Campus Activities magazine

JOHNNY CARDINALE 12 Amix of music and comedy with his own unique style.Asinger before he was a comic, he nails impressions of celebrity musical artists.

ALAIN NU 16 He isn’t a hypnotist and can’t really be called a magician. He’s not exactly a mentalist but puts on a show that will leave you in awe.

FEBRUARY 2009 FEATURE STORY: MIKE BIRBIGLIA 26

Mike Birbiglia is turning heads. As one of the hottest comics in the country, he still has an allegiance to the campus market. The fact that he can relate to students gives him an edge and allows him to develop the kind of rapport that not many comedians can experience.

STEVE HAGER 20 The former Editor-in-Chief of High Times Magazine delivers an interesting program on “Why Pot and College Don’t Mix.”

CA LIVE! AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE 54 Go with us on a visit to Knoxville and UT’s Central Programming Council.

D E P A R T M E N T S

From the Publisher Spanky Back Stage The Future of Greek Life

4 6 10

MI Tales From The Road 2009 Rock ‘n Road Show

ONLINE EDITION: campusactivitiesmagazine.com

15 44

I still see and feel a lot of the Lou Ross influence in my everyday decisions and I think it has made me a more understanding and compassionate person in helping further develop this market.

RANDOM THOUGHTS & OTHER MINDLESS DRIBBLE Reflections On An Evolving Market When I started this magazine in 1991, it was during a time of recession, high interest rates and an uncertain future. But the agencies in the marketplace rallied around a chance to have access to the buyers in the industry- all of the buyers. With a few hundred dollars, a prayer and the support of agencies who took this magazine on as their own, CampusActivities Today became a reality.Afew years later, the name was changed to simply Campus Activities Magazine at the suggestion from directors and student leaders.

Itwaswithcontributions,farbeyondfinancial support alone, that this magazine became recognizedbytheworldasthepremierpublication for campus entertainment.

A lot of fine people in this market have come and gone who either moved on to other ventures in other markets or have passed on. But their mark has left an indelible touch on the history and the progress that this magazine continues to share with its readers.

Fortunately, some of those who made a difference are still here in various positions in student life or continuing to entertain in a market they truly love.

In 1992, we established the National Campus Entertainment Hall of Fame for recognition to individuals who made a profound impact in the campus entertainment industry. In 1995, Mark and Robin Hellman were the first inductees. Their agency, Group H Entertainment, not only wonAgency of the Year in 1993 and 1994,

but followed up with wins in 1996 and 1997.

The second inductee did not come until 1998, when Boyd Jones from Winthrop University took the nod. Boyd lives and breathes campus entertainment and not only constantly earned the respect of the students under his leadership but from colleagues and other agencies in the market.

No other person has had such an impact or made such a commitment to student life.

Then in 2001, Del Suggs became the third to make the prestigious list and the first performer. In all my years of working in this industry, there has never been a performer who had such a rapport with students and activities board personnel. If you add the fact that Del is just a complete allround nice guy, the choice was apparent.

In 2002, Joey Edmonds became inductee #4. Joey is an icon in entertainment. A driving force in one of the hottest duos to ever play campus stages, Edmonds & Curley topped the list for the most talked about comedy duo. Moving from artist to agent in the 80s, he set the standard for a roster of quality entertainment that schools could rely on for good, clean shows. He knew what it took to make people laugh and he knew what kind of acts he wanted to represent.

In April 2005, Craig Karges became our 5th inductee. With three years at the top as Entertainer of the Year, Craig was not only respected for his talent as an artist, but his uncompromising business ethics.

Over the last 16 years, no single artist has had such dramatic support from such a diverse group of colleges and universities.

But as I look back on the years, there are a couple of people that have had a sincere

4, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

and astounding effect on the way this magazine has evolved. Unfortunately, they may not ever see these words because they are no longer closely involved in the market, but neglecting them would be an insult to the achievements we have made.

First was Erskine White, who headed up the activities program at Catawba College.

If anyone ever turned water into wine with a campus program, it was Erskine. He struggled against mounting odds and added responsibilities, yet developed one of the finest programs ever recognized, and at a school with only modest enrollment and funds. Two years, his campus won Program of the Year, clearly outdistancing schools with ten times the budget, facilities and recognition from their adminstrations. When Erskine left the field, it was a blow to the marketplace.

The Sky Is Not Falling

What’s going to happen now? Yeah, the economy sucks but the market has sustained itself all these years and it will not falter this time either. Entertainment is the life blood of the campus industry. It is through programs that students find relief from all the strain and pressure of everyday life. It is also a source for knowledge and understanding day-to-day issues. Without relief, the overall health of the student population will be impacted. Most administrators know and understand this.

There will be cut-backs for a time, it is the nature of the beast. But it won’t be forever.And now is the time for entertainers to put their best foot forward. The process of buying will be more critical and the agencies and artists

who find ways to get in front of the buyers will increase their chances of success.

I have not only seen new and innovative ad campaigns, but creative email blasts, and direct mail pieces by artists and agencies moving to solidify their positions in the pecking order.

Yes, attendance at conferences is already being reported lacking as travel budgets will be the first to go or schools cut back in the number of delegates attending. But schools will find other ways to attract the acts they are seeking. In fact, I have seen promotions on celebrity artists who have cut their fees by as much as 40% because they simply want to work. Many agencies are doing trade-offs where they package four artists for the price of three with the artists sharing the revenue. This is a program that none of us veterans are new to and the agency ends up with four confirmed dates rather than fighting to sell a single show.

Put on your creative hats folks. Our Rock & Road Show this year has allowed us to get five times the response to Artist Report

Cards and established new relationships with campuses who have never submitted before. It is a win/win for us and the agency.

Not only do the acts get constant recognition ( and probably dates from the schools who didn’t win ) but the exposure boosts the opportunity for campuses to participate in a very important program that shares their performance experience with all the other campuses in the country. What better way to determine how an act will work on your campus than to see the results from other shows they have played.

The point is, don’t run out and shout, “the sky is falling, the sky is falling” yet. Because it ain’t. Put on your thinking cap and come up with ways that you can take advantage of this situation and use it in your favor. If you don’t, you’d better believe someone else will.

But perhaps the biggest influence in the way we have strived and moved forward with this magazine, was Lou Ross.

Lou was my immediate superior for the last part of the eleven years I spent with NACA. Lou was honest, had integrity, worked hard to solve difficult problems and was the backbone of the National Conference during his tenure there. He was respected by the associates in the organization and went to bat for them in many cases, even when a request may not be that popular with the leadership.

Lou was kind, worked hard to resolve conflict, recognized your accomplishments and was a shoulder you could lean on to help avoid any disasters. But Lou never played the politics very well and maybe that was his best attribute. It was a sad day when Lou left NACAin 2001, especially for the associate membership. But I know he left with his head held high, because no one could say that he hadn’t given it his all. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 5

I sit brokenhearted. My girlfriend dumped me yesterday. Via telephone. From another country. I am in Mexico. She is in the United States. To add irony to insult, she is Mexican.

To add injury to irony, last night I tried to drown my depression in a bottle of tequila, and after being careful to only drink bottled water since I arrived, I returned to my hotel room in a Margarita-fog and brushed my teeth… with tap water. So here I sit venting my despair by typing on my laptop while permanently perched upon porcelain. I can attest depression and diarrhea do not compliment each other.

Emotionally I feel like the bottom is falling out of my world.

Intestinally I feel like the world is falling out of my bottom. I don’t know much about depression, but I do know a Mexican toilet is not the best place to crawl out of one.

I think I can pinpoint the exact moment my relationship went south and must admit I have only myself to blame. Being a comedian’s girlfriend is not easy because being a comedian is not just an occupation, it is a way of life; according to several reliable sources I have never had an unexpressed joke. My inability to re-

Viva El Norte! strain my sense of humor has resulted in a long list of losses: lost lovers, lost friendships, even lost jobs. I should get a tattoo on my forehead that reads: “I was just joking.”

Now I have lost the woman I loved. We had been visiting her family when her young nephew announced that this Halloween he wanted to go trick-or-treating in a really scary costume. Since he lives in El Paso I suggested he dress as an INS Agent.

I was just joking.

Before I go any further let me make some things perfectly clear. I love Mexican people. I love Mexican food. I can even tolerate Mexican music (unlike my comic friend, Howard Kremer, who told me he can forgive the Germans for the Holocaust, but not for bringing accordions to Mexico).

My first girlfriend was Mexican.

My most recent girlfriend was Mexican. I believe my next girlfriend will be Mexican. And I expect my last girlfriend will be Mexican. I love Mexican women. I think Latinas bring a passion to the bedroom that most white women don’t. Hope I didn’t offend any white women, I’m sure you bring something to the bedroom that most Latinas don’t. (I’m

6, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

also sure there is some bigot thinking, “Yeah, birth control.” I’ll have you know that birth control pills were invented by a Mexican, as was color TV and chocolate; three things I’m not sure I could live without.)

That’s why it bothers me when I hear politicians talk about closing our border; women with accents turn me on. Now, I don’t know poop about politics, but I think we should run our country like a real trendy nightclub: surround the border with velvet ropes, and just let the hot ones in! I say, “Selma Hayek, come on in. Celine Dion, back to Canada.”

I was just joking. After being dumped my self-esteem is so low I’d be happy to date a multi-millionaire from Canada, or anywhere for that matter.

I can’t help but wonder if my exgirlfriend used my questionable INS joke as an excuse to cut ties.

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a racist; sure, I may make an occasional joke about cultural differences, but never with harmful intent. In fact, this may have been a case of reverse discrimination; I suspect her family disapproved of me because they harbor a long standing distrust of Caucasians. And given our history, who can blame them? www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

According to recent census reports, by the year 2042, a mere 33 years from now, white people will cease to be the majority in America. This is thrilling news to me, because quite frankly, I don’t think we have done a totally admirable job in that position. (Perhaps that’s why there’s no White History Month?)

