“The Office’s” Rainn Wilson
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Campus Activities LIVE at Lamar State College
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Jamie Newell
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Reader’s Choice Awards Nominations
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You know him as Dwight from NBC’s hit sitcom “The Office” and his new lecture is turning heads on campus.
Every campus has unique perspectives when it comes to managing their program. LSU-PA gives you an up-close look at theirs.
Jamie brings audience interaction and involvement to the forefront in a flexible and sometimes comedic murder mystery experience.
For Over 20 Years, CAM’s RCAs are legendary. This year’s ballot offers one of the most diverse offerings ever!
BILL COSBY AN AMERICAN LEGEND 22
He May Well Be The Most Revered Entertainer In The World. In This Exclusive Interview, He Tells Students The VALUE of Education.
IT’S ALL INSIDE
From the Publisher Real Life Laff Guru
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RCA Nominations Ballot Information What’s Hot for 2014
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RANDOM THOUGHTS & OTHER MINDLESS DRIBBLE A Last Farewell To Jack
Many of the our legendary agents will remember our friend Jack Whitesides. He handled the printing of Programming Magazine for me when I was at NACA and when I started Campus Activities Magazine® back in 1991, he handled the printing of that magazine as well. He became an Executive Vice President over printing at the R.L. Bryan Company, one of the most respected printers in the southeastern region. From there he went to Electric City Printing in Anderson, SC and finally to Service Printing in Columbia SC. Jack retired from Service Printing because of health reasons but for a number of years, he was a sales representative for Campus
A number of years ago, Jack was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and for a while various medications seem to help but as time passed, his symptoms got increasingly worse - to the point where work was not an option any longer. Jack loved his wife Paulette, his extended family and his boys, Doug, Mike and Kevin. He was a dear friend and well respected in his community and in the printing industry. He passed away November 19, 2013.
Activities Magazine® and was well respected by the acts and agents who worked with him.
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The last time I saw him, even though I am not sure he recognized me, he was still smiling and I am sure God is now looking upon his smiling face. Here’s to you Jack! - Kirby
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BY ELAINE PASQUA
Energy Drinks:
The Monster Under Your Bed Monster, Red Bull, 5-Hour Energy - heavy advertising dollars are spent by the companies who manufacture them. They primarily focus on the college market, especially at exam time. It’s big business, if they had their way, energy drinks would replace coffee. One Red Bull advertisement reads, “Nobody wishes they slept more in college.” They are making big bucks at the expense of thousands of students’ health. Fifty percent of college students say they consumed one to four energy drinks in the past month while only 15 percent of adults have. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, energy drink-related emergency room visits doubled from 10,068 in 2007 to 20,783 in 2011. Most patients were between the ages of 18 to 25.
Recently lawmakers and health activists called for the Food and Drug Administration to regulate these beverages. Manufacturers do not have to disclose the ingredients nor the amount of caffeine on the labels. Often the ingredients that have a stimulant effect are not listed. Energy drinks can contain three to four times the amount of caffeine that you would find in a cup of coffee. A six ounce cup of coffee contains 100 mg of caffeine. A can of soda is regulated to have no more than 65 mg of caffeine while some energy drinks contain between 150 and 505 mg per can.
Most of these drinks contain high amounts of sugar, taurine, and guarana. Guarana contains guanine, which is also caffeine. One gram of guarana is equal to as much as 40 mg of caffeine. Often the amount of guarana is not listed on the labels so the stimulant effect is much higher than one would imagine. Also, the higher quantities of sugar cause tooth decay and weight gain.
Some deaths and other health complications have stemmed from the use of energy drinks. I experienced this first-hand. When my son was 17, he attended at party where energy drinks were served. Not knowing how dangerous they were, he consumed quite a few of them. The next night he went into the bathroom and we heard the sound of things breaking. My husband said, “What are you doing?” When there was no reply, he ran in and found
heart contractions (how hard the heart squeezes to pump the blood out) for one hour after an energy drink was consumed. Large quantities or consuming these drinks for a prolonged period of time can be dangerous. This increased stimulation causes thickening and scarring of the heart, leading to a rise in cardiac rhythm abnormalities which could be deadly. Another concern is when energy drinks are mixed with alcohol. The stimulant effect of the caffeine masks the effects of the alcohol, which is feeling lethargic. A person will not feel as intoxicated as they should and they continue to drink. Students who mix alcohol with energy drinks experience higher rates of injuries, drunken driving incidents, alcohol poisoning and being taken advantage of sexually.
It’s important to look at what is going on in our lives and personal health. What is creating reliance on these drinks? Students use them because they are tired, did not get enough sleep, or need to pull an all-nighter. Many feel it provides mental clarity. Studies have shown that when compared to a placebo, (sugar-free lemonade) consuming an energy drink had no significant effect on reasoning, concentration or aptitude.
my son on the floor having a seizure. It is not fun to witness this, especially when it is your child. The next day he told us about the energy drinks. Through our research we learned that energy drinks can cause seizures by altering the balance of electrolytes through dehydration. He has not touched one since.
If you feel like you are reliant on energy drinks it may be a good time to take stock of your life. Why are you so tired? Are you getting eight hours of sleep each night? Is your diet well-balanced and free of junk food? Are you drinking eight glasses of water a day? Do you exercise daily? Fatigue can stem from a deficiency in any of these. What is your time management like? If you establish healthy habits you will be less reliant on them.
This month a new study was released showing the effects of energy drinks on the heart. Using cardiac MRIs researchers saw an increase in
Questions on college life? Email me at elaine@elainepasqua.com
Excessive caffeine causes anxiety, digestive problems, vomiting, heart palpitations, elevated blood pressure and heart rate, and an increase in sleep disorders. It leads to dehydration, making it more difficult for the body to flush out the toxins, thus increasing them, and can cause seizures and sometimes death.
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The bottom line is that energy drinks do not contain healthy ingredients. We don’t need the caffeine, guaranine, and sugar. You are what you eat; ingest things that enhance your overall wellbeing. Treat your body like a temple- it's the only one you've got. If you do so, you will be rewarded with a better quality of life.
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
So bad, It’s GOOD! Social expectations make one feel guilty for loving something bad, thus the phrase “guilty pleasures.” But the truth we are ashamed to admit is: it can be just as entertaining to witness defeat as victory. People that are not good role models can be every bit as entertaining as those that are. I know I am not alone in my love of things that are so bad they are good (how else would you explain the popularity of reality TV?) Although it is not taught in schools, the fact remains that in America, it is possible to build a very successful career by being a colossal failure.
This is true in all forms of the arts: literature (Edward George Bulwer-Lytton), music (William Hung), television (any Kardashian), etc. But, in my humble opinion, cinema is where bad is at its best.
“When I’m good, I’m very good. But when I’m bad, I’m better.” Mae West By Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA Spanky)
Mae West uttered many of my favorite quotes, such as the above. Another one of my favorite quotes, one that gave me the inspiration to enter the challenging profession of show business, was made by Teddy Roosevelt, when he proclaimed, “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
My fear of failure pales in comparison to my fear of being average, of being one of “those poor spirits.” Because, what is average, other than where the best of the worst meets the worst of the best. My fear of average has shaped every aspect of my life, not the least of which, what I find entertaining. Our culture dictates a proper person should love all things good and hate all things bad. Well, I have a confession to make. I truly love bad—not as much as good—but close. What I truly hate is what lies in between, mediocrity, that dull “grey twilight” that separates the opposite ends of the spectrum of good and bad.
Ed Wood would not be remembered (much less portrayed by screen hunk Johnny Depp) if he had been a good or even average filmmaker. “Plan 9 From Outer Space” or “Glen or Glenda” is every bit as familiar to any movie aficionado as “Citizen Cane” or “Casablanca,” albeit it for totally different reasons.
Roger Corman has had a stupendous career as a producer of bad low-budget B-movies, and launched the careers of A-list directors, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, Jonathan Demme, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdanovich, and Martin Scorsese, not to mention the acting careers of Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Sylvester Stallone, and Jack Nicholson. He produced over 300 schlocky films that people still love to watch four decades later, and was eventually awarded an honorary Oscar because they were so bad they’re good.
