A Tribute to Boyd
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Boyd Jones has been a mainstay to all of us involved in campus activities. This is our last hurrah as Boyd prepares to retire from Winthrop.
Jeffrey Tambor Goes To School 20 He was a staple on the “Larry Sanders Show” but you know him best from “Arrested Development.” He is a character actor known for his crazy comedic situations.
Michael Hingson Owes A Lot To His Dogs
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The Boy Who Loved BATMAN
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No one can better tell the tale of loyalty than a blind man and his dog during the World Trade Center attack. Michael loved Batman so much as a kid that when he grew up, he bought the rights to the name.
CATHARSIS PRODUCTIONS AND SEX SIGNALS 14
Catharsis is the nation’s leader in programs regarding sexual assault on campus including prevention training.
IT’S ALL INSIDE
From the Publisher Spanky Real Life
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Artist Report Cards 2014 Hot Speakers Matt Long
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RANDOM THOUGHTS & OTHER MINDLESS DRIBBLE Honoring The Best of The Best
Since 1992, CAM has been fortunate enough to have had the most honored and impressive awards for artists, agencies and campus programs in the country. The Reader’s Choice Awards have recognized many artists who have gone on to national attention in a variety of other platforms. The awards have highlighted some of the most distinguished agencies as well as college campuses with outstanding activities programs. But is has been infrequent that we have honored individuals who either are or have been the cream of the activities profession. The Campus Activities National Hall of Fame was developed by CAM to recognize these truly memorable in-
dividuals whose accomplishments made them worthy of this elite honor. Past recipients have included Mark & Robin Hellman (Group H Entertainment), Boyd Jones (Winthrop University), Del Suggs (Saltwater Music), Joey Edmonds (Joey Edmonds Presents), Craig Karges (Karges Productions), Lou Ross (Former NACA Assistant Director), and Erskine White (Catawba College). This year, we are accepting nominations for consideration for this prestigious award. Any campus, agency or artist may nominate. Along with your suggestion, please include a brief explanation as to why you feel this person is worthy of this honor. Please send all nominations for inclusion into the National Campus Activities Hall of
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Fame to me at kirby@cameopublishing.com Please be sure to include your name and the company or campus with whom you are affiliated. All nominations should be in our hands no later than March 5, 2014 at 11:59 pm. Regrettably, we can not accept mail or faxed nominations. All nominations will be checked for validity.
If there is someone whom you feel has made a significant impact on this market, now is the time give them the attention they deserve. - Kirby
OOPS: In The What’s Hot Section in
January, we misspelled Tom Varano’s name and the correct email for Endeavor is monica@endeavorentertainment.com
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Afterthoughts Of The Day SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - Ah, today was the day after Valentine's Day, when millions wake to discover that Cupid is a really lousy aim.
FRIDAY, MARCH 14 - Here’s a money saving tip for the students who can't afford to go to Florida this year for Spring Break: you can get pretty much the same effect by throwing up in a tanning booth. THURSDAY, MARCH 20 - Today was the first day of spring, so I did a major spring cleaning in my house. Feel awful; all this time we thought Grandpa was in Florida. TUESDAY, APRIL 15 – Sent in my taxes today. I always spray my return with perfume; considering what they are about to do to me I figure I might as well get them in the mood.
By Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA Spanky)
As my faithful readers know, I am a bit of a technophobe, resisting every advancement the digital age brings. Which is why it may come as a surprise, at least to me, that I have been hired to write and perform comedy for...the internet. I will be the head writer for TeamZinger.com, a website dedicated to making fun of every team in the NFL. To generate traffic to the site I was first hired to produce a daily video, an “afterthought” for each day of 2014. Writing 365 jokes was a daunting task, but I (and more importantly, my employer) am pleased with the results, which you can also enjoy daily by subscribing to the YouTube channel: “Afterthoughts Of The Day.” Here is a few samples from each month of the year. Enjoy! THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 – I still have not recovered from the New Years Eve party that was serving Red Bull and Vodka. What a perfect combination, so you can get hopelessly sick... without a chance of passing out.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 7 – I decided today to start group meetings at my house for people who have OCD, not because I have it, but surely one of them will be bothered enough to clean the place. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 - Last night I broke my nose in three places. It was my own fault. Momma told me to stay out of those places.