In 1931, James Adams coined the phrase “The American Dream,” describing it as “…a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

For those of you fortunate to be born in the USA but resent Mexicans who try to build a better life for themselves and their families by moving to this country, please remember, they used to own a large chunk of it. And don’t forget they lost it at a bargaining table that was tilted against them.

In 1836, Santa Anna signed the Treaties of Velasco, and “in his official character as chief of the Mexican nation, he acknowledged the full, entire, and perfect Independence of the Republic of Texas.” In exchange for almost 270,000 square miles the Texas government gave Santa Anna… his life.

Talk about making an offer you can’t refuse.

When Santa Anna returned to Mexico he was removed from office and their government refused to recognize the succession. This led to what we know as “The Mexican War,” but south of the border is known as “The Ameri-

can Invasion of Mexico.” When the war ended in 1848, the Republic of Mexico was compelled to sign the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo and to cede to the United States the territory now comprising most of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. In return the United States gave Mexico the whopping sum of eighteen million dollars; there are now single family homes sitting on that land that cost more.

In effect, Mexico sold two-thirds of its territory to the USA for less than eighteen dollars per acre, which even the biggest bigot would have to admit is highway robbery. This land is currently home for almost eighty million Americans, many of whom, ironically, bitch about Mexicans living there (instead of the other way around).

And because the people that bitch can also vote, those guys in Washington want to build a thirty billion dollar fence. Oh, do they underestimate Latino ingenuity! I am not a gambling man, but if I was, the next Olympics I’d put every cent I have on Mexico bringing home the gold in pole vaulting!

I was just joking. However, as hard as this may be to believe, they already have a training center of sorts; there is a new theme park in Hidalgo, Mexico, “Parque EcoAlberto,” that offers a simulated illegal border crossing. People pay 200 Pesos (roughly just less than $15.00) for a guided fivehour replicated trek to “El Norte,” complete with mud up to their ankles, snake infested trails along steep cliffs, tunnels, barb-wire fences, gunshots, and fake Border Patrols in hot pursuit.

I’m against illegal immigration, but I can certainly understand

8, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

wanting to escape a country where half the citizens live in poverty, and a fifth in extreme poverty. If I lived in a country where 25% of the population earn less that two dollars per day, and 17% earn less than one dollar per day, where 40% earn less than $550.00 per year, and a waist deep river was separating me from a country where the average person earns $46,000 per year, I think I might make a practice run. And that’s no joke.

After having hours to sit here and think about it, I suppose the real reason I don’t want them to close the border is because I was born in Texas, and let’s be honest here: all Texans would be Latino if The Alamo had a back door!

6,000 Mexicans against 300 white guys; I don’t know if you’ve ever been to San Antonio, but the odds haven’t changed a bit. I plan to go there as soon as I can get off this toilet; I need to find a new girlfriend…

Spanky has twice been voted “Campus Comic Of The Year,” and once the “Campus Performer Of The Year.”

He is looking for friends at myspace.com/campuscomic.

He is represented by Red Planet Productions (212-514-5741).

If you were amused or bemused by the above, please write to: forgiveplease@hotmail.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

10, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 11

Steve Hager, former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, is perhaps best known in the college market for his part in the highly successful “Heads Vs. Feds- The Great Marijuana Debate”, in which he argues the side of marijuana reform opposite Bob Stutman, former head of the New York division of the DEA during the height of Regan’s drug war.

In this presentation, Steve can be seen laying out the individual reasons why he feels marijuana should be legal for responsible and consenting adults. However, Steve has another presentation all together that campus activities boards may

find especially interesting.

“Why Pot and College Don’t Mix” is a fascinating amalgam of the various knowledge and wisdom Steve has picked up over the years regarding a topic he is fervently passionate about.

Spending 15 years as editor-in-chief at High Times brought Steve some interesting opportunities and one of them came in the form of a legalization debate. “Initially I got an offer to do some debates against Curtis Leewood, founder of The Guardian Angels. There was a lot of violence in The Bronx at the time of their incep-

12, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

tion, so this group was formed as a neighborhood vigilante task force out to stop crime. They would wear these red berets and patrol the streets helping anyone that was in trouble.”

Not that Steve would want to debate anyone for having the good intention of helping others in need, but the difference in opinion between these two came in the form of Mr. Leewood grouping marijuana users in with the violent criminals his associates were so desperately trying to thwart. “Curtis was very anti-drug, so I agreed to debate him, but upon our meeting things began to quickly devolve. We did a few shows and Curtis is a nice www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 13

guy who I like and everything, but he is sort of one of these Archie Bunker characters. He can be a real bigot when it comes to the hippie culture and ended up trying to make fun of me more than directly confronting the issue,” Steve says.

Vs. Feds” into something that would be appropriate for him to present to students on his own.

“Most schools aren’t too interested in having someone from High Times just come in to do a lecture on how wonderful marijuana is, which is the way I might come off in a debate format.”

After mounting disillusion with the entire process, Steve decided to move on. He eventually met Scott Wolfman (Wolfman Productions), who reinvigorated the concept with a more carefully crafted format and a little bit more tact in the exchanges. “When I met Scott, he immediately said he didn’t want to put together any sort of mud-slinging contest, he wanted to find another person that would seriously argue the opposite side of the issue. That’s when he was able to find Bob Stutman.”

Abig gun in the war on drugs and a very well spoken, polite and intelligent man, Stutman (who you can read about further in our September 2004 edition- or contact us if you’d like to see it online) seemed to be the perfect match for Steve. “What was so great about Scott finding Bob was that we both had sort of parallel careers in a way; around the time I became the editor of High Times, he was put in charge of the DEA in New York City.”

While neither of them may have been conscious of the other at the time, they were both working the same problem from different sides. “So here we both were in New York, I was working to get cocaine and hard drugs out of High Times and he was fighting the crack epidemic on the street. I always found it interesting that we were both anticocaine people despite being pitted against each other in a debate on marijuana.”

If you study each man’s background, one a shooting star rising through the ranks of law enforcement, the other fast becoming a counter-culture icon, it’s not hard to imagine they might not hit it off right away. “When Bob and I first met,” Steve says, the smile evident in his voice, “he took an instant dislike to me. Our first few debates were really pretty hysterical in the sense that we weren’t doing much communicating beyond

BEING RESPONSIBLE? This is where the most important distinction in Steve’s position in made. “I am and have always been about responsible use,” he says. “I knew what I’d like to do was come and talk to people about the history of marijuana prohibition and then explain why people in college shouldn’t revolve their lives around pot. That’s a bad thing.”

screaming at each other a lot. But gradually as he began to see a little bit more about who I was and what my attitudes really were and I began to understand him, we started to respect each other and became friends.”

So, a series of highly successful debates have been left strewn in their wake, sharpening both of their knowledge and skills in arguing their topic. Steve is one who understands the reality activities boards face when it comes to hosting an event of this magnitude and has taken steps to make the fascinating argument he has so finely crafted as widely available to as many institutions as possible. “The thing about our debate is that it can be somewhat expensive for some schools to host. You are dealing with two people, two airline flights, two hotel rooms, two performance fees, etc. There were a lot of schools that seemed to be interested in what I had to say, but they couldn’t afford the debate. I told Scott I wanted to be able to do something on my own which would be a lot cheaper and at least something where I could more easily negotiate with anyone interested since there isn’t another presenter’s costs involved.”

The next logical decision Steve faced was how to modify his presentation from “Heads

14, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

Even those that fall on the side of folks like Bob Stutman and Mr. Leewood would have to concede that a guy like Steve’s argument against excessive use carries a lot more weight than do their own. “Most of these kids are a lot more likely to take my advice about this than they will listen to some cop talk about it. In their minds, a cop or official doesn’t have any credibility with the issue because they have no prior experience or knowledge of the topic beyond the usual anti-drug campaigns. I do have credibility in that arena and people do listen to me when I tell them marijuana is a powerful, mind-altering substance that can be very dangerous if you let it take over your life as a young person.”

Of course everyone reading this is probably pretty interested to know just how Steve will go about broaching this topic and present his argument in an effective and fair way.

For the sake of filling in some information on himself so the audience can feel like they know the person they are listening to, Steve presents a short film detailing his biography.

This serves as a nice introduction and mood-setter for the next phase of the presentation and, the meat of the topic.

Here Steve lists the five reasons why he believes marijuana should be legal for adults.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

There are very few true professionals entertaining in the campus market with the level of experience, understanding, technical ability and natural rapport as Alain Nu. It’s a little hard to peg Alain. In our Artist Report Card section, he falls loosely under “Live Novelty”, but that does little to narrow things down. He isn’t a hypnotist (though he may use some form of hypnosis). He can’t really be called a magician and he’s not exactly a mentalist. “I like to consider myself an ‘enigmatist’ as someone who’s interests range with regards to unusual enigmas, psychological gambits, really anything people might consider to be paranormal.

16, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 17

Those all encompass the gamut of my interests and what I like to demonstrate.”

Enigmatism can include many forms of what we traditionally think of in this genre of entertainment and, many things you won’t see from anyone but Alain and his unique take. “Some of the more obvious examples of what I do are perceptual manipulation of magical sort of effects, demonstrations of mind over matter, non-verbal communication in the form of telepathy or the like and all other sorts of cool things like hypnosis, lightning calculations, super memory and others.

The most popular forms of what I do would fall under hypnotism, mentalism and magic. My show is all of these things rolled up into a presentation that very specifically focuses on the power of the mind and how we can potentially push ourselves to find our mental limits and unknown abilities and strengths.”

While there can be meaning drawn from some of the presentations he makes, Alain’s show is for the most part a purely entertainment experience.

“It is definitely a show in which people are having a great time and audience participation is first and foremost in my show. Almost every demonstration involves either part of the audience or the entire audience itself. In the end, the loose message one might walk away with is ‘be curious about yourself and your own potential.’”

