All 40 pages march 2015

HOT NOVELTY AND VARIETY ACTS

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Check out some old familiar faces and some entirely new options to fill your variety and game schedule this year.

SCOTT BASS & CHRIS SCHULER INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME 14 They are only the 6th Inductees in the last 22 years to achieve this distinguished honor.

ARTIST REPORT CARDS

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FALL OUT BOY

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It’s the way that schools can judge the artist’s ability to perform before their audience.

IMMERSION THE ULTIMATE VR EXPERIENCE

We introduced them to you in 2005.

Now see where they are ten years later and where they are headed.

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C.E.P., Inc. Takes Virtual Reality To The Next Level And The Ultimate Real-Time Experience.

IT’S ALL INSIDE

From the Publisher Real Life Spanky

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Hall of Fame Award Artist Report Cards Fall Out Boy Ten Years Later

14 17 30

RANDOM THOUGHTS & OTHER MINDLESS DRIBBLE As you get older, you will find out that life has its little twists and turns - some we can avoid and others that were meant to be. If you read Elaine Pasqua’s “Real Life” column this month, you will get a head start on not only being a better person but finding a career track.

of the early novelists but got to enjoy some of the better writers for the short story and columnists of local and national acclaim.

When I went to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do or who I wanted to become. It was a complete new world of freedom that I had never been exposed to before. So I partied that whole first year because that seemed to be what everyone else was doing - at least to me. I had a rude awakening at the end of the spring semester because I was on academic probation and I had to spend my entire summer in summer school studying and had to make at least two “B’s” each session to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam. It was not a pretty picture. While everyone else was at the lake or the beach having a good time, I was at home studying my ass off.

What seemed impossible to me, became possible because I made it so. I ended up with strong “B’s” in each course and amazingly I was invited back for my Sophomore year. I would like to tell you that the struggle was over, but that would be a lie. I remember going to a biology class that was in what looked like a concert hall with some 500 students. The professor appeared on a stage like a performance was going to begin and she instructed each student to look at the person on each side of them and understand that at the end of the semester, one of them would no longer be a student at that university. Just when I thought this was the only “hell class” I had, I found History was the same way - almost an identical situation except the professor was a lot more likeable and the class was a lot more interesting.

Long story- short, I made it through the first two years and things settled down after that. The classes got smaller, some with only 20 or so students. I started out majoring in education to become a teacher, but after what I saw happening in local schools that became less of an option. I considered business law and political science, but I had an uncle who was a South Carolina senator and I visited the state house and those guys didn’t even show up half the time and when they did, not one paid any attention to what was going on. It was demoralizing to find out that it took less than one year for a politician to become tainted by the power of lobbyists. So I ended up with the one subject I really enjoyed: English. I was infatuated by not only some

For The First Few Years, The Magazine was Known As “Campus Activities Today”

I graduated without even a clue where I would work and for months after graduation it seemed that jobs just did not exist. Nobody in high school had helped me plan for college and no one in college had helped me prepare for real life. I was on my own.

I took a job at the local Sears store (just so you know Sears was a big thing in the early 70’s) doing something I had never done before, designing newspaper ads and writing copy for radio and television.

But amazingly enough, I found I had a hidden talent for it. I liked the creativity and the Sears team liked the concepts I came up with. But when my manager left about a year later to move up the hierarchy in the Sears world, I was left facing a move to Chicago to remain with the company. I had only been out of the state of South Carolina a few times.

We are close to the Smoky Mountains so of course, I visited North Carolina but the only lengthy trip I had taken was to Orlando to see friends that were going to school there. I was NOT going to Chicago (though I found out later that it was not a bad city).

So as a home town boy, I took various jobs that I really had no interest in: like working as an Allied Van Lines estimator giving clients the cost of moving. I was stunned to find in moving some of the

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ministers for various churches that we boxed up porn mags among other unmentionable things.

Who would have thought?

Finally I tied down a job with the Aiken Standard, a newspaper in a mid-sized, wealthy South Carolina city known for horses.It was owned by The Charleston News & Courier franchise. Not only did I design ads but I sold them too. I became pretty successful because smaller clients could not afford to pay advertising agencies to design ads for them and I sold the ads based on designs I created.

After my dad got sick, I was forced to return to Columbia and got the job of publications Director for a major Apparel Manufacturing Trade Magazine that published in both English and Spanish. Not only did the company have the largest trade show in the world for the sewn products industry but I got to handle the agencies who contracted the ads. It was nothing for an issue to run some 400 pages and they published monthly. The trade show was the largest of its kind in the world and it was the first show that was contracted at Atlanta’s World Congress Center.

You would think this was a dream job- right. The pay was good and it was local. There were just not that many opportunities like this in Columbia. But I soon found the reason there were so many women working for the company. The boss was a terrible womanizer and he would start off each morning telling everyone in a company meeting about his conquests from the night before. He had a beautiful wife and four kids as well as respect in the industry, but soon his reputation with women and his use of drugs became a public issue. He would scream at certain female employees and sometimes offer them more money just to stay. He was a loose cannon and he later decided to sell the trade show to a company in Texas and most of the locals with the company hit the streets.

Lisa Cagan, who I had worked with there had taken a job with NACA (then NECAA) after she became tired of her previous boss’ advances. When the job came open for Director of Advertising, she recommended me for the position. I met with Gary English, Executive Director and Steve Slagle, his assistant and I was offered a position and a very nice compensation package based on performance. Gary was not the most understanding guy when it came to employees but he was aggressive in moving NACA forward and was very driven in

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

doing so. He gave me all the freedom I needed to build the publications as well as re-invent the directories by making them profitable. Quite honestly, having a huge portion of my income rely upon sales was scary for me because I had never been really that much sales oriented. But the fact that I was selling advertising made it easier, because no one before me had ever been able to design ads. I based my whole sales technique on customer service. If they needed an ad designed, I would do it. If they needed advice, I would give it.

It was about building relationships and I loved it.

We moved into the Specialty Advertising market through my friend Sandy Darnell, called NACA Specialities and we started our own T-Shirt manufacturing company (NACA-T’s).

No matter whose side of the story you listen to, the result was that I was making too much money, but probably so was NACA. When Steve Slagle came on board as Executive Director, after a few years I was told I was going to be offered a different contract, one which would put me on salary. Of course, I protested. I was working 60+ hours a week being driven by sales and design.

To make a long story short without dealing with details protected by a court settlement, I was fired.I was not only confused but humiliated and had no clue what I would do next. I had built a reputation of being fair priced and providing excellent quality for print and promotional materials, but soon with the support of many associate members, I was encouraged to start my own magazine. All my suppliers extended me a credit line.

“We expose the market to the lives of a large variety of entertainers- some stuff you probably won’t find anywhere else.

Our awards are legendary.

The inside stories on people we have covered over the years, whether national acts or traditional campus performers, gives buyers important information about why they might consider bringing this act to campus.”

Founded in 1991, the first issue was distributed in February 1992. I had Tom DeLuca on the cover and it looked very rudimentary by today’s standards. The whole company was myself and a parttime bookkeeper, Belinda. She was one of the most fascinating people I have ever met. I had been given an office in my attorney’s building for the first six months for free and then after that $50/month plus an extra $10/month for a reserved parking spot. We had our own phone lines but used his fax machine. Belinda got on the phone and researched and contacted over 3500 campuses of which 3300 were included in receiving that first issue. That number now exceeds 4,000.

The purpose of this little tale is that sometimes you will not see opportunity when it is staring you right in the face. Had I been given guidance in high school, I may have taken a different track. Had I been given guidance in college, I am sure my career track would have been different. But, you make your own path by working hard and overcoming obstacles.

I have no hard feelings now against NACA. What happened was probably just business. I think they are still the defining course for students in the activities field who need to see and book live entertainment. My goal with this magazine is entirely different. We expose the market to the lives of a large variety of entertainers- some stuff you probably won’t find anywhere else. Our awards are legendary. The inside stories on people we have covered over the years, whether national acts or traditional campus performers, gives buyers important information about why they might consider bringing this act to campus. We feature campus programs that have made an impact with students and the activities industry. In our own way, we define the term “campus activities.” We are not a publication on procedures. I wanted CAM to be easy to read and understand. While there is some education in our pages, it comes from someone else other than those of us writing and editing the editions. CAM is a resource for the people in the industry- students,leadership, artists and agencies and hopefully it makes it easier for them to communicate and buy talent and it is my job to continue to tweak that aspect every single day. The advertisers support this magazine and I owe them the best customer service possible for that trust. But this has two sides. We have been fortunate, especially through Artist Report Cards, to have a dialog with the campuses themselves and those who represent those schools. Feedback is always good whether you have a gripe or want to pat us on the back. It is for you that we exist: activities boards and directors; artists and agencies. As Boyd would say, “Give yourself a Big High Five!”

W.C. Kirby, Jr.,Publisher

Campus Activities Magazine®

is a publication of the CAMEO PUBLISHING GROUP an SES Company

Our publication office is: 15420 Newberry Rd Blair SC 29015

For information on content or to request advertising rates: (803) 917-5121 or (800) 728-2950 To change a recipient for your campus, please email us at: biz@cameopublishing.co m

© cameo publishing 2015

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAgAzINE®, March 2015, 5

BY ELAINE PASQUA

Tips For Success!

A colleague of mine from the University of Maryland often posts interesting and relevant articles for college students. I recently read one of his posts where billionaires shared their personal tips for success. Although most of us will never reach that financial status, I wanted to share these tips with you. Many will provide you the skills and confidence as you move forward in life and business. This is the first of a two-part article.

Never be afraid to ask to dine with successful people who have been in business for years. Most love to mentor.

Take responsibility for your losses: Instead of trying to cover up, admit that you made a mistake and take responsibility for it. Those who are successful, openly admit it, strive to correct their mistakes, and continue to move forward. Failure is an important part of success. Think of it as an opportunity to learn.

Invest in yourself: Never stop working on self-development.

Read, exercise, take classes and learn new things. It's important to keep striving to be a better person.

Be curious about everything: Always keep learning and looking at the simple things around you. Sometimes the most innovative business practices have come from solutions that were developed to tackle mundane tasks or simple things that we use in day to day life.

Surround yourself with better people: We tend to perform or act like the people we surround ourselves with. Are your friends partying most of the time, or are they focused on success, coming up with creative ideas, and moving forward in life?

Never eat alone: Are you addicted to getting most of your information from the Internet, blogs, or newspapers? Some of the most successful people get their innovation from other successful people. There is nothing like sitting down, breaking bread, and exchanging ideas. You never know what you will come up with collectively.

Understand your strengths and weakness: Many successful people admit that they have strength in a few areas and are average in most. What sets them aside from others is that they do not try to do everything themselves. They surround themselves by others who have the expertise in specific areas and tap into their talent or expertise.