SATURDAY, APRIL 19 - Today was “National Husband Appreciation Day.” Life is balanced: half the girls are looking for husbands and half the husbands are looking for girls. TUESDAY, MAY 6 - Today was “International No Diet Day.” I tried a diet once where I mixed one ounce of Slimfast with two ounces of vodka. I lost eighteen pounds and my driver’s license.
TUESDAY, MAY 20 - I like really tall women. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out Amazon.com is not a porn site.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12 - Just to remind you it is time to get those Father's Day cards and gifts in the mail. (Always said it is a good thing Mother's Day comes first, otherwise Father's Day would just roll over and go to sleep.) MONDAY, JUNE 23 - Today I drove by a bar that had a sign out front that read: "TURTLE RACES ON TUESDAY." I'm thinking people just go to watch them crash.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 - I went to a very small high school. They taught Drivers Ed and Sex Ed in the same car. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 - Gentlemen, don't forget to ask your wife tomorrow if there is anything she wants to discuss before football season starts.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 - Tonight, my date told me she wanted to go to this new trendy restaurant that only serves "raw food." I told her that is not a restaurant, that's a grocery store.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19 - Thought I was going to get lucky tonight...Until my date ordered a "Gin & Platonic." WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22 – Today I discovered there are advantages to sleeping in the nude, for example, it's no trouble to get a blanket from the flight attendant. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1 – Today the salesman at the Mac Store said "This laptop will do half your work for you." I said "Wonderful, I'll take two."
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 - Are you like me? Do you look around the table at Thanksgiving and pray... you are adopted?
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18 - This Christmas, I’m going to get my belly button pierced. Just to hang mistletoe. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 – Today I discovered you can get kicked out of a mall for offering Santa fifty bucks for that list of who is naughty. Hope you’ll subscribe, know you’ll be glad if you do. Thanks everso!
MONDAY, JULY 14 - Today was “Bastille Day.” French people give me the crepes. SUNDAY, JULY 27 - Today was “Parent’s Day.” I won’t send a card. Because my parents used to beat me for wetting the bed...of course, I was standing on the dresser at the time.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 – Tonight I had a date with a ventriloquist. It was weird, she faked my orgasms.
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http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBlM1VzY z-3WNGJAcBYpXXQ
Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA “Spanky”) has been described as a “campus entertainment icon.” He has been voted “Campus Comic of the Year” (LaffGuru.com) and the “Campus Performer of the Year”. His credits include over 50 TV appearances, including: Showtime, Good Morning America, and The Late Show. He is represented by GP Entertainment.
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
BY ELAINE PASQUA
Prologue: Hooking Up with Your Audience;
A Guide for Sexual Awareness Programming
For the past 16 years I have been presenting programs on sexual health at campuses across the country. No topic arouses more attention and controversy than sex! I have been accused of everything from “slut shaming,” (new to me this year) to being way over the top. Many have showered me with standing ovations while others have walked out in the middle of the program. From working with the most liberal campuses to more conservative faith-based, I have been able to let it rip, while at others, I am walking on eggshells and have to watch every word I say.
The Pleasure of Sex
Sex, we love it! It feels wonderful, and provides physical and emotional benefits as well. Sex improves our sense of well-being. For women it increases estrogen, making the hair shinier and the skin healthier. Sex eases pain and tension. It reduces headaches, conges-
is a very intimate act, and it is most gratifying when you have an emotional connection with your partner. Talk about sex first. How fast do you want things to go, what type of protection should you use, what if things do go wrong, how will you handle that as a couple? Re-
tion and provides better sleep. It strengthens our immune system. A romp is comparable to a modest workout on a treadmill; great for cardio! Most importantly sex creates emotional bonding between partners.
member, if you can’t talk about sex with a person, you are not ready to share yourself with them physically! It is important to communicate and respect each other’s needs and comfort levels.