Alain certainly isn’t “new” when it comes to entertaining and can easily bring a veteran’s game to the show. “I am one of the crazy few who can truly say they ‘I have been doing this my entire life.’ My interest has been there ever

since I was a kid; I come from a Vietnamese and Chinese background, so of course the family history is this sort of rich tapestry of lore, legend, some unconventional thinking that involved everything from mind over matter to unusual superstitions and beliefs. But, for the most part growing up in the United States (born in California) but growing up as a child of immigrant parents, I adopted sort of an unusual way of looking at myself and the world.”

Alain felt a natural tendency toward becoming the mysterious and unusual guy that he is. His interest in magic began at around 7, bolstered by stories from aunts and uncles of strange and fantastic spirits, ghosts, walking statues and mythical beasts from the past. “Along with wanting to not only honor my family’s heritage but to also help convey that to other people, I found magic a unique and particularly effective medium for showing people the sort of strange reality that was mine.”

Before long, Alain had discovered magic goes far beyond illusion and the physical affect it can have on our minds; it is ultimately a way to connect and communicate with fellow man. “I learned that magic goes much deeper than just tricks; there is a very deep psychological edge to it that really kind of bridges our own imaginations with reality. It is possible to bring that feeling of something tremendous, unbelievable and absolutely impossible working beneath our own selves right into the very hands of another person. I feel that is something we can tap into using the kind of demonstrations I do.”

Alain’s studies ran deep as he found the more he learned the more there was to learn. “I found that the more I studied and got into it, the more doors opened up for me.” He eventually found himself living in the Washington DC area as his father had gotten a job at the Library of Congress (coincidentally enough both ofAlain’s parents are librarians). “When I moved to DC I opened myself up to an underground magic scene of people that included magicians, mentalists, seance mediums and all sorts of other colorful characters in the area.”

The city was rife with some of the most well known and respected artists at the time. “I was kind of fortunate in that respect to have my eyes opened up to that culture. As I got deeper and deeper I found myself traveling all over the world, meeting other masters of their respective crafts and exchanging information with them.”

As the child of two Asian librarians, Alain’s path wasn’t one that wouldn’t rock any boats. “I definitely had some issues with my parents with regards to what they wanted me to do versus what I ended up doing. It’s funny because the entire time that I was pushing to become who I am, I sort of had to go it on my own. With both of them being ‘old school’ Asians if you will, they weren’t really into the idea of me being in the entertainment industry and saw absolutely no future in it for me whatsoever. So by the time I was 18, I had pretty much struck out and pursued my career path against the wishes of my parents.”

Like so many artists before him whose parents have high ambitions (and often a little bit too spe-

cific of a plan in mind) for their children, it wasn’t until Alain’s parents had the relief of seeing him succeed that they became more accepting of his choice. “It really wasn’t until I started to do well with my career that they began to reaccept me once again. It was a little bit hurtful at the time and I feel it has created somewhat of an unfortunate distance between them and myself. But, I truly feel you just have to go with your flow; if you have it in your heart to do something and you want to achieve something important in your life for yourself, then you have to find your passion and move toward that goal without letting anyone stop you.”

The college market was a boon forAlain that typifies a pattern that has seemed to develop throughout his life. Call it Providence, call it Karma or call it luck, whatever it is has served him well. “Its funny because my life is literally one random thing happening to me after another and for some reason I’ve gotten some great opportunities. Before I got into the college market, I was kind of doing my own thing working heavily in the corporate market in the local Washington DC area. All of a sudden this agency RP Productions decided to pick me up and represent me in the college market. They literally paid for everything, including taking me into the conferences. So, that experience was the first I knew a ‘market’ even existed. Now of course prior to that point I knew that Craig Karges was in the college market and I had heard of Gil Eagles, but I never thought of it as an actual ‘market’ for myself until Robert Sapilski showed me the ropes. After that I just fell right into it.”

EventuallyAlain parted with this first campus representation, around June 2001. After September 11, he immediately realized he would need to adapt. “I turned to my wife and said ‘I’m going to be a part of the college market now,’ because I knew that at least for a while the corporate market would basically go down the tubes. I thought if there was a place to go it would be the college market. I began advertising through Campus Activities Magazine and worked my way through independently.”

Later partnering with Everything But The Mime, Alain maintained an active presence in the college market and filmed four hour-long television specials for TLC. “The Mysterious World ofAlain Nu” can still be occasionally seen in rebroadcast.

After developing what felt like somewhat of a disconnect between himself and the agency, Alain parted ways with Everything But The Mime. “I felt like my personal brand and the direction of my show were just different than theirs.”

18, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

Meanwhile GP Entertainment was going strong and building a unique brand and reputation for themselves as well and had it not been for unfortunate timing, Alain might have been with GP long ago. “They had originally asked me about www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

joining their roster literally the day after I signed with Everything But The Mime. I felt bad because in a way I wanted to, but I had a commitment with Carol. Once that resolved I went with GP and I have to say they are great guys and I feel really strong about the group we have over there.” [Incidentally Tim & Rich at GP felt back then thatAlain was the best kept secret in the college market and “the strongest thought reading act out there”, Alain was to be the very first act on GP’s roster.] “I feel like I fit in very well with the rest of their roster, from the paranormalists there including the elite ghost hunters to demonologists to great hypnosis, magic, variety & sideshow acts. Since what I do is a mixture of all of those things, I am a good example of the GP Entertainment squad.”

get some sort of widespread television exposure.

“A totally random happening again. A guy was talking to a magician in a bar [sounds like the beginning of a bad joke] and he asked ‘Whom would you recommend for a television show that would have enough material to fit into an hour-long timeslot?’ The weird part is this magician could have named any number of people; it was almost like a name came out of a hat and it happened to be mine,” he says with a still disbelieving laugh in his voice. “This guy calls me up and tells me he wants to do a TV show.

I literally didn’t take it seriously – not nearly enough anyway,” he says chagrined. “I should have immediately started working on it but I didn’t want anything to stop my own personal stride at the time and there was never anything that actually came in, in the way of a contract. Nothing was really happening other than me giving him ideas, which comes naturally to me. I am good at what I do in the sense that I can apply the knowledge I have in many different ways.”

This skill would eventually allow him to pull off a seemingly insurmountable task.

The gentlemen showed up unexpectedly one day to take Alain to meet with some television networks. Things were pushed through quicker than he could have expected and because of his previous lack of taking things as seriously as he should have, he suddenly found himself with two weeks to come up with an hour of television material. “It was insane because there were like 20 segments in that hour, it was lightning fast.”

Another lucky break and connection landedAlain a string of gigs over several years at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. “Once again, it was a connection that opened up for me. In my show I spend a good deal talking about connections and making connections. I use what I do as a metaphor for my own life because I feel like it is all about making connections and forming relationships with people.

“Anyway, I got a call from a friend asking ‘How would you like to work Caesar’s Palace?’ I sent in a videotape and before I knew it I was performing in this theatrical experience called ‘Caesar’s Magical Empire.” I worked six nights a week, 46 weeks per run, 3 or 4 times a year. It was kind of my mainstay show and was the place I could go whenever I would hit a slow month. I could call up Caesar’s and they would put me up for the month. It was all great until Celine Dion came along and kicked us all out,” he says laughing.

“The Mysterious World of Alain Nu” is possibly Alain’s most impressive credential, as most entertainers in his field spend their careers trying to

One segment turned into 4 over the course of 4 months and Alain now has an impressive set of specials that encapsulate a huge amount of material. Over 80 different demonstrations occupy this catalog and is a testament to his creativity and prolific nature. “That was a huge, crazy ordeal that spanned over eight cities acrossAmerica. Television is a beast that eats up material and it was a hectic ordeal I wouldn’t want to have to repeat to be honest,” he says laughing.

Alain Nu is a professional of the utmost degree.

He is friendly, personable and will amaze your students beyond mere fascination and take them on a trip through their own minds. On the other side, perhaps they’ll be just a little bit more cognizant of their own abilities.

BOOK IT! For more information on bringing Alain Nu to your school, contact GP Entertainment at (866) 812-8248. For online media of Alain, including video, pricing, tour dates and booking info, log on to our website at www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com. Click on “Artists” under the “Buyer’s Guide” Tab and either enter Alain’s name in the given field or find it browsing through the letter “A.” CA

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 19

It’s only been about three years now since we first featured Johnny Cardinale in a story about his teaming up and performing with Melanie Reno, a fellow friend and comic. Its hard to believe that only that short time ago, Melanie and Johnny relied on each other to fill a onehour college show slot simply because they didn’t have enough material to go it alone.

Oh how times have changed. Johnny Cardinale is now a successful and well-known campus comic in his own right and we are excited to bring you this feature story dedicated solely to Johnny and his comedy.

First things first, just because you might see pictures of Johnny with a guitar, don’t think he’s pegged. Unlike some comic musicians who produce the bulk of their shows with music and parodies, Johnny comes from a real stand-up background. He’s more like a musical comic than a comic musician. So, roughly half of his college shows can be expected to be pure unadulterated stand-up. The other half consists of Johnny’s own unique hybrid blend of music and comedy. He came up originally in clubs, but for our purposes, Johnny will be referencing his college show unless otherwise specified. “I mix music with the comedy and while there are other people out there who do that, I think my take is a little bit different from most comics who use music.”

These differences emerge in a couple of different forms. Firstly, Johnny was a singer before being a comic. And perhaps the finest distinction between Johnny and many others of his ilk is the fact that he stays away from comic parodies and extended musical interludes.

“Even though it seems like I am making fun of a lot of bands and singers, I’m actually not,” he says laughing. “I’m poking fun at the music industry but when I am doing impressions of singers in my show, I am really trying to nail them spot on.”