Don't take a complete day off: While I believe in replenishing your body and soul, you want to treat your business like your baby. Even while you are "playing" you can think, discuss, strategize, and plan. Some of our most creative and innovative ideas come to us while we are relaxed.

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Focus on experiences rather than material possessions: Contrary to popular belief, most wealthy people focus their spending on experiences. I am not by any means wealthy, but I have worked hard. I do not enjoy shopping for more possessions; I rather spend my money on travel, going to concerts, shows, or special events.

These experiences build memories, character, and enlighten us.

Take risks: The most successful people are those who are willing to take enormous risks. Those who play it safe miss out on opportunities to move ahead.

It doesn't mean that you have to take huge financial risks, but you want to be able to move outside of your comfort zone. It can be as simple as reaching out to someone who you might never dream of, or acting upon an idea that others think are a recipe for failure. I once met Mark Burnett, the producer of “Survivor” and other reality TV shows at a party in LA. He said to me that most people told to him that a reality show like “Survivor” would never fly. He blocked the negative voices from his head, believed in himself, and continued to push forward. Today he is one of the most successful television producers in Hollywood.

Don't go it alone: The most successful people surround themselves with a dream team of experts in specific areas. As in tip number two, surround yourself with positive, confident people who dream big. Take advantage of your collective ideas and energy and keep moving forward. Life is too short to throw away valuable opportunities.

Questions on college life?

Email me at elaine@elainepasqua.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

Theory Weary Naturally it was an organic tobacco cigarette. She will not consume anything that is not 100% organic. Anything! Her dietary habits are so extreme that even if she finds a place that serves organic beverages, she can't drink them because of the harmful ice cubes. Despite it being only a three-day trip, she has filled the back of an SUV with the things she needs to live: special water filters, pots, pans, cups, plates, silverware, hotplate, coffee grinder, coffee press, and ice chests full of organic free range grass fed food (and organic ice).

By Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA Spanky)

I feel fortunate to have an abundance of close friends, each of whom I count as a blessing. Let me state upfront that I love the comic friend I'm working with this weekend, and don't want the following to sound like a diatribe behind her back, but spending a long drive with her can take a toll. Her CD player does not work, so we could not listen to the audio books I brought; instead I was forced to endure nine consecutive hours of conspiracy theories!

She is a total conspiracy freak to an insane degree (when I first met her she had lined the walls of her bedroom with foil to block out "the rays"). For example, I can't use my GPS because it allows the government to track us by satellite. As a result, yesterday we missed a turn and had a delay. Then I wanted to use my cell phone to get some information I needed to check in the hotel, and she rolled all the windows down to reduce the harmful electromagnetic rays that my phone emits that she said “are frying her.” It was way too cold out to have the windows down, so I had the choice of freezing or turning the phone off. I understand her wanting to be healthy, but while she was telling me about the dangers of my phone she was smoking a cigarette!

Her political conspiracies are equally extreme. My friend apparently believes nothing bad has happened that our government was not fully responsible for, or rather, the select families that run our government and the world. Including: the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building, the attacks on 9-11, the Sandy Hook school shootings, the movie theater massacre in Denver, the magazine attack in Paris, even Sonny Bono’s death (she believes he was assassinated and it was made to look like a skiing accident because he was about to become a whistleblower and expose the secrets he learned as a Senator). Wait, it gets better. The government also has the power to control the weather, and create and direct hurricanes and tornadoes. They are spreading nanosized aluminum particles from airplanes so they can control the population by controlling their food source, making it necessary to only grow with their modified aluminum-resistant seeds. She also believes the government has hidden cameras and microphones in our televisions and computers to spy on us (but given the recent disclosures of the NSA practices, that one is not to difficult to believe).

Whenever she shares a theory I never argue or even express doubts. At one point she said "I'm sorry I'm so depressing." I wanted to tell her that the theories would only be depressing if I believed them, as it was they were just a bit annoying. However, some of her beliefs were so bizarre they were actually amusing, such as the Smithsonian has the bodies of actual giants they hide from the public, the Vatican and British Royal Family regularly practice ritual child sacrifice, there is a space alien base on the

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dark side of the moon, and there is a second sun behind ours that only appears every 27,000 years.

Not to say that all her theories are incorrect, but you mention anything, and I mean anything, and she has a conspiracy about it, which can get tiresome. Maybe you know someone who is a conspiracy freak?

Maybe it is you? Before I am inundated with emails offering “proof” that any of the theories mentioned above are true, I want to state for the record: I’m not saying they are not. I am skeptical by nature, which means I question the official story, but I’m equally suspicious of those trying to disprove it. I seek the truth, but doubt anyone that claims they found it, because today you can pretty much find “proof” to support any theory on the internet. Good investigative journalism searches for truth, whatever that may be, regardless of what the final conclusion will end up being. A conspiracy theorist often comes up with a conclusion first, then works their way backwards picking and choosing facts that support their conclusion, and disregarding anything that might disprove it.

I believe in several things that run contrary to the official story. For example, I believe in UFOs. I simply think it would be arrogant for humans to believe we are the only life forms in the universe.

I do not blindly believe the powers that be are always moral and ethical; however, I do believe they are too incompetent to pull off the things she proposes and keep it under wraps. Guess my optimistic nature keeps me believing that most people, at their core, are good.

Of course, I may just be one of the sheep enslaved by the blood-drinking, flesh-eating, shape-shifting extraterrestrial reptilian humanoids which control our planet. I better Google that to make sure.

Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA “Spanky”) has been described by the press as a “campus entertainment icon.”

He offers two great events at one great low price, and has been voted “Campus Comic of the Year” (LaffGuru.com) and the “Campus Performer of the Year” (TalkingAboutMyGeneration.com). His credits include over fifty TV appearances, including: Showtime, Good Morning America, and The Late Show. He is represented by GP Entertainment.

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

CRAIG KARGES: Criag is still tghe master of his art and very much in demand by colleges through out the country. Because he is only taking limited college dates, those who garner one feel privileged indeed. An extreme, mind-blowing show where tables float, minds are read, metal bends and your imagination is challenged because you won’t believe your eyes!

KARGES PRODUCTIONS: ckarges@craigkarges.com

NASH FUNG: Magician Nash Fung delivers an ultimate performance mixing original magic, psychology, sharp humor & inspirational messages. His spectacular show begins with large-scale mind tricks involving the entire audience from their seats. Experience magic that uniquely ties to Nash's inspiring life story, visual mind-reading, and lots of dev. ilish surprises.

METROPOLIS MGMT & ENTERTAINMENT joyce@metropolismanagement.com

ACROBATS OF CIRQUE-TACULAR: is based in New York and is the East Coast’s premier supplier of elite specialty and acrobatic talent. The group is complemented by a core group of twenty artist-creators and a roster of 300 of the nation’s finest and most unique performers.Over the last six years, the group has given over one thousand aerial and ground acrobatic performances throughout the world.

DCA PRODUCTIONS: (212) 245-2063 dcaproductions.com (800) 659-2063

NORTH COAST: North Coast is the country’s premier hip hop improv comedy team. The audience provides a suggestion and North Coast will perform a fully improvised “Hip Hop’era” right in front of your eyes. The show is upbeat and energetic from start to finish and will leave you on the edge of your seat! A unique collaboration of hip hop, music, and comedy – North Coast has been wowing audiences at comedy venues, festivals, and universities across the country since 2009.

KIRKLKAND PRODUCTIONS • 866-769-9037

LARRY & RAVEN: Larry and Raven are seemingly ordinary people who, it has been proven, possess the most extraordinary mental talents. A mysterious blend of uncanny intuition, arcane knowledge and a flair for modern divination. They stun audiences with an apparent "psych-ish" ability to read and influence their every thought.

FRESH VARIETY: freshvariety.com laura@freshvariety.com

CHRISTOPHER CARTER: Christopher Carter’s business is simple: he makes his living playing with other people’s minds. With over 3000 campus appearances to his credit, he continues to be one of the most in-demand entertainers on the college circuit. He is winner of Campus Activities Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards for Entertainer of The Year, Performing Arts Entertainer of the Year, Best Male Performer, and Best Novelty Live Performer. BASS/SCHULER ENTERTAINMENT 773-481-2600 • bass/schuler.com

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www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

XCLUSIVEThis multi-talented and multi- dimensional performer utilizes physicality, inventive artistry, and pop culture to FLAT OUT entertain an audience. Xclusive has developed and seamlessly executes a one- man, threering circus of which he is the RINg MASTER. Through hip-hop/anime dance, audience interaction, and standup comedy, Xclusive DELIVERS and keeps his fans wanting more!

AMETROPOLIS MGMT & ENTERTAINMENT joyce@metropolismanagement.com

ALEX CLARK: YouTube powerhouse Alex Clark does more than just make cartoons. He’s a quick witted, energetic, and bright comedian. A comedian… that just happens to juggle. Mixing family-friendly, and edgy humor together with knife juggling and ladder balancing, Alex’s act is the perfect go-to for family weekends, sibs nights, and orientations. He’s talented, employable, and good-looking.

BASS/SCHULER ENTERTAINMENT 773-481-2600 • bass/schuler.com

IMPROV SHMIMPROV: Since 2003, Shmimprov has been playing to college audiences around the country. A group of quick-witted comedians take suggestions from the audience (in the style of Whose Line is it Anyway) to act out short scenes in an entirely unscripted night of comedy. Every show is brand new and can be custom tailored to each school, personalizing Shmimprov's unique brand of rapid fire comedy to your campus.

DANIEL MARTIN: The highest rated entertainer in Campus Activities Magazine’s Artist Report Cards , with a PEREFECT SCORE on all reports in 2015, Daniel has been described by students as “an incredibly nice performer who is at the top of his art”... “probably the best one-man show in the campus martket today”. His show is highly in demand and considered an extraordinary value. BASS/SCHULER ENTERTAINMENT 773-481-2600 • bass/schuler.com

MICHEAL KENT: More than just a magician, Michael Kent was the 2014 Entertainer of the Year for Campus Activities Magazine. The accolades come regularly for this emergeing young entertainer and his ARC history with schools is impressive. It takes more than just being a magician to make your mark in this market and Micheal has earned the title of“entertainer.”

FRESH VARIETY: freshvariety.com Laura@freshvariety.com

THE CRESCENT CIRCUS: The Crescent Circus fuses international award winning magic, circus stunts featured on The Tonight Show and wildly interactive comedy to engage students on stage and off. Join the hundreds of audiences from Las Vegas to London that have already experienced the danger, illusions and side-splitting antics of The Crescent Circus.