Troma Entertainment’s founder, Lloyd Kaufman, has been making bad movies for forty years. Like Corman, his films include the early efforts of many A-listers, such as: Trey Parker, Oliver Stone, Kevin Costner, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert DeNiro. Just as some animals are so ugly they are cute, Troma films are so repulsive they are loveable. As a Troma cast member described, “I have nothing but love for Troma, that love you have for your alcoholic, abusive grandfather.” More recently, “Sharknado” was so bad, it became one of the very few movies (if not the only) that was first broadcast on television and the response was so overwhelming it garnered a release in movie theaters.
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This movie had me when I read the synopsis: “Los Angeles gets hit by a tornado filled with sharks, which pummel and attack innocent bystanders.” The script included roll-on-the-floor-laughing lines, such as a character seeing the aftermath of a shark attack in a house filled with bloody water and saying with a straight face “Looks like it’s that time of the month.” Bwhaaa! Perhaps (but, I doubt it) the screenwriters were purposely trying to create a movie so bad it’s good (but, once again, I doubt it). Part of what makes bad movie good is the unintentional appeal; the fact the creator is oblivious to not achieving their desired affect. Not to say I cannot enjoy an intentionally bad movie, like “Toxic Avenger,” but films that put the misguided filmmaker’s delusions on display are much more entertaining.
These delusions are delightfully displayed in the documentary “Best Worst Movie, which IMBd describes as “unwitting Utah actors starred in the undisputed worst movie in history: TROLL 2. Two decades later, the legendarily inept film's child star unravels the improbable, heartfelt story of an Alabama dentist-turned-cult movie icon and an Italian filmmaker who come to terms with this genuine, internationally revered cinematic failure.” The Alabama dentist, George Hardy (who is undeniably likeable) and rest of the cast, accept the film is beyond bad, but the Italian filmmaker’s reaction to this revelation is priceless. Claudio Fragasso and Rosella Drudi sincerely believed “Troll 2” achieved cult status twenty years after its release because audiences finally recognized their cinematic genius, until hearing audiences laugh where they did not intend humor throws their self-esteem balloon on a cactus.
To be fair, most everyone in the arts have some delusions. If we could clearly recognize reality we probably would have chosen another profession. So, if twenty years from now, people are buying tickets to watch my comedy act, and laughing in the wrong places, I’m okay with that. I’ll just be happy they are still buying tickets...
Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA “Spanky”) has been described as a “campus entertainment icon.” He has been voted “Campus Comic of the Year” (LaffGuru.com) and the “Campus Performer of the Year”. His credits include over 50 TV appearances, including: Showtime, Good Morning America, and The Late Show. He is represented by GP Entertainment.
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773.481.2600 (PH) 773.481.2601 (FX)
VOTE FOR US FOR 2014 BEST COMEDY ARTISTS AT campusactivitiesmagazine.com/awards.php 2013 ENTERTAINERS OF THE YEAR
INFO@BASS-SCHULER.COM www.MissionIMPROVable.com
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Millions of fans of “The Office” will recognize Rainn Wilson as the incomparable Dwight Schrute, one of the stand out characters from that hit TV series on NBC. What most of you might not know however, is that Rainn is nothing like the character we all fell in love with for his weird, antisocial, egomaniacal behavior, but is in fact a thoughtful, caring and quite intelligent person.
Once “The Office” really started to take off, Rainn realized there was an opportunity to do something more with his success than just be successful. He started a project that was meant to help change the world in some small way, and now he brings that message to college campuses across the country. Rainn sits down with Campus Activities Magazine® to provide some insight into SoulPancake.
“SoulPancake has been in existence for about four or five years now,” he says. “Some friends of mine and I saw an opportunity when 'The Office’ www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
started taking off around year two or three, to do something really special on the internet. We wanted to do something uplifting and challenging for young people. We wanted to create a website that we would have like to have seen when we were younger, in our teens or twenties.” Rainn and friends saw this as a chance to build a platform to ponder the bigger issues in life. “One thing I have always been fascinated by is philosophy and the world of ideas, so SoulPancake was dedicated to that. It was dedicated to the quest that we are all on, to find the truth about our existence.” It began as a social networking site exploring these issues and grew into something much more. “It became a place where people could explore life’s big questions. We didn’t have any answers at SoulPancake and we still don’t, but we encourage people to ask those questions and engage in a deep, meaningful way with the issues and quandaries of what it is to be a human being.”
After the website launched, an iPhone App was created and a New York Times Bestselling book was written as a companion piece to the work they are doing. “The book is filled with art, cool quotes and activities and is called ‘SoulPancake: Chew On Life’s Big Questions.‘ It became very successful but, where we have really found our voice and audience is in our YouTube Channel (youtube.com /user/soulpancake). We are one of the few funded YouTube channels and we started creating content around the project. That’s when things really took off. We have a couple of web series that are big viral hits and really started getting our name out there. We started creating content for The Oprah Winfrey Network. Kid President is a very well known YouTube personality that we discovered and promoted. We also have a show called ‘My Last Days’ about people with terminal illnesses who are learning how to live in the face of dying. So the content spans things that are really funny to some things that are deeply profound and difficult as well.”
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Either by accident or a concerted act of humility, Rainn left off his own successful web show, “Metaphysical Milkshake,” where he drags various celebrities from Larry King to Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Russell Brand into the back of his van for a one-on-one, soul searching interviews. “Something I always wanted to do was play around with having a talk show. I never really wanted to be a talk show host as a main career, because it is far too grueling, but to be able to do this is a lot of fun. I get some celebrity friends and people I meet to go on the show and I get to have fun with them and it is pretty silly. We always try to be a bit irreverent. When conversations happen around these big topics, they often get very heavy. Whether it’s talking to Larry King about God or Joseph GordonLevitt about art, having some sort of deeper, meaningful conversation without getting too serious is the goal.”
SoulPancake has just under 845,000 subscribers at the time of this writing, which is not something Rainn and team anticipated. “In less than a year and a half we went from 4,000 subscribers to over 800,000. So, it’s exceeded our wildest expectations and it shows that there is truly an audience for this kind of content. Challenging, uplifting stuff that often deals with spirituality, but not in any kind of preachy way.”
The program Rainn presents on campus takes a similar format, with him sharing much of his own story, insights from the SoulPancake book and of course opening up the program to students who want to join the discussion. “I talk about my life story. Essentially I talk about growing up a nerdy kid in suburban Seattle and as a member of the Bahå’i Faith. I talk about how my life’s journey, leaving my faith, becoming a professional actor and artist and then finding faith again all led to the creation of SoulPancake. It all ties together and that is what it is all
about, tying things together and showing those connections. My journey, faith, funny stories, ‘The Office,’ being on television and the creation of this project and how it is a reflection of who I am as a person. There are a lot of jokes, many silly stories and some topics that I hope are a little bit profound and thought provoking.”
The show takes a multimedia format as well. “We show some of my favorite videos from SoulPancake that
touch on some of the subjects in the talk. People seem to love it and we have a great time.”
Rainn has been performing his presentations about his personal story on campus accompanying SoulPancake, but the combination of the two formed an incredible synergy that turned this talk into something far beyond Rainn’s own personal story’s reach. “I have been doing this for three or four years now and it has been really nice. I have been to really diverse colleges, from small to large, arenas with 20,000 people to lecture halls with 300. I always try to suit it to the audience at hand and so far the feedback has been great.”
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The message is tailored to each campus, not just a canned one for every performance. “There is an interconnected series of stories that I tell everywhere, but I suit it to the audience. If I find they want more humor, or more probing stuff, then it can have a very different flavor depending on the size, diversity and general attitude of the audience.
The entire SoulPancake project is about growth and challenging ourselves and the presentation Rainn makes on campus is no different. “That is the whole point of the entire thing. Ultimately the entire mission of my campus presentation is to encourage students to really engage fully in their lives. What they think, what they feel, their academic, intellectual, emotional, artistic and spiritual journeys are all part of what it is to be a human being. I encourage them to really dig deep and not be afraid, but courageous in trying to dig into these questions that all humans deal with. Does my life have a purpose? What is the nature of love? Do we have free will? Is there a God? All of these big questions are crucial for young people to be dealing with in their college years and it determines the course of their life. I also bring things around to service especially, the idea of service to others and the fact that it is through serving others that we find ourselves.”
Check out more of SoulPancake online and if you are interested in having Rainn come to your campus to give your students the firsthand experience, the contact information is below.
Alec Melman at Gotham Artists at 646-873-6601 or alec@gotham-artists.com. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
Lamar State College Port Arthur is a community college with an interesting set of demographics and programs uniquely for an entirely commuter base. Some of its areas of study include nursing, cosmetology, process technology, commercial music and drama, along with some other traditional academic and technical programs.