Here Johnny’s background as a trained singer serves its purpose. “I try to sound just like the artists and not even in a funny way; I just really like to see how well I can do it and its fun for the audience. I take the singing portion very seriously when I’m performing, actually.”

20, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 21

So, what Johnny is all about really isn't funny music. It’s seriously good music to listen tothat we can also all poke fun at. “Let’s say I’ll play a part of a Snow Patrol song. I’ll focus really hard on making it sound just right and then I’ll stop and make a joke about the song or maybe the lyrics. I don’t really change the lyrics in songs to try and make them all funny,” he says, Honestly, not to knock anyone’s style (as Weird Al is a master of the universe in his own way), but we’ve all done funny or dirty parodies (sometimes both- more often neither) in our lives, going back to grade school.

What Johnny does is more refined and difficult. “I generally play a song straight the way they are meant to be played and then I pause for commentary, so it’s a really observational style I suppose.”

Johnny describes an evolution of his comedy in the last few years that sounds as much like a coming-of-agestory as someone describing the development of his or her talents. However one thing is clear, he has struck upon one of the resounding basic tenets of every star we’ve ever known; be comfortable in your own skin. “I guess I have kind of become myself. I am now pretty close on stage to the person I am off stage, but it has taken me some time to do, that I must say. It is not a natural process, although the hope is that the end-result looks very natural.”

same time. It makes the show more complete and I find when I do that during the show, students are a lot more willing to come up and talk after the show as well.”

Which is another thing Johnny really enjoys. “They feel like they know you as a person a little bit more when you talk with them during the show, not just at them. It’s really nice when people come up and talk to you after a show because when they don’t, it kind of leaves you wondering why.

It’s like ‘Wow, I thought we had a great time tonight but it must not have been too incredible if everyone just packs up and leaves the minute the show’s over.”

Anyone can think back to any of their favorite comics and more than likely one trait is common in all of them; audiences feel like they know and like the actual person, not just the jokes they are telling. “I think I’ve personally heard as far back as Johnny Carson being asked ‘What is the number one thing that makes a great comic?’ And he says the audience has to like the person. There are a lot of great joke tellers who never go on to greatness because they don’t make that connection. I just feel like if students want to come up and hang out with me after a show, talking music, talking comedy or whatever, I feel like I really did my job that night.”

But, Johnny is enough of a professional in his field to know that the gesture isn’t always personal. “You never know; these students are so busy they could have classes or a job to get to or friends to hang out with. A lot of things are more important to them than chatting with some comic after a show, so I understand.

Maybe they’re busy, maybe they are nervous, maybe they just don’t know they can come and say hello. Or, maybe they just didn’t feel that close to me and I need to connect with the audience more the next time.”

So, what makes an audience fall in love with a performer? If it were as easy as it is laid out above, everyone would do it, wouldn’t they? Many performers have found out there is a fine line between giving the audience what they want by being yourself and giving the audience what they want by being what you think they want. “For me, I am not setting out thinking ‘okay, what do they want?’ If I can just be free with myself that night, easygoing up there and have fun with the crowd, my mission is accomplished, because that is

Johnny doesn’t set out deliberately to try and suck students in just for the novelty of it; the process is much more organic. “I don’t have a bunch of stock note card questions like ‘What’s your major?’ or “Where are you from?’

I try to just do some talking and if there is someone interesting in the crowd they’ll kind of crop up. Those people are fun, but I don’t set up a huge portion of my show to be crowd-interactive. Once I develop a rapport with the audience, I’ll go back and forth with them a little bit in between my jokes throughout the course of the entire show. It makes every show different and all of them really fun.”

larity. “My dad wanted to name me Dominick. Can you imagine? Think about it, Dom Cardinale? That’s got to be Italian for like ‘stool pigeon.’ Come on, I would have been the only kid in fifth grade in a double-breasted suit.”

And don’t forget the red carnation. Unlike the mafia however, Johnny stays away from one popular racket – merch sales. “At some point I probably will and I don’t know why, but I have always been kind of awkward about selling stuff after shows. Some comics have no problem doing it and it can be

a wise thing to do, but it seems kind of weird for me to be like ‘Good night everybody… now let’s make a deal!’ I don’t know, it’s like I have to mentally cross-over; right now I want to say goodnight and leave the stage and have the audience remember me as that person, the guy on stage. Not the guy standing next to the table going ‘Buy my stuff.’”

Johnny’s career started a long time ago when, as a child, people began making comments on his knack for mimicry. “From the Beatles to The Ea-

One memorable experience he just recently had was with a pseudo-tough guy in the audience, but all in good fun. “There was a girl in the audience and just messing around with her I asked if she was single and she says yes. There was this guy sitting next to her who obviously didn’t know her from Eve and I said to him ‘Hey, why don’t ya help her out buddy?’ He just goes “I’ll see what I can do.’

Now, I had just been making fun of my big Italian family, so I said to him [in an authentic-sounding Brooklyn Italian accent] “I’ll see what I can do? What, are you in the mafia? You sound like my uncle Vito now, get outta here…

Johnny says performing at college gigs has given him a unique perspective on connecting with his audiences. “I have noticed (especially at colleges) that a little bit of crowd work and talking to them goes a long way. They all seem to enjoy being talked to and they generally have fun things to say, so it is a lot of fun for the whole show. I have done a lot of college orientation shows where you essentially have rooms full of people who don’t know each other.

There is no built in camaraderie and maybe some of them feel a little bit intimidated to laugh out loud. I mean, come on, you don’t want everybody staring at you for laughing when you shouldn’t, right?” He says laughing.

“Everybody wants to looks cool. So, bringing the crowd into the show is fun and it is kind of a nice icebreaker at the 22, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

exactly how I am off stage as well.”

“It was funny because I was just kind of riffing until his friends come up to me after the show and were like ‘Dude, you totally nailed him! That’s exactly how he is!”

Johnny remembers laughingly.

“He even came up after the show too and was cracking up, so it was great.”

Johnny loves to talk about his big Italian family. It would be hard not to, because they sure seem to give him a lot of material. Heck, even from birth, Johnny skirted with the forces of stereotypic hiwww.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 23

gles I could nail them and people used to comment on it. It was nothing more than a fun thing to do for a long time.”

Not only did Johnny not have aspirations for a career in show business, but he was also on track for a straightlaced career in the corporate world. “I was an accounting major in college; I just wanted to get a decent job and get out in the real world.” A chance occurrence would lead him down an entirely different path. “When I was a junior, I just happened to see a comedian on television and it hooked me.”

Despite this seemingly surprise passion, his talents run a little deeper. “I think I come from a funny family and at functions, you’d better be ready to give and take, you know what I mean?” he says laughing. “Everybody busts your chops because it’s a big wise-ass Italian family, so I grew up learning to think on my feet.”

Cut back to college and Johnny’s broadcast comedic experience. “I saw a comedian on this TV show and I don’t remember who he was, but I remember thinking that he was not that

funny at all. It was some late night show and I had never even thought about comedy before then. I would sing by myself because I enjoyed it but I wasn’t in a band or anything.

After I saw this show, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for like two weeks and finally I said ‘You know what, I have got to give this a shot.’”

Johnny called up a friend who was going to UCLA at the time and who happened to be moving into Los Angeles, a locale Johnny rarely visited despite living only about two hours from the metropolis. “He just happened to be moving out at the time I called and just happened to have a room in his apartment available too.

It was like all of these things were happening for a reason; it was like I was supposed to move out there.

So, I told my dad I was dropping out of college (and I was a really good student too who was taking school very seriously) and he was totally shocked. He told me I had to do what I had to do, so I dropped everything, moved to L.A. and started waiting tables.”

It wasn’t too long after taking improv and sketch classes (genres Johnny thought he would be more likely to occupy than stand-up) that he landed in coffeehouse dates playing songs solo.

“Literally about a year and a half after I started doing those coffeehouses I was on tour opening for Pauley Shore, which I couldn’t even believe. I settled in and got my act going, stopped hiding behind the guitar and started using it to augment my comedy and really got into a comfort zone. It has now come to a complete act and it’s a lot of fun and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

BOOK IT! For more information on bringing Johnny Cardinale to feature at your campus’ next comedy night, contact The College Agency at (952) 8971001. For virtual media and further info, check out Johnny’s artist profile on our website at www.campusactivitiesmagazinne.com. Just click on Artist Alphabetical button under the “Buyer’s Guide” Tab and look for Johnny by either the search field or alphabetically by his first name.

CA

Let’s hit it:

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Reason #1- “It’s good medicine. Supposedly we have an epidemic of depression and attention deficit disorders in this country, according to the pharmaceutical industries.

Now, they are trying to prescribe this stuff to people who don’t even suffer from depression and ADD, they want everyone on Ritalin and Prozac, which I think is extremely dangerous.” Many tragic events of the past decade have been linked to side effects of inappropriate or poorly regimented prescription brain chemical altering substances.

This includes the horrific outbreak of school massacres since Columbine.

“We are already seeing he suicide rate among teenagers rapidly rising. So, I say if you want to treat depression or ADD/ADHD, can’t we at least consider cannabis? I would like this to be the first option because I know it is less dangerous than all of these pharmaceutical drugs they are prescribing to kids.”

Steve does clarify that he is not a medical doctor and is not advocating marijuana as a sort of snake oil that can cure anything; he simply wants the research to be allowed and the possibilities to be considered. “I can comment on the history and potential of this plant, but I would rather anyone go to a medical doctor or researcher for anything specific. There is a website called rxmarijuana.com and it is run by a doctor from Harvard University. That site has a database that lists all of the disorders and diseases (and there are hundreds of them) that marijuana has been considered a useful treatment for. You can look up epilepsy, asthma, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, depression, head injuries, stroke and so on. All of these afflictions are there to look up and you can read testimonies of actual people who suffer from these ailments and have used marijuana in one form or another as medicine.”

