I was funny and he told me I should get out there and do my impressions and tell my jokes.”
Nick’s teenage training ground continued from there as he developed his skills at church socials and talent shows. “Then it turned into ‘Hey, let’s book some real gigs and try this.’ Once I moved to California with my mom, everything was wide open from there. I was in the honey pot.”
While Charlotte has developed as more of an entertainment hub in recent years, it is still more uncommon to see entertainers make it to a national level from there than someone working their way up in New York or L.A. “I always refer to Charlotte as the new Atlanta. They have a lot of budding talent coming from there, but it is one of those areas that is on the move. Eventually, it will be what Atlanta is today, I believe.”
So, how does one write material at 11? “I just talked about stuff I knew,” Nick quips, “bad breath and roaches (laughs).” “Come on,” I say, “It was nothing more than pure charisma, you just get up there and ‘sparkle‘ right?” “Yeah exactly,” he laughs again, “something like that.” That charisma has carried Nick through an amazing career to date. “I am 29 and I am the youngest television chairperson in history. To be able to go from a 16 year old warm-up to running www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
the network is crazy.” If there’s any doubt that he has his finger on the button of the youth market, consider that his job as chairman of Teen Nick is to do just that. “When dealing in entertainment, it is an aspirational business and when you are dealing with your demographics, you always tend to aim a bit higher. While Teen Nick serves the teenage demographic, we aim our programming a little bit higher because people want to feel like they are watching mature content for their age, not being spoon fed content they feel is under them. Most of our creative energy (at least the projects I am most passionate about) is aimed at the college demographic. If I can get college students to like the programming on Teen Nick, I know a high school kid will love it.”
So rest assured, if there is any entertainer out there of this stature who knows who your audiences are and what they like, its Nick Cannon. “Absolutely, I have been in the business of entertaining that audience for all of my career really. Whether it was creating ‘Wild N’ Out’ on MTV or my association with Nickelodeon, I am very much talking about the issues young adults deal with.”
Like many comics of all kinds who wanted a set with attitude, Nick looked up to Eddie Murphy as a young man. “It was always Eddie Murphy. Seeing ‘Raw’ and ‘Delirious’ at a young age, I went to school trying to mimic everything he was doing. After that came my continuing comedy education with Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby to expand my standup tastes, but Eddie was the person I saw and said, ‘Yo, I want to do that!’”
Done that he has. As a consistently successful entertainer, Nick has done it all on stage and will do the same for your students. Maybe a little singing, a little dancing but surely there will be many jokes. Having keen experience in the right places makes him perfectly acceptable for a wide range of audiences. “I am just a real dude. I am not squeaky clean like Bill Cosby was, but I am also not true blue like Richard Pryor either. I am somewhere in the middle. It’s funny, because people often comment ‘Oh,
you’re such a role model!’ I don’t think so; I think I am more of a ‘real’ model. I just keep it real. A role is something you play; when I do my show I am talking about my life. I am every young guy in his 20s, I am not going to be intentionally offensive, but at the same time I am going to talk about what guys in their 20s talk about.”
Nick has had a lot going on in his life over the past few years and obviously being married to the lovely and talented Mariah Carey hasn’t helped out a ton for his privacy or normalcy. Tabloids being what they are, Nick has had some adversity to deal with and while he doesn’t let it get him down, he does want to set the record straight. “People haven’t really gotten to hear my true side of the story. Now, with my standup back online, I get to talk about my marriage, the beef with Eminem to all my different jobs and my crazy family. All of that is sort of harnessed inside a series of interesting stories and impressions. I do have some political commentary as well, but mostly it is simply life from my perspective.” As the very best comedy usually is. What Nick truly wants to convey above all else is that he isn’t the same guy as one might think he is, seeing his face plastered all over the grocery store fan rags; he is not the prototypical “superstar,” he is not a prima donna and he certainly isn’t high maintenance. “I’m just a regular dude. People may not realize it, but I am just like anybody else. If you see me in the street, I am that guy you can just walk up to and talk to any time and hang out with. I don’t consider myself a celebrity or a star. My wife is a star. She is famous. I am just some dude embracing and enjoying life.” Enjoy a little bit of life with Nick Cannon as you and your audience catch him on his nationwide campus tour.
BOOK IT! For more information on bringing Nick Cannon to your campus, contact Heidi Helding at United Talent Agency at (310) 246-6009. For virtual links, log on to our website at www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
Nov/Dec 2010, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 17
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Imagine you’re sitting on a crowded Greyhound Bus.
So, you’re sitting packed in the back of this bus, trying to get a bit of rest on a long journey and there’s a kid, screaming at the top of his lungs up the front. It goes on forever; everyone on board is getting frustrated and sick of it. Questions of “Why doesn’t someone tell the kid’s father to shut him up?” float through the cabin. Finally, someone does.
“Hey mister,” a gruff passenger spits, approaching the father and his toddler son. “Can’t you shut that kid up?” Calmly, the father looks up and says “I’m sorry, no.” “What? Why the hell not?” the stranger angrily asks. “Because,” says the father, “we just came from his mother’s funeral.” Who knew what made that young boy tic? What makes you tic? This is the question Marc Elliot asks of everyone at his inspiring talk about living his life with some very unique challenges.
Tourette’s Syndrome is Marc’s most obvious difficulty. This is due to an abnormality in brain chemistry, the condition causing severe tics that manifest themselves in generally socially unacceptable ways. For Marc, these tics include compulsive blinking, snapping his teeth and language generally held as unacceptable in polite society. He says whatever is most risky at the time; it can be as minor as commenting “Bored, I’m bored!” during a speech or presentation or as extreme as using racial epithets in the presence of minorities or derogatory terms for overweight or gay people. The one and most important thing to remember; this is all completely compulsive. Marc doesn’t mean to be offensive or hurtful. In fact, he has spent a good part of his life explaining to everyone everywhere he goes about his condition with hope to not offend. He explains it isn’t quite like a sneeze; it is not an involuntary action carried out by his body alone, his mind plays a large part. He describes it as more of an itch; something you don’t have to scratch, but will drive you bonkers until you do.
Marc’s Tourette’s makes it incredibly difficult for him to fit into any social scenario. He carries through life with the knowledge that he is probably the most different person in any given room. His outlook is that you might never know someone’s personal circumstances. Just as he’s never meant true harm when he tics the “N” word, maybe the guy who bumped you on the street might have just lost his job or; the toddler disturbing everyone because he just lost his mother.
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In addition to his challenges with Tourette’s, Marc also suffers from a disorder called Hirschsprung's disease, somewhat similar to the more well known Crohn’s disease. This caused Marc to have most of his intestines removed as an infant, leaving him less than four of the normal 25 or so feet of the average person. This leaves Marc with liquid bowel movements...six to seven times a day. Needless to say, this didn’t do a lot for his social normality either.
Marc doesn’t expect everyone to accept him or his differences. Acceptance is a loftier goal than he thinks realistic. “In a perfect world, everyone would be accepting of everyone else,” he says. “But I think that reality is a little bit too far off just now. A more reasonable goal is expecting tolerance of everyone for everyone else. ” This is the main impetus of Marc’s talk. You don’t have to accept and be okay with the kid screaming on the bus, but for his sake, one should do their best to tolerate it because you just never know if he’s suffering from a loss, an ear infection or maybe just because he didn’t get his way. One can’t know, so tolerance is taking the upper ground.