Claire Thomason is the Director of Student Activities at LSC-PA, which is a member of the Texas State University System and she talks with us in more detail. The programming board is unique at this school, because of it’s size and format, and the fact that its part of the Student Government Association itself. “I know that’s not typical of how most campuses operate,” Claire says, “but we are such a small campus that we found that it was much better to keep the student government close to student activities so we all work together to keep the events and programming and what students wanted on campus seamless.”
The SGA has 8 elected members and all of them work toward a general consensus on the suggestions for programming at the campus. “I brought all of those members to the NACA Convention in Tulsa for the central region this year, so they all got an opportunity to participate in workshops and see all the showcases. They all have a good feel for how the whole process works and the types of entertainment that are offered and the things that they can do to speak with the agents and book for our campus.”
Claire does still provide some guidance. “I do make sure that we have some diverse programming on campus, but a lot of it is their own ideas, many of which are excellent and very innovative.”
It’s clear that professional development is a big consideration for the LSC-PA SGA, as bringing 9 people including Claire to a conference is a considerable investment for a school with approximately 3,500 students. “We get a lot of support from the entire school’s administration, but especially from our vice president for Student Services. He works closely with me and all of our SGA people when it comes to being involved with the entertainment brought to campus. He is really vested in making sure that the students have exactly what they need. Part of that is in going to these conferences and making sure they understand the process. The main thing we are trying to accomplish is to get the students to see more than just the political side of student government that may be happening on some other campuses. We want them to get a feel for a more complete process, which includes leadership training and time management skills, which are so important not only while they are in school but will follow them long after they are in the working world. Also, you never know which students might go into this type of career down the road. There are so many different types of things they might glean from these experiences and just watching them progress from the time they are elected into office to graduation is amazing.”
The budget for activities comes form the campus’ student services budget. “That is the main source of funding, but we also work hand in hand with each student organization on campus, about 15 altogether. We are happy to say that number is growing each year. The individual organizations do their own fundraising, but all of the activities and events we bring to campus that are sponsored by SGA are funded through student services fees.”
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Because LCS-PA is a 100% commuter campus, the scheduling is a bit different than many typical campuses that are trying to keep students on campus on weekend nights. SGA programs between 10 and 15 major events each semester along with other filler events in between. “We do some of the traditional events, like the Welcome Week activities, which features something each day. Not all of them are expending the budget because we do some homegrown programming. They have some very creative ways of doing that, for example they made their own Angry Birds game by decorating boxes and using other articles from around campus. One of the things our students wanted to do that we instituted this year was Cultural Days. We have a fall festival where we concentrate on Halloween and Homecoming. We also have our Spring Fling and we celebrate Black History Month. We have a Health and Safety week and also celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We have a very diverse ethnic background here on our campus so we are very cognizant of trying to cater to all of those in our major events.” The mascot for LSC-PA is the Seahawk. This year they decided to throw it a birthday party. “He was turning three, so we did that. We do a lot of different things to not only get students involved, but provide some support to school spirit and the history and traditions we want to honor as the years go by, making sure the students are a part of the whole campus experience.”
About half of the events at LSC-PA are booked with outside talent from agencies and the other half www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
are homegrown events that stretch the budget and allow students to create something from scratch. “We do utilize a lot of the things on campus that we already have and also try to bring in some local talent, but probably half are things we have seen at conferences or www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
from booking through agencies we are familiar with.”
Student housing is a priority for LSC-PA, so it’s likely some of the formula for their events may change when that occurs in the next couple of years. For now, they are making
great experiences for the commuters coming to campus on a daily basis, and are extremely effective at stretching their budget. For more information contact Claire Thomason at thomasonc@lamarpa.edu
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WHODUNIT? YOU FIGURE IT OUT!
Custom Comedy Capers is a company that can make your student’s one-of-a-kind interactive realities come true through a variety of specially designed improvised games that are based on your needs and your students on-the-spot reactions. The company formed over 20 years ago, working in the corporate market for companies such as BP, McDonalds, Amoco, Pepsi Cola, Sears and more, so they are used to the higher standards.
Jamie Newell is the head of the company, and tells what they can offer the campus market from customized murder mysteries to comedy. “The murder mysteries are really a combination of a few shows in one. They are a comedy improv show coupled with a light and silly murder mystery.”
The shows “ fit in well with the dinner theater concept or as a stand alone show. They are highly audience involved. The first half of the show is all about audience participation and we use theater games and comedy improv games to bring the audience into the goofiness and creativity. The idea is to get the students to really open up their creative thinking and get out of the mode of the quiet simple texting and into a truly social setting.”
The second half is where the mystery plot of the story unfolds. “Our most popular option is a show called ‘School Spirit’ which centers on the haunted happenings around campus. That show features a play within a play and audience members come up on stage and play a part as the characters.
We give them very simple prop and costume pieces and then narrate, with the areas of the audience broken up for different sound effects. During this segment all of our characters die and when it’s over, the students get up to bow, and one student remains dead, and we have to figure out whodunnit.” That’s really where the show goes into it’s third act, as the room is broken up into teams to figure it out. “We try to squeeze tables together so that new friends can meet and then they go into who they think did it and why.”
There are several other options for shows the company offers and your school is provided with extra support to help make it a success. “We have a social media director, who will work with the school in whatever facet of promotions they find most effective for the highest level of exposure. We also offer posters, either digitally or printed copies. We also like to work with the school’s athletic and theater departments to corral a couple of volunteers in advance.”
There are a wide variety of programs available beside just the ‘School Spirit’ premise, including a horror movie coming to town to ‘cast’ the students and a one woman ‘psychic’ show, all of which include the same high level of audience interaction. “We try to offer packages based on budgets and space. If a school can’t bring in three or four improv actors but can afford one we can still do a great mystery show.”
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There a tons of different options for shows using the Custom Capers crew only limited by your vision as a programmer. “The beauty of our company is that so many shows are created based upon a client’s concept or idea. I had one school come to me and say they wanted a murder mystery where students could come and go as they pleased, so it would not be a captive audience. That presented a difficult scenario but we pulled it off.”
“We have a program called ‘Get Zombied’ which is when one of us come out and teach the students how to apply real movie zombie makeup and we teach up to 200 students. We also offer ‘Zombie 101’ for if a school wants to learn how to do some zombie games but doesn’t want the responsibility of facilitating or setting it up, we can create the perfect environment. A third program we put together is a combination of the new zombie craze and a scavenger hunt, called ‘Zombie Snapchat Hunt.’ The idea behind it is using Snapchat to get clues to where zombies are hidden across campus. It’s a great way to familiarize new students with a campus or for family weekends. The final program is a ‘Zombedy Comedy Mystery’ which includes elements of all the popular zombie movie and TV shows and our Murder Mystery format in an overthe-top show.”
Contact Bass/Schuler Entertainment at (773) 481-2600 or info@bass-schuler.com for more info about how Custom Comedy Capers can bring a new one-of-a-kind experience.
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There are not many performers living that could be labeled as bona fide legends, but Bill Cosby is one that stands in his own class. Performing for over 50 years, he has the unique ability to appeal not only to the legions of fans who have followed him over tyhe decades, but also to still reach the youth of our day. He has a passion for students and education and in fact, still regularly performs in the campus market. He gives an exclusive interview to Campus Activities Magazine® just before his show in Columbia, South Carolina at the Koger Center For The Arts on the University of South Carolina campus. We also hear first hand from an activities board director at Nova Southeastern University about how successful his performance was on their campus.
After serving in the U.S. Navy and spending some time studying at Temple University, Bill Cosby released his first comedy album “Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow... Right!” in early 1963. This year would mark it’s 50th anniversary for those of you paying attention. He says despite finding success www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
quickly in live performing, he learned early on that higher education was an extremely important factor in his and all young people’s lives, and he continues to believe that to this day. Not only does he heartily support young people and higher education (how about a $20 MILLION dollar donation to Spelman College) but also makes a concerted effort to have his shows remain accessible to students by keeping his ticket prices affordable for them, when clearly he could demand a premium if he so chose. Dr. Cosby (he earned a Doctorate of Education from the University of Massachusetts and has multiple honorary degrees) tells us about why this focus on young people and education are so important to him.