What if we could stop feeding our kids timereleased hits of speed in favor of a much more natural and milder substitute? “I don’t prescribe cannabis to kids, but I think it needs to be looked into. This stuff is much less harmful than the over-prescribed drugs we use now. Of course, it’s better kids don’t have anything, even caffeine, lots of refined sugars and too much TV in my opinion.”

The main problem is that in 1964, The United States essentially forced every coun-

24, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

try in the world other than Holland to sign a treaty making marijuana illegal. So, not only are legitimate studies banned in the U.S., but in the rest of the world as well.

Reason #2- Cannabis is one of the easiest to produce and most versatile crops known to man. Its properties could alleviate countless quandaries plaguing our society and world.

“There are thousands of different products that can be made from the part of the marijuana plant that we don’t use for medicine.

The seeds and the stalk produce anything that petrochemical products produce.”

Yes, you read correctly. All of our plastic, dynamite, cellophane and even fuel can be produced from the excess of the plant after the ‘buds’ have been removed. Everything we are so dependent on for foreign oil could be easily reproduced using cannabis, one of the most hearty and easy to grow crops on the face of the earth. Possibly even harder to believe is that this has never been a secret. “People have known this since 1917 with an article in Popular Science that anything created with oil could be done with hemp. We are talking about paper, varnishes, paints, literally billions of dollars worth of products that are currently produced out of oil that comes from the Middle East. This is obviously the biggest environmental problem we have, our largest national security issue and one of the most significant economically damaging factors as well.”

Just after the article in Popular Science was released, a campaign unleashed by William Randolph Hurst and the newspaper industry set out to demonize marijuana in any way possible, truth be damned. At the time, Pancho Villa had created a popular revolution in Mexico and through peasant uprisings, seized Hurst’s timberlands and turned them over to the Mexican people. “The marching song of Pancho Villa’s army was ‘La Cucaracha’ which if you look at the words, is a song about marijuana. Pancho Villa did not drink alcohol, all he did was smoke and I believe that because of these circumstances, he created tremendous hatred for marijuana in Hurst’s mind. This is why he essentially created the campaign to demonize marijuana. He subsequently printed hundreds of ‘news’ stories detailing how people allegedly would smoke marijuana and then kill, rape, steal or just go completely insane. Later on, not one of these stories that were on the front page of

the largest newspaper chains in America could be verified. All of these stories had simply been invented and published as if they were real. So, my grandparents and parents are still living under the cloud that was created by William Randolph Hurst.”

Perhaps this gross miscarriage of truth and greater good is even more confounding when considering the significant place cannabis holds in U.S. history. “This is a crop that was basically a foundation of the American economy since the country was created. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew this plant. Our first flag was sewn from hemp, they considered it essential; you could even pay your taxes in raw hemp stock.”

Reason #3- “We have built the biggest prison system in the world, in my lifetime.

We use the war on drugs to create this situation and we are now warehousing prisoners, costing us over $30,000 per person to keep these people confined each year.

Most of them haven’t done anything to hurt anybody. I mean, they were growing marijuana and we’ve got these mandatory minimum sentences that lock people up for 15 or 20 years for growing marijuana! The judge has no discretion; it doesn’t matter if the guy teaches Sunday school and has 8 kids to feed. Throw all of that out the window, he’s locked up and the kids are put into foster care and when he gets out, he’s in a lot worse shape than when he went in.”

Many of these unfortunate folks now have a record that will bar them from nearly any gainful employment and they have been cloistered with violent psychopaths.

“Locked in a cage that way for 15 years, many are now psychologically disturbed.

Serious mental health issues usually just cost even more trouble, time and resources.

So, the question is, ‘What have we done to help anything by doing this?’”

More people are arrested for marijuana than all other crimes in the U.S. combined, on the order of 800,000 per year. “It’s an unbelievable waste of our law enforcement resources and our tax dollars because these people prefer marijuana over Prozac.”

Reason #4- The vast criminal network that is funded by marijuana trafficking is one of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 25

You’d probably never guess by listening to Mike Birbiglia’s fairly average accent that he was born and raised around Boston, Massachusetts. “I have a very ambiguous accent,” he says. “And most people just think I am from the Midwest. I am actually writing a movie right now (starring myself) and I’m placing the main character in Ohio, because people just think I’m from there (laughs).”

Most comedy enthusiasts and Comedy Central Crackheads (CCC’s) will know Mike Birbiglia’s name already.

With “Premium Blend” appearances, a “Comedy Central Present’s” special, several feature clips on “Shorties Watchin’ Shorties” and a successful off-Broadway play to his credit, he is an increasingly familiar face on the comedy scene.

A significant part of Mike’s success can be attributed to campus dates and he gives Campus Activities Magazine® an exclusive interview so students can have a little bit of an insight into his quirky world.

26, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 27

This is not a guy who walked into a comedy club one day and got his career just handed to him… not exactly anyway. “After I performed my first time at the DC Improv, I told them I wanted to start doing this all the time. The guy handed me a mop.”

Perhaps a little bit more context for focus is in order. You see, ever since Mike was in high school, he has enjoyed standup comedy from some of the same names we now revere as the newer greats. “I was drawn to comedy from high school seeing comics on television. I was always interested in Bill Cosby and Steven Wright.

When I got into college, I discovered Mitch Hedberg [R.I.P.].”

“When I was in college at Georgetown, they had a ‘Funniest Person on Campus’ contest,” he says, laughing at the memory. “It was this annual thing and I decided to just go for it. I put so much work into it, trying to put together an act, I won the contest. What I won was an opportunity to perform at the DC Improv. I opened for Dave Chappelle (this was long before ‘Chappell’s Show’) but I was still a big fan of his specials at the time.”

The gig Mike did at the DC Improv went pretty well, so he went to the owner to inquire about future op-

portunities. “I went to the owner and I thought it would be so easy I was like ‘Yeah, so I want to do this all the time.’ He told me I could work there, but there would be no stage time. I could work the door and seat people and over time when there were fallouts and cancellations they would try to work me in. I did that for about 4 years.”

There’s not much more “paying your dues” one could do. “It was really like my comedy college, but I had to keep it a secret from my family. My dad didn’t work his whole life to send me to college just so that I could then get a job making fun of him in front of strangers (laughs). You know what I mean?

This is sort of the very last thing he would have had me do, to become a comedian. He didn’t even know what a comedy club was when I told him I was working at one.”

At that point Mike’s and his father’s priorities weren’t necessarily falling in line with each other. “He said ‘Well anyway, school is your number one priority!’ I was thinking ‘Ummm, not really, but okay.’ So, I worked at this comedy club and sneaked by in school.”

While Mike was working in the background at the club, he was getting the opportunity to absorb directly what some of the best in the business were doing. “I stud-

ied these great comedians who came through; people like Brian Reagan, Dave Attell, Mitch Hedberg, Kathleen Madigan, Margaret Cho and I just learned so much about the idea of being a touring comedian. I never knew you could actually do that.”

Mike performed frequently at Georgetown while he was there, building both experience and momentum. “I was in the improv troupe on campus that performed every month and then I would host everything I could find like the ‘A Cappella Festival’ or the ‘Sketch Comedy Festival’ or Student Orientation. I remember every year I hosted the new student orienta-

tions. I have done those like eleven times because I continued doing them after I graduated,” he laughs.

“I became a permanent installment of what it is to be a Georgetown freshman. If you said my name people would be like ‘Oh yeah, Mike Birbiglia, of course.’ I was famous in that universe only.”

Once Mike got out of school, he kept plugging along, working his way up. “I started opening for people on the road. I basically borrowed my mom’s station wagon and drove it around the country from gig to gig. I went to all of the shadiest comedy clubs in the far stretches of the earth and, I performed at a lot of colleges.”

Mike with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane

28, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 29

Mike credits his discovery of a niche in the college market as one of the saving graces of his career. “One of the best things that happened to me when I got out of school was applying to and subsequently entering NACA because once I did, I started performing at a ton of colleges.”

Mike remembers semi-fondly some of the off-hour, day, site or color gigs the college market is famous for putting entertainers in who are trying to work their way up. “Some of those gigs were terrible,” he laughs. “I remember showing up and they had forgotten they even invited me, so they’re like ‘Oh yeah, so its ‘you’ and we have a lip syncing contest… why don’t you host the contest, yeah, that’s it, host!’ This really happened once. I literally showed up and they had me host a lip-syncing contest, an art form I am not particularly fond of.”

Apparently, neither were the students. “There were only 2 entries and the woman running the event was very upset about this. She was really angry and when she got up to introduce me to the crowd she goes ‘You know, we have this contest every year and in the past we’ve had 15 or 20 entries and this year there were 2. We don’t have to have this contest if you don’t want to have it and I am not doing this for me, I’m doing it for you,’ she said all very severely. Then she said ‘And now, here’s comedian Mike Birbiglia.’ That was great.”

Mike says there are plenty more wacky campus stories where that came from. “One time I showed up and they had me performing in the center of a walk-a-thon for lupus in the gymnasium. I’m chasing these people around with a microphone.

I was like an oscillating desk fan, gently blowing humor. The best part was the guy who booked me looks me dead in the eye and says

‘I know it’s not ideal…’ Not ideal?!”

coming a comedian.”

But Mike is quick to point out he doesn’t want to give the wrong impression about his experience here. “That’s what a lot of those early college gigs were like, but then even more of them were great. It was a really mixed bag, but it got to where more and more of the college students coming out would email me.”

It takes “big ones” to go out there and put yourself in a sink or swim situation like that. “I strongly believe that to go out and become a comedian, you have to be a little bit delusional. Particularly when you are starting out, there is so much failure; amidst that failure you have to tell yourself ‘It’s going quite nicely!’