A large part of Marc’s talk is about his experiences with the tolerance of others and personal stories of how sometimes in life he found it and other times he did not. One such example arises when Marc took a class trip as a teenager. Standing in line, waiting to board the bus, there was a group of African Americans standing in front of him and Marc was ticking the “N” word. He introduced himself and explained to them “I’m sorry, I have Tourette’s, I can’t help it.” They seemed to understand and continued to board. He explained the same to the driver, who was also African American and she made a very courteous announcement to the cabin explaining Marc’s situation and how he couldn’t help what he said. Everything seemed to be okay until Marc took his seat and used that word again. Another passenger complained to the driver and she said to Marc, “Wait, I didn’t know you used that word! You can’t say that.” “I’m sorry,” Marc apologized, “I can’t help it.” She quickly replied “Then you either stuff a sock in your mouth or get off my bus.” So he did. “The local news showed up and it became kind of a big deal,” Marc says. “This was the first time I had received this level of attention and it was something I wasn’t exactly prepared for. Looking back now, it has become one of the hallmark’s of my life and in my show for illustrating the kind of intolerance we can sometimes see and how to avoid it. The fact that I can use that to help students relate to my story (and more importantly my message) made it all worth it.”
What makes a performance from Marc Elliot all worth it for you is the profound impact he will have on your student’s perceptions. “I feel totally different” one student comments. “I always kind of knew I was judgmental about other people, but until I heard Marc speak I didn’t realize what I was actually doing to them or why. Now, when I see someone else, I realize I may be judging them unfairly based on my own personal insecurities. The revelation has made me see myself and my classmates in a whole new way.” “I never want to go to an audience and preach to them about how they need to love everyone,” Marc says. “If you remember there was an episode of “South Park” called “Tolerance Death Camp” where everyone was forced to not only tolerate, but accept everyone else. I had an email from a student that said ‘Tolerance is such bullshit,’ and he even referenced this episode. There has really been a stigma around tolerance and how everyone should accept everyone else. I really do think what has happened in our society, especially at high school and college campuses, is that the words ‘tolerance’ and ‘acceptance’ have become synonymous. They ARE different. They may have the same connotation, but they are at different positions on the spectrum.” Marc performs many dates in the college market but he also performs for high school assemblies. “I love to be able to reach kids that are just starting to form opinions around negative stereotypes and judgmental behaviors. I feel I can truly reach them and I am making a difference in my small way. We are given a message as little kids that we should love everyone, which in an ideal world would be great. We could get to a better place in the world, but as we get older, we realize that is not really the case. What happens then, is that as people get older and they are not accepting of others, they start to internalize feelings they are actually a bad person on the inside because of this lack of total acceptance. By talking to people about my motto ‘Live and Let Live’ I explain that there is a spectrum. The lowest is tolerance, up top is acceptance. We should all strive for the top, but at least be sure we are maintaining a level of tolerance where we respect and understand that people come from all backgrounds, circumstances and walks of life. You never know what makes them tic.”
BOOK IT! For more information on bringing Marc Elliot to your campus, contact Coleman Productions at (866) 328-3762 or for virtual links, sign up and log on to our BRAND NEW SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE for campus activities members at www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
Nov/Dec 2010, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 19
We all get excited when a brand new game hits the novelty market. Not some reconfiguration of the same old thing, but actually a fresh new idea. Cutting Edge Productions Inc. has quickly become known as one of the leading providers of fresh, new shows and their most recent success, Bongo Ball Mania, is a prime example.
Paintball is fun, but no one is going to be happy about rock-hard dried paint splattered all over their commons. Laser Tag was cool for a while, but has its own set of technical hurdles. Not actually firing any kind of projectile at your opponents, one sort of has to just imagine being hit by a beam of light and trusting the computer to say “you’re out.” But, what if there were a blend of the best of both worlds? That’s just what Cutting Edge Productions has done with Bongo Ball Mania.
The basics of the game include a series of capture the flag scenarios. Two techs set up everything (Bongo Ball has an extensive high-quality obstacle course) and referee the action. Two teams of five players enter the arena and generally go to a last man standing format. Each is supplied with an air cannon reminiscent of a paintball gun on steroids, which fires Nerf-like foam projectiles. “We bring out a professional mobile inflatable paintball field which includes about 25 giant colored obstacles which students can use for cover,” Mike Seymore of CEP says. The game comes complete with everything needed to keep the action exciting and safe. “We split the students into two groups of five and they get helmets, shirts, chest protectors, and the air cannons. We really get them into the theme by making it all very professional and official.” Professionalism is a high priority at CEP, from hiring the best and most qualified people to keeping the absolute best equipment out on the road. In fact, CEP replaces its equipment yearly, so you don’t have to expect your obstacle course to be held together with duct tape.
market. “When I conceptualized this, I looked at the show “American Gladiators” and they were using an air cannon to fire tennis balls at people. I looked at laser tag, which has been around the market as long as I can remember but, people don’t want to do the same old thing; they want the newest. When we took this and combined it with the paintball scenario it all came together.”
One thought that will occur to any paintballer is the logistical implications of the player’s CO2 supply. The most annoying thing in the world is being in the middle of the action and running out of gas, and presumably a Bongo Ball would require considerably more force to push than a small paintball. Despite this, Mike says the CO2 supply has never been an issue. “These foam Nerf footballs are so light that you can stand right next to someone and hit them with it and they will hardly feel anything. Yet, they are so aerodynamic and can be fired the length of a football field. When we charge these tanks, they last for a full six hours, so there should be no worries over running out of gas.”
One interesting aspect of this game is the ammo. Perhaps the tanks stay charged so long when compared with paintball because in paintball, the average player is firing hundreds of shots per round. With Bongo Ball, once you fire off your ammo in the chamber, you don’t get another chance until you find another dart in the field. This makes play considerably more interesting when players have to make every shot count instead of spraying an area with a dozen paint balls. “This is where it gets really thrilling,” Mike says, sounding animated. “You just fired off and you have Bongo Balls being fired at you. Now, there is a ball three feet from you and you have to get it while people are shooting at you. Say you have one right next to you, you can reload and fire very quickly, but when you have to start chasing balls to reload, it gets a lot more intense defensively.”
The energy and excitement generated by this interactive game is addicting and buzz worthy. According to Mike,“Once it gets going, it is almost like controlled chaos,” he says proudly. “You have the Nerf balls flying everywhere, everyone running around and diving behind these obstacles and there is cheering from supporters.”
Each round of Bongo Ball Mania lasts three to five minutes with each round allowing ten students on the field. “It is such a fast-paced game that at the end of that three to five minutes, every one has already been tagged out and there is only one person left standing. We have never had a situation where the time limit wasn’t enough for everyone to get tagged out.”
The larger picture that is coming together here tells us that CEP and Mike go the extra mile to create new, fun, safe and exciting games for the college
BOOK IT! For more information on bringing Bongo Ball Mania to your campus, contact CEP at (866) 288-8126 or for virtual links, log on to our BRAND NEW SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE for campus activities members at campusactivitiesmagazine.com
Like the staff and the obstacle course itself, every piece of Bongo Ball Mania is designed to be top of the line. “The air cannons are powered much like paintball guns with a CO2 canister affixed below the barrel. They are the models the military actually uses for simulation training.”
Exciting, intense, new, thrilling and awesome are all words that describe the Bongo Ball Mania experience. Check it out.
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www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
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The fifth annual Campus Activities Magazine Rock N’ Road Show went off without hitch, thanks to the great folks at the University of Akron, our top Artist Report Card Submitting campus for the year of 2009. Four great artists donated their time and services for U of A to get an entire weekend of free entertainment. The staff at Campus Activities Magazine would like to thank all the folks at Akron for rolling out the red carpet (and tons of swag) and making our stay a real joy. Special thanks go out to Tom Faessel, Aysen Ulupinar, Tiffany Schmidt and Jonathan Morris and the entire board at RHPB for their hospitality.