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

SUMMIT COMEDY • summitcomedy.com

W2 ENTERTAINMENT: House of Wally.com Wally@HouseofWally.com

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HIGH FLYING ADVENTURES: The sky is the limit!

We offer tethered hot air balloon adventures and balloon gLOW events to college and university campuses that can be personalized for your program. Our FAA commercial licensed pilots come to your campus with a beautiful hot air balloon or balloons to offer a unique form of entertainment and adventure.

Booking@kirklandproductions.com 866.769.9037

VALLEY EXOTICS ZOO: Valley Exotics zoo, is an educational and entertaining, interactive animal program on a mission to raise the awareness of the diversity of animals worldwide and the need of protection of their habitats through providing educational close encounters with representative animal ambassadors Jamie and his friendly creatures travel to college campuses all over the country.

G.G. GREG AGENCY gggreg.com/valleyexoticszoo.html

JOHN CASSIDY: Is John a novelty artist or a variety artist. The truth be known he is a little of both. His balloons are the reason the show is such a success, but John’s crazy personality and his interaction with audience members keep you laughing for the entire time.

“FIVE STARS” concludes Campus Activities Magazine.

“A show you will long remember after you exit the theater!” SOPHIE K ENTERTAINMENT kate@sophiek.com • (212) 268-9583

STRIKE A LIGHT: The only game that caters to everyone! Comes with 2 different game modes, easily selected with the flick of a switch. Hold a tournament with the game set to "Strike A Light" and record the high scores. Bring the best players back and have them face off with "Strike It Back". Only the best player will win!

Who has the fastest hands, but more importantly, who is the most accurate as well. The competition doesn't get any better then this.

RECORD-A-HIT recordahit.com • (847) 690-1100

SPOT MY PHOTOS: SpotMyPhotos turns event photographers into interactive, mobile photo booths; as pictures are snapped, guests can opt to receive the photos they are in, privately and automatically to their phones. guests gain access to their event photos faster than ever before, and appreciate the unprecedented control they have over sharing photos on their own terms. No more searching to find the photos you're in - With SpotMyPhotos, your photos actually find you!

RECORD-A-HIT recordahit.com • (847) 690-1100

GLO CADE: All your favorite games now gLOW! Light up your event with mini golf, foosball, darts, ping pong, labyrinth, shuffleboard, Frisbee golf, volleyball, carnival games, oxygen bar, & casino tables. Pick the games you want, and we will put together a package! get the "glow" and watch your next event shine!

EVERYTHING BUT THE MIME Carol Studer (407) 856-2412 carol@everythingbutthemime everythingbutthemime.com

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Inclusion into the National Campus Activities National Hall of Fame is not a distinction that is handed out annually. In fact, since its founding in 1994, only five recipients have ever been honored: Mark & Robin Hellman of Group H Entertainment, Boyd Jones from Winthrop University, Joey Edmonds with Joey Edmonds Presents, Del Suggs of Saltwater Music and Lou Ross from NACA. That’s only five recipients in over twenty years.

For 2015, Campus Activities Magazine® is proud to announce the sixth recipient for this distinguished honor: Scott Bass and Chris Schuler of Bass/Schuler Entertainment (BSE).

Founded in 1999, this agency has made tremendous strides in developing and understanding the campus market. Their exceptional business plan has allowed them to introduce and maintain a stable of the industry’s top entertainers of various types, all receiving better-than-average ratings from students submitting artist report cards. Last year alone, the agency ranked at the top of all agencies reported on by schools, with six artists making the Dean’s List (three times higher than their nearest competitor).

In fact, magician Daniel Martin was the only act to have a perfect score of 5.0 for all reports submitted by campuses. That was followed by a 4.98 for hypnotist Frederick Winters, a 4.92 for comedy group Mission IMPROVable, a 4.87 for hypnotist chrisjones, a 4.85 for mentalist Christopher Carter, and a 4.38 for sexual assault awareness presenters, Sex Signals. Very impressive, to say the least.

This is not the first time Bass/Schuler Entertainment has been in the spotlight.

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

BSE has won Agency of the Year in the CAM Reader’s Choice Awards every time they were nominated for a total of seven wins in 15 years. So how did they get here?

Chris Schuler:

Chris Schuler explains “I didn’t start wanting to play music with a band until I was in high school. My friend Bill and I formed a band [at William Henry Harrison High School in Indiana] and carried that on to Purdue University, where I went to college.

It wasn’t like we were ever going to be famous, but it was a fun thing to do and we really enjoyed it. The band migrated to Chicago, so I ended up here as well. I had a degree in hotel and restaurant management, but I was the guy that packed, set-up and loaded the gear and booked the shows. I became pretty comfortable in that role and enjoyed it.”

A simple question put Schuler on the path to becoming a booking agent. “I ran into a guy with a band that played Navy Pier in Chicago and I asked how they got the gig.

He told me that his campus agent set it up for him. I had no clue what a campus agent was, but I got the information from him and called Ario Professional Artists.” Ario wasn’t taking any new bands on at that time, but they were looking for an agent. Schuler’s then-employer “was not all that happy with my taking Friday and Saturday nights off, so they told me I could either be in the hotel business or the entertainment business, [and] that kind of made the decision for me.

I could do what I enjoyed doing and not have to do it on the sly. So I met with Ross Ario, who gave me the skinny on what to expect. He sat me down at a desk next to this guy, Scott Bass, who was smoking all day long. Ross gave me a list of schools and my roster of acts and told me to start

making calls. So I listened to Scott and mimicked what he was doing. I figured if I put enough lines in the water, I would catch a fish no matter how bad the bait was. I had some notes from the previous agent who had sat in that chair before me and we had a good roster. I found I liked it.”

Who was this guy smoking all day long?

According to Scott, “I saw the Beatles on the ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ when I was eight and talked my mom into buying me a guitar.

I didn’t go to a traditional college, but studied music theory and composition at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. I was into classical and jazz because I hated the rock music of the…70s.”

He left the conservatory after a couple of years and “hopped on a plane with a guitar and a hot plate and flew to Paris and lived there for a while. I kept reading about the London rock scene with the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. I would write home to my friends asking them if they had ever heard of these bands. Of course, there was no Internet so I would get a reply two months later, but nobody had heard of them in the States. I went to London on my way home and got to see the whole Punk scene with the spiked hair and safety pins in the cheek.

When I got back, a friend and I formed one of the first early punk bands in Chicago [TuTu & the Pirates]...a pretty big band at the time and when the Ramones would come to town, we would open for them. I would handle all the business end -- booking night clubs.”

Scott Bass:

As was the case with Schuler, Bass found that handling the business side of his band progressed very naturally into becoming an agent. After TuTu & the Pirates had run its course, he and his band mates formed an 80s alternative music band and “Ross Ario came

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to me and told me he could get us campus dates. I had never heard of NACA. We were already playing [colleges like] Ohio State University, but it wasn’t through Student Activities.

The college radio kids would book those shows. We were also playing all the clubs around all the major college towns. I knew how to book, but I knew nothing about booking through Student Activities.” A few months later, in 1987, the band broke up and Scott called Ross asking if he needed another agent. He started attending NACA conferences and saw all kinds of other talent: hypnotists, jugglers, mind readers, comedy and more. “Ross just really only had a few bands on his roster, so I really got to looking at all the other stuff that was being offered. We started developing the agency with all kinds of different acts to diversify” the roster. After his first few months with Ario, Scott also convinced Ross to hire someone to come in and type contracts so the agents could focus on booking. Ross hired Mia Jung and a few years later she became Mia Bass. During the four years she worked at Ario, Mia learned the administrative side of running a booking agency, which came in handy when the time came for Bass and Schuler to move on.

When Scott, Chris and Mia decided to start their own company, almost the entire Ario

roster moved with them. “They knew where their bread and butter was and they knew who was working to get them work. We had built all these relationships with schools across the country and they knew they could trust us, so that was a huge plus when we decided to make the move.”

“There is a story I like to tell,” Scott explains, “about Casper College in Wyoming that would call me every single year to book our hypnotist, Frederick Winters. They called Ario and were told they could probably track down the date, but the director wasn’t comfortable with that. We had not even got our offices set up yet, but Barb Meryhew tracked down my home phone number to find out if she could book Frederick with us.” Mia remembers that call well. “She asked if Scott Bass lived there, and I said ‘yes,’ and she said ‘Scott Bass, the agent?’ and I said ‘yes’ and she was so relieved that she had found him. I was amazed by, and appreciated, her loyalty to Scott. He worked so hard to be a good agent that was fair to everyone.”

Artists that BSE was fortunate enough to represent from the beginning included: Christopher Carter, Frederick Winters, Mad Chad Taylor, Life in General (a duo that included Jason LeVasseur), Greg Fitzsimmons and Record-A-Hit (first contract ever

booked by Bass/Schuler). Their good luck continued when they were chosen by Mission IMPROVable, Sex Signals, Preacher Moss, and C.L. Lindsay. Bass/Schuler was also the campus agent for artists such as Bill Burr and Kevin Hart before they became famous. The agency has about 40 acts currently available to the college market and several more for fairs, festivals, and corporate events. Within a year of opening up “shop” in Scott and Mia’s basement, it was time to move out in 2000 because they really needed additional staff to handle the volume they were booking. Besides, threeyear-old Emma wanted her playroom in the basement back!

The majority of BSE’s hires have been employees that initially participated in their internship program. Office Manager Rachel Wolfson is the longest lasting, celebrating her ten-year anniversary with Bass/Schuler this August. Agent Drew Korb, a former Mission IMPROVable comedian, replaced another agent who had originally been an intern, and Director of Marketing and Creative Theresa Boyle also completed a BSE internship. Rounding out BSE’s team is Accounting Assistant Sharon Sellers who works with both artists and school representatives to make sure everyone gets paid.

Drew Korb, Formerly with Mission IMPROVable, joins the Front Office at BSE. 16, CAMpUS ACTIvITIES MAGAzINE®, March 2015

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Schuler says that their goal was never to over-extend the company with regard to the roster or what they were trying to accomplish. “You learn from other people’s successes, but you also learn from their mistakes. Scott and I had already been in that environment, seeing where mistakes were made, so we knew where we could get into trouble and avoided it. Our goal was to develop an agency where we could take care of our clients and the folks on our roster effectively without endangering either side of the equation.”

And that system seems to have worked. “We are selective with the acts that are on our roster and our job is to get them as much [work] as we can and, for that very reason, we have no real desire to over-inflate our roster. We want to keep it balanced and effective for the campuses that trust us for their entertainment needs. We never wanted to have a big room of agents with headsets on pounding away at schools.

We have found that this kind of tactic does not build the relationship we want [to have] with schools... Scott has always preached that there is a fine line between follow-up and stalking and we want to always be in the green zone—behind that line.”