“In 1960, I entered Temple University as a freshman, with a 500 SAT Score, TOTAL. It was important to me, because I had mismanaged my life for at least 14 and a half of my 19 and a half years in terms of the value of an education and what it could do to lift a person up towards a goal. The work that goes into problem solving, working with a
teacher, working on projects and taking things seriously and understanding that this is not a punishment; education is not a punishment. To accept formal education is not a punishment but a gift and a privilege. I found all that out when I was in the United States Navy. I realized I could have done better and the position that I was in with the Navy was a place from which to work my way up. But, I knew I couldn’t become a career Navy person and I knew that I had a message to carry to young people who might have been mismanaging their lives in the same way I had. In all seriousness, I was the happiest I have ever been in my life because I finally had a goal and with the goal I had these thoughts of changing young people and making them understand the value of education. I knew that I would always have a job and I also knew that I was never going to do what I had been doing prior to my epiphany.” This is a lesson that has never left him and he has continued to want to impart it to others. “At age 76, it has remained important all through my
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life to use the television set as an example and a means to speak to the viewer. I don’t use it to teach; to truly teach you have to get a response from the student. So all this does is places an example before them.”
This translates not only from his years on television in programs like “The Cosby Show” which had the 7th highest rated finale with 44.4 million viewers or “Little Bill” which
reached an entirely new generation of kids not even born by the time the previous show finished airing, but also to his live performances, of which just in this year he will do dozens. “When it comes to my live show, that message is always there. Whenever I address a total college audience, my comedy is always directed to the following: humanities, philosophies and projection of the idea that they are THIS age, they used to be kids, they are about to be
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full fledged adults, their time for true enrichment is now. The focus on the importance of this concept really brings the comedy to a head where the students are very much enjoying what I am talking about and they are laughing.”
For a firsthand account of just how big a draw and how much of an impact Dr. Cosby is on students, we speak with Christina Rajkumar, Assistant Director of Special Events www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
& Projects at Nova Southeastern University and two of her graduate assistants, Jennifer Vogel and Michelle Canales. “The capacity for our theater is a maximum of just over 500 and we sold out in under four hours,” Christina says. “Out of that 500 capacity, almost 400 of that were students versus faculty and staff.”
Jennifer tells us a little bit about what made Dr. Cosby such a draw. “On our campus, 80% of our population are graduate students, so we do have a little bit of an older population that might remember ‘The Cosby Show,’ but even our younger students turned out very well because of the syndication of the show on Nickelodeon and with Little Bill (not to mention his books), and were very familiar with him. There was actually a running joke for a while that one student on our campus said ‘Oh, who’s Bill Cosby?’ Everyone else was well aware,” she says laughing. This particular show was for a program NSU hosts called “Life 101” and fit very well into the message Dr. Cosby delivers. “We bring different celebrities from the entertainment, business and athletics worlds to speak about their life experiences and the lessons they have learned along the way. Dr. Cosby was the perfect choice for this program and he did a wonderful job not only entertaining our students, but motivating them as well,” Christina says.
Dr. Cosby describes a turning point for him that he imparts to students and sees a clear affect on them when he does. “My defining day was in remedial English and makes me who I am today. That defining day was when I took home the assignment to write a composition. I wrote about pulling my tooth.” He says he never set out for this assignment to be a funny one, but it set him on the path for being the enchanting storyteller we have seen on stage for over 50 years. “The professor read and approved of my paper and I have been that same www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
thinking person ever since. I write (or speak) about my experience, that which is in me, the way I see things and I bring it out for other people.”
While Bill Cosby has for years been a great influence for many comics and artists, he too had his own personal inspiration. “My hero is Mark Twain. I did not copy from Mr. Twain, I wrote the composition without knowing him to his fullness and to the extent of his beauty with the American English language. I had no intention of being funny, my intention was to be direct and tell my story. It wasn’t until after the second composition ‘Procrastination Or, The Perfect Point‘ that happened. I wrote about how when I didn’t want to get started writing the paper I continued to sharpen my pencil, blaming the point on not being perfect for my procrastination, so I had to sharpen it some more. So the composition took me to the point where there was nothing left but the metal and rubber eraser.
“In doing these two papers, I got two A’s, and this gave me tremendous confidence and I began to work with myself. I realized some of these thoughts that I have are good thoughts and I wanted to write them down. I wasn’t trying to be funny because I didn’t have an audience to be funny for. But then again, I didn’t know; did Mark Twain write because he knew he had something funny, or did he write because he thought he had a clever idea and wanted to get it out?”
He began to take his ideas and develop them, still never really trying to be funny. “I was just addressing the humorous idea, and it was wonderful.” We all know now where this inspiration eventually went, into one of the most prolific and successful standup comedy careers of all time. “There was a non-blood cousin I had who’s name was Del Shields, he was foremost in influencing me to become a performer. By this time I was playing football for Temple, running track and was a Dean’s List
student, but I began to see that I wanted to be funny and Del had his own TV show and radio show. He allowed me to warm up his audiences. I didn’t know what I was doing, I just knew that I wanted to be funny with these people. In those days you couldn’t use vulgarity or profanity or even innuendo. That is something that has stuck with me to this day.”
Some comics have no material at all, and use shock value and vulgarity to get a laugh. When Dr. Cosby performs, he usually does two solid hours of material without uttering a single profane or offensive word. That’s one thing that has carried his success such a long way, if you can “work clean” (a phrase he doesn’t like), you can work anywhere. “There are many people who perform in a ‘party’ atmosphere and that is what the people pay to come see. I don’t perform like that, what I do is based on the standards of my day, where you come out and you do what you think will cause them to smile and laugh. It is the same as the party people, just the attitude is different. I was brought up that you don’t use that kind of language in the presence of women and children, but times have changed drastically (laughs).”
You can be sure that no matter who your audience is, Bill Cosby can entertain and not offend. He will use the demographics of the audience to dial in and entertain and enlighten them beyond a measure that most performers could ever hope to attain. Bring this true American legend to your campus for an experience your students will never forget.
Matt Blake at CAA at (424) 288-2000 or MBlake@caa.com
CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE®, JANUARY 2014 2013, 25
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PLEASE REVIEW THE CANDIDATES IN EACH CATEGORY AND VOTE TODAY AT: CAMPUSACTIVITIESMAGAZINE.COM/AWARDS.PHP YOU DO NOT HAVE TO VOTE IN EVERY CATEGORY. ONLY VOTE WHEN YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE ARTISTS. SKIP ANY CATEGORY WHERE YOU DO NOT KNOW THE ARTISTS OR HAVE NOT HAD THEM ON YOUR CAMPUS.
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This year ALL voting must be done online. Simply go to our website at campusactivitiesmagazine.com and click on the “VOTE HERE” section on our homepage to be taken to the official ballot. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO VOTE IN EVERY CATEGORY. If there are artists that you are unfamiliar with, skip that section and go to the next category. ONLY ARTISTS AND AGENCIES may vote for Campus Of The Year. ONLY CAMPUS BUYERS may vote for Agency Of The Year. DEADLINE FOR VOTING IS 11:59 PM MARCH 1, 2014
SKYLER: Skyler is a pop singer/songwriter known for his engaging performances. He has been featured on The X Factor… even impressing Simon Cowell with his covers of “Call Me Maybe” and “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”. This year he shared the stage with Matt Nathanson, Rookie of the Year, and The Band perry. “This is Taylor Swift in guy form” according to Absolutepunk. NELLY’S ECHO: Nelson Emokpae, also known as “Nelly”, originally hails from Nigeria. He has drawn on his background and experiences to tell his story in music and lyrics. His blend of soul, reggae and blues and vocal abilities transport the listener into the musical story. He mixes a little calypso, Afro-beat and a lot of soul into a style that is a crowd pleaser.
BEN SEIDMAN: Ben Seidman is the Resident Magician at Mandalay Bay, Resort and Casino in Las vegas. For three-seasons he was creative consultant for Mindfreak on A&E, during which he designed the illusions performed by Criss Angel. He uses sleight-of-hand and manipulations to pick-pockets, read minds and suspend disbelief. His performances weave these moments around comedy and stories about living in vegas.
BRIAN MILLER: Brian Miller is a comedian and magician from Buffalo. A professional entertainer since the age of 16, Brian has headlined nearly every type of venue. He is occasionally invited by colleges and universities to give a special lecture on the relationship between philosophy and magic. He currently maintains a schedule of 250+ events/year.