What has this taught me? I have to leave my Jersey girl behind!
When organizing a program that addresses sex it is important to learn the culture of your campus. How liberal or how conservative is your campus and the general student population? What is the comfort level of the administration? It can vary from geographic region, as well as campus to campus. What are the needs of your students? What are your goals? Do you want to shake things up a little and have fun, or do you want to provide a teachable moment on a topic that many are not comfortable with, in a respectful and tasteful way?
When hiring a sex speaker it is important to discuss the format of the program as well as the type of language, videos and “props” they might use. They should be willing to tailor the content for your comfort level. If not, look for another speaker. Remember, you will not be able to please everyone. Often the one person who is not happy will be the most vocal after the program. Don’t be discouraged by it. Develop a tough hide and remember that the majority of the students who remained silent loved the program. You provided an incredible service by organizing this program and educating others on a topic that is not often discussed with openness and honesty.
We live in a society where we are bombarded with sexual images…sex sells! Yet there is a Puritanical attitude where education is absent of sex-positive messages. We want to have fun, have a positive, pleasurable experience, and remain safe. Sex is one of the most powerful human behaviors; it can give life, dramatically alter your life and potentially take away your life. Let’s talk about healthy relationships.
What is the most important sexual organ? It is not between your legs, it’s the brain! Sex
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We often think about the physical and ignore the emotional component of sex.
How is this affecting the other person, what is going on in their head? Are both people walking away from the experience feeling good about themselves or is one feeling emotionally hollow and spent? While making love it’s good to check in with your partner; ask if he or she is comfortable. Also guide your partner, share what feels good and does not feel good. Open and honest verbal communication, www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
and mutual respect leads to an incredibly satisfying sexual experience.
Fewer partners decrease the chances of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STIs). You do have sexual options. The safest is to not engage in intercourse or oral sex where there is an exchange of bodily fluids. I have met many students who are choosing to postpone sex while waiting for a more meaningful relationship. You can be intimate by using creativity. Kissing for a long time, massage, and caressing are intimate and feel good.
The Centers for Disease Control stated that one of the most under-recognized health problems in the U.S. is the spread of sexually transmitted infections. We tend to gauge our sexual success by whether we get pregnant and don’t think about the impact of STIs on our health and intimate relationships. Twenty five percent of all people under the age of 21, and fifty percent under the age of 25 are infected with an STI. Remember, a night of unprotected sex can be life-altering to your health.
Sexually transmitted infections can have long terms effects on your health.
Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI seen in college health centers today. It is easily treated with antibiotics but only 25% of the females and 50% of the males show any symptoms. In the absence of symptoms people do not seek treatment. The bacteria travel through the reproductive organs, causing pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to sterility. The sterility rates in this country are increasing. Gonorrhea has the same effect. There is now a strain of Gonorrhea that is resistant to most antibiotics.
Then there’s herpes, the gift that keeps on giving! Herpes is a virus. It permanently settles in the central nervous system. Stress causes recurring outbreaks consisting of clusters of blisters that take 10 to 14 days to heal. The virus lives in the blisters. If you come in contact with them you will most likely become infected. This chal-
Speaking of oral sex…it is sex!
Unprotected oral sex leads to STIs of the throat. One can contract Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Herpes, Syphilis, HIV, and HPV. HPV has several strains. Some cause genital warts and others cervical cancer. HPV Strain 16, the same that causes cervical cancer, is responsible for twenty five percent of all cases of throat cancer, which is mostly occurring in men. For protection, a latex dental dam or plastic wrap should be placed on a female and a condom on a male. For the most comprehensive and reliable information on STIs, go to the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.