August 31st, 2010 2:00PM Upon arriving in the college town, we immediately were struck by the accommodations. The Quaker Square Inn has an interesting history. As a large hotel, it also serves as a residence hall for many students and staff on campus and holds the distinction of being previously used by the Quaker company as silos for storing their oats. Now converted into a modern hotel with all the usual amenities, the only obvious signs of the building’s history are the rooms, because the outside walls of each are rounded with the silo, creating a sort of pie-shaped hotel room.
The lobby and hallways are adorned with modern art from a local artist, not to mention the huge murals of the advertisements Quaker Oats and Puffed Wheat, “steam exploded to 100 times their normal size.” The hotel itself is only a couple of blocks from the campus’ very impressive E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Center, the hub of major shows at U of A. Designed as a campus for foot travel, the venue is easily reached by sidewalk, much easier than navigating the oneway streets of downtown Akron. We highly recommend a guide for this little adventure. August 31st, 2010 9:09PM The first night’s entertainment kicked off with the incredible Buzz Sutherland, 16-time comedian of the year and a tradition at Akron. While EJ Thomas is a very large theater venue with over 3,000 seats, it still seemed full with the 1,003 students Buzz brought in because of a unique movable ceiling panel system that allows the venue to seal off the upper mezzanines, effectively lowering the ceiling and making the large space seem just the right fit for the audience. Buzz kicked off the show with his usual energy and crowdfavorites, including impressions of Forrest, ‘King of The Hill,’ and of course the duck. While he has heard comments that his set is a bit dated, for Buzz, veteran of well over 3,000 college performances, he knows what he is doing what works. “So my Forrest Gump impression dates back to the movie, who cares?” he comments. “Who doesn’t know Forrest Gump? When I go out and do those impressions from
Buzz Sutherland courtesy Coleman Entertainment Group, contact Jacqui Volkman, (866)297-9671. September 1st, 2010, 12:00PM
The experience engrained a desire to entertain in Brian and his nomad’s spirit fits in perfectly with the lifestyle of a touring musician. “I like to travel, I love to get out and meet people. I don’t feel normal unless I am meeting people and on the move. I feel like I am wasting time when not on the move. I just love to get out and play.” Brian Mackey is a fresh face for the campus market, you might be the first of your network of schools to book him. Call Tim Kazimir at RP Talent, (630)746-2293.
‘King of The Hill’ or Forrest Gump, I get the same level of reactions I got when it was still in theaters. Why should I change what works? I am here to give the school and it’s students the best possible show, not stroke my comedic ego. Therefore, I will do what I know works, not get experimental for my own satisfaction. I want to make them laugh and I already know just how to do that. Why fix what ain’t broke right?” Buzz has been playing this school for a long time and knows just what their crowds want to see. “The University of Akron and I go way back. I have been here probably for more shows than at any other college in the United States, simply because sometimes they bring me twice a year and I have been here for over 20 years. I have been in every venue on campus, from the beautiful EJ Thomas Hall down to a room that if Anne Frank had hid in, she would still be alive today (laughs).”
Buzz lit up the crowd and provided a great kickoff for the event and despite his long history in the market, he said he is just getting warmed up. “I just hit the 3,000 show milestone in the college market and you know I look at it as being only the halfway mark. I really have been rejuvenated over the last six months with changes in my management and agency. I have incredible support now with Jacqui Volkman and Coleman Entertainment Group. I look forward to a resurgence in the campus market and the next 3,000 shows.”
September 1st, 2010, 8:00PM
The second day’s events were kicked off by an afternoon performance from Brian Mackey, a fresh face to the college market.
Brian is a singer/songwriter from Georgia living in New York City. He has a style very reminiscent to the best solo performers, with elements of James Taylor and Cat Stevens mixed in with the contemporary sound of today and creative lyricism. “My influences vary from 70’s rock like James Taylor, Billy Joel and Cat Stevens to modern artists. I played the piano at a guys’s house who managed Cat and brought him over to America. He actually worked with Paul McCartney & Wings.”
The modern balances nicely with the classics, as Brian also enjoys some of the same contemporary artists as many students. “I like Jason Mraz a lot and Jason Reeves is great. James Morrison also is very talented.”
Brian's first interest in music has humble roots. “Just singing in the bath tub,” he says. “My mom was a songwriter in the 80’s, writing some country stuff but never really touring. She did a lot of behind-the-scenes collaborating and had some hand in some of the big hits of the 80’s like ‘Lookin’ For Love In All The Wrong Places.’”
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After some downtime enjoying the University’s fine campus, the evening show was upon us. Instead of packing the house with regular theater seating, the evening’s show was brought up onto the impressive stage at EJ Thomas for an intimate close-up performance for about 200 students. Jeff Civillico and Tim Gabrielson are two friends from Las Vegas and two very experienced college performers.
Jeff Civillico is an International Juggling Champion and an experienced corporate emcee, but his real talents lie in audience management and comedy. In fact, his show “Comedy In Action” better describes what Jeff does than to call it a juggling show. “Everything is about crowd interaction. I understand no one out there in the college market cares about how many balls I can jugwww.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
gle at once or the subtly technical throws and catches I might use. They want to laugh.”
when witnessing his routines just compounds the emotions. “Those moments are beautiful. That feeling you create in a room when you know you are genuinely blowing someone away. They have no idea what’s happening and they can’t backtrack it and figure it out. As a magician, that is the best thing that could ever happen to you.”
Jeff’s background provided him a very good training ground for adapting just this ability. “I started as a kid working the streets and theme parks, places where you really have to learn to hold an audience’s attention and be entertaining, especially if you are basing your income on tips (laughs).” Jeff made a great connection with the crowd and provided a great introduction and warm-up for that night’s feature entertainer and Jeff’s good friend, Tim Gabrielson. “I am happy to be playing the college market and happy to be here at The University of Akron. It is a great school and a great audience and I’d personally like to thank them for the opportunity.”
Much like Akron would probably like to thank Jeff for playing the date for free, especially since he was informed he would be a substitution quite last-minute. despite this, Jeff showed up and charmed the crowd. Campus Activities Magazine would like to extend him a special thanks for filling the slot. Call Tim Kazimir at RP Talent, (630)746-2293, for more on Jeff Civillico.
September 1st, 2010, 9:00PM Tim Gabrielson is a highly experienced comic magician from the Las Vegas area. While Tim does have some amazing magical effects that left the www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
audience guessing, his true strength is in his comedic genius and the sheer pace and smoothness of his show. It is perfectly clear that, upon watching Tim perform, he is very experienced.
“Growing up, my family was very involved in theater, so that is where my passion for performing was born. I went to a small high school in Minnesota, so I was able to be a part of the theater scene and play football, whereas at a bigger school with a larger talent pool that wouldn't have been likely. It was awesome for me, because I love to be on stage in front of people now. I have always been interested in art, this is jut a different form of that, done on an emotional canvas.”
Tim’s show is incredible and the audience interaction is second to none. He is funny enough to be a straight standup comic, but the amazement felt
Tim has been in this game since he was five, so you can bet he has the experience under his belt to deal with just about an audience and any show. “When I was 13, my mom bought me a magic trick, which is actually still in my act. Magic is a vehicle to get to the audience. I want to create relationships. Ultimately yes, I am a magician, but I don’t want people to leave my performance and say ‘Wow, that was a great magic show.’ I want them to walk out saying ‘Wow, I was so entertained!’
Tim can certainly entertain your audiences in spades, call Tall Tim at RP Talent at (630)746-2293. The Rock N’ Road Show at the University of Akron was a great event for Campus Activities Magazine and we would again like to thank them and all of our participating artists for their part. Special thanks to RP Talent and Coleman Entertainment Group. For more on the programming board at U of A, check out the story in the April 2010 issue of our magazine.