AMANDA DUNCAN: “Welcome to your musical punch in the face,” says Amanda Duncan from the stage to the crowd as she flashes a knowing smile. Amanda draws from a diverse blend of the crooning hits of the 30′s and 40′s and the pop-country of today, to craft what has become her light-hearted, headbopping acoustic sound. As a spectator, you’ll be impressed by her hummable melodies and powerful vocals .
GINA BRILLON: Gina has been featured on E’s Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, ABC’s The view and Comedy.Tv. She’s also been in numerous other projects, MTv3, SiTv, Latina magazine , New York post and the Daily News. She has also opened for singers Chrisette Michelle and Neyo. This Bronx born Latina has no trouble connecting with her male or female fans with her raw honesty .
AUSTIN CANE: Austin “Walkin’ Cane” is a blues singer, songwriter who performs acoustic solo, duo & electric band sets. Cane has acquired various blues/instrumentalist awards over the years and has traveled the world..
BLACK JEW DIALOGS: The Black-Jew Dialogues combines comedic sketches, improv, and audience participation to provide a fast- paced program. The show has been praised by CNN and the Boston Globe as an “eye opening and honest” dialogue about culture in America. The presenters play a myriad of characters taking the audience on a hysterical and poignant journey through many of our closest held beliefs (and misbeliefs).
STAN PEARSON II: Stan is a Speaker, Motivational Comedian, Author & Diversity Enthusiast. He is a Spanish speaking, salsa dancing interactive presenter who connects with every audience regardless of race, religion, socio-economic background, sexual orientation or ability. He truly understands the constant evolving nature of diversity & the importance of its truth.
W. KAMAU BELL: Just like skinny jeans, superhero movies, and celebrity weight loss, racism continues to make a comeback. Luckily for us, comedian and campus speaker W. Kamau Bell is here to make (non)sense of all of it all. In 2012, he premiered his new television series “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell” which aired on FX networks. His one-man show "The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour" is an exploration of America's racism.
“Cane arrives bearing not only a cool blues calling card but a commanding voice and fiery Delta chops." -The New Yorker
KYLA LACEY: Kyla Lacey is a spoken word poet and writer. Her bright disposition shines through her journey of life through triumphant and tragedy. She is primarily a poet but infuses comedy into her performance, drawing from her own real life situations. She speaks French, German and Spanglish, and understands full well the necessity of communication and diversity. She will make you laugh, cry and feel utterly inspired
SAVANNAH OUTEN: Savannah Outen has over 95 MILLION YouTube views. Since 2007, she has been posting videos of different covers (and even some originals), making her an internet celebrity. She has recorded music for Disney and participated in Billboard Music Awards’ Battle of the Bands. She has also performed at The American Music Awards and at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
ERIN JACKSON: Erin's warm, conversational style and relatable humor have helped to propel her onto the national stage.Erin currently co-hosts Exhale, a provocative, hip and candid new talk show airing on Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s ASpiRE television network. She’s performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, and the Tv Guide Network'sStandup in Stilettos. NATALIE STOVALL: Whether it’s Natalie Stovall’s breathtaking vocals and larger-than-life stage presence, her band’s turbocharged, take-no prisoners live shows, or the collective unit’s barnstorming worldwide tours, Natalie Stovall and The Drive prove they are arena ready. A humble, charismatic entertainer with a trademark lion’s mane of big blonde hair, Natalie and her powerful vocals and sparkling fiddle leave audiences spellbound.
RACHEL FEINSTEIN: Rachel developed her hilarious, character driven style by opening for her father’s blues band as a kid and doing impressions of various loud and jarring relatives. She has appearances on “World’s Dumbest” on truTv, “Comics Unleashed,” “Just for Laughs” and “Live at Gotham” on Comedy Central. Spots include “Montreal Comedy Festival,” Scotland’s “Glasgow Comedy Festival,” a Tv show in Amsterdam .
SVET: SvET the hip hop violinist has showcased at 6 NACA regional conferences. He has shared the stage with The Black Keys, Chris Brown, T-pain, Gym Class Heroes, Fabolous, Cee Lo, and many more! Aside from colleges, he also regularly performs for Fortune 500 companies, The Brooklyn Nets, and various charities. Last year, he was runner up as Campus Activities Magazine’s Best Musical Act.
JOEL MEYERS: Joel Meyers, a young interactive comedy illusionist who has taken the world by storm. performing a progressive brand of magic for celebrities and audiences of all types and ages worldwide. Newsweek magazine says Joel quite simply "will capture your imagination.” He was specifically selected to perform at major movie premieres for Hollywood elite and currently is touring the college market.
CHRISTOPHER CARTER: Christopher Carter has been called the world’s greatest mind reader. But he’s not psychic. He’s just in the business of freaking people out. With well over 2000 campus performances to his credit, and numerous past Reader’s Choice awards under his belt, Christopher is one of the most sought after entertainers in the campus market. In his words, he does “anything that is weird, freaky or cool.”
NICK PIKE: British comedy juggler Nick Pike was a Quarterfinalist on America's Got Talent . He is now touring Colleges and Universities across America. He has performed his one man show, 'Laugh Out Loud!' on over 80 campuses. Nick's fast-paced comedy juggling show combines crazy skills, dangerous stunts, hilarious volunteer interaction, and an english accent. Nick is guaranteed to entertain!
SAILESH: MTV Europe has named Sailesh as ‘The Best Hypnotist on the Planet’, with over 10 million hits on YouTube, his live performance is the hottest show on the college market! You don’t just watch Sailesh’s Hypnosis Show—you and your friends star in an edge of your seat hilarious and improv program.
NEW YORK PARTY WORKS: party Works has been in the business of entertaining people for over 30 years. They take pride in being a service oriented company that cares as much about your event as you do. Although they are one of the top New York Event Companies, they take their services anywhere to make sure YOUR event is spectacular. The company is still family owned and your call will be answered by a person ready to fulfill your needs. RECORD-A-HIT: Record-A-Hit was establish by Rob Broms when karaoke was becomming popular in the mid-80s. But soon the shows became more diverse and more innovative as did the company’s reputation for fun and depenadable events. Their Elk Grove, IL warehouse is bursting at the seams with a huge variety of attractions including Digital Air Gaffiti and the Iceless Skating Rink.
ENDEAVOR ENTERTAINMENT: Endeavor Entertainment is a full service entertainment company providing all types of novelty shows for the college, corporate, and private party rental markets. Celebrating our 10 year anniversary in 2014, we are proud to bring such fun shows like mechanical bull, airbrush tattoos, casino nights, drive in movies, photo booths, and new for 2014 our Drop zone Stunt Jump. TJOHNE: The John family is sincerely appreciative of the nomination. We’ve listed for you the top six reasons to vote for ThinkFast: (6) Our repeat business is 100%; (5) Clients pay us at their convenience; (4) 100 to 500 multi digit wireless remotes; (3) Most Sophisticated Software by far; (2) Most experienced and talented producers; and (1) 650 shows each year.
CEP, INC.: CEpis a National Award winning full service Novelty variety Company specializing in, unique interactive entertainment and prides itself on being the Industry leader, like ‘Bongo Ball Mania’ and‘Intensity Game Show.’ The pEERS division knows how to make learning fun, educational and informative When your event counts, you can count on CEp to do it right! DAN LORNITIS: With more than 5000 live performances to his credit, hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the United States have rebooked Dan. Why? Not just because he is easy to work with, he’s hilarious, and he doesn’t resort to trash-mouth tactics; it's all about the performer, and Dan brings it to a whole new level of laughs per second. If you think that hypnotists are a seen-one-seen-them-all proposition, you really need to check out Dan Lornitis.
MARK TOLAND: Mark Toland's spectacles have captivated audiences nationwide. As a mind reader he combines expertise in mentalism, psychology, and hypnotism to blow your mind. It's easy to see why colleges call Mark's show "a must have on your campus!".
MIKE SUPER: As the winner of NBC’s hit Tv show ‘phenomenon’, Mike is the only magician in history to win a LIvE magic competition on primetime US network television and voted America's Favorite Mystifier! Through spectacular illusions and his own down-to-earth style and personality, Super has pioneered magic that transcends the "trick". Mike has emerged as magic’s newest celebrity, with a legion of fans numbering in the millions.