We put ourselves at risk for love because we don’t love ourselves enough. Many find their affirmation through the sexual attention of others. Find your affirmation from within, feel good about yourself. Then find the person who respects you
Students often mix alcohol with sex, which feeds into the hookup culture. Many believe that alcohol will loosen them up and improve sex. Alcohol in moderation can relax you, enhancing the sexual experience. Higher quantities of alcohol can lead to the loss of an erection as it dilates the arteries and it creates vaginal dryness. This is not a recipe for good sex! Many get wasted to the point where they are not thinking clearly and put themselves at risk. Annually 400,000 college students engage in unprotected sex as a result of consuming too much alcohol.
Many get caught up in the moment of pleasure and don’t practice safe sex. Others lack the confidence to communicate and negotiate it with their partner. ”Hey buddy, no glove no love!” If you engage in intercourse, a condom should be used every time regardless of what form of birth control is being used. Gauge your sexual success by whether you contract a sexually transmitted infection or not! It is important to read the directions on the box. Pinch one half of an inch of the tip of the condom between your index fingers and thumb to create a reservoir for collection of semen. Hold that tip until the condom is completely in place. This prevents the condom from breaking. In my 16 years of providing condom demonstrations I have found that most people put them on the incorrect way. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
lenges future relationships where one has to worry about infecting their partner. I’ve met students who struggled to tell a new partner that they had herpes, only to have that person back out of the relationship. One in four women and one in six men are infected with genital herpes.
Never kiss anyone who has a cold sore on their lips.
This is herpes 1. I spoke at a campus where a guy passed herpes on to many female students. He did not know that engaging in oral sex while experiencing an outbreak on the lip could infect his partners’ genitals.
for who you are and desires to bring you emotional and physical pleasure. Sex is fun; make the most of it through mutual communication, respect, creativity and being safe! Elaine Pasqua is a consultant to and a columnist for Campus Activities Magazine®. This column is also available in our digital edition at campusactivitiesmagazine.com For more information about this column, it’s subject matter or anything related to campus life, please feel free to contact Elaine at
elaine@elainepasqua.com
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I can’t begin to tell you how difficult it is to honor someone who has made such a mark in the field of Campus Activities. When I interviewed Boyd there was just so much to ask and so much to tell that it pains me to explain that these pages are nowhere near enough to celebrate the 33 years Boyd has given as a professional among us. While there are many celebrated acts, agents and even other activities professionals that have made their mark, not one of them can touch the genuine devotion to this industry that Boyd has lived and will leave behind when he retires this spring.
While The University of Tulsa (where he spent his earlier years with Larry Payton) and Winthrop University (where he spent 22 celebrated years) neither had what we would consider big budgets, he has delivered one award-winning activities board after another; he has discovered acts that were virtually unknown and helped move them toward national attention; he has played a major role in the development of Campus Activities Magazine and served in key positions with organizations dedicated with the enhancement and education in the field of student activities.
Known for his famous “high fives” and always with a big smile, he was consistently ready to tell you what he thought in an eloquent and disarming way and most of the time he was right. He was a champion of accord among the players in this industry and his Tennessee roots touted a morality and fairness rarely experienced in the entertainment sector. We started this interview with a Dolly Parton story and I would be woefully remiss if I didn’t share it with you:
Boyd With Natalie Stovall
“I had always wanted to meet Dolly Parton and in the back of my mind I just believed that one day that would be realized. When I was 50 years old, there was a woman that worked at Winthrop maybe a year, maybe a year and a half. I happened to mention one day that I always wanted to meet Dolly and she told me ‘My brother works for Brad Paisley.’ Well I put that in the back of my head and although that wasn’t helping me, it was interesting to know. Fast forward: About a year later Dolly and Brad did a duet. So I went back to her. I said what is your maiden name and she told me ‘Rogers.’ Well I happened to look at the CD and every single song said ‘produced by Frank Rogers.’ So I thought to myself, this is some big guy, not someone who just drove the bus. I went back to this lady and I said, ‘your brother worked on a CD that just won a Grammy for best collaboration for Brad and Dolly. I told her that Dolly was coming to Charlotte and I had tickets. Was there any way she could work something out with your brother so that I might meet her? Well Brad Paisley had become so big in Nashville and Frank was the guy over Brad and Darius Rucker, Trace Atkins and Josh Turner and he wasn’t returning her calls because he was just so busy. So I just thought it wouldn’t happen but then about 2:30 on the day of the show, she came into my office and said, ‘you are meeting Dolly Parton tonight at 7:30.’