Nov/Dec 2010, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 27
ALICIA SILVERSTONE is living “The Kind Life.” The Kind Life is about living your healthiest and happiest life to the fullest, while taking care of mama Earth at the same time! In her lecture, Alicia shares all kinds of simple ways that we can all help the planet. Her goal is to share what she has learned on her journey including recipes, her favorite foods and restaurants, amazing travel discoveries, party planning tips, ways to make sure your house as healthy and green as possible, great pet care tips, and so much more. Alicia will share the resources to help make every aspect of your life as kind as possible.
SEX SIGNALS:
JEFF HAVENS:
JOEY EDMONDS:
Heidi Feigin • United Talent Agency • 310.246.6009 feiginh@unitedtalent.com
Does the idea of working for a living depress you? Would you rather play video games and update your Facebook profile than suffer through a lifetime of stable employment? Then you need to listen to the latest offering by comedian and world-renowned super-guru Jeff Havens, How to Get Fired! Filled with the satire Jeff has made famous in both his stand-up performances and his corporate presentations around the country, How to Get Fired! is a hilarious discussion of exactly what not to do in the workplace, a fast-paced, multimedia barrage that is both entertaining and relevant, especially in today’s economy. Summit Comedy • 704.947.3057 • SummitComedy.com
Having presented over 3500 times, Sex Signals provides a provocative, no-holds-barred look at the issue of dating, sex and ultimately, date rape on college campuses. Through the use of humor, the male/female show explores how gender role stereotypes and the confusing cultural expectations of men and women can contribute to uninformed presumption between two people. All presenters have extensive experience in interactive theater, facilitation training, and sexual assault prevention education. Bass/Schuler Entertainment • 773.481.2600 bass-schuler.com
Three years ago while preparing the first of my 3 books, “JOEY EDMONDS ~ Claustrophobic”, I set up a YOUTUBE site inviting others to tell me their “Fears & Phobias”. I received hundreds of stories, but was intrigued that no one volunteered their name! I realized that we who have these anxieties are not comfortable talking about them. This became the basis for my Safe-Haven FUN ~ Seminars! In the late 60’s to the early 80’s I was half of the unique Comedy Team EDMONDS & CURLEY, the first comedians to exclusively tour Colleges & Universities! (2,500) Here I am three decades later hosting: “Like A Dr. Seuss For Adults!” JOEY EDMONDS Presents • 818.426.1279
MATT GLOWACKI:
After being voted the 2010 Diversity Artist of the Year by Campus Activities Magazine, holding the position as “The Most Booked Diversity Performer” on college campuses three years in a row, and having shared his messages with over half a million people (including two sitting Presidents of the United States!); the next thing for Matt Glowacki is to share his unique sense of humor, perspective, and high energy presentations with your Campus!! Coleman Productions • Brooke Sims 704.896.9494 • colemanproductions.com
MARTY ESSEN:
Marty Essen’s high-energy multi-media show, Around the World in 90 Minutes, features interesting facts, humorous stories, and the best of thousands of photos he took while traveling the world for his award winning book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents. It's the type of show where the audience has fun laughing at the stories, oohing and aahing at the photos, and then, when it's all done, they realize just how much they've learned. Encante Entertainment, Inc. • 406.642.3333 Marty@martyessen.com
AARON GILLESPIE:
Aaron Gillespie has toured the world drumming and singing for Christian metal band Underoath and most recently as the front man for alternative rock group The Almost. In between sold out concerts, Aaron enjoys speaking to kids about faith, music, and making a positive difference in the world around them, drawing on his personal experiences in touring bands as well as his time spent working with Compassion International in Uganda. Using his words as well as his songs, Aaron is spreading a positive message that truly everyone can benefit from hearing. Red Light Management • brooks.plummer@redlightmanagement.com
JESSICA PETTITT:
Jessica Pettitt is the "diversity educator" your family warned you about. She is easy to work with, accessible, and provides the tools to address Social Justice issues on your campus. This will be a HIGHLY interactive program that will leave participants with actual action steps to make REAL change in their lives. Through teaching, writing, and facilitating tough conversations, Jessica has figured out how to BE the change she wants to BE. Now it is your turn! She was nominated for two years by Campus Activities Magazine for Best Diversity Artist
Kirkland Productions • 866.769.9037 booking@kirklandproductions.com
DANIEL SEDDIQUI:
MICHAEL J. FOX:
Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau 617.266.3450
Heidi Feigin | United Talent Agency • 310.246.6009 feiginh@unitedtalent.com
Daniel Seddiqui recently completed his mission to work 50 different jobs in 50 states. He has been everything from an Archaeologist in Arkansas, a High School Football Coach in Alabama, a Marine Biologist in Washington, to a Border Patrol Agent in Arizona. He was on a mission to explore the many careers, environments, and cultures that America has to offer. His experiences are inspiring people across the globe. - A professional job hopper, Daniel’s had 50 different jobs in 50 states (in 50 weeks!). His resume boasts rodeo announcer, sugarmaker, marine biologist, and model
Michael brings the remarkable
lessons he has learned to a live audience. In his compelling lecture, Michael walks the audience through his journey of self-discovery and reinvention with captivating humor and wit. He talks about the hard-won perspective that helped him see challenges as opportunities and how to develop a personal policy of engagement and discovery: an emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual outlook that has served him throughout his struggle with Parkinson's disease. He describes how to become a happier, more satisfied person by recognizing the gifts of everyday life.
TERI JENDUSA:
AMBER MADISON
Olson Entertainment Group • 414.764.1553 Stacey@mixcom.com
Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau 617.266.3450
January 2004, Teri’s life changed forever. Her ex-husband beat her over the head 10 times with a baseball bat, taped her head, wrists and ankles then shoved her body into a garbage can. He then packed it full of snow and placed her in a storage locker facility where she was found 26 hours later. She lost her toes due to frostbite, lost a baby, and almost lost her right arm. Teri is now speaking out about Domestic Violence.
In 2006, Amber Madison published Hooking Up: A Girl’s AllOut Guide to Sex and Sexuality, a book for young women on sex and relationships that’s been hailed as refreshingly straightforward. She’s spoken at colleges across the country and appeared on The Today Show, MTV News, NPR, and more. In 2008 she received the Choice USA’s GENERATION award for sexual health communication. Amber’s second book, Talking Sex With Your Kids, for parents, is out now.
ANNA DAVID:
By her twenties, Anna found herself unemployable and addicted to sleeping pills and cocaine. Today she’s nearly 10 years sober, the author of four books and the host of the Playboy show “Swing”, a series that starts airing in February, 2011. Her message - about recovering from addiction and maintaining healthy relationships through honest selfassessment and letting go of control -- is delivered with both humor and insight, and her strength has helped thousands across the globe. Kirkland Productions • 866.769.9037 booking@kirklandproductions.com
LISA NICOLE BELL:
Lisa Nicole Bell is a world renowned life strategist. By using entertainment, publishing, multimedia, and personal development training, she achieves her simple mission - to inspire ordinary people to live extraordinary lives. Today, Lisa is the CEO of Inspired Life Media Group, where she creates lifestyle solutions and inspiring content using theatrical productions, tele-seminars, empowerment events and more. Lisa is also the founder of the world's first international lifestyle brand for teen girls.
TalentPlus Entertainment • 314.421.9400 x112 www.talentplus-campus.com
BARRY SMITH:
ANDY SAMBERG:
Kirkland Productions • 866.769.9037 booking@kirklandproductions.com
Heidi Feigin | United Talent Agency • 310.246.6009 feiginh@unitedtalent.com
"Jobs" and "careers" are two very different things. The primary difference usually involves a certain amount of passion, training and benefits--like health insurance and paid vacation. Award-winning performer Barry Smith has had a lot of (odd) jobs throughout his lifetime, and with each and every one, he eventually found his way to a meaningful career. Told using Smith’s signature multimedia “Modern Monologue” style, this presentation examines the employment consequences and rewards of a life spent following one’s bliss.