Otherwise, you would never get on stage again, thinking ‘Well, I guess human beings just don’t like me…’

Mike admits the 200-300 schools he performed at during this time were a trial by fire for him. “It was the best thing for me at the time, because to be honest I didn’t have a ton of material then. It would force me to show up at the schools and just improvise a lot of stuff. I would go on stage with just an idea of what a story was and then I would tell it. As it went along I would come up with jokes and very quickly I developed a couple of hours of material. It was a really big part of me be-

Like some of the comic legends that have preceded him (Carrot Top, Jay Mohr, Dane Cook and others), Mike Birbiglia really shines out with college audiences.

“I remember the first time I had a paid gig it was at this bar in Virginia.

I drove out there and the back stage area was just the sidewalk of this strip mall. I was so scared because I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was supposed to perform about 30 minutes of comedy. I only had like 11. They open the door and say ‘Mike you’re on.’ I turned around and puked on the sidewalk and walked on stage.

day. “I told her it was amazing because in my mind, it had been.

If it hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten on stage again.”

Fortunately the comedy club’s kingpin didn’t send Mike out back with Lil’ Joey. “I went into the manager’s office and I thought that he might, you know, punch me in the face or pull a gun or something, but he just took out $50 and put it on the desk.

He said ‘Thanks for coming and we’ll see you again next time’. It was a completely preposterous moment for me because it was the first

time where I was thinking ‘But, I’m a comedian now!’ You learn your lesson and become humbled; the next time I got a paid gig I made damn sure I had the 30 minutes I needed. You really do have to become delusional to become a comedian; you have to lie to yourself and tell yourself everything is going well when it’s really not going well at all.”

But eventually it does. “Over the years, people have kind of taken to specific jokes and things that I didn’t expect,” he says. I have a

“Now, I have heard many bastardizations of my last name in my life (it sounds like BIR-BIG-LEEUH), but this particular gentleman (and this is the worst I have ever heard) says ‘Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome Mike Bavuski!’ I was so mad, I was thinking ‘You didn’t even try! You just said a B and the first thing you could think of and you made me Polish, and that’s a really specific choice…’

“I got on stage, did four minutes of comedy and left. I thanked the audience and apologized at the same time, which was weird because I had never done it before. It was like ‘Thank you, sorry!’ (laughs) I walked off and went home to my girlfriend and she asked me how it went.”

30, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

And so the fledgling comic’s selfdelusion swoops in to save the www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 31

joke about being a ‘cracker’ and I use the word ‘cracker’ on stage. In the same way that some black comics use the n-word, I use the cword on stage. Cracker please, (laughs).”

It just goes to show how some of our most classic bits have the simplest origins. “I was just trying to come up with as many jokes as I could and all of a sudden, people were quoting things back to me and I was like ‘Oh okay, I guess I’m on to something.’ The same thing has happened to me with so many of the bits, it is really exciting in a way.”

Mike has an interesting philosophy that is especially audience-minded and, may explain why he has so handily been able to build such popularity over his short years in the business. “There is a famous

quote that Jerry Seinfeld once gave. He said words to the effect ‘You don’t tell the audience what’s funny about you, they tell you what’s funny about you.’ I think that’s very true; I think you have to kind of step back and see what is connecting with people, in your comfort zone. You don’t want to pander completely to what every audience wants and become this sort of amorphous comedic Backstreet Boy of comedy. At some point you have to go out and do what you do and see what the most people react to. Then you can always try to figure out why.”

Mike Birbiglia is currently performing a variety of dates not only in the college market, but also in comedy clubs and successful theater shows. He is the perfect choice for clean, universal comedy almost any audience will enjoy. He has ex-

perience and name recognition, but is not yet to the point of astronomical impossibility for most institutions. Consider bringing him in for your next Georgetown Freshman Orientation today…just kidding.

But, what’s no joke is Mike Birbiglia’s ability to be the next big hit on your campus.

the main reasons given for our so-called “Drug War.” Might one think legalization (or at least legislation) could be a handy option over warfare? “We have to stop funding criminals. Marijuana is the easiest substance to grow on the face of the earth and is viable from theArctic Circle to the equator.

It is the only plant that can do that; it has the strongest life force of anything in the plant world.”

BOOK IT! For more information on bringing Mike Birbiglia to your school, contact Jackie Knobbe at (310) 888-4291. For online media of Mike, including video, pricing, tour dates and booking info, log on to our website at www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com. Click on “Artists” under the “Buyer’s Guide” Tab and either enter Mike’s name in the given field or find it browsing through the letter “B.” CA

Steve draws a handy comparison between the two relevant species pertaining to this topic. “What humans are to other animal species, as the most elite and highly evolved, cannabis represents to the plant world. It is the most evolutionarily advanced specimen in the plant world and we want to spend billions of dollars sending helicopters all over the world spraying toxic chemicals for the purpose of eradicating this plant.”

Mike Birbiglia’s article photos and the

THE MOST POPULAR AND REQUESTED SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION PROGRAM IN THE COLLEGE MARKET!

A

C A T H A R S I S

P R O D U C T I O N S

P R E S E N T A T I O N

V

SEXSIGNALS

THE REAL LIFE FUNNY SORT-OF-IMPROV SHOW ABOUT SEX AND STUFF As presented to over 1500 audiences at over 400 colleges and universities, SEXSIGNALS blends a unique, provocative combination of humor, improvisation, and facilitated dialogue to explore the challenges of dating, sex, and consent on college campuses today.

A R E

Y O U

G E T T I N G

T H E

S I G N A L ?

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N O N S E X S I G N A LS , C O N TA C T : CATHARSIS PRODUCTIONS T: 312-243-0022 W: www.catharsisproductions.com E: info@catharsisproductions.com TO B O O K S E X S I G N A LS , C O N TA C T : BASS-SCHULER ENTERTAINMENT T: 773-481-2600 W: www.bass-schuler.com

32, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

The point behind this little bit of scientific insight is that it takes one of the most abundant, easiest to grow and cheapest to produce plants and makes it worth it’s own dry weight in gold. “It should be the absolute cheapest commodity on earth, more than corn or soy or wheat. This takes all of that illicit money and it corrupts our entire system. You will always find corrupt cops because of the profits that prohibition produces. This is something that should cost a couple of dollars a pound and sells for $10,000 per in some markets.”

Reason #5- “It’s part of my culture. I come from the hippie culture of the 60’s and it may be something that other people try and laugh about or deride or make seem ridiculous but we are the culture that introduced the environmental movement. We began the idea of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles to America. We all still believe in the same things we did in the 60’s. We believe war is bad and people shouldn’t kill each other. I am not trying to convert people to be hippies like me, but I would like for people to respect us and let us live in this world as human beings that deserve the right to their beliefs.

These beliefs have always been a part of our culture and they are not going to go away. One of them is that this plant, marijuana, connects us to our spirituality and we feel one with God and the universe when we use it together. Cannabis is a sacrament to our culture. We don’t give it to our kids, but when our kids are adults, we believe they should have access.” www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

So, the reasons Steve thinks the plant should be legal for responsible adults to consume being outlined above, it is important to note that he believes discretion is the most important part of use. This is a message that can be especially applied to college students. “People that are too wrapped up around marijuana begin to have reversal effects. If you are doing marijuana all day long all the time, you’re not getting any beneficial impacts from it. You are now just a marijuana junkie and people get into heavy denial about what that means and what that lifestyle is. If you have a medical need for marijuana on a daily basis, that’s a different story. If you have no medical need, you should be very conscious of exactly how and why you’re using this plant.

“If you are in college and trying to get your life skills together, you should not be using marijuana. You have to concentrate on getting your education and making sure all the money that is spent on your school is a good investment for you. If you are doing breakfast bong hits and then taking your calculus exam, you are not doing anything for legalization. In fact, you are the biggest problem and the reason why it may never be legal. Why would they give us legal access to this substance if we couldn’t prove that we were responsible with it in the first place? You can’t be a responsible college student and do breakfast bong hits, it’s just not possible.”

To hear more about Steve’s take on this interesting topic, bring him in for the full presentation of “Why Pot and College Don’t Mix.” We’ve only just scratched the surface here, but there is so much more for your students to think about. And who knows, should there be a high enough level of interest in the show on your campus, it may be a perfect prelude to bringing in both Steve and Bob Stutman for the “Heads Vs. Feds” debate sometime in the future.

BOOK IT! For more information on bringing Steve Hager to your campus, contact Wolfman Productions at (800) 735-4933. For their complete agency profile on our website including other artists they represent, log on to campusactivitiesmagazine.com and click on their name in the “Agencies” section under the “Buyer’s Guide” tab at the top.

CA

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 33

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville has one of the most active and diverse campus activities programs we’ve seen to date here in our Campus Activities Live! column. With a large student population, a very well organized and all-encompassing activities office and high levels of participation, the Central Pro-

gram Council at UTN could be a model for boards across the country.

CPC is an umbrella group that covers seven different committees, which span the range of nearly any live act that could be booked on campus.

Ashleigh Moyer, advisor in the Office

34, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

of Student Activities gives us a detailed look at the school itself and inside the inner workings of CPC. “The University of Tennessee itself is the flagship university in our state,” Ashleigh says. “With about 27,000 undergraduate students, it is the largest campus in the state and is located just www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

outside of Knoxville, in the eastern region near the North Carolina border.”

The school has a very strong logistics program and is known also for their law school and MBA programs. Within the office of student activities, there are 3 full-time professional staff that are aswww.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

sisted by one graduate student. “We advise the larger body of our activities structure called the Central Program Council. This is the organization that encompasses the seven committees we have, each of which have a different specific set of program missions and goals. Those committees include All-

Campus Events, Campus Entertainment Board, Cultural Attractions, Film, Issues, Visual Arts and the Women’s Coordinating Council.”

With such a complete set of committees, this board gets a lot done, especially with all of the committees having stu-

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 35

dents actively involved. The committees range in size from 12 up to 30 students. All included, this brings the total of students actively participating on the board to around 165.