“Five hours notice... but I didn’t have time to get THAT nervous. I was told to go to the merchandise table and wait at the very end for Michael, who had been her keyboard player for 15 years to find me. And sure to my friend’s word, he finds me and takes me back to see Dolly. She is sitting in front of a make-up mirror. I had decided not to plan it out
Boyd Honored by APCA with Lifetime Achievement Award
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because I didn’t want it to come out too stuffy. But when I met her I just blurted out, ‘Dolly Parton I have been waiting 50 years to give you a hug.’ and she looks at me as says, ‘Well let’s make it a big one then.’ I hugged her spinning her around. “We had the best time and we sat around and talked for maybe 10-15 minutes.The show started at 8pm and she was to be on for 2 1/2 hours. There was no opening act.
“I told her when I was a kid, I always wanted my mother to buy Breeze detergent because she advertised for it and as far as I know that is the only product she ever endorsed. Well as a true professional, she took my hand and tapped it on the top and said ‘you come back after the show and let me know what you thought.’ So, not only did I meet her once, I met her twice and she truly wanted to know what I liked and wanted different in the show.”
Boyd is a true Tennessean. He grew up in Columbia, TN on a farm 43 miles south of Nashville. “I was an only child and while some people think ‘only children’ are spoiled. Not on a farm. That just means if there is something to be done, there is only one choice. We didn’t have a huge farm but it was about 40 acres. It was a country community and as much as I loved it, I knew I wasn’t going to live there. I graduated from high school in 1976 and was voted ‘Most Helpful.’ “I had always wanted to attend the University of Tennessee but after visiting the campus, I was somewhat overwhelmed. Where I lived was about 20,000 people and UT had about 30,000 even then. Because I had grown up as part of a community church, some of the kids were going to Harding
Boyd, Tom Faessel, David Coleman and Greg Diekroeger
www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
NACA SE
By W.C. Kirby, Publisher Campus Activities Magazine® BOYD & THE DSU WINTHROP ACTIVITIES BOARD
Honors Boyd
Boyd with NBC’s Chuck Todd
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Boyd & Winthrop Baseball
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University, about six hours away in Arkansas. My family set up a time for my parents and I to get a campus tour and we met this great lady, Rose Wilson who worked in Admissions. She could not have been nicer. I ended up being there for five years and there was not one week that went by that I did not visit with Rose. I probably had 50 meals at her house and I get cards and letters from Rose to this day.” Boyd was on the program board at Harding for four years.
“My first job was at The University of Tulsa working for Larry Payton in 1981. I was Larry’s assistant and two or three years into my job there, Larry became chair of the Board at NACA. So I got to meet people like Kevin Fahey, Sara Boatman and Jimmy Ferguson. Because they often had meetings at the chair’s campus, I got to know all these people and more. It was a time when hypnotism was also blossoming in the campus market and I got to meet Tom DeLuca and Gil Eagles before him. I connected with a lot of people who helped me in my campus activities journey.
whom he had worked before and pretty soon a schedule was in the works.
“Winthrop had previously been an all women’s college and the biggest hurdle was getting over the suitcase campus designation. I was told that people didn’t come to events because they went home every weekend. Those that didn’t had the clubs in Charlotte at their disposal. I had some work cut out for me. I had been here only a week when I was invited to the president’s house for a dinner meeting. He told me he wanted to see events every Friday and Saturday night. Most of the other people I talked with thought this was insane because we had a hard time attracting attendance during the week. But, we immediately started doing events on the weekend and have
“Then Larry started his own company. The way things worked out, I got Larry’s office and a small increase in pay but there were no funds for an assistant so I was pretty much doing everything.