SHAWN & GWENN:
Shawn has HIV. Gwenn doesn't. They keep it that way. When Shawn and Gwenn met, they never thought their relationship would be an open book or a tool for HIV education. But that’s exactly what happened. Since 2000, Shawn and Gwenn have been educating together, using their relationship as a way to talk about the issues of sexual health. By combining humor and candor, they’ve successfully engaged tens-ofthousands of college students, and have shared their story with millions of people. Shawn’s memoir , My Pet Virus, was published by the Penguin Group. The College Agency • 952. 440.4777 www.thecollegeagency.com
ANDY SAMBERG’s comedic genius makes him a popular choice to do speaking engagements on college campuses. In his moderated lecture, “Conversation, Clips and Q&A: An Evening with Andy Samberg” he uses a format similar to Inside the Actors Studio, weaving his behind the scenes stories from SNL, The Lonely Island and some of the hottest comedy movies of our generation, with video clips and finishes with audience Q&A. In addition to being on SNL for the past five years, he has also been seen in movies such as I Love You Man and Hot Rod.
MICHAEL GERSH:
As a victim/survivor of a drunken driving incident that killed his mother and almost himself when he was 8 weeks old, The Magic of Life is a different type of alcohol awareness program. By combining stand-up comedy, audience participation, and his personal story, students will leave the program with a different perspective. With 15 years in Higher Ed (Kent State U.), and a background as a collegiate swimmer, he knows firsthand how alcohol can impact a student’s life. G.G. Greg Agency • 440.266.1732 www.gggreg.com
KEENAN IVORY WAYANS:
The trail-blazing linchpin of a family of comedic entertainers, is a multi-talented writer, director, producer, actor and comedian. In his lecture, Wayans uses his own journey from the Harlem projects to Hollywood heavyweight to motivate and inspire people to follow their dreams. The second of ten children, he helped launch the careers of siblings Damon, Shawn, Marlon and Kim as well as Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Lopez. Although comedy is at the forefront of his work, vision, hard work and determination have helped him gain wisdom and achieve success personally and professionally. Heidi Feigin | United Talent Agency • 310.246.6009 feiginh@unitedtalent.com
JUDSON LAIPPLY:
You may have seen Judson Laipply, creator of the “Evolution of Dance” on Oprah, the Today Show, Ellen, Good Morning America, Extra, or Inside Edition. Or perhaps you were one of over 100 million people who viewed his hilarious Evolution of Dance video – one of the most viewed videos of all time - on youtube.com. This inspirational speaker is a breath of fresh air in a world full of sometimes-stale motivational speakers. Judson’s presentation “Life is Change” is highly motivational, creative and appealing, while extremely down to earth. The College Agency • 952. 440.4777 www.thecollegeagency.com
CHAPLAIN JAMES YEE:
Captain James Yee, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and former US Army Chaplain, explores present day Islamophobia. Yee draws on his unique experience as the former Muslim Chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, an American-born Muslim convert, and an elected National Delegate for Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election season, to provide a captivating view of Islam in America and the challenges faced by everyday Muslims in our nation. Samara Lectures • 206.529.4711 beth@samaralectures.com
GIRLS FIGHT BACK:
Girls Fight Back (GFB) is an empowering program that teaches awareness, prevention and self-defense skills to college women. Founded after the murder of Shannon McNamara at Eastern Illinois University, our GFB speakers (Erin, Heather, Jaime, Megan and Michaela) have spoken to over a half million women nationwide. You’ll learn the basics of trusting intuition, reducing the risk of violence and how to fight back! Blending comedy with a cause and fearlessly fun, get ready to become your own best protector. Bass/Schuler Entertainment • 773.481.2600 bass-schuler.com
JOSH BLUE
“Last Comic Standing” winner, active member of the U.S. Paralympic Soccer Team, Josh has been defying stereotypes and changing people’s perceptions of those with disabilities his entire life. Rather than beating people over the head with his message, Josh opts for a non-traditional, subliminal approach. “Many people have come up to me after one of my talks to tell me they have a newfound appreciation and understanding of disabled people, which is really great to hear.” Through anecdotal life stories, Josh helps people realize that those with disabilities are just as capable as anyone else, and in many cases more so. APA, Jackie Knobbe • 310.888.4291 jknobbe@apa-agency.com
STAN PEARSON:
Stan Pearson II is a bi-lingual, salsa dancing speaker who’s dynamic, interactive, thought-provoking and charismatic delivery will have you participating, involved and moved to be better today than you were yesterday. Many people have had that “enough” feeling, whether it be smart enough, pretty enough, skinny enough, athletic enough, good enough or something enough. Stan’s presentations address those issues and more. You can have your audience participate in an interactive workshop, a keynote talk or his S.A.L.S.A Program that is being raved about all over the country and parts of Mexico. The College Agency • 952. 440.4777 www.thecollegeagency.com
HOORAY FOR BOLLYWOOD!
Mona Sampath Khan Dance Company is the largest Bollywood dance and fitness company in California. They bring not only exciting performances to the college, corporate and performing arts markets, but they offer interactive workshops where students can see the moves popularized in films like Slumdog Millionaire and the hit song from that film “Jai Ho.”
Amrita Shastri shares some of the details about this exciting and unique act. “We focus on Bollywood dancing and fitness and have been in business for about a year and a half now. We all come with much experience from running another dance company in the Bay Area, giving us about eight years experience total. Essentially what we offer the colleges are workshops. We come to campus and do a fun interactive session with Bollywood.” The workshops can come in before an evening event, train the students and then transform into a Bollywood party night. “It can be a great icebreaker and party starter. With the steep rise in multicultural campuses, especially many southeast Asian people, it can be an especially apt way for those students to not only celebrate their culture, but share it with other students on campus.”
Bollywood has gained an enormous presence in American in the last two years and its popularity doesn’t seem to be waning in the ever more global society. “Many people are being educated very rapidly with the increase in ethnic entertainment we see. Even on many reality television shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” have dancers whose training is very often Bollywood based.”
The fact that an act like this was able to make it into the Top 48 of “America’s Got Talent” attests not only to the skill of the troupe, but also a more pronounced presence of this style of entertainment in our popular culture. “We
made it to the Top 48 out of 70,000 acts across the country, which tells us Bollywood really is gaining a lot of momentum. I think any college who wants to be more cutting edge and forward thinking should consider this option.”
The Mona Sampath Khan Dance Company is about fun, new experiences and community. It generally isn’t something meant to be slid into a competitive frame, but MSKDC knew this was an opportunity for exposure they wouldn’t pass up. “We are typically not in the competitive space of any sort of dance competition. In the Bay Area we have done classes for several years at about 40 a week, but we never thought about competing. We have a professional performing troupe that tours and that led to an email from a producer at NBC explaining that he had seen us perform on YouTube and wanted us to come out and audition.”
Initially, the crew at MSKDC was a bit skeptical. “We actually hemmed and hawed a bit,” Amrita admits. “We kept rolling it around... ‘Should we, should we not? Do we have time? We had a huge NBA Half Time show in February for the Golden State Warriors and it was in the same time frame as the auditions. Luckily, we made it and two weeks later we got a live audition in Los Angeles in March. It totally threw us for a loop, we almost couldn’t believe it.”