How and when does Bass/Schuler find something new for their roster? “Mission IMPROVable was a brand new concept when we introduced it,” says Chris. “Sex Signals was totally innovative and there is not another show like it in the industry. Social networking speaker C.L. Lindsay was another first of his kind. So the answer is trying to find great talent that is unique and makes an impact in the marketplace. Live Band Karaoke is another unique act.” Scott adds that “Bass/Schuler receives promo from artists everyday of the year and the BSE staff reviews what they’ve received a few times per year. We give a lot of weight to the opinions of our college interns at these times because they obviously are more plugged in to what’s current. We also go out and see live performances. Drew is a great asset for scoping out comedy because it’s one of his many strengths.”

Bass/Schuler has also been fortunate in that Mission IMPROVable founder Aaron Krebs is an extremely creative and intelliwww.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

son on the other end of the phone.”

Other things haven’t changed.

Scott says “When I first started booking as an agent and I told my old friends with bands in Chicago about it, the response was ‘Get us some college dates.’ The problem was that even though I had a great rapport with Drake University in Des Moines, it was going to cost them $5,000 to travel this hot band in from Chicago and nobody in Des Moines even knew who they were. It didn’t matter that they had a record deal; students would rather see a great band they knew that played the local club down the street. Novelty acts, whether it be a variety performer or a novelty game are much more simple. Mentalists, hypnotists, and others can travel and load in and out very easily.” The only real catch is a full blown illusion show which can occupy an entire tractor trailer with sets and props that need to be loaded in and then loaded out - probably 2-3 hours each way.

gent innovator. When Scott asked if Aaron could create a more interesting approach to alcohol awareness, for example, Aaron spent months researching the disease and crafting a presentation more engaging than a lone speaker could ever be. The result was Shot of Reality and it has been a tremendous success.

What are the changes, bad or good, that the market has experienced? Scott says “One of the biggest changes I see is that most buyers want to communicate by email. It has always been difficult to contact students by phone because they have such a brief time to spend in their offices— their first job is going to school and studying. Email does make things more efficient.

Then there are conferences. These have gotten so expensive for both agents and schools. If you are an agent, in the fall you may miss up to two months of actual selling time if you go to many of the regional conferences. For colleges and universities it is becoming more difficult and expensive for students to be away from school and for the campus to house them in expensive hotel properties. That said, it is a learning experience for students to discover how to meet someone and learn how business is done...to shake a hand and meet the per-

Whatever Bass/Schuler is doing, they are certainly doing it right. They keep their profile high and are always visible so that everyone knows who they are and what they are all about. It is an agency that everyone recognizes based on the quality of their acts and their high level of customer service. Chris and Scott became seasoned professionals on the fast ride to the top of the campus agency charts.

When asked where they wanted to be in the next ten years, Scott and Chris used the term “relevant.” It is our distinct honor to induct Scott Bass and Chris Schuler as the sixth candidates, in a line of legendary Campus Activities Professionals, into the National Campus Activities Hall of Fame in the year 2015.

For more information on Bass Schuler Entertainment call them at (773) 481-2600 or visit them on the web at bass-schuler.com.

WCK

Our Special Thanks to Mia Bass for assisting us with the proofing of this story.

CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAgAzINE®, March 2015, 17

Images From

To call “Immersion” the advancement in virtual reality we have all been waiting for would not be an understatement. VR has had a presence in the campus market for more than 20 years, and Mike Seymore of CEP Inc. has been there every step of the way. The term virtual reality is loosely defined as any technology that uses one or more of the five senses to create an environment users are entrenched in that doesn't actually exist. In early generations, users wore visors that showed very simplistic geometric shapes to represent an environment. The visor contained a screen that would adjust the view according to the users’ focus, creating a 3D virtual world. If you turned your head left, you would look to the left in the game.

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SPECIAL FEATURE STORY

Immersion has taken the same concept to an entirely new level. A large part of it is the leaps and bounds in graphics and control response since the early days, but one major drawback of the initial generations of the technology was that users were still completely static. This meant that while they could look around the virtual world by turning their heads, all forms of locomotion and action in the game were controller based. Meaning you stand or sit in a single position and do all the action with your standard couch-potato style game controller. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

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What “Immersion” has done is to integrate a special style treadmill, that along with the far more advanced optical system and a rifle style controller, plunges users fully into the experience. This treadmill has no belts on it; there is a circular pad users stand on and are strapped into a harness to hold them in the unit, and a shoe and track system that allows them to actually walk, run and jump in place, with sensors on the hips and feet to track movement.

This means players are

linked in series. Multiply it by 5 players and add in smash-hit games like “Halo,” “Call Of Duty: Black Ops” and “Counter Strike” and you are going to have a big hit on campus.

Mike gives us an inside view on this game and the technology involved, as well as some background on virtual reality and simulation in the campus market in general.

when you put the Oculus on. It’s like being there. You can do this on a couch or in a chair at a computer, but what the Immersion system does is adds in the element of moving and walking, not to mention jumping and ducking. It brings the experience to a whole new level. If you can get a game that is in PC format, it can be used with the ‘Immersion’ system.”

nology available to us to make the show truly live up to the name. This show represents a paradigm shift in putting people into a virtual world, not only visually but physically. A lot of folks are aware of the Oculus Rift, which is the top of the line virtual reality visor and we already use it in our current programs on antitexting and drunk driving. When

tech,” he says. “We have a number of PCs that work in unison to create the 360 degree physical worlds the games take place in. I am not the most technical guy to explain the specifics on the processing power or computer equipment. I am more of the creative idea guy, and we go to first-class coders, programmers and engineers who help us figure

“I’ve always liked the term ‘immersion’ and we finally have the tech-

This isn’t your basic laptop PC type of setup, however. “It’s pretty high

Images From Halo

physically in the game. When they take three paces forward, so does your character in the game. When you look any direction, so does your character. When you raise and fire your weapon, actions on the screen are likewise.

Combine this special equipment with ultra-powered multi-PC units

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out how to make it happen.”

CEP, Inc. is known for leading the way in the novelty field, not content to carbon copy the flavor of the week, but to truly innovate their product line on a consistent basis.

Their AWARE TXT driving simulator has been on tour sponsored by AT&T’s “It Can Wait” campaign for the last few years because of Mike’s consistent diligence in keeping up with the virtual reality field. It’s something he’s been interested in and actively working with in the campus market for quite some time.

“This is so incredibly exciting for me because this is such a huge leap in this genre of entertainment. The ability to move your body in real time has been the only real impediment to complete immersion. Of course we haven’t gotten to the point of smells and tastes,” he jokes, “which is probably a good thing, Though virtual reality has been around since 1992, before we were only able to immerse our-

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selves visually and through audio into the concept. You are still sitting somewhere on a couch. By physically transporting your body into the scenario, it feels incredibly realistic.

You aren’t pushing buttons any more, but quite literally performing the exact same actions as you are in-game.”

This is am absolutely brand new show. CEP is taking dates now for limited fall 2015 dates and spring of 2016 and your campus could be one of the first to have this exclusive new attraction for students. For a visual sneak-peak, CEP will have video up and ready this spring. This is a huge leap in technology beyond what’s been previously available, and Mike Seymore is one person who has been waiting anxiously for this development.

“The ‘Immersion’ system physically transports your body into the experience. It feels so realistic, you are literally walking through the scenario, looking around at the world

surrounding you. It really has to be felt to be understood. Even with just the visor on, if you are sitting on a couch, you are still just sitting there pushing buttons. The difference between that and being able to run around, spin 360 degrees, duck and jump over an obstacle - is hard to relay in words.”

The format of this show can pit 5 players against each other in tournament-style combat for the full show, or can be set up individually for budget or space requirements.

But, the full version of this can really turn it from a user-exclusive experience to a tourney that can engage an entire crowd. “Each unit is set up with its own 50” mounted display that shows the rest of the crowd in the room the feed from each player’s Oculus. So the participants that are waiting to experience this will be able to see what the players are seeing instead of just watching them randomly run, duck and shoot.

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“We can set them up in a number of ways as well. We can have 5 completely different experiences happening at one time, or we can link all of those 5 units together for the players to have a heads up match in a ‘Call of Duty’ game or whatever their choice is.”

One thing that can be tricky about high tech roadshows is the rough nature of the road and keeping the systems operating smoothly through hundreds of performances a year. “That is something we specialize in. Taking computers and simulators on the road safely and securely is something we have done for years. We have very high end road cases and trained and wellqualified technicians that keep everything working the way it should. We are very well-versed in getting very high tech equipment

from point A to point B.”

That’s another fine point to bring up about working with a first class novelty company. Even when the conditions are ideal, you still need a fallback. “It would be unrealistic to think you could operate without backup equipment.

Equipment fails, so we make sure we always have backups. For example, we are in the second year of the ‘Toyota Teen Drive 365’ program, which uses our simulators, we have about 280 shows a year that bounce coast to coast from day to day. That show uses a 70” touchscreen monitor, and we have a backup for that. We are a professional production company that operates on a national level, so we make sure we always have our bases covered for ourselves and our clients.”

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The Immersion experience is one you can get only from CEP exclusively and you can trust everything to be professionally done and working properly in the process. They continue to bring high quality and innovation to the marketplace and this is an absolute first-look chance to get in on this show and have an experience on campus for your students that is like none other they have seen.

ANY game that can be found in PC format can be played on this system, including “Halo,” “First Strike,” “Call Of Duty” and any more that your students request.

Contact CEP Inc. at (866) 288-8126 or mike@cepincorporated.com for more details on bringing Immersion to your campus.

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

2015 GUIDE TO AMERICA’S BEST ARTIST RATINGS THE RATING SYSTEM: 5= EXCELLENT 4= vERY GOOD 3= AvERAGE 2= FAIR 1= pOOR

HERE IS A COMpREHENSIvE GUIDE TO ALL ARTIST REpORTS SUBMITTED BETwEEN DEC 31, 2014 AND FEB 10, 2015. ONGOING REpORTS wILL BE pUBLISHED IN SUBSEqUENT ISSUES . ALL REPORTS MUST BE SUBMITTED ON OUR WEBSITE AT:.campusactivitiesmagazine.com/arc/ WE NO LONGER TAKE PAPER BALLOTS BY FAX OR MAIL. THERE IS A DIRECT LINK TO THE REPORT FORM ON THE HOME PAGE.

HERE ARE THE CATEGORIES FOR THE RATINGS FOUND AFTER THE BUYER’S NAME AND PLAY DATE: (1) ORIGINALITY; (2) ARTIST’S ABILITY; (3) RELATIONSHIp TO THE AUDIENCE; (4) COOpERATION / ATTITUDE; (5) ROAD CREw / MANAGEMENT; (6) AGENCY COOpERATION; (7) pROMOTIONAL MATERIALS pROvIDED. Campus Reports listed in RED indicate the buyer reported a perfect score in all categories that applied to their campus performance for that artist or event.