“I was at Tulsa eleven years and loved the area and the work. We were the smallest Division 1 school in the country. But then the school’s president died. He was never heavily involved in our activities program but he let us alone and let us do our job. The university did a search and found this young guy, Michael Davis, who could not have been nicer and more supportive. He came in July, got sick and died by November of pancreatic cancer. The university had to re-group and do a search which resulted in hiring someone who was totally different. I am sure he was a nice person but an academic egghead. He didn’t see the need for sports, theater and other departments. I lost $67,000 in one day for activities because the library needed more books. He didn’t understand the need for Greek Life. He didn’t understand these were people who came back for activities and supported athletics and donated to the school.
“ I saw the handwriting on the wall and every two or three weeks one of my colleagues was losing their job. I told every artist that came to Tulsa if they knew of any other campuses looking for an activities professional, let me know. Rick Miller called me and told me of an opening at a small school in South Carolina. I applied and got an interview at Winthrop. I fell in love with the area and one of the perks was that you can get Sun Drop there.” Boyd moved to Winthrop in 1992 and arrived a few days before they opened the residence halls. Nothing had been booked. He immediately started calling acts and agencies with
been doing so every since. Tom DeLuca comes during our Welcome Week and has been our only hypnotist each year until we decided to also bring in Sailesh in Spring 2013. This Spring (2014), we're bringing Chris Jones.
“We have tried to establish a history with artists here at Winthrop. We don’t have the biggest budget, but they become our friends and we treat them right. Sometimes I can’t get an artist at the beginning of a semester because they can get a better price somewhere else, but they will often use us when they have an open date and many of them have been coming here for years at the same price or close to the same price. We send them notes ahead of time to tell them how much we anticipate their coming. We leave notes at their hotel to make them feel more at home. We put a star on their dressing room door. We take them out to a unique local place for dinner after the show. And after they leave we send them notes to tell them how much we enjoyed having them.”
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“But things are changing. The conferences are not as important to my students for buying artists. I don’t think the best way to put a schedule together is to go to a bunch of showcases and book lots of artists because your student body has no clue who they are. Our students are into YouTube and I had resisted but they finally convinced me to bring in a guy from Greenville who was a YouTube sensation. I never dreamed it would have worked but he came in with his mother, father and grandparents when he performed and every seat was filled. He was good and not all that expensive. He didn’t even have an agent – I dealt with his dad. Another thing that has been good for us has been some of the contestants on these network music shows. We have gotten several at very good prices and they drew excellent crowds. WHAT’S NEXT: “I’ve worked since I was 16, so when I leave Winthrop, I am going to take some time to reflect. I won’t move right away but I will go back and visit Harding University and the University of Tulsa. I’ve never been to Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon and I want to go there. I am a huge Saint Louis Cardinals fan, so I want to go to a home game in the new Busch Stadium.
“I would love to work at Dollywood... like the Mayor of Dollywood who walks around and talks to visitors and fans. I think I could be a great PR person for both Dolly and the park. The reason I am not exploring that right now is I need to unwind and take some time for me and because I am a single person, it will be easier. I don’t just do this job at Winthrop, I am totally into many activities at Winthrop. I go to home men and women's basketball, softball , baseball, volleyball and lacrosse games as I love supporting my Winthrop Eagles . If one of my kid’s is in a play, I go to the play. I just don’t know how to do this job unless I put in 150%. I am part of this community. But as much as I love my life, I am ready to decompress and start over.” And after the decompression? “I want to work and live in the Smoky Mountains. I would love to work at Dollywood , the Smoky Mountain Opry or something in Gatlinburg...even the Dollywood Resort that is coming soon. I eventually want to live in Nashville. I have a lot of friends from high school, college and performers that have ended up in Nashville. I would just continue to go to all the employment offices for the theaters and attractions. I don’t want to be a popcorn vendor but I think I would be an excellent ambassador. For 33 years, Boyd has been at the forefront of campus activities and the campus market. While we all will miss him, we wish him luck in whatever the next step in his life will be. High Five!