The CPC is fully funded through a student activities fee built into every student’s tuition. Athletics, student health services and the student activities office share the funds (the student activities office also houses Dance Marathon and TeamVols, which technically don’t fall under CPC and are slightly out of our focus). The CPC’s portion of the funds is divvied up into two accounts: one designated for recreational activities and the other for cultural attractions. “Some of the events by the VisualArts, Women’s Coordinating Council and the Cultural Attractions committees are considered cultural events and are funded from a different branch of the budget.”

The CPC draws students primarily from orientation, where they hold a presentation each day showcasing what CPC has to offer. “We advertise in a large involvement fair that happens during Welcome Week and we also host an entrance meeting.”

Each of the committees is self-governing in a way, individually processing prospective members. “Each committee has their own application, interview and admittance process to get on the committee. They are not all done at the same time during the year and some do it each semester instead of yearly. It is all up to them; the process is very individualized and the students really set the standard for how their respective committees will operate. As advisors, we simply provide oversight.”

that make up the Central Programming Council as a whole makes it easy to see UT students get a great mix of activities offerings. The first of the seven groups is All-Campus Events, which includes four different events aimed at drawing in the maximum number of participants. “ACE is probably our longest-standing committee, it’s been around for 80 or 90 years if I remember correctly. It was what would be the campus activities board back in the day and they are one of our most traditional programming boards. They do four events annually, which happened right around the same time every year. The first is Volunteer Challenge where various organizations are paired up with volunteer opportunities within the community in the form of week-long service projects.

The second event is homecoming week, which is self-explanatory and one of UT’s strongest traditions. “We welcome alumni andACE sponsors a lot of activities.”

All-sing is a choral competition among student organizations and lastly Carnicus is a skit and play competition between organizations. “The one theme that ties all of this together is that all the events are a part of a larger competition in which at the end of the year one student organization wins theACE cup. It adds a friendly com-

petitive element to things and gives students some bragging rights.”

Many student organizations encourage their members to get involved with ACE’s events, promoting large turnouts for them. “It is heavily Greek attended but we also have organizations like Baptist Student Ministries and a couple of other service organizations who always get involved.”

The next committee is the body who books the talent that specifically falls under the purview of this publication. The Campus Entertainment Board hosts a variety of entertainers at UT, from music to comedy and magic. “Campus Entertainment Board really brings in the mainstream entertainment acts. They have a couple of events that are held annually including Battle of The Bands, Vol Night Long and Volapalooza.

Vol Night Long happens once each semester and is a sort of alternative to the bar scene. Volapalooza is our large concert that happens at the end of every school year.”

CEB is CPC’s largest committee with upwards of 30 students and have booked acts such as SNL star Jim Breuer, Harry Connick Jr., “Real World” cast members and hypnotist Michael C. Anthony. The board sends one represen-

tative a year to conferences and students do their own research online and through publications like ours. “We get the publications and they are in the office for students to come by and read. A lot of students do their own independent research as well and then make proposals to the committee.”

Just because the Campus Entertainment Board gets the opportunity to program some of the more mainstream acts the Vols will see doesn’t necessarily mean those events are the best attended. “I wouldn’t say they are; all of our committees put on events that are very well attended.

While Volapalooza has grown a lot over the years, I still wouldn’t say CEB has the most highly attended events. We get huge crowds from other events also.”

Homecoming Week is always a popular event but other popular functions may surprise some readers. “Our Cultural Attractions committees regularly hold events that can draw a couple of hundred people as do some Issues committee speakers. If I had to pick one isolated event as our biggest it would probably be Volapalooza.”

Past line-ups for this event have included Ben Folds, CAKE, Robert Randolph and Dashboard Confessional.

Music seems to be king of the mainstream entertainment at UT, dominating the headline spot at more of their major events, but comedy makes it in (as well as other genres) to liven the mix. “CEB makes sure they have their money every year for Volapalooza, Vol Night Long and Battle of The Bands. With what they have left over they will try to bring in an illusionist or comedian, usually one each a semester.”

The Cultural Attractions Committee is of a type we’d like to see more on campus activities boards. Dedicated solely to providing students with entertainment that has either inherent takehome value or a unique perspective or worldview. “CulturalAttractions Committee really tries to bring in any diverse program (usually in music and dance), and not mainstream. We want to give students the opportunity to see something different, and at a reasonable price.”

Ashleigh explains that while most events held by CPC are free to students, some do carry nominal fees to help supplement the budget. “There are few things we charge for, but this is one of them.

Students can come in for $5 and see a violinist maybe that would cost them $30 to see in a public theater. We can give them the opportunity to experience these more cultural activities while they are here with us.” Past events held by the

Cultural Attractions Committee include Gaelic Storm, South African act Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the LosAngeles Guitar Quartet, the Vienna Boys Choir and the Moscow Festival Ballet.

And while the Cultural Attractions committee for example may highlight music and dance, it is not only music and dance students who participate on the board. “It is comprised of students outside of those obvious majors. That is the most important thing about all of our committees; each one is made up of a very broad group. The Film committee for example is not just made up of a bunch of film majors: there is a good mix in each.”

While the cultural programs are well attended, that still doesn’t stop CPC and UT as a whole from getting behind them for further support.

“With almost all of our committee’s events, we try to get the word out with faculty who can provide added incentive with extra credit, especially for our first year studies classes. Our instructors do encourage students to attend our events and I think last year 3 out of 4 held by the Cultural Attraction Committee were sold out.”

One interesting point to note is that with nearly all events held at UT, the community is welcome and even encouraged to attend. As a matter of fact, nearly half of some audiences can include

VOLAPOOLOZA

SAO STAFF

This includes the processes of selecting and scheduling their events as well. “Everything is completely student-driven. Each committee usually has a chair and vice chair included in a 2-4 member executive board, but they do not decide everything. It is all done democratically through the entire committee.”

Only the legal implications are really touched-on by staff. “We advisors try to make sure we don’t have any voice in the decision-making process for buying talent, we only get involved in the contracting side, making sure the acts are available and within budget.”

A closer look at each of the unique committees

36, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 37

faculty and the public.

“We get a lot of public attendees for Cultural Attractions, Issues speakers and some of our Women’s Coordinating Council like slam poets and some of their speakers. Overall the people we get from the community add up to a good amount.”

BRIDGET GRAY, SLAM POET

Every school has their own “best” way to promote their events; at some schools that could be as rudimentary as word of mouth or as advanced as the Internet.

“Our college newspaper, I would argue, is one of our best mediums. We heavily advertise but we also try to reach out a lot to the residence halls and work with the RA’s.

We actually hand deliver them posters for the show with a letter asking them to hang it somewhere. We really try to personalize these, because every RAhas a million things sitting in their inboxes. We try to ask them individually to encourage students to come. Something I really enjoy is speaking to the RAs during their training; they come back in early fall and spring. Personally I believe that the RA connection is vitally important, especially in getting our on-campus students to show up.”

The Film Committee enjoys popularity in its events as well and once again the students on the committee dictate the trends in pictures selected. “Their mission has always been to bring in quality movies, but their focus has shifted back and forth a lot over the years. Whether or not they are bringing in blockbusters or independent films really changes with the students. Last year there was a lot of blockbusters and they were very successful, this year independent films are the rage with some others mixed in. Of course, we have two films we do annually which are always very well attended, as cult classics. Those are “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Dark Side Of The Moon.”

In case you were wondering CPC does get wise and when they have an act that can fall

under more than one committees’ purview, they team up to not only save, but also to use the combined power of two committees to get behind an event. “We love to co-sponsor events and find any way we can to work two committees within CPC on one project. Also, if there is another organization on campus we found we think would be interested in co-sponsoring, we will approach them. For example, Issues and theAsian-AmericanAssociation were interested in bringing in SuChin Pak.” Issues specifically deals with anything the students feel is an appropriate topic to address on campus and, once again, the focus changes with the guard. “It really changes depending on the type of students we have on the committee because they will propose to each other who they want to have come in and speak for the following year. Once they vote, we bring in anyone they want based on availability and prices.”

This selection can absolutely run the gamut of speakers and can really house any speaker or topic that deals with an “issue.” That definition leaves considerable latitude. Past programs Issues has hosted are eclectic to say the least. Bill Nye the Science Guy, the reverend Al Sharpton, Maya Angelou, Kurt Vonnegut and Bob Woodward name a few. “They also hold debates occasionally such as the great pornography debate or marijuana legalization debates, either way we try

38, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

to bring in a wide variety of things as long as they can bring in the most engaging speakers with the important issues.”

The Visual Arts Committee is what it sounds like, despite once again the members making it up not necessarily fitting a preconceived stereotype. “I would say that the vast majority of the students on the VisualArts Committee are in no way art majors.” The committee essentially performs two functions; bring in traveling art exhibits and bringing in visiting artists for an artists lecture, which happens 3 or 4 times per semester.”

The Women’s Coordinating Council is the last on the list, but certainly not the least (easy ladies). “It doesn’t have to be, but happens to be compromised of mostly women. They have a lot of different missions. They bring in speakers and more traditional performers and are really eclectic in what they are able to do because they are funded by both the recreational account and the cultural account. So, they can bring in anyone but try especially to focus on women’s issues and things that would be interesting to women on campus.”

There can be little doubt that the University of Tennessee has one of the most organized and well-rounded activities programs in existence.

They are active, popular and dedicated too not only providing students with the most entertaining experience, but also with the most valuable one as well.

The Mission Improvable Spring Tour kicks off in 5..4..3..2..1 oh great, our van won’t start again…

Wait a minute, let it warm up, give it some gas, all right crisis averted and the tour begins.

For more information on the University of Tennessee’s Central Programming Council, contact the Office of StudentActivities at (865) 974-5455 or for virtual links to their profile in our online database, log on to our website at www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com.