ATTENDANCE (when Available) AND THE LOCATION ON CAMpUS wILL FOLLOw THE pERFORMANCE DATE.

COMEDY

AARON KOMINOS-SMITH NMP Talent

CUNY College of Staten Island, Staten Island, NY 12/09/14 15 School 4455544 Similar material to the first time he came but attendance was mostly new faces and it was still funny.

Mitchell Harris, President of Hillel ABBI CRUTCHFIELD Summit Comedy, Inc.

Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY 01/23/15 25+ Mercy College Lecture Hall 5555555 Abbi did a great job of connecting with her audience. She really made everyone laugh, I would love to see her back at Mercy College.

Keyla Rijo, Late Night & Weekend Coordinator ADAM GRABOWSKI uuuuu Adam Grabowski Entertainment

University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI 12/06/12 500 Markee Pioneer Student Center 5555555 Trisha Broihahn, Campus Programming and Relations Event Producer Pennsylvania State University-Berks, Reading, PA 09/09/13 250 Perkins Student Center 5555555 He was great and easy to work with!

Brittney Schlechter, Activities Coordinator Upper Iowa University, Fayette, IA 08/28/14 100+ Student Center 5555-45 Adam is great--always a favorite event for our students!

Amy Tucker, Director of Student Activities Simmons College, Boston, MA 09/01/14 200 Alumnae Hall 5555-54 Tia Miller, Assistant Director, Student Leadership and Activities

Pennsylvania State University-Dubois, Dubois, PA 09/10/14 30 Hiller Auditorium 4545554 Courtney Mullins, Office of Student Engagement Intern

Gannon University, Erie, PA 09/12/14 90 The Knight Club 5555555 Adam Grabowski is a pleasure to work with! He traveled with his girlfriend and they stayed after the performance to have dinner with our programming board members, and they were both genuine, kind and funny people! His show went exceedingly well and we'd love to have him back!

Brian Svoboda, After Hours Chair Sheridan College, Sheridan, WY 11/12/14 100 Thorne-Rider Campus Center 5555555 Sheridan College absolutely loved Adam, they loved the fact that he interacted with them during and after the show. They also thought his jokes were unique and original! The students have been asking to bring him back this semester! Definitely a every year performer!

Deneese Stone, Programming Board Intern

West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Montgomery, WV 01/15/15 90 Tech Center Ballroom 5555--5 Emily Sands, Resident Director Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, NY 01/22/15 65+ NCCC 5455--4 He was awesome!

Always a pleasure to work with Adam!

Heather Saba, Techinical Assistant

Tompkins Cortland Community College, Dryden, NY 01/27/15 87 Student 45555-4 Very friendly and even helped to arrange the room.

Jason Boring, Assistant Director for Student Activities BRIAN C. JOHNSON Kirkland Productions

University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 01/09/15 70 UIndy Hall

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4555-4Working with Brian was great. He was in contact with us well ahead of time to make sure that his presentation would align with our goals for the student staff. He arrived well ahead of time and was well prepared. He was even able to adapt and work with us to adjust his plan when we had some unexpected technical difficulties in the room he was using. His presentation as engaging and kept the students attention for the full time. All told, it was a fantastic experience, and we could not be happier with how it all went.

Johnathan Ferraro, Area Coordinator BRYAN MORRIS Summit Comedy, Inc.

Lasell College, Newton, MA 01/22/15 25 Lasell College 5555555 Emily Noll, Emily CJ TOLEDANO KP Comedy

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 01/30/15 100+ Ben Parker Student Center 4544-5CJ was a great fit for our campus and a really awesome guy.

Madison Northrup, FAC Chair CARMEN LYNCH Kirkland Productions

University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 01/13/15 30 Meeting Rooms 555555Carmen was a true professional and we loved having her on campus! Program evaluations were nothing but positive!

Emily Cox, Student Life Coordinator CHLOE HILLIARD Summit Comedy, Inc.

Utah State University, Logan, UT 01/13/15 550 Student Center Ballroom 5555555 Chloe was absolutely amazing. Our students loved her. She was funny, charming, and approachable. Not only was her rehearsed material hilarious she was interacting with the audience as her show progressed and made some great jokes on the spot. I was very impressed with how she remembered people's

names from the audience that she interacted with - it made the students feel more connected to her. Prior to the show Chloe was kind and very low-maintenence. She asked a lot of questions about the university culture and was very easy to talk to. I've had many students say they want us to bring her back next year because they loved her show so much!

Becca Glover, Traditions Director Utah State University, Logan, UT 01/13/15 550 Student Center Ballroom 5555555 Chloe was absolutely amazing. Our students loved her. She was funny, charming, and approachable. Not only was her rehearsed material hilarious she was interacting with the audience as her show progressed and made some great jokes on the spot. I was very impressed with how she remembered people's names from the audience that she interacted with - it made the students feel more connected to her. Prior to the show Chloe was kind and very low-maintenence. She asked a lot of questions about the university culture and was very easy to talk to. I've had many students say they want us to bring her back next year because they loved her show so much!

Becca Glover, Traditions Director

Weber State University, Ogden, UT 01/14/15 50 WSU, Shepherd Union Ballroom B 4455-43 We block booked Chloe after seeing her performance at the 2014 NACA Mid America Conference. We were very happy with her performance and the great stand up that she brought. She was arrived after the performance time due to a delay in her travel from a show at different university, but she was very apologetic and ready to go as soon as she stepped on campus. We do not typically get a great audience turnout for comedians, but we were very pleased with the attendance and energy that Chloe brought in her show. Very pleased!

Emma Clark, Coordinator of Student Programming University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Green Bay, WI 02/09/15 100 Club 5545555 Vincenzo Badalamenti, Mr.

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COLLIN MOULTON Summit Comedy, Inc.

University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 10/29/14 50+ Student Center Ballroom 5555553 Collin Moulton is definitely a comedy veteran.

He had our audience laughing from the moment he told his first joke to until the end; and for most he had them laughing to tears. He is definitely the comedian you want to perform at your college campus!

Kevin Vantepool, Jaguar Productions Comedy Chair University of Pittsburgh-Bradford, Bradford, PA 01/08/15 50+ Stand up comedy 5555555 Collin Moulton put on an amazing performance.

Collin was a so excited to perform and be apart of the event. The students here at UPB enjoyed that so much that they already want him back!

Terrik Sparks, SAC Comedy Committee Chair

Aurora University, Aurora, IL 01/15/15 80 Aurora University 5555555 I had the pleasure of handling Collin's event.

What a great guy! He was really able to engage our students throughout his whole show, and learn the audience and cater the show to them!

His ability to use material as well as off the cuff to make the show really feel as if it is for the audience is incredible. He stayed after to talk with a few students, one who has been in and out of jujitsu as Collin is quite the enthusiast for that.

Then we also have a student who has a passion for comedy and he stayed to give him some great advice and share stories. It was great to see compassion for audience members! I would highly recommend him to anyone else!

Cody Fuerst, Student Activities Representative JESSI CAMPBELL Summit Comedy, Inc.

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 11/07/14 152 Taylor Down Under 5545-55 She was a great comedian and the audience survey results are the following: our of a 5 point scale, 5 = excellent and 1 = poor - 57% rated 5 and 33% rated 4.

Greg Bahou, Spirit & Tradition Director MARCUS Sophie K. Entertainment

University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 10/03/14 100+ Student Union Lounge Area 5555-55 Marcus Was hilarious and our campus loved him. He was super enthusiastic and involved with the audience.

Mahin Sandoval-Chavez, Lead Student Programmer MARK FORWARD KP Comedy

Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 02/07/15 70+ One Wheelock Coffeehouse 5544454 David Pack, Assistant Director MATTHEW BROUSSARD KP Comedy

Roanoke College, Salem, VA 11/22/14 40+ Roanoke College 5555-5Brea Spitznogle, Event Supervisor

Pfeiffer University, Misenheimer, NC 01/10/15 80 Admin Theater 5545-54 Our students were impressed with Matthew's comedy and the fact that it was not just loud anecdotes, but intelligent wit. He was great to work with and KP made re-arranging our date a breeze.

Paula Morris, Director of Student Involvement Christopher Newport University,

Newport News, VA 01/31/15 175 Gaines Theater 5553555 Elizabeth Beavers, Headliners Chair MISSION IMPROVABLE Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, KY 09/12/14 150 Lindsey Wilson College Hode Auditorium 5555-55 I recommend Mission IMPROVable for any college/university! They were great to work with and adapted well to the audience. They were also will to run around the dorms and campus to get the students out and to the show which helped a lot for this small campus.

Lafawn Nettles, Director of Student Activities Lincoln College, Lincoln, IL 11/04/14 85 Student Center 5555555 Jeff Nelson, Director of Student Activities NORMAN NG NMP Talent

Coker College, Hartsville, SC 01/16/15 60 Watson Theatre 5555555 Norman and Amanda with NMP were so great to work with! Always in regular communication with us, and stuck with us while we had a questionable series of events unfold with our venue.

So patient and willing to work through our limitations on a small campus. I'd already seen Norman's act at a conference, but it was great even the second time around. Highly recommend!

Caroline Carter, Director of Student Activities Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 01/17/15 100+ Pugh Auditorium 5555555 Excellent. Norman Ng wow'd everybody in the audience and it was a great show. I was especially appreciative that he did a free teaser in our dining hall before the show to gain awareness and market the main event. Thanks for everything!

Lucas Swenson, President

Tennessee Wesleyan College, Athens, TN 02/05/15 150 Dining Hall 5555545 Norman was wonderful! We thoroughly enjoyed his show! Our student body had a great time! :) Rachel McDonald, SAB Club TWC chair RANEIR POLLARD Sophie K. Entertainment

University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 10/10/14 100+ Ballroom 5555-55 Raneir was AMAZING! He is such a joy and fills the room with joy! He is an amazing performer and is guaranteed to make everyone laugh. He is a must bring to all campuses.

Mahin Sandoval-Chavez, Lead Student Programmer ROY WOOD, JR. Summit Comedy, Inc.

Wartburg College, Waverly, IA 10/17/14 165 Lyceum 5555-5Josh Harms, Vice President SAMMY OBEID KP Comedy

Drake University, Des Moines, IA 11/07/14 130 Pomerantz Stage, Olmsted 4445-54 Thanks again to Sammy for such a great show! We received a lot of positive feedback and we're very glad Sammy could make it out to Drake!