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“Catharsis Productions reduces interpersonal violence by producing artistically innovative and research-supported programming that challenges oppressive attitudes, transforms behavior and inspires communities to create a world without violence.” There is no doubt that Catharsis Productions and its flagship program, “Sex Signals,” have not only become wildly successful in the campus and military markets, but have made great strides toward accomplishing their mission statement as listed above.
Almost 15 years after its initial inception from the ideas of two friends around a couple of cups of coffee, the company has grown from a pair of inspired souls to over a dozen support staff and three dozen fulltime presenters that are projected to deliver over 2500 presentations in 2014. This projection includes not only “Sex Signals,” the leading live professionally produced sexual assault prevention program in existence, but also several new programs complementing the original. Several of the key employees of the company speak with Campus Activities Magazine about their founding and enormous growth, including Dr. Gail
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Stern and Christian Murphy, who have been working on this project since it was just the seed of an idea. The two met when each of their one-person plays were nominated as the best plays of a Chicago-based theater’s comedy one-act play festival. “Gail’s skills and experience make her kind of a unicorn. There’s no one like her. When we met, she was a rape crisis counselor during the day at a local university, but a stand-up comic at night. Her one-act was ostensibly a 45-minute stand-up routine that addressed sexism. I was immediately floored by Gail’s extraordinary ability to merge very serious social issues with a fierce www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
sense of humor that engaged audiences, especially men, in discussions about issues you would think they’d have no interest in. I remember one guy wearing some fraternity letters on his t-shirt leaving after a show saying to his buddy. ‘Damn, I think I’m now a feminist!’”
The two became close friends. “Both of us had people very close to us that had been impacted by sexual assault while in college,” Christian says. “Over a couple of cups of coffee, a lot of food, and a notepad, Gail and I started writing a show together. We talked about the different challenges and anxieties men and women face in gender roles stereotypes, dating, www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
and the way men and women are taught to interact. We knew it was important to challenge the inclination of some people to mislabel an act of sexual assault as some sort of miscommunication or just a bad date. We also felt the best way of reaching an audience not interested in a presentation on sexual assault was to at first strategically use humor and audience interaction. Once the audience felt more comfortable with the program, we would focus more candidly on non-stranger rape (also known as “acquaintance rape”).” The strategy worked. Within a few years, “Sex Signals” was being hosted at almost a hundred colleges annually. Since then,
interest in “Sex Signals” has grown beyond the college market to the military. Several versions of “Sex Signals” have been adapted for each branch of the military, in order to keep the message relevant and accessible for each specific audience. The company has also utilized the most recent research on sexual violence to support and refine its messaging. For instance, although the tone and much of the structure of Sex Signals has remained the same, a greater emphasis has been put on the role bystanders can play when witnessing a situation that may be leading to sexual violence. It is this call to action that inspired the company to
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create a new mascot for bystander intervention they playfully named, “Blocktopus” and talk about in the most recent version of the presentation.
While the Catharsis brand and its success on campuses and military installations has been built on the back of “Sex Signals,” the company knew early on that.it would take more than “one ring to rule them all.” Gail explains further. “We have always believed that there should be multiple reinforcing programs at any one college or installation. For a long time, we only had the time and resources to get “Sex Signals” out there but we had always made recommending other complementary programs a part of our practice. We believe, and the research supports this, that it takes multiple messages and a lot of reinforcement of key content to make the message stick. In addition to that, for many students and military folks, there are some voices they are more likely to hear and receive messages from than others. While one program may work, another may not, which is why you can’t say good programming in this area can a one shot deal.” Once the team had the time and resources to start building these comple-
mentary programs in-house, they made sure to do it in such a way as to maximize their effectiveness. “When we were adapting programs to go out along with “Sex Signals,” we were trying to think of which one would go first—scaffold the concepts from basic to more comprehensive. We wanted to build the ideas so they made the most sense for our audiences.”