JOSEPH TRAN: With his disarming demeanor, wordplay and energetic vibe, Joseph resurrects the traditions of the variety entertainer and brings it into the 21st century. One part magician, and one part comedian, Joseph’s fresh combination of signature magic and stand-up comedy is perfectly suited for college crowds. You will hear his trademark catch-phrase even weeks after your event! he was also a stunt man for the Might Morphin power Rangers.
chrisjones: chrisjones is one of the newest and most energetic performers on the college market today. He has been taking his insanely unique hypnosis show to universities across the country and engaging students with his enhanced skill of hypnosis. Giving the audience an incredibly interactive show, his performances combine physical features and visual antics-making students the true stars of the show!
BASS/ SCHULER ENTERTAINMENT
BASS/SCHULER ENTERTAINMENT BSE works with hundreds of colleges and universities around the country. Award-winning acts and establishing strong working relationships has made Bass/Schuler “Agency of the Year” in Campus Activities Magazine numerous times, including 2012. They are thankful for the support over the years and look forward to continuing their working relationships in the future!
BE COLLEGES: BE Colleges is a FUN boutique agency in Boston, MA and St. Louis, MO. We represent a variety of acts including musicians, poets, comedians, variety acts, and more! We are known for our personalized service (with either Hillary or Ian) and are dedicated to bringing the best entertainment to your campus.
NEON ENTERTAINMENT: Neon represents entertainers that have appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central, MTv, HBO, and NBC and more. In addition to live entertainers, they provide a number of interactive services, from inflatable games, to novelty giveaways and special events and also represent nationally known acts and speakers, motivational, and team building specialists. SOPHIE K ENTERTAINMENT. Sophie K is a full-service entertainment agency meeting the needs of colleges/universities, corporate events, festivals and clubs. We consider ourselves more of a boutique agency for stand up comedians, bands and variety artists allowing us to pay closer attention to the artists and the customers. We’re thrilled to be nominated. We sincerely appreciate it and we appreciate your business even more.
KIRKLAND PRODUCTIONS KP COMEDY:: Kirkland productions is an entertainment agency specializing in entertainment, cultural, and educational programs for colleges and universities across the country. We pride ourselves on offering professional entertainers, quality programs, and the highest level of service to our customers. Our sister company, Kp Comedy, specializes in providing the best comedians for college campuses nationwide.
PETER BOIE: peter Boie Magician for Non-Believers captivates audiences across the country with his award winning magic that will defy your reality. His show leaves his audience gasping, laughing, and thoroughly entertained. The rave reviews are piling up making him one of the most in demand college performers in the country. peter lives in Maine and his favorite color is orange.
ADAM GRABOWSKI: What's this blue line above my head? Does my hair make me look like Jim from The Office? Is anyone actually reading this? I wonder how many words I have left in my bio. I should probably say something about being 2013’s Best Comedy Artist and 2012’s Fastest Rising Star.
MICHAEL KENT: Comedian and Magician Michael Kent has been a close Runner-Up for the Entertainer of the Year the previous two years. He has presented his original show in hundreds of colleges in 46 states, 9 countries, 19 military bases. He combines humor with magic in a way that seems to let the audience “in on the joke,” making him one of the top comedy-magicians in the country.
MATT COREY: "venturing far outside of the realm of traditional saxophone music, Matt Corey’s Sax/DJ set features music by many of today’s top artists. Fusing club and radio hits with raw energy and virtuosic instrumental mastery, Matt has been featured in performances in London, Walt Disney World, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and hundreds of clubs, colleges. He has opened for Dave Matthews Band, Lil Wayne, Mario, Average White Band, & O.A.R.
DANIEL MARTIN: This year Daniel Martin was recognized by Campus Activities Magazine as the highest rated/best reviewed performer in the college market. His high-energy blend of insane magic and sarcastic improv consistently lead to standing ovations and record-breaking attendance nationwide. He has been nominated Entertainer of the Year three times.
GARY JOHNSON: Gary Johnson has shared the stage with dozens of multi-platinum groups, playing sold out venues coast to coast with attendance often exceeding 30,000 people. He has recorded and toured with former members of The Fray, Seether, Breaking Benjamin, Boston, and others. He has received rave reviews on his fully-interactive show which promotes overwhelming crowd participation.
RYAN SCHMIDT: Boston-based singer/songwriter, Ryan Schmidt has opened for critically acclaimed artists including: Matt Nathanson, Lights, pat McGee, been featured in GQ’s “Men Of The Year” editorial, is a YouTube partnered cover artist and has been named the Critic’s Choice at the the Starbucks Music Makers Competition.
JASON LEVASSEUR: Jason Levasseur was named 2012 Music performer of the Year by Campus Activities Magazine. Jason’s versatility and inspiring nature make him perfect for all types of events - from coffeehouse, to club, to festival, to MC-ing your talent shows. Jason is also an experienced speaker, presenter, and workshop facilitator. He has performed with John Mayer, Sugarland, Ludacris, The Roots, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews and more.
VON SHAKES: The von Shakes moved to America from Dublin, Ireland in March 2012 and haven’t looked back since, headlining colleges and universities from Colorado to upstate New York and in between. With their gloriously impassioned sound, great vocals and catchy lyrics, it’s no wonder the U.S has taken a liking to them
JESSICA PETTITT: Jessica is the "diversity educator" your family warned you about. She is easy to work with, accessible, and models vERY simple concepts that we can incorporate into our lives. Her workshops , seminars and keynotes take participants on a journey weaving together politics, theory, current events and storytelling with large doses of humor reminiscent of Bob Newhart, George Carlin, and paula poundstone. This is not your average diversity program!
SEX SIGNALS: “Sex Signals” provides a provocative in-your-face look at the issues of dating, sexual assault/harassment, date rape, the core issue of consent, and bystander intervention strategies. Students are thus engaged in a candid discussion on dating and the realities of consent as they are challenged to provide solutions that will better improve communications in interpersonal relationships. It has become one of the most talked about lecture programs
MATT GLOWACKI: Matt’s programs and outlook on life makes him one of the most sought-after speakers today. He is the #1 MOST BOOKED DIvERSITY pROGRAM on campuses! “Diversity According To South park and Family Guy,” has been requested by campuses Nationwide as Matt shows just how educational and diverse these television shows can be.
TERI JENDUSA:: 1 out of 4 women will be affected by domestic violence. 30% of homicides are due to domestic violence. Teri Jendusa Nicolai is one of those statistics. Her exhusband beat her with a baseball bat, taped her wrists, head, and ankles and then placed her in a garbage can. Teri travels the country telling her story and hopes that by doing so, she can save a life. Google her name to see her full story.
REVERSE ORDER: Known for their high energy performances, the guys will have your entire crowd dancing from start to finish. They were featured on America’s Got Talent, have a Grammy nominated song, and have performed at Bamboozle and Warped Tour. They have also shared the stage with Third Eye Blind, All Star Weekend, and Kate voegele. Last year they were nominated as “Fastest Rising Star” for Campus Activities Magazine®.
C.L. LINDSAY: C.L. Lindsay is the country’s foremost authority on Higher Education Law. He literally wrote the book on legal problems in higher education. The College Student’s Guide to the Law has become the definitive authority. C.L. offers four very popular programs: Campus Computing & the Law, Alcohol, parties, & the Law, Classrooms & the Law, and Sex & the Law. All portray his uncanny ability to make legal concepts not only understandable, but outright hilarious.
ERIC MINA: Whether it's playing mind tricks in Australia, reading thoughts in Las vegas, or performing comedy hypnosis in Times Square, Eric's understanding of the human mind astounds audiences worldwide. His show is a side-splitting, mind-boggling event that will leave you believing your dreams are possible. Eric's presence is all encompassing, and his powers are real.
SAMMY OBEID: As the youngest member both of the national tours, CoExist Comedy and the Axis of Evil New Generation, Lebanese American Sammy Obeid has worked with Robin Williams, Russell peters, Dana Carvey and more. He is also the first comedian to ever appear on the Food Network telling jokes and he recently set a world record performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row featured in The New York Times and Time Magazine.
TODD MIGLIACCI: Winner of Disney World's "Best Specialty Act," he brings his award-winning stage show and street magic to campuses across the country. He's performed on Carnival Cruise Lines, at the 2013 D23 Expo (Disney's Comic-Con) at Disneyland in CA and is the only magician ever to have performed in Cinderella's Castle at Disney World in FL! He has a decade of experience and a background as an Orientation Leader.
MAKESHIFT PRODIGY: With energy and emotion Makeshift prodigy takes the listener to a state of mind by creating music that comes from the soul of the musicians to the soul of the listener. Their explosive choruses and smooth flowing, vocal style make for an beautiful, energetic, and memorable live experience that the listener can take home with them to embrace the powerful message.