When they went to L.A., they took 22 dancers of all ages. “One of the things we seem to get a lot of credit for is the fact we have dancers of all ages and background in the troupe. We have children as young as ten who dance professionally with us, all the way up through our middle aged adults. It is a very nice, crossgenerational and cross-cultural program that anyone can enjoy.”
32, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, Nov/Dec 2010
The L.A. audition went well and was a new and eye-opening experience for the members of MSKDC. “We had a fantastic time and it was an awesome experience and an honor to perform at the world famous Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. We got to perform for Sharon Osbourne, Howie Mandel and of course Piers Morgan and right there on stage after the performance they told us they would see us in Vegas.”
110 acts joined MSKDC in Las Vegas and it was an arduous process. “We were there for a whole week and it was crazy. We were up at 6AM every day and not done until 10PM. We did many interviews and drills. We performed and at the end of that week in Vegas we were told we made the top 48. That was kind of the buildup to the big performance on the live show.”
While perhaps Bollywood is gaining momentum in our collective consciousness, perhaps it’s not quite mainstream enough to win the quintessential American talent show. MSKDC’s ranking in the final voting is probably due more to votes siphoning into more widely appealing acts the average television audience is familiar with than the quality MSKDC’s performance, explaining why solo vocalists tend to win this particular competition. Either way you look at it, this is a unique and exciting new workshop and interactive show for the campus market. With stunning visuals, unique culture and truly professional staff, Mona Sampath Kahn Dance Company is helping Bollywood make it’s mark in our pop culture.
BOOK IT! For more information on bringing Mona Sampath Kahn Dance Company to your campus, contact Metropolis Management at (877) 536-5374. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
The Human Race Machine Take A Look At Yourself In A Different Culture
“Walk a Mile in Another Man’s Shoes.”
uniqueness of this experience and think it is a valuable part of diversity education. Colleges like to sometimes use it for a full week at a time as an interactive display set up as part of a diversity week where there are other events going on around it.”
It’s a phrase we have all heard often, but truly haven't explored the implications or ramifications of. Our imaginations can only go so far in putting ourselves into the place of what it might be like to be someone else, whether it is the opposite sex, differing ages or racial identity.
When it works well, the results can be quite astounding. “You have a face staring back at you that is of a different race, but is absolutely recognizable as yourself, just somehow different. It is very surreal and eyeopening to see yourself as one of Indian descent, or Asian, Caucasian, African American or Latino.”
Having a tangible example one can see makes all the difference, and the Human Race Machine makes that tangible manifestation of our differences a reality.
Combining cutting edge software with an artist’s eye, the system features a machine at which observers can have their face scanned into a computer. The same software used by the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alters the scanned picture to display what one might look like with the ethnic features of six different races.
Wolfman Productions is the only agency to feature this unique attraction, and owner Scott Wolfman has put considerable amounts of time, thought, money and care into making this a show perfect for the college market. Logistically a big challenge, HRM had its hurdles including adapting the software to race (as opposed to artificially aging someone for a lost child rendering), making it travel friendly and developing a marketing and educational package that appealed to the campus activities market. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
It is a project Scott is deeply passionate about and hopes will truly change students’ perspectives about the others around them. “The Human Race Machine gives the user the opportunity to change his or her face to get an idea of what he or she might look like as a different race. At present, it also includes other software that allows one to age their face, which students seem to like as well.” While we might all like to imagine what we will look like as we get older (or perhaps not), either way we will eventually all know, provided we wait long enough. With race however, this program takes imagination into reality. “The race feature is the one that helped plug it into many different venues. Many people really like the
Scott contends that even more important than the differences illustrated in all of us by the ethnically varied images, what this program truly provides is an insight into our sameness.
“The most important part of the machine is that even though we are giving people this experience, we are putting out the all-important message that there is no genetic basis for this thing we call race. It is a socially constructed separation of peoples, it is not based in science or genetics. Therefore, there is only one race; we are the human race. We think there is a lot of healing potential in that message and hope to spread it to as many of our young campus minds as possible.”
BOOK IT! For more information contact Wolfman Productions at (800) 7354933. Or go to our new social networking site devoted EXCLUSIVELY to the campus activities marketplace at campusactivitiesmagazine.com
Nov/Dec 2010, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 33
THE RATING SYSTEM: 5= EXCELLENT 4= VERY GOOD 3= AVERAGE 2= FAIR 1= POOR
AMERICAN POP STAR Cutting Edge Productions
Central Conn State University, New Britain CT Elizabeth Mongreko, Program Advisor, 2/17/10
The road crew was on time and easy to work with. The students thoroughly enjoyed the program.
Technical College of the Low Country, Beaufort SC Jose Garcia, Campus Life, 8/24/10
Great event and fun staff. They were very professional. Arrived on-time.
Troy University, Troy AL Elisia Bonner, President CAB, 3/17/10
Seton Hall University, South Orange NJ Kyle Warren, Assist Dean of Students, 9/9/10
AGENCY COOPERATION
PROMO
ROAD CREW/ MGMT
COOPERATION/ATTITUDE
ARTIST'S ABILITY
NOVELTY/ GAMES
ORIGINALITY
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE BOX SCORES
RELATIONSHIP TO AUDIENCE
If you want to know how good an act might be that you plan on booking, just ask another campus where they have played. Here are reports from our readers on recent playdates. No report may be submitted older than ninety (90) days at the time of our deadline for the issue. If you would like to report on a performance, complete a form on our website at campusactivitiesmagazine.com, use a form in this issue or request one at (803) 712-1429. Forms can easily be submitted online, by mail or fax. All forms online must have complete verifiable information. Mailed and fax forms must be signed. Agents and/or acts have the right to respond to negative reports. No reports will be accepted from agencies. All reports must be submitted by the school where the date was played.
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AIRBRUSH TATTOOS Kirkland Productions
Stephen Austin State University, Nacogdoches TX Amanda Horne, Assist DSA, 9/1/10
Great job!
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Central Michigan University, Mt Pleasant MI Michelle Veith, Assist Dir Residence Life, 9/23/10
I thought this went very well. I liked it much better than a similar event we brought in last year.
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AWARE P.E.E.R.S.
Glenville State College, Glenville WY Roxanne Bright, DSA, 9/23/10
Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio TX Catherine Fragoso, DSA, 9/29/10
The road crew was great. so easy to work with. Completely engaging & my students responded well. I would definitely book again.
BALLOONS WITH A TWIST Kirkland Productions
Texas Womens University, Dallas TX Chré Parnell, SL Coordinator, 9/7-9/8, 2010
34, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, Nov/Dec 2010
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
AGENCY COOPERATION
PROMO
ROAD CREW/ MGMT
COOPERATION/ATTITUDE
RELATIONSHIP TO AUDIENCE
ARTIST'S ABILITY
ORIGINALITY
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE BOX SCORES BATTLE OF THE SEXES GAME SHOW GP Entertainment University of New Haven, New Haven CT Lisa Saverese, Assist DSA, 8/21/10
Great Show, easy to work with!
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Albion College, Albion MI Jennifer Schreer, DSA, 9/16/10
The Big Chair Photos were a huge hit for our event. We’ve had them every year and it has become a tradition. Students loved it.
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A great addition to our Sibs Weekend. The event gave students & sibs what happened on their birthday and Sparkles did face painting.
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Pistol grips are needed on the air guns.
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It was better than I thought it would be. Set-up was very professional.
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Loved it - Will definitely bring it back.
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Students loved this! They already demanded we book it again.
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Great event, Great staff!