CA

We are about 50 miles outside of Chicago and I am already a bit homesick. Telling your girlfriend who you live with that you will be gone for 17 days is not easy on the relationship. She understands though, she has too; because I am living a dream with the line of work I am in. I am a professional comedian and I get to travel around the United States performing short form improvisation to colleges and universities. I am a cast member the critically acclaimed touring group: Mission Improvable. I have always wanted to perform, entertain, to be in front of a crowd making them

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 39

We are heading to Sioux City Iowa, to do a show at Morningside College for the first stop on tour. Aaron is the veteran of our group, has performed at this college before and knows our contact Andrew. The contact is the person who essentially is responsible for bringing Mission Improvable to their school, helping set up the venue, stage, tech, dinner, marketing the show, etc. Andrew knows the drill pretty well and does a fantastic job getting the word out to students and making us feel comfortable upon arrival.

laugh and this job lets me do all of that while seeing the country. My girlfriend understands because she knows this is what makes me tick, makes me happy and the fact that she is also a professional improviser. She will be the first to tell you she is funnier than me. If you ask me, well… I don’t want to fight.

There is the old saying of “if you do what you love its not really work.” Well this has some truth and some bs to it.

Being on the road 15-20 days out of the month is tough on anyone. So why do it?

Well because I need too, I have too and I would not be happy doing anything else.

Improvising is the most pure form of comedy; it’s risky, almost downright scary because there is no script, no fallback, and no half-ass effort. There are those moments and there are many during our show where everything clicks and the audience is laughing their ass off saying to them selves “How in the world is this made up?” And Bam! Right there is the reason we get up at the crack of dawn in a different town each day, pile 4 guys into van that acts like a hypochondriac, drive countless hours during the day and night, eat fast food that makes your sweat while sitting down, tolerate each other’s egos, and still try to maintain our personal lives in our hometown of Chicago. We love the rush of performing in front of complete strangers who have no idea who we are but are expecting and sometimes demanding us to make them laugh. This is

our drug, our vice, our caffeine, our soy mocha frap with double mocha swiss with light whip. Feed the Need.

Our show is an hour long, short form improvisation set that has a Mission Impossible feel to it. The cast is made up for four guys who act as agents of comedy, the cast is: Aaron Ellsworth (Agent Abomb), Adam Higgins (Agent Espionage), Frankie Cusimano (Agent 0067) and myself (Agent Dragon). I guess you can say the show is a mix of high energy, frantic pace, and controlled chaos, very similar to MTV’s Wild N Out improv except we have not been cancelled.

40, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

After the show, we talk to the students, get them to sign our email list, hand out stickers and free high fives. I can’t remember the last time where high fives were free but I guess we are in a recession. The show was a blast, the students were into it and it feels awesome knocking out that first show of the semester. We were a little bit rusty but it was the first show and Andrew was extremely pleased with the turnout. I have to do this but Mission Accomplished.

up, grab a few beers, rent some shoes, talk shop, talk life and roll a couple of games.

Adam (Espionage) is our newest member on tour and after the first show we can tell he is going to fit in well not only to the show but on the road as well. Adam is a very funny guy but I am not sure bumper lanes would help him break 50. Not a good bowler This night will be like a lot of nights on tour: fun, full of busting each other’s balls, having a few spirits, talking about the show, grabbing some late fried grub and then heading back to the hotel to catch some sleep before tomorrow comes calling. Tomorrow we have double duty; a noon show at Western Iowa Tech in Sioux City and then an evening show at Mt. Marty College in Yankton, South Dakota.

Day 2

When we perform at a school they will usually put us up in a hotel for the night. Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn green sign, Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn, Super 8 and a place called Chief Motel have become our home away from home away from the van while on tour. We check into the hotel, drop our bags and head out to celebrate our first night of tour.

Aaron (A-bomb) recommends a place called Lewis Bowl and Sports bar. We belly

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

Wendy’s (always a mainstay on tour) and were off to Yankton, South Dakota.

We have a rule in the Van that who ever is driving gets to pick the music. This really sucks for me because I love heavy metal and usually have an array of Dragonforce, Kamelot, Apocalyptica, Circus Maximus, and sometimes Josh Groban (come on the guy sings in a dead language). I usually get voted no on my music and Frankie will recommend a cd from his collection in which a tube sock acts as his cd case. Yeah It is freezing, Vanarky says the temperature is 50 degrees outside; you are a huge liar Vanary. The temperature is more like 7 degrees in Yankton when we pull up to Mt. Marty College. My soul is cold.

Mt. Marty is a college of about 600 students and there were about 80 students at the show, which was held in their cybercafe.

Our contacts: Erin andAshley did some creative marketing for the show by putting our faces all over the napkin holders. Our venue was packed, the show was excellent and the students stayed afterwards to talk, get pictures, autographs, and some free high fives. As usual, it is time to pack up our gear, get to our hotel, and get some rest.

We have pretty long day of driving tomorrow to get to Cheyenne Wyoming.

Day 3 Crap I am out of shape. I should have known this barely fitting into my uniform the night before. Last semester was my first on tour and I tried to keep in shape by working out as much as possible at the hotel gym or running outside in the morning. Well last semester was great but that was last semester. It also does not help that these hotel chains put their continental breakfast right next to the gym. No it’s cool I ran for an hour, I am allowed to eat three donuts and a chocolate chip bagel. Great math Drew Today was like a blur; we first had a noon show at Western Iowa Tech during the presidential inauguration. Luckily our contacts Mike and Ben did a wonderful job getting students to the show, which was held in their dinning area. The show was hilarious, random, reference heavy and the place was jammed packed. We packed up the show quick, got on the road, grabbed some www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

It only took us three days to reach our first Super Wal-Mart trip and that is a record for even us.

Everybody knows this but Super Wal-Mart has everything: food, vision care, haircut, taxes, clothes, car care, $ 5 DVD’s (usually the movie Radio and Rudy), funny t-shirts that say “OMG LOL BFF” and an assortment of Jonas Brothers posters.

We have learned that it is pretty impossible for us to go into a Super Wal-Mart and not buy something. Today we had to go because Vanarky 4 needed an oil change. Oil changes are very common since we will put about 15,000-20,000 miles per semester! I give us an over under of 2 days before we hit our next Wal-Mart, for now my $3 Punisher cap and $10 National Treasure DVD will have to suffice until then. Impulse buys are brining back the economy.

Last night was pretty uneventful; we hung out played some poker (I lost a days worth of per diem, awesome). Most of the time we use our traveling days for catching up on personal stuff, new business, and writing.

Aaron spends his time trying to finish up a mini series he is creating. Frankie is editing some bits we filmed in the hotel. Adam is writing a series of sketches he wants to either put on stage or on video. Me, I am talking to my girlfriend and apologizing for not putting up the insulation on our windows.

Our apartment is freezing. Apparently our therapedic pillows are frozen and caused her a terrible neck ache last night. I am not even in Chicago and I am screwing up. She laughs it off and we both get an idea for a sketch of a couple causing harm to each other when not around.

February 2009, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, 41

cause we had to jet to a show at Blacks Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. Dang it, on the way to Spearfish, two of the cylinders in Vanarky shut down. This stupid van is so cocky and high maintenance. I am so mad I am thinking about breaking my diet coke resolution. I used to drink about oh 12 cans of diet coke a day, that is lab animal amount and that can’t be good. Take a breath, no worries, we will do the show and then take the van princess in so she can feel better.

Today we are performing at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.

This is one of our most frequent stops on tour. Laramie does a great job promoting us and we have such a great history with the school. Noon shows can be tough sometimes because of classes going on but Laramie comes out in force for MI. Our contact Kayla was truly great in getting us set up, feeding us, finalizing our tech and just being all around awesome.

One of the students Sara made an amazing poster with our logo and pictures of MI casts from previous years… it was truly an awesome sight.

We busted ass to get to Spearfish. Tomorrow we are going to have to spend a lot of time getting the van worked on before we head to Sheridan Wyoming. This sucks because the guys wanted to check out Mt. Rushmore and hit up the historic town of Deadwood. Are you happy now Vanarky?

You suck Our anger and frustration is short lived because we have a show to do at Black Hills State University. Cami and Sherry are the contacts at BHSU and they truly rock. MI has never been to this school but the auditorium was filled and the show was one of the best on this road trip. There was a student in the audience named Sam who must have had 4 Red Bulls because he was yelling out every suggestion known to a human. Sam was awesome; he was also BHSU outside linebacker on their football team so I was careful with my words.

Black Hills State, thank you. Actually thank you to every school we get to perform at. Performing keeps up ticking, you have no idea.

I had completely forgotten about the van because the show was so phenomenal.

Talking to the contacts and students after the show has become the best part about the MI show. For some of us in the group, college was not that long ago and it truly is the best time of your life. When talking to some of these students, you realize that they had the same worries as you did when in school like: I don’t like the major I’m in, Why is Twilight so popular, I want to travel abroad, I have no idea what I want to do when I graduate, I can’t believe the Real World show is still on, Will I pass this exam that is 80% of my grade even though is a not a true representation of how well I understand the material and who really cares what diminishing marginal utility is and why does my TA talk to me like a baby opening my first Christmas present? Hmm sorry for the tangential rant Well tomorrow we will deal with the van stuff.

Tonight the four of us are heading out to dinner to unwind, talk some shop and then do it all over again. Tomorrow is a different school, different town, different students but one aspect remains the same. We truly love what we and would not have it any other way. Oh wait I think there is another super Wal-mart ahead. I need to buy some laundry detergent and oh man they are selling a combo DVD of the Incredible Hulk and The Notebook? Can’t pass that odd pairing up… nope

The show was an absolute blast; the students were laughing at everything and being great participants. One of the students, Brad told us after the show that he would be attending Florida State University and hopefully pursuing improvisation. Good luck Brad, maybe a spot in Vanarky waits.

On a bad note, we could not stay and hang out and talk with the students for long be42, CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAZINE, February 2009

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com