McCormick Deering and Brenna Conley, SAB Entertainment Co-Chairs

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Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA 12/05/14 80 Gage Memorial Union- The PUB 4455-3Laura Van Buer, Assistant Director of Campus Life Husson University, Bangor, ME 01/29/15 95 Student Center 553555Sterling Pingree, Coordinator of Student Activities THE BLACK-JEW DIALOGUES Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 10/02/14 100+ Harris Center Theater 5555--5 Larry and Ron are absolutely a blast to have on campus! From the original custom video that they created for our students to the master class that Ron taught on their final day, I was overwhelmingly pleased with the job that they did.The Discussion after the show opened up elements of our culture on campus that many students feel inclined to voice, but don't feel they have a space to speak their mind. We will have them on our campus again. Thanks Ron and Larry, you are appreciated!

Justin Thaxton, Coordinator, Diversity & Inclusion in Athletics THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING! Kirkland Productions

Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 10/28/14 81 Parkway Ballrom in Student Union 5555-55 Jana Vise, Associate Director VLADIMIR CAAMANO Sophie K. Entertainment

SUNY College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 11/03/14 30 Waterfront at Hunt Union 4545-34 Yesenia Trujillo, Comedian Chair

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, PA 11/07/14 40+ Red Zone 5555555 Great show! Love how he took the time to see what the campus offered to make original jokes that the audience could relate to, It really made a difference!

Kristina Carey, Entertainment Chairperson Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY 01/23/15 35+ Knight Spot Lounge 5555-55 We loved having Vladimir! He was fantastic!

Meghan Twomey, Graduate Assistant- Student Activities Office

MUSIC

EH440 Houla Entertainment

Pennsylvania State University-Berks, Reading, PA 01/15/15 85 Auditorium 5555555 Brittney Schlechter, Activities Coordinator

Aurora University, Aurora, IL 01/19/15 40 Perry Theatre 5555555 We absolutely loved having Eh 440 at Aurora University and we wish we could have provided a larger audience. We are keeping them in mind for planning out Fall 2015 semester as well!

Such a fun group to host and genuine people to have on campus.

Cod y Fuerst, Student Activities Representative University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 01/21/15 295 Student Union Ballrooms 5555555 Eh440 received a standing ovation at the end

of their performance. They did a fantastic job keeping the crowd tuned in and wowing all of us their style. If given the chance, we would love to have them back. A experience all the way around!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB

New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ 02/11/15 50+ Student Union Lobby 5555-55 What an amazing team! The band was excellent and was extremely interactive with the audience.

They sounded great, had good vibes and provided a great time. I'm so happy we were able to block book and get Eh 440 to our campus.

Scott A. Siegel, SGO Advisor MIEKA PAULEY The Agency Coalition

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 02/04/15 164 Student Union Starbucks 5555555 Mieka brought soulful energy and positive vibes with her as she sang. On a bitter wintry day, she was able to bring warmth with her vocals and her awesome songs. Totally recommend her if you're doing a coffeehouse type of event. A to work with!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB MITCH CLARK Houla Entertainment

Polk State College, Lakeland, FL 11/03/14 50+ Student Center 5555-5Mitch Clark was an unexpected treat for the students, as they did not know what he had to offer until he opened his mouth to sing.

Anthony Bates, Student Activities Board Advisor THE BERGAMOT Both Records

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 11/19/14 200+ Starbucks of Student Union Building 5555555 Our students LOVE having The Bergamot duo come to campus! We had 200 students stop by, work on homework, and have some fun. These two are some of the best artists we've had on campus in a long time. A !

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB

VARIETY

BEN SEIDMAN Summit Comedy, Inc.

University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 11/07/14 100+ Student Center Terrace 5555555 His originality is his act is enough alone to amaze everyone in your audience! The stage presence and ability to work a crowd are definitely my qualities in his show. You definitely should book him to Reform at your college!

Kevin Vanterpool, Jaguar Prod Comedy Chair CHRIS RUGGIERO GP Entertainment

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, PA 12/04/14 20+ Multi purpose room 4555555 With a small crowd during finals week, Chris was able to make his show even more interactive on the spot!

Kristina Carey, Entertainment Chairperson CHRISJONES Bass/Schuler Entertainment

University of South Carolina-Beaufort, Bluffton, SC 08/20/14 150+ Welcome Week Tent (outdoor) 5555555

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Chrisjones is TOP NOTCH and is the most fun to work with. Super low maintenance and really, really awesome. His performances are always entertaining and original. He will be our kick-off performer for our 2015 Welcome Week, we love him that much.

Kate Vermilyea, Director of Student Life CHRISTIAN FINNEGAN Summit Comedy, Inc.

Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 01/30/15 130+ University Union-Heritage Room 4555-54 Christian was incredibly kind an easy to work with. Such a pleasant person, and so funny. He made his material related to WIU and interacted with fans after. I would recommend him to anyone! Also, working with Summit Comedy Inc. was such an easy process. They were prompt, professional and accessible. We are very pleased!

Jessica Girdler, Graduate AdvisorUniversity Union Board Bay de Noc Community College, Escanaba, MI 01/22/15 250+ Besse Theater 5555-55 Frederick is amazing to work with. He is fun, professional, and provides an amazing show.

We have had Frederick performing at Bay College for years, and his shows sell out or come close to it every year. Frederick Winters is amazing! (And no, he did not hypnotize me into saying that :) Dave Laur, Director of Student Life CHRISTOPHER CARTER uuuuu Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Marymount University, Arlington, VA 11/20/13 50+ Auditorium 5555-5Chris was a joy to work with. He came on time and did teasers. Chris's lecture got the students to get up and try what he was talking about.

Everyone loved it!

Rosemarie O'Connor, Cultural Arts and Lecture Chair

Ashford University, Clinton, IA 10/16/14 50+ Mullany Theatre 5555555 I was a huge skeptic walking into his show and thought maybe it was going to be boring. This show was one of the best ones I have gone too on campus this year!

Rebecca Wolfe, Student Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada 10/18/14 250 Carleton University 5555555 William Johnson, Student Engagement Coordinator

Allen County Community College, Iola, KS 10/21/14 100+ College 5555555 Ryan Bilderback, Director of Student Life

University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 10/27/14 35 UC Theatre 5555-54 Chris Carter was great. Many of the students asked when he would return. We are looking planning to have him return to the campus in the near future.

Doris Blaine, Adult Student Association Program Chair

University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 10/27/14 35 UC Theatre 5555-54 Chris Carter was great. Many of the students asked when he would return. We are looking planning to have him return to the campus in the near future.

Doris Blaine, Adult Student Association Program Chair

Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL 11/04/14 125+ Center Bridge 4555-55 Chris never disappoints! With the teasers before the show, the chairs get filled. Students

look around in amazement as he performs.

They walk away scratching their heads wondering how he did what he did. One of our favorite shows...we bring him back every year!

Pam Dilday, Director of Student Activities

Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant, IA 11/06/14 100 Chapel 5555555 Our students loved him!! He was very engaging and definitely one of the more well attended shows we have had this year!

Kat Niemann, Director of Student Engagement

Ivy Tech Community College-Lafayette, Lafayette, IN 11/12/14 60 Multipurpose Room 5555555 Awesome show! Great for any audience. We are 100% commuter, so we can sometimes struggle with attendance. Chris came early and did a teaser. He thought he could still get a larger audience, and went out and did a second teaser. It was awesome! Our students loved him! I totally appreciate everything he did to help us have a great show.

Kat Stremiecki, Director for Student Life Marian University, Indianapolis, IN 11/14/14 200 Alumni Hall 5555555 Ben Braksick, Director, Student Activities & Orientation

Colorado Mountain College-Glenwood Springs-Spring Valley, Glenwood Springs, CO 12/02/14 50+ Recker Student Lounge 5555554 Chris is amazing! We love having him come and the students can't get enough of him.

Brandon Fox, Coordinator of Student Activities CRAIG KARGES Craig Karges

Saint John Fisher College, Rochester, NY 10/23/14 185 Basil 135 5545433 Desire' Campbell, Programmer

Rollins College, Winter Park, FL 11/08/14 130 Bush Auditorium 5555555 Craig was great as always! Students and families of all ages come every year just to see him perform and he never disappoints. He has a great way of getting the audience involved and unable to look away. The Rollins community is always happy to see him come and the tricks he brings with him. Watch and be amazed, just as we were!

Miranda Jung, REP Director University of Montevallo, Montevallo, AL 11/11/14 200+ Palmer Auditorium 5555-55 Craig Karges was wonderful! All of our students enjoyed the show. The community has already asked when he will be coming again!

Kristen Bowen, Coordinator of Student Life

DANIEL MARTIN Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Dominican University, River Forest, IL 11/21/14 125 Social Hall 5555-55 Daniel was fantastic. He engaged the audience, crafted his show to our campus/students and made the entire experience a blast!

Ian Van Anden, Student Involvement Cord.

DR. JIM WAND Wand Enterprises

Eastern Iowa Community College District, Davenport, IA 01/13/15 500 Decker Auditorium 5555555 Jim Wand has been coming here for years and we would not want anybody other than Jim Wand to come to our campus. Amazing performer and puts on a great show!

Brandon Bush, Asst. Director Student Life University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

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01/13/15 800 University of Nebraska-Lincoln; East Union 5555555 Always a pleasure having Dr. Jim Wand at our campus as an annual event.

Nels Holmquist, Mr.

Central Community College, Grand Island, NE 01/19/15 110 Student Center 5555554 It's always a good time when Jim comes to campus. The audience and the participants all had fun. The show was clean and high-energy.

Jim's great to work with.

Nick Freelend, Activities Director Mid-Plains Community College, North Platte, NE 01/20/15 176 McDonald-Belton Theater 5555555 Does a great job of connecting to the audience members as well as the administration.

Joshua York, Assistant Housing Director/Activities Director ERIC MINA uuuuu GP Entertainment

Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 11/22/14 400+ Union 5555555 He was awesome and his dining hall promo really created buzz on campus!

Chase, Member of Entertainment Board

Washington and Jefferson College, Washington pa 12/06/14 125+ g and t 5555555 Eric had an amazing energy that lasted through the entire show! Best attendance that I have seen at an event and will definitely be bringing him back Sarah Fiore, Assistant Director of Student Activities St Mary's University of MN, winona MN 01/17/15 125+ page theater 5555555 Smells nice- looks like a young Italian god Mary Coghlan, External Chair

University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME 01/23/15 150 Brooks Student Center 5555-55 Eric is one of our campus staples. He does an amazing job with our students and tailors the show to exactly what we request. He is incredibly nimble and able to work with audiences of very different sizes. We had him perform for 40 students one night,and 150 the next. Eric is incredibly professional and able to interact with students on their level.