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BIG CHAIR PHOTO/KEYCHAINS Kirkland Productions
BIRTHDAY CHRONICLES & SPARKLES THE CLOWN Kaleidoscope Entertainment Inc. University of Akron, Akron OH Steve Pagios, 3/27/10 BONGO BALL MANIA Cutting Edge Productions, Inc
Linn State Technical College, Linn MO Ashley Anderson, SGA Advisor, 2/16/10
Keuka College, Keuka Park NY Casey Dahlstrom, CAM Campus Ambassador, 2/20/10 University of Pittsburgh, Bradford PA Romainne Harrod, Committee Chair, 2/26/10
Trinidad State College, Trinidad CO Charlene Duran, Student Activities, 3/2/10
Very entertaining and crew was easy to work with. Game was faster & better than expected.
I thought I was having a great agent relation but when trouble arose he wasn’t very cooperative.
San Jacinto College, Pasadena TX Student Activities, 3/11/10
St. John’s University, Jamaica NY Ebony Calvin, Coordinator, 3/20/10
Penn State University, Dubois PA Mary Doty, Student Life Coordinator, 3/23/10 Florida State University, Panama City FL Nicole Parker, SGA Rep, 3/23/10
SUNY Cortland, Cortland NY Mary Kate Boland, Assist DCA, 3/27/10 Greensboro College, Greensboro NC Kristi Hunter, DSA, 3/30/10
University of Arkansas, Little Rock AR UPC Creative, 4/1/10
Gadsden State Community College, Anniston AL Judy Hill, Coordinator, 4/6/10 McPherson College, McPherson KS Karen Caylor, SAG Coordinator, 4/8/10
Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley GA P.J. Petersen, 4/12/10 Williams College, Williamstown MA Schuyler Hall, Campus Life Intern, 4/15/10
Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre PA Melissa Howells, SD Coordinator, 4/19/10 Waycross College, Waycross GA Sharon Komanecky, Dir SL, 4/19/10 CA University of PA, California PA Dan Amekman, DSA, 4/20/10
Technical College of Low Country, Beaufort SC Jose Garcia, Campus Life, 4/21/10
BONGO BALL MANIA CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
This was a great event.
The students absolutely loved this event and insisted we book it again next year. Great road crew!
Our students enjoyed this event. It was entertaining & physically fun. We look foward to the return.
Perfect weather allowed us to have this event outside. Much better outside and drew a lot of attention and everyone had a blast! Great event. Would love to bring it back!
Time did not allow for much promo from the agency. It was placed in high traffic, high profile areas and the event sold itself.
Students enjoyed the event. It was what we expected. Would have loved to get posters to display to help advertise the event.
Nov/Dec 2010, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 35
Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg MA Kate Thompson, Resident Director, 4/22/10 Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk VA Kimberly Yelton, 4/23/10
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove PA Assist Dir Campus Activities, 4/24/10
Northwest Mississippi Community College, Senatobia MS Pam Wooten, DSA, 4/26/10 West Virginia State University, Institute WV Jerry Miller, 4/27/10 LaGrange College, LaGRange GA Tara Kermiet, DSA, 5/1/10
Lakewood High School Lake Odessa MI, Robin Chase, Co-Chair, 5/27/10
Gainesville State College, Gainseville GA Brenda Adams, Coord Student Life, 8/18/10 Clayton State University, Morrow GA Christina Greenwood, Coordinator, 8/20/10 Penn State University, DuBois PA Marly Doty, SL Coordinator, 8/24/10
Ottawa University, Ottawa KS Amanda Wadkins, SL Assistant, 8/24/10 Mountain State University, Beckley WV Cristi Richardson, 8/25/10
Barton Community College, Great Bend KS Diane Engle, Dir Student Life, 8/26/10
California Univ of PA, California PA Melissa Dunn, Dir Student Programs, 9/1/10
University of mary, Bismarck ND Amber Flickinger, Student Actv Coord, 9/2/10
Howard Community College, Columbia MD Schnell Garrett, Asst Dir, 9/2/10
Western Nebraska Community College, Scottsbluff NE Molly Bonuchi, Res Life Staff, 9/8/10 Greenville Technical College, Greenville SC Eric Williams, DSA, 9/15/10 Erskine College, Due West SC Leo Fackler, Dir Student Life, 9/17/10
New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ Rob Quinones, Dir Campus Life, 9/21/10
SW Oklahoma State University, Weatherford OK Chad Martin, Dir Residence Life, 9/22/10 Cazenovia College, Cazenovia NY Neal T. Brooks, DSA, 9/23/10 Adrian College, Adrian MI Todd Conley, SA Coord, 9/29/10
College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI Dan Levy, Assist Dir Student Life, 9/30/10
Keuka College, Keuka Park NY Alicia, Co President CAB, 10/1/10
SUNY Cortland, Cortland NY Mary Kate Boland, Assist Dir SA, 10/2/10
Embry-Riddle University, Dayton Beach FL Angela Garcia, Chairperson, 10/11/10
AGENCY COOPERATION
PROMO
ROAD CREW/ MGMT
COOPERATION/ATTITUDE
RELATIONSHIP TO AUDIENCE
ARTIST'S ABILITY
ORIGINALITY
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This was a great event. It was one of our most successful. Our students want it back next year.
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This was a hit. Everyone loved this!
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We would like to them again in the spring.
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Great job.
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It was what students called “THE BEST THING EVER!”
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Great show as always. Everyone always loves Bongo!
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Crew was extremely pleasant and helpful.
Crew was very exciting to work with and very friendly. Students had a lot of fun and we will definitely bring back this event. Great event cut short by rain, but really good other than that.
Students loved this event and CAB will schedule it again! Great opportunity for new students to meet the college community.
Bongo Ball was a great event and Clayton State would love to have it here in years to come.
This is my 2nd time booking Bongo Ball Mania. Students absolutely love it. The crew is awesome & work great with students.
NO promo was provided.
Kevin & Nate did a great job. Very pleasant to work with.
The show was awesome. Our students enjoyed it and have requested a repeat. Crew was professional & well organized.
Crew did a nice job of making the event a success
Kevin and Nate were an excellent balance of professionalism and fun. They drew in students and challenged them to have fun.
Great program. Students have already asked for this event for next semester.
Our students LOVED Bongo Ball! The crew (Kevin & Nate) were great to work with too.
36, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, Nov/Dec 2010
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
CANDY ART Kirkland Productions
Valdosta State University, Valdosta GA Allie McCrumb, CAB Chair, 8/30/10
AGENCY COOPERATION
PROMO
ROAD CREW/ MGMT
COOPERATION/ATTITUDE
RELATIONSHIP TO AUDIENCE
ARTIST'S ABILITY
ORIGINALITY
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE BOX SCORES Everything went great. We got our contract mixed up but the event still ran smoothly.
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Great job!
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There were a ton of questions in the team challenges. I also enjoyed the irony of the biggest loser case.
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CARICATURES Kirkland Productions
Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches TX Amanda Horne, Assist Director, 9/1/10 COUCH POTATO GAME SHOW GP Entertainment
Mount St Mary’s University, Emmitsburg MD Kelly Casuzza, Campus Actv Staff, 3/26/10 Anderson University, Anderson SC Jon Group, DSA, 9/21/10
William Paterson University, Paterson NJ Natasha Fernandes, PB Lectures, 9/6/10
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Show was a lot of fun. Students had a great time. Would love to bring the show back.
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C-MAX Cutting Edge Productions
St. Francis University, Loretto PA Janet Jesberger, Committee Head, 9/17/10 Anderson University, Anderson SC Jon Gropp, DSA, 9/21/10 Keuka College, Keuka Park NY Jennifer Furner, DSA, 9/23/10
Drury University, Springfield MO Allison Griffith, SUB Advisor, 10/7/10 DASH FOR DOLLARS The Smith Agency
Salem International University, Salem WV Sarah M. Sheets, DCA, 4/20/10 Maine Maritime Academy, Castine ME Madina, Program Coordinator, 8/24/10 DOG TAGS, ETC. Barrel of Monkeys Entertainment
The crew that came was excellent. They were on tim and very professional.