PHILLIP PHILLIPS: phillip phillips is a singer/guitarist with massive pop appeal. Centering on the American Idol season 11 winner’s rich, raspy vocals and masterful guitar skills, “Home” served as the lead single from The World from the Side of the Moon (Entertainment/Interscope Records)—a platinum-selling album that shot to #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart upon its November 2012 release.
TRAIN: an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California., Train currently consists of a core trio of pat Monahan (vocals), Jimmy Stafford (guitar), and Scott Underwood (drums). The band achieved mainstream success with their debut album, Train in 1998 with the hit "Meet virginia". Train's 2001 album, contained the lead single "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", which won two Grammy Awards in 2002. In 2009 , “Soul Sister” became an international success for Train.
THE BURIED LIFE: The Buried Life is a reality documentary series on MTv. The series features Duncan penn, Jonnie penn, Ben Nemtin, and Dave Lingwood attempting to complete a list of "100 things to do before you die." The pilot episode aired on January 18, 2010. penn, Lingwood, penn and Nemtin released their first book as The Buried Life, "What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?"on March 27, 2012. On the week of its release the book climbed to #1 on the NYTimes Best Sellers List.
LINDSEY STIRLING: an American violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer, Lindsey presents choreographed violin performances, both live and in music videos found on her YouTube channel, Lindseystomp, which she introduced in 2007. In 2010, Stirling was a quarter-finalist on America's Got Talent season five, where she was known as the Hip-hop violinist.
CALISE HAWKINS: Calise Hawkins began her college tour in Fall 2013. After two successful NACA showcases, she will be all over the country this spring. Aside from college shows, she is also a writer for MTv’s Girl Code and Guy Code, Totally Clueless, and Charlemagne and Friends. Calise has also been featured on Last Comic Standing, Russell Simmons’ stand up at the El Rey, and on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
MACKLEMORE: Macklemore's and Lewis' single "Thrift Shop" reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2013, selling more than 2.2 million copies. It was the first time since 1994 that a song reached number 1 on the Hot 100 chart without the support of a major record label.Their second single, "Can't Hold Us" also peaked at #1 , making Macklemore and Lewis the first duo in the chart's history to have their first two singles both reach number 1
MISSION IMPROVable: Mission IMpROvable is a four man improv team that performs a totally unique style of improv. The 2013 Entertainers of the Year are one of the top-ranked traveling comedy companies in the country. This Chicago and Los Angeles based troupe has proven itself as a consistent presence in the college market. The on-the-spot randomness provided by the audience makes each show truly unique and very often hysterical.
JEN KOBER: Originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Kober has taken her southern style and has quickly become a nationally recognized headliner - bringing crowds to their feet with her original blend of stand-up, story telling, and improvised rock-n-roll comedy. Credits include Anger Management, the Mindy project, HBO, Showtime and Standup in Stilettos on Tv Guide Network.
LUCAS BOHN: The perfect blend of schoolboy charm and bad-boy charisma, his comedy is both smart and audacious. Known as the little guy who generates big laughs, Lucas has shared the stage with Dave Chapelle, Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Hart and pablo Francisco. His hilarious impersonations make him an instant hit. Lucas is a comedic force to be reckoned with.
MICHAEL MALONE: Malone has been featured on the Bob and Tom Radio and Tv Show and made appearances on WGN Tv, National Lampoon’s Operation Comedy Tour, NBC Tv, XM Sirius Satellite radio and the CW. He recently won the 33rd Annual Seattle Comedy Competition in December 2012 and has a top ten best selling comedy album on iTunes. He carries the weight of a professiojnal and is one of the country’s hottest new-comers.
ADAM MAMAWALA: Adam Mamawala is an award-winning 26 year old stand-up comedian based out of NYC. Adam has performed at over 150 colleges across more than 35 states, was named the second highest rated comic on Campus Activities Magazine’s Dean’s List with an average score of 4.84/5, and was voted Fastest Rising Star by readers. He will be featured in an upcoming episode of MTv’s “Girl Code”.
AUGUSTANA COLLEGE: The Office of Student Life (OSL) includes the Student Life programming Board, Multicultural programming Board, Leadership Academy, and Greek Council. The program boards work to provide entertainment and education through comedians, musicians, lecturers, and films. The Leadership Academy builds leaders through retreats, speakers, and mentoring. The Greek Council governs Augustana’s local Greek system. WINTHROP UNIVERSITY: Winthrop’s DSU programming Board provides educational and entertainment opportunities for the Winthrop campus. We bring a diverse array of entertainment for our campus by hosting events that people will remember for years to come. We work personally with agencies and performers by providing a memorable experience that will result in new fans and lifelong friends.
UNIVERSITY OF AKRON: The zips programming Network (zpN) is the all-campus programming board that sponsors activities like Homecoming, Family Weekend, Adult & Family programs, Movie Series and more. Residence Hall program Board (RHpB) activities include Welcome Weekend, the Emerging Leaders program, Hall Fest, Sibs Saturday, Residence Life Cinema, road trips, novelty events, the Coffeehouse Series, and Entertainment Series. .
COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY: Alma Mater productions (AMp), strives to provide diverse, high-quality entertainment for the programming, social, and educational needs of the student body. AMp consists of 10 committees, each focused on one aspect of programming . From trivia nights to large-scale concerts, hypnotists,comedians, and professional speakers, AMp has something for everyone. EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY: ENMU’s ASABplans and implements over 60 recreational, social and entertaining events for their campus and surrounding communities each year. The board is made up of four branches: Entertainment, Music, Special Events and Membership. Each branch is responsible for planning and implementing their event as well as 2 philanthropic events per year.
2014 OFFICIAL LIST OF NOMINEES vOTE ON-LINE NOW DEADLINE IS 11:59 pM, MARCH 1. VOTE ONLINE AT campusactivitiesmagazine.com CLICK THE “VOTE HERE” SECTION ON OUR HOME PAGE TO BE TAKEN TO THE OFFICIAL BALLOT
ONLY ONE BALLOT PER READER. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO VOTE IN EVERY CATEGORY. DO NOT SEND IN PAPER BALLOTS BY MAIL OR FAX. ALL VOTING MUST BE DONE ONLINE. #1 BEST SMALL VENUE ARTIST ❑ Skyler (BE Colleges) ❑ Nelly’s Echo (Degy) ❑ Amanda Duncan (BSE) ❑ Ben Seidman (Summit) ❑ Brian Miller (Neon)
#6 BEST MALE ARTIST ❑ SVET (BE Colleges) ❑ Christopher Carter (BSE) ❑ Sailesh (GP/MM) ❑ Joel Meyers (GP/MM) ❑ Nike Pike (Neon)
#11 BEST COMEDY ARTIST ❑ Mission IMROVable (BSE) ❑ Lucas Bohn (CEE) ❑ Adam Mamawalla (Sophie K) ❑ Jen Kober (Admire) ❑ Michael Malone (IAA)
#3 BEST MUSIC ARTIST ❑ Gary Johnson (GP /MM) ❑ Jason LeVasseur (BSE) ❑ Reverse Order (BE Colleges) ❑ Ryan Schmidt (CEE) ❑ Von Shakes (Sophie K)
#8 MAJOR ARTIST ❑ Phillip Phillips ❑ The Buried Life (Keppler) ❑ Macklemore ❑ Train ❑ Lindsey Stirling
#13 AGENCY OF THE YEAR ❑ Bass Schuler Entertainment ❑ BE Colleges ❑ Kirkland Productions ❑ Neon Entertainment ❑ Sophie K Entertainment
#2 BEST DIVERSITY ARTIST ❑ Gina Brillon (Sophie K) ❑ Black Jew Dialogs (BSE) ❑ W. Kamau Bell (Keppler) ❑ Walkin’ Cane (GP/MM) ❑ Stan Pearson II (TCA)
#4 BEST SPEAKER ❑ Jessica Pettitt (Kirkland) ❑ Matt Glowacki (Coleman) ❑ C.L. Lindsay (BSE) ❑ Sex Signals (BSE) ❑ Teri Jendusa Nicolai (Olson)
#5 BEST FEMALE ARTIST ❑ Kyla Lacey (BSE) ❑ Savannah Outen (BE Colleges) ❑ Rachel Feinstein (BSE) ❑ Erin Jackson (Sophie K) ❑ Natalie Stovall (Degy)