Dan Welter, Student Advisor St Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, MD 01/24/15 110 St Mary Hall 5555555 Fantastic performance Allison, director of campus programing

Domonik Daniels, Student Activities Board Security/Treasurer

Herkimer County Community College, Herkimer, NY 02/06/15 150+ Sarcus-Busche Theater 5555555 Was a great shows throughout the entire performance. Had our best showing of the semester because of Eric!!!

Giorgio Varlaro, Assistant Director of Student Activities Arcadia University, Glenside, PA 02/07/15 250+ the great room 5555555 Quality performance! I can't wait to bring him back to our campus!!!!

Morgan McKenna, President FREDERICK WINTERS Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Mercer University, Macon, GA 11/06/14 75 Willingham Auditorium 4555-55 Mr. Winters was very pleasant to work with and really brought energy to the event.

Khristopher Rodriguez, Quadsquad Member IVAN PECEL Fresh Variety

University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, WI 10/11/14 300+ River Falls 5555555 Drew Moldenhauer, Student Life Intern JOEL MEYERS GP Entertainment

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, PA 11/13/14 143 Red Zone 5555555 Such a great turn out! Joel was such an easy and nice person to work with, he put on a great show!

Kristina Carey, Entertainment chairperson Saint John Fisher College, Rochester, NY 11/14/14 80 Basil 135 4555445 Desire' Campbell, Programmer JONATHAN BURNS Fresh Variety

California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA 10/29/14 51 Vulcan Theatre 5435-54 The show was fun and Jonathan was very easy to work with. Those that attended seemed to have a good time.

Robert O'Neill JOSH MCVICAR MCVICAR THE TRICKSTER Josh McVicar

SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome, Utica, NY 01/28/15 100+ Student Center MPR 5555555 Eric's performance was fantastic. He is a great guy and very personable. Can't wait to have him back to our school again!

Paul Ragusa, Vice President

Lees-McRae College, Banner Elk, NC 01/14/15 100 Student Center 5555--4 Another excellent show by McVicar the Trickster! Students really enjoyed the show especially the "roving magic" before the show. Very professional to work with and students are already asking for his return.

Jon Driggers, Vice President for Student Development

University of Pittsburgh-Titusville, Titusville, PA 01/30/15 60 Hennie Auditorium 5555555 Eric Mina is a really cool, interesting guy his jokes we're funny, his magic was magical, and the hypnosis was insane.

Bluffton University, Bluffton, OH 11/14/14 81 Founders Hall 4545544 Chad Taylor showed up right when he said he would and was ready to roll from the word 'go.'

After the show, he was more than happy to chat with our programming board while tearing down and offer his experiences and words of wisdom from his years of being in the college circuit. I would highly recommend him to any college looking for a variety act.

Medaille College, Buffalo, NY 01/29/15 100+ main auditorium 5555555 Eric was absolutely amazing.His show is more than i anticipated by far. I definitely want him back at Medaille!!!!

Korry, SAB member

MAD CHAD TAYLOR Bass/Schuler Entertainment

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Brent Schroeder, Assistant Director of the University Event Complex MATT THE KNIFE Kramer Entertainment, Inc.

College of Southern Maryland, La Plata, MD 10/24/14 45 campus theatre 5555544 Matt the Knife was not what I expected. He was better! This professional performer stayed in constant communication with me, he was easy to get along with, he was engaging, and I enjoyed working with him. I have never experienced a performer have such a great rapport and "conversation" with the crowd and my students completely enjoyed it. I was hounded for three days straight by everyone who attended his performance BEGGING me to bring him back as soon as possible. Of course, I have rebooked him - without hesitation. I cannot wait to see what he does next time - his first gig will be hard to top! Thanks for being worth every penny and more, Matt the Knife! We can't wait to have you back!

Anya Patterson, Student Life Coordinator

West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV 10/30/14 200 Performing Arts Center 5555555 This is Matt's third appearance at WVWC. My students have requested him back each year.

He puts on an amazing show! If you are looking for something different, funny, terrifying and entertaining, do yourself a favor a BOOK THIS SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Roxanne Bright, Coordinator of Student Activities MICHAEL KENT Fresh Variety

University of North Texas System, Dallas, TX 11/10/14 50 Multi-Purpose Space 5555555 Michael's show was amazing (as always)! He's great at making the show the best it can be for the audience. The students LOVED the show!

Jennifer Skinner, Assistant Director of Activities and Organizations SAILESH Metropolis Management & Entertainment Group

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 01/14/15 800+ EJ Thomas Hall 5555555 Sailesh has been coming to the University of Akron every year for the last 8 years and never ceases to amaze our students. He knows how to work a crowd and how to keep students laughing for the duration of his performance.

By far, he's one of the best entertainers that we've had here at The University of Akron and we cannot wait to work with him again next year! A experience!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB TEAM M&M Everything But The Mime

Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA 10/20/14 400+ Outside 4555554 Love Them!!!!

Robin Vickery, Director Of Student Life

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 01/11/15 104 Robertson's Cafeteria 5555555 Mike and Margaret did a fantastic job helping to welcome back students for the second semester! They were friendly and very easy to work with, plus they did a great job doing balloon animals and face/body paintings. This duo is definitely worth bringing out to your next interactive and fun event!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB

NOVELTIES

AGATA'S FUN ZONE-CUSTOM BUMPER STICKERS Everything But The Mime Valencia College, Orlando, FL 10/16/14 200 College -555-55 Sunni Prevatt, Coordinator AIRBRUSH SCARVES Fun Enterprises, Inc.

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 01/11/15 199 Robertson's Cafeteria 5555555 Any time that we have people from FUN Enterprises, we are bound to have a great show. Students were lined up down the hall waiting for these scarves that were customized and ready to keep students warm. They were extremely easy to work with. A experience!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB BALLOONS BY LESTER & BODY ART BY SUSAN Everything But The Mime

Texas Woman's University (Houston, TX), Houston, TX 11/03/14 250 Fall Festival (indoors) 5555-55 The creations by both Lester and Susan were exceptional! Students were in utter awe with the creativity and exquisite talent displayed again and again - and yet again! Even in the midst of tests throughout the day, students did what they could to stop by and just breathe it all in.

People are still talking about it, and asking when they will return. THANK YOU for this MOST GRACIOUS GIFT!!! The students were just delighted!!!

Deborah Unruh, Assistant Director, Student Life PHOTO BOOTH Kirkland Productions

Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Port Arthur, TX 11/03/14 75 Mascot birthday celebration -555555 Thanks for another great novelty event on campus!

Claire Thomason, Director of Student Activitie

SPEAKERS

ANTHONY TRUCKS Kirkland Productions

James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 01/27/15 250 Grafton Theatre 5555555 Anthony was absolutely phenomenal!! He showed up in plenty of time for the show, 2 hours to be exact. He was great with communication with myself knowing he got to town fine with his travels and with being able to find the venue. He was so energetic and incredibly easy to talk to. His presentation was better than I could have imagined. He related so well to the students who came and was very energetic enhancing his performance. He stayed around to talk and interact with the students adding that much more to the entire experience. I would highly, highly recommend him to any school or organization looking for a motivational speaker.

His message is very powerful and his passion is clearly shown in his effort and ability to portray his life lessons and teachings. I could not have been happier with everything he did and want to thank him so much for coming to James Madison University.

Curtis Dahmer, Director of Special Events

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ASH BECKHAM Kirkland Productions

Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 01/19/15 350+ Emerson Suites at Ithaca College 5555-5Ash Beckham was, by far, the best keynote speaker we have ever had for the Martin Luther King Jr. Campus-wide Celebration at Ithaca College. Funny, engaging, and real - Ash connected with our students from the first minute and kept them fully engaged until the end of her talk. She is the perfect person to come to your campus and talk about being yourself and support others through their struggles. Absolutely amazing!

Don Austin, Assistant Director of Community Service DANIEL HERNANDEZ JR Kirkland Productions

Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester, MA 11/15/14 50 Harrington Learning Center 5555-54 Both Mr. Hernandez and Kirkland Productions were great to work with! I would encourage everyone to consider bringing Daniel to campus. He was informative, engaging and the students loved him!

Jonathan Miller, Director of Student Life and Leadership DEL SUGGS Del Suggs

Broward College-North Campus, Coconut Creek, FL 01/16/15 15 Tiger tail Lake Center 5555555 Leo DeAraujo, StudentLife Coordinator ELAINE PASQUA Pasqua Productions, Inc.

Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT 01/11/15 300 CCSU 5555-55 Elaine was great to work with for our student athlete function. She brought amazing energy to her performance and easily got our students engaged.

Molly McCarthy, Assistant Director of Athletics

Concordia University-Chicago, River Forest, IL 01/26/15 400 College Campus 5555--5 Elaine was well-received by our students. Her message was excellent! We would definitely invite her back to our campus in the future.

Kathy Gebhardt, Assistant Athletic Director SEX SIGNALS Catharsis Productions

University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 01/29/15 100 Union Ballroom 5555-55 Kristen and Tony were PHENOMENAL performers who wanted to engage the audience as much as possible. This was an excellent performance and we are already planning to have them come back in the future.

Brianna Nesbitt, Graduate Assistant for Diversity Education STACEY LANNERT Kirkland Productions

Arkansas State University-Main Campus, Jonesboro, AR 02/04/15 250 Auditorium 5555-55 Stacey has an extremely difficulty story to tell but she relates it wonderfully to college students. While the topic is heavy she inserts just enough humor to make the audience more comfortable hearing what she has experienced.

She took time to not only tell her story but to connect how students seeking particular degrees should be aware of warning signs when

working with kids.

Natalie Eskew, Assistant Dean TROY STENDE Kirkland Productions

Seminole State College of Florida, Sanford, FL 02/06/15 55+ The University of Central Florida 4455-44 Troy delivered a powerful presentation which uplifted and challenged participants to break through barriers.

Gerald Jones, Director, Student Life

OTHER

NATIVE PRIDE DANCERS Kramer Entertainment, Inc.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 01/15/15 30 Meeting Room 555555This show is perfectly unique and was loved by our campus community! The show was the perfect mix of entertainment and education and the artists were true professionals- you want this at your campus!

Emily Bell Cox, Student Life Coordinator RUDY FRANCISCO NMP Talent

Florida Atlantic University-Jupiter Campus, Jupiter, FL 01/22/15 105 The Burrow Student Union 5555-53 Jupiter Program Board "Rudy Thanks for coming out and making this an awesome night!"

Clayton Sims "Rudy the stories you told through your performance were inspiring and amazing."