Catharsis Productions’ Director of Program Development, Heather Imrie, designed the company’s follow-up program, “The HookUp”, as a means to continue the conversation beyond the discussions generated during “Sex Signals.” Gail adds, “Heather designed “The Hook-Up” to fill that gap, where it provides an opportunity for audiences to have a more in-depth conversation about the hook-up culture and the myths surrounding it. There are many students, airmen, soldiers and pretty much everyone else who are confused about what a good hook-up is versus a bad one, which is also often confused with rape. That is a great way to really explore the topics after they’ve had an overview with Sex Signals.” Like Gail, Heather has run a campus-based victim advocacy and prevention education program; her years of experience make “The Hook-Up” as relevant and as vital as “Sex Signals.”
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Such mutually reinforcing programs have already produced remarkable results in some places. Since 2012, a combination of “Sex Signals,” a Navy version of “The Hook-Up,” and other sexual assault prevention programs have been delivered on a weekly basis to incoming student Sailors at Great Lakes Naval Station. By 2013, anonymous reports of rape have dropped by more than 60% at the Naval Station.
The company offers other follow-up programs like “Beat the Blame Game” and “The Canary in the Mineshaft” that continue to build on the original content, drawing attention to the ways in which our culture may indirectly support sexual violence and giving audiences the skills to combat those corrosive messages and behaviors. Catharsis Productions is also designing an online bystander intervention program to give individuals the opportunity to practice intervening. (A demo of this can be found on their website.) Gail suggests, “This way we can keep amplifying the knowledge we have provided initially and extend it out. That is really the direction we are trying to head now.” When “Sex Signals” was first performed, the presenters were Christian and Gail. Now, there are over 30 presenters travwww.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
eling the country at any one time delivering not only the original program to campuses and military service members, but many of the other complimentary programs as well.
Ben Murrie has been with the company for over 10 years when hired originally to serve as the second male presenter and eventually replaced Christian. “I fired myself when as a presenter in “Sex Signals” when I got too old and started looking more like a creepy professor than a student.” Christian jokes, who now serves as the Executive Director.. In the meantime, Ben continued to perform until he was brought on as Director of Program Management in 2010. “Gradually as we expanded our reach I got increasingly interested in the educational aspect as opposed to the performance aspect.” Ben says. “While I still enjoy performing, I knew I wanted to be doing a little more thinking and planning than just acting.”
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Ben went back for a graduate degree in educational psychology to complement his undergraduate degree in psychology. He has since seen the enormous growth of the company. “I moved to Chicago and we have grown quite a bit in that time in terms of our outreach with Sex Signals. We are not only doing college campuses at an ever-increasing rate but we are also an instituted part of the Army’s basic training now as well as a big part of the Navy, Marines and Air Force’s efforts at various times. We have also been able to open up multiple programs to help along the Sex Signals program, including the ‘Got Your Back’ program, part of the Army’s efforts to eradicate sexual assault.” Brian Golden has been with Catharsis for almost eight years and was in the trenches with helping to handle the explosive growth of the company. “During that time the amount of presenters increased from six or seven to 19 or 20. I was the person training most of those people. About a year and a half ago I became more enthusiastic about the opportunity to help on the writing side of the equation.” Brian now
co-edits the Catharsis blog, the scribbling, which is a perfect way to continue the conversation after the performance itself is done. “We have really found that to be a great way to bring new value to the interested audience.” As the company continues to grow, Brian is instrumental in helping develop new programs for new needs as well. “These will be the future iterations to tour colleges and military over the next several years. It is quite an exciting time in our project’s development.”
Your students are at an exciting time in their lives as well; bring in the experts at Catharsis Productions to help challenge oppressive attitudes, transform behavior and inspire your community to create a world without interpersonal violence. And they might even have fun doing it along the way. For more information, go to www.catharsisrpoductions.com. They are represented by Bass/Schuler Entertainment who can be contacted at (773) 481-2600. s
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While Jeffrey Tambor’s name may not be commonly known in every household, his face is certainly a staple of multiple generations of TV and movie goers (he has 182 imdb credits 1977present). He’s best known for his parts in the cult classic “Arrested Development” and as Sid Garner in “The Hangover” series as well as his role in “The Larry Sanders Show” on HBO (which may be a bit early for this audience to remember but worth checking out).