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#7 FASTEST RISING STAR ❑ Eric Mina (GP/MM) ❑ Todd Migliacci (iHeartTodd) ❑ Calise Hawkins (BE Colleges) ❑ Sammy Obeid (KP Comedy) ❑ Makeshift Prodigy (APA)
#9 BEST NATIONAL NOVELTY AGENCY ❑ New York Party Works ❑ Record-A-Hit ❑ CEP, Inc. ❑ Endeavor Entertainment ❑ TJohnE #10 BEST VARIETY ARTIST / LIVE ❑ Dan Lornitis (TCA) ❑ Mark Toland (MT Productions) ❑ Mike Super (Supernatural Prod) ❑ Joesph Tran (BE Colleges) ❑ chrisjones (BSE)
#12 BEST CAMPUS PROGRAM ❑ Augustana College (IL) ❑ Winthrop University (SC) ❑ Akron University (OH) ❑ College of William & Mary (VA) ❑ Eastern New Mexico Univ (NM)
#14 ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR ❑ Peter Boie (Bwah Prod) ❑ Michael Kent (Fresh Variety) ❑ Daniel Martin (BSE) ❑ Adam Grabowski (Auburn Moon) ❑ Matt Corey (CEE)
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JANUARY 2014, CAMpUS ACTIvITIES MAGAzINE®, 32
LANDRY: Landry is a Canadian-born, in-
terracial love-child whose hybrid existence, when mixed with a little dysfunction, makes for a fantastic recipe of comedy goulash! He relocated to Atlanta to hone in on his craft, and in 2010 he took the title of “Best Male Comic.” robjockel@cuttingedgeentertain.com
YLVIS: Comedy duo and brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker began their onstage careers as ‘Ylvis’ in Bergen, Norway. They’ve since extensively toured to packed houses and rave reviews across the country. Ylvis created “What Does the Fox Say” as a parody music video and amassed over a quarter of a billion views. MBlake@caa.com
STRANGEHEART: strangeheart is an American indie pop band formed in 2012 in Los Angeles. Their first single, “In Another Life,” generated plenty of recognition, having climbed the HYPE MACHINE popular charts (no remixes) to reach #24 . “In Another Life,” attracted the attention of big retailers such as Nordstroms, who featured the band in their Spring Break 2013 playlist. Their second single “How to Feel Right,” was released on iTunes October 22. strangeheart is currently in the studio working on their debut album and playing shows on the west coast. They have signed to Paradigm for touring . music-newyork@paradigmagency.com
MOCKINGBIRD SUN: These guys came together through collaborations wit CMA/ACM Song of the Year winner and Grammy & Oscar nominated songwriter Tom Douglas. The band has released three EP's working with producers Mac McAnally (Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney, 6 time CMA Musician of the Year), Jaren Johnston ("You Gonna Fly", "Days of Gold"), and Douglas. Their debut single, "Lucky Guy", was written with Grammy Award winning songwriter Liz Rose (Taylor Swift). jeff@degy.com
ODD?ROD: odd?Rod’s humble begin-
nings have turned into the very tool needed to save and inspire. He’s released three biographical poetic chapbooks, written/acted in 3 crime prevention commercials, and voiced-over an NFL Jaguars commercial ands in 2009 released a children’s book. info@bass-schuler.com
MATTHEW BROUSSARD:
Matthew was the winner of Houston’s funniest person in 2012. His brand of playful, smart humor appeals to a broad audience and relies on his killer timing, subtle wit, and devilish good looks. He can be seen on Comedy Central’s, Adam DeVine’s House Party . Comedy-gina@kpcomedy.com
VIDEO ON ACTS SELECTED FOR THIS FEA
38, CAMpUS ACTIvITIES MAGAzINE®, JANUARY 2014
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
ROSS MATTHEWS: Ross Mathews made his television debut as a correspondent for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He is currently a regular panelist and occasional guest host on E!’s late-night talk show “Chelsea Lately,” and is a fixture on E! News. Mathews recently created a pilot, produced by Chelsea Handler’s Borderline Amazing Productions, which he will host, write, and coproduce. The show will be a celebration of pop culture, and will include celebrity guests, audience interaction, and field pieces. Nick.Nuciforo@caa.com
G. YAMAZAWA:
G. Yamazawa is a National Poetry Slam Finalist, two-time Southern Fried Champion, two-time Individual World Poetry Slam Finalist, and ranked 2nd at the Ontario International Poetry Slam. He has featured at venues and universities across the nation including the Sundance Film Festival and Bonnaroo Music Festival. info @neon-entertainment.com
JORDAN CARLOS:
CHLOEL HILLARD: Chloé has been
a culture/entertainment journalist, writing for The Village Voice, Essence, Vibe, King, and The Source. She was recently made her TV debut on AXSTV's "Gotham Comedy Live"and has worked as a warm-up comic for shows on CBS, MSNBC and VH1. Melissa@SummitComedy.com
Jordan Carlos, is more than a funny nerd in glasses. One of the stars of MTV’s “Guy Code” and “Girl Code,” Jordan has been featured in both The Montreal Comedy Festival and The New York Comedy Festival. He’s also College Humor’s go-to Barack Obama. His Obama vids have hit counts in the millions. Kate@sophiek.com
Fresh off his selection to showcase at the 2014 NACA National convention, Darrin Rose is storming the U.S. college market. He has performed four times at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, has appeared on Last Comic Standing and MTV Live. Feigin_H@unitedtalent.com
DUSTIN HATZENBUKLER: Influenced by both the soulful roots of classic R&B and the spontaneity of the modern singer/songwriter, piano player, Dustin Hatzenbuhler is drawing comparisons to artists like John Legend, Gavin DeGraw, and Jason Mraz. Since 2012, Dustin has played shows with Eric Hutchinson and Dave Barnes and appeared on NBC’s popular show, The Voice. info@thecollegeagency.com
ATURE CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
DARRIN ROSE:
CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE®, JANUARY 2014 2013, 39
WHAT’S HOT FOR 2014 CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINES®
VIDEO ON ACTS SELECTED FOR THIS FEATURE CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE
ICELESS SKATING RINK: Ironically, this Iceless Skating Rink is HOT,
JESUS TREJO: Jesus Trejo is one of
SCARLETTA: Scarletta has been a Nashville mainstay for the last 2 years working with Grammy Award-winning producer Blake Chancey and coming off a 2013 tour of 150 shows including over 100 college shows coast to coast. One of Billboard’s Top Ten to watch in 2013. ari@degy.com • jeff@degy.com
TOM VARINO: Using fingertips, palms and multiple brushes, Tom paints portraits of famous people on a 4x5’ canvas in minutes. His creations are choreographed to loud music that is powerful and stimulates the senses. Tom’s Emotion Into Art™ is described as taking his audience through an amazing journey of excitement, suspense, cheer, motivation and surprise. His ability to captivate his audience and share the experience of color, music, and action is a way to bring people into the world of art, inspiration and creativity. Endeavor-monica@endeavorentertainment.com
ERIC HUTCHINSON: This Fall Eric released his new live album Almost Solo in NYC free from his website – the demand was so great, the site crashed. A late night favorite, Eric has appeared on Conan, Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, and Ferguson, and wowed audiences from coast to coast with his amazing live show. jkelsall@apa-agency.com
NEIL HILBORN:
or cold or room temperature, depending on your event site. Many campuses have been pleased with this full size ice skating rink for experienced skaters or those learning to skate for the first time...plus no cold temps, wet surfaces or heavy clothing if set up indoors. Plan ahead with hot chocolate and popcorn, and you’ve got a skating party. Smooth, very slick rink, skates, benches, protective flooring and great attendants all included wherever you want . rbroms@recordahit.com
40, CAMpUS ACTIvITIES MAGAzINE®, JANUARY 2014
the funniest up and coming young comics. He started stand-up in college and moved on to comedy clubs. He recently landed a reoccurring role as “Javier” on TBS’s “Sullivan & Son,” staring Steve Byrne and produced by Vince Vaughn/ Peter Billingsley. Comedy-gina@kpcomedy.com
Neil's "OCD Love Poem" went viral this year with 4 Million views the first week. 2011 National College Poetry Slam Champion Hillborn hit the road touring full time immediately upon graduation, coming in 5th in the National Poetry Slam in first year against 20 year veterans. nancy@auburnmoonagency.com
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