Donald Van Pelt, Assistant Director for Housing & Campus Life Iona College, New Rochelle, NY 02/05/15 50 Student Union 5555555 Kelli Meyer, Asst. Director of Student Development

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 02/11/15 226 Student Union Starbucks 5555555 Rudy Francisco blew our crowd away. He did a great job of relating his spoken word pieces to our student leaders and general student body, and was more than happy to answer any questions that students had for him. Plus, he stayed after and talked with many different people about his work and his inspiration. Overall, a wonderful performer to work with. An experience!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB

Campus Activities Magazine’s® ALL STAR ARTIST STAND-OUTS FOR MARCH 2015 Adam grabowski Christopher Carter Eric Mina ALL had at least five perfect score reports.

CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAgAzINE®, March 2015, 29

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Coming off of a stellar gig at the 2015 People’s Choice Award with A Performance of their newest single “Centuries” the band appears to have their mojo back.

Campus Activities Magazine® partnered with APA to introduced you to these guys back in 2005 as they were hot news and looking for campus dates to attract the type of audience that would propel their careers forward. Within months, their performance rates went through the roof and the schools who booked early got a great show at an unbelievable price.

Over the years, APA and Campus Activities Magazine® have cooperated on many tours including Flogging Molly, Plain White T’s and last year Capital Cities just to name a few, before they hit the top of the charts.

APA has always been the “go to” agency to find exceptional talent just at the crucial time in their careers and helped launch them to the public, especially acts that would adapt to and do well in the campus market. Unfortunately some of the bigger agencies will try to woo these acts away from APA after a lot of the work has been done and once the act leaves they are in a big pond of piranha with hundreds of other acts struggling for acceptance and the personal attention gets lost. But then that is another story.

While it has been a while since Fall Out Boy has received the attention that The People Choice Awards gave them, their new song (“Centuries”) was well received and gave them the push they needed to propel them back into the general public spotlight.

Hailing from Chicago, the band is made up of four guys, with their median age coming in around 33. It includes Paul Wentz, lyricist and bassist, Joe Trohman, guitarist, Andy Hurley, drummer and their singer, simply known as Stump. Back in 2005 they were playing their first year on Vans’ “Warped Tour” and had recently hit the number one spot on MTV’s Total Request Live.

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Fallout Boy formed in the Chicago suburbs from several different hard core bands, each member being spread between them. Wentz grew up with Trohman and had previously played in a band with Hurley, so when their other groups collapsed, the three decided to collaborate and see where it went. Soon after they met Stump, whose melodic, yet raw vocals was an ideal match for the band’s gritty style. But even after the core memCAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAgAzINE®, March 2015, 31

bers had assembled, the musicians had no expectations of critical acclaim and success.

“We just wanted to do something different with no intention of it ever becoming anything,” Wentz says.

Originating in the Midwest as opposed to somewhere like Los Angeles or New York, the circumstances with which they had to deal were somewhat more trying than if they had been in a major music scene. But that only made them try harder. Fortunately, by being removed from the center of the musical universe per se, they could develop naturally without undue influences, which has had a major factor in turning the band into what they are today.

The band's first public performance came in a cafeteria at DePaul University alongside Stilwell and another group that performed Black Sabbath in its entirety. The band's only performance with guitarist John Flamandan and original drummer Ben Rose was in retrospect described as "goofy" and "bad," but Trohman made an active effort to make the band work, picking up members for practice. After creating a short list of names that included "Fall Out Boy," a one-time character from The Simpsons, friends voted on the name. Their second performance, at a Southern Illinois University with The Killing Tree, began with Wentz introducing the band under a name Stump recalled as "very long." According to Stump, an audience member yelled out, "Fuck that, no, you're Fall Out Boy!", and the band were credited later in the show under that name by Killing Tree frontman Tim McIlrath. As the group looked up to McIlrath, and Trohman and Stump were "diehard" Simpsons fans, the name stuck. The group's first cassette tape demo was recorded in Rose's basement, but they later set off for Wisconsin to record a proper demo with 7 Angels 7 Plagues drummer Jared Logan, whom Wentz knew through connections in the hardcore scene.

With all members in place, and a moniker of their own, Fallout Boy recorded a three song demo, which they sent to every record label they could think of. Numerous companies were interested, but eventually they signed with a small upstart label called Fueled by Ramen for their debut, Take This to Your Grave. This debut album sold over 200,000 copies.

“We decided to sign to Fueled by Ramen because it was a long shot and Fallout Boy was

a long shot,” Wentz says. “It turned out to be the best decision we’ve ever made.”

Fallout Boy toured on their own for the first couple of years, during which time they put out their first record. “When we wrote Take This to Your Grave, we were listening to Green Day, the Descendants and a lot of hard core,” explains Pete Wentz.

When the Illinois band finished touring for their debut album, Take This To Your Grave, they were overwhelmed with praise from critics and fans alike, all of which scrambled for a follow-up album. Rather than diving right into writing and recording another disc, as they had

for their debut, Fallout Boy took their time experimenting with different sounds and textures in order to make From Under the Cork Tree as crafty, infectious and enduring as possible.

“When we wrote Take This to Your Grave, we were listening to a fairly limited scope of music,” explains Wentz of the new album’s diversity. “But now we listen to a great deal more music and let it influence us without getting away from our roots. I think it's important to know your place, but there's a colossal spectrum that you can explore within that.”

a grander idea,” Wentz says. “We don’t want to disappoint the 200,000 people who are part of a very cult following that hangs onto our every word – and we won’t. But we wrote this record for all the people who haven't heard of Fallout Boy before. When George Lucas did Return of the Jedi, he wanted it to appeal to the person who saw Star Wars, but at the same time, if somebody wasn't born when that came out, they could still go see the movie and have it be a very exciting thing for them. That’s the kind of thing we wanted to achieve.

“We could have easily regurgitated our last record which is what certain people expected us to do,” Wentz says. “But when it’s all over, we want to be remembered as a rock band that pushed limits and was sincere and totally honest to itself and its fans. When we are 90 years old and on our death beds, it will matter to us that at least we took chances.”

With Wentz as the band's lyricist and Stump as the primary composer, the band's 2005 major-label breakthrough, From Under the Cork Tree, produced two hit singles, "Sugar, We're Goin Down" and "Dance, Dance", and went double platinum, transforming the group into superstars and making Wentz a celebrity and tabloid fixture. Fall Out Boy received a Best New Artist nomination at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Their 2007 follow-up, Infinity on High, landed at number one on the Billboard 200 with 260,000 first week sales. It produced two worldwide hit singles. Folie à Deux, the band's fourth album, created a mixed response from fans and commercially undersold expectations. Following the release of Believers Never Die - Greatest Hits, the band took a hiatus from 2009 to 2012 to "decompress", exploring various side projects.

They regrouped and recorded Save Rock and Roll (2013), which gave the band their second career number one and produced the top 20 single "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)".

On November 24, 2014, the band announced the release of their sixth studio album, American Beauty/American Psycho, to be released on January 20, 2015 worldwide on Island Records. In December, the band released the single "American Beauty/American Psycho" for digital download.

For their big break into the mainstream, Fallout Boy was picked up by Island Def Jam Records, which has helped them reconnect While Fall Out Boy's music has been typiwith their core fans and at the same time en- cally described as pop, punk and pop rock, abling them to reach an entirely new audience. the band were generally seen in the mid2000s at the forefront of the "emo pop" ex“With this record, we’ve got a bigger focus and plosion. Take This to Your Grave has

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often been cited as a vital blueprint for pop, punk music in the 2000s.

THE BAND TAKES A HIATUS

By the time the break began, Stump was the heaviest he had ever been and loathed the band's image as an "emo" band. Coming home from a tour, drummer Andy Hurley "went through the darkest depression I've ever felt. I looked at my calendar and it was just empty."

Wentz, who had been abusing Xanax and Klonopin, was divorced by his wife Ashlee Simpson and returned to therapy. "I'd basically gone from being the guy in Fall Out Boy to being the guy who, like, hangs out all day,"

after years of acrimony. "I know what you need – you need your band," Wentz told Stump. "I think it's kind of weird that we haven't really seen each other this year. We paid for each other's houses and you don't know my kid," Wentz remarked. The result, "three or four" new songs, were shelved with near immediacy, with the two concluding that "it just wasn't right and didn't feel right." Several months later, the two reconvened and wrote tracks that they felt truly represented the band in a modern form.The band decided that if a comeback was in order, it must represent the band in its current form: "We didn't want to come back just to bask in the glory days and, like, and collect a few checks and pretend ... and do our

The arrival of Save Rock and Roll posted the quartet's third-biggest sales week, and earned their second career number one on the chart.

The band's chart success was best described as unexpected by music journalists. Rolling Stone called the band's comeback a "rather stunning renaissance", and Entertainment Weekly called the number one a "major accomplishment for a band whom many in the industry had dismissed as kings of a genre whose time had passed."

"Centuries" - the first single of Fall Out Boy's upcoming sixth studio album - premiered on September 8, 2014 on BBC Radio 1, receiving a worldwide release the next day. Fall Out Boy

Joe Trohman

Andy Hurley

Pete Wentz

Wentz recalled. Previously known as the "overexposed, despised" leader of the band, Wentz "simply grew up," sharing custody of his son and embraced maturity: "There was a jump-cut in my life. I started thinking – like, being old would be cool."

During the hiatus, the band members each pursued individual musical interests, which were met with "varying degrees of failure."

Stump was the only member of the quartet to take on a solo project while Fall Out Boy was on hiatus, recording debut album Soul Punk entirely on his own: he wrote, produced, and played every instrument for all tracks on the record. In addition, he married his longtime girlfriend and lost over sixty pounds through portion control and exercise.

Stump and Wentz met up for the first time in several years in early 2012 for a writing session. Wentz reached out to Stump after he penned his letter, as he too felt he was in a dark place and needed a creative outlet. He was at first reluctant to approach Stump, likening the phone call to reconnecting with a lover www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

also was featured on the track "Back to Earth" from Steve Aoki's second studio album Neon Future I, which was released on September 30, 2014. Another song titled "Immortals" was released October 14, 2014, as part of the soundtrack for the film Big Hero 6. They remade the Chicago Bulls's anthem "Only the Bulls", with guest Lupe Fiasco.

On November 24, 2014, the title of Fall Out Boy's sixth studio album was announced as American Beauty/American Psycho was set for release on January 20, 2015. The band is scheduled to play two small venue release shows in January 2015, in London and Chicago. In February-March, they will play at Soundwave in Australia for the first time.

Patrick Stump best 2003 impersonation," said Stump. Afterwards, the quartet held an all-day secret meeting at their manager's home in New York City where they discussed ideas and the mechanics of getting together to record. Trohman was the last to be contacted, through a three-hour phone call from Stump.

Excerpts from Ian Kirby’s (CAM’s Editor) live Interview in 2005 with the members of Fall Out Boy have been included in this story.

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