Great concept. The games didn’t work after the movie for us. Will re-book and try the video game prior to the movie next time.
Ralph did an amazing job. He kept the audience excited during the entire show.
Game show host, Ralph Tetta is very down to earth and easy to work with. Our students were very engaged with the show.
University of Akron, Akron OH Steve Pagios, 3/27/10
Dog Tags, Pop Noggins, Frisbee Artwork, Kustom Street Signz & Guitar Hero was a great addition to Sibs Weekend at a great price.
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Purdue University, West Lafayette IN Margie Tucker, Program Manager, 4/28/10
Great to work with and very helpful in re-scheduling due to rain issues.
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Clinton High School, Clinton LA Stephanie Goudeau, Safe & Drug-Free, 2/4/10
Would be nice if promo could be emailed. Toward the end of the event, simulators had to be re-booted several times.
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DRIVE-IN MOVIE Bass/Schuler Entertainment DUI SIMULATOR P.E.E.R.S.
North Andrew High School, Rosendale MO Ray Jackson, Guidance, 2/16/10 Andale High School, Andale KS Laura Charrat, Counselor, 2/17/10 Lynn University, Boca Raton FL Gail DeLena, 2/24/10
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
There were some problems with the computers/simulators but over-all I thought it was good.
Simulator was cool but not sure it was worth $2,000. I was disappointed that the video was shown on such a small screen.
Nov/Dec 2010, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 37
AGENCY COOPERATION
PROMO
ROAD CREW/ MGMT
COOPERATION/ATTITUDE
RELATIONSHIP TO AUDIENCE
ARTISTĂ•S ABILITY
ORIGINALITY
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE BOX SCORES DUI SIMULATOR P.E.E.R.S. (Continued)
Lyon College, Batesville AR Barbara Dyer, DCL, 3/3/10
Univ of Arkansas Community College, Hope AR Demechia Rowe, Coordinator, 3/4/10 Jacksonville University, Jacksonville FL Tiffany Dumant, Spec Events Chair, 3/5/10 Catholic High School, New Iberia LA Timothy Unl, Principal, 3/5/10
Texas Lutheran University, Seguin TX Ginger Taylor, DSA, 3/8/10 Alvin Community College, Alvin TX Brooke Redmon, 3/9/10
Lonestar College / Montgomery, Conroe TX Karen Buckman, 3/10/10
Northwest State Community College, Archbold OH Keith Van Horn, 3/23/10 Cardinal-Newman High School, Columbia SC Felicia Easterman, 3/31/10
East Central University, Ada OK Patrick Tadlock, Crew Advisor, 3/31/10 Capital High School, Charleston WV Kevin Smalles, 4/5/10
Middle Georgia College, Cochran GA Kevin Johnson, CSA, 4/5/10
Mississippi Valley State University, Itta Bena MS Severia McCall, 4/8/10 Felician College, Lodi NJ Mary Reilly, Counselor Dir, 4/15/10
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We have received positive feedback from both students and staff.
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Great presentation and great representation.
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Great show!
The show was great. Luke and Heather were amazing and very cooperative.
Very pleased!
The guys sent to our camus were very social but not outgoing. Limited due to weather so had to recruit more students.
Need bigger monitors with speakers os students can see and hear the video and the simulator. Promo on web was NOT good. Did not receive additional info at campus or paper. Always delivers what is expected.
Mitchell College, New London CT Stacey Torpey, Assist Dir H&W, 4/21/10
Ogeechee Technical College, Statesboro GA Karen Mobley, Student Leadership 4/22/10 Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg PA Barry Jackson, 9/1/10 Labette Community College, Parson KS Student Life Special, 9/7/10 Morningside College, Sioux City IA Joe Lasley, Area Coord, 9/13/10
Copiah Lincoln Community College, Wesson MS Brenda Smith, DSA, 9/14/10 Albright College, Reading PAS Bradley Smith, DSA, 9/20/10
College of the Mainland, Texas City TX Melissa Judson, Adm Assist, 9/28/10
Scott Community College, Bettendorf IA Michelle Allmendinger, SA Coordinator, 9/28/10
Only disappointed in the video. Thought it should have been on a larger screen.
Did a great job interacting with students. They are passionate about this topic. Better than anticipated. Thought it would be more technically advanced than it was. Staff were friendly and flexible.
A great opportunity students and employees. We sure it made an impact not to drink and drive. Pleased with the crew.
Dominican College, Orangeburg NY Eileena, Presentation Coordinator, 10/20/10
Columbus State Community College, Columbus OH Julie Collins, 10/21/10
38, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, Nov/Dec 2010
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
AGENCY COOPERATION
PROMO
ROAD CREW/ MGMT
COOPERATION/ATTITUDE
RELATIONSHIP TO AUDIENCE
ARTISTÕS ABILITY
EARL & ANTHONY Cutting Edge Productions
ORIGINALITY
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE BOX SCORES College for Creative Studies, Detroit MI Ahmad Hassan Awada, Assist Res Life Coord, 10/12/10
Our students really enjoyed the event and the crew was very interactive. I would recommend to other colleges and colleagues.
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University of New Haven, New Haven CT Danielle Gorka, 9/4/10
He was awesome! Everyone had a great time. We will definitely do this again.
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Post University, Waterbury CT Allison Smith, R&O, 9/6/10
Great show. The students loved it.
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Host did very good with a tough crowd.
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University of Akron, Akron OH Tiffany Schmidt, RHPB, 8/21/10
So talented, it was amazing. It’s all the extras that make these guys stand out.
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Lee College, Baytown TX Mike Spletter, SA Coordinator, 4/21/10
Road crew was awesome. The Smith Agency always delivers quality programs.
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A pleasure to work with.
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Our students loved the T-Shirts.
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FEAR - THE ULTIMATE GAME SHOW GP Entertainment THE FEUD GP Entertainment
Rivier College, Nashua NH Ellen Marinelli, 9/29/10
FULL COLOR CARICATURE ARTISTS FUN Enterprises FUNNY T SHIRTS The Smith Agency
University of Akron, Akron OH Tiffany Schmidt, RHPB, 8/29/10
College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe NM Anne Richie, SA Coordinator, 9/18/10
Fulton Montgomery Community College, Johnstown NY Jeremy Sherman, 10/5/10 GOODNIGHT KISS GAME SHOW GP Entertainment SUNY Oswego, Oswego NY Brenda Singleton, 2/14/10
These guys are great. I would highly recommend. I hope they come again.
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University of North Texas, Denton TX Tracey Frier, SAC, 8/25/10
Brian was fantastic. He did an amazing. We’re so glad the weather worked out.
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Everything went great. The timing, planning, execution...Everything was great.
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HIGH FLYING ADVENTURES Kirkland Productions
HIGH ROLLER CASINO NIGHT GP Entertainment Colgate University, Hamilton NY Lewis Mensah, 8/26/10 Keuka College, Keuka Park NY Jennifer Furmer, DSA, 9/25/10 INFLATABLES Party Animals
Event was extremely popular as usual. I will need to add more tables due to people in attendance. Outgrew venue space.
University of Akron, Akron OH Steve Pagios, 3/27/10
A great program for novelties and entertainment for sibs weekend. The items were high quality and very affordable.
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Eastern Wyoming College, Torrington WY Lance Petsch, SA Coord, 4/14/10
First time working with this agency and could not have been happier with the show.
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INFLATABLES The Smith Agency
EACH ARTIST REPORT QUALIFIES YOU FOR A WEEK-END OF FREE ENTERTAINMENT
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
Nov/Dec 2010, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 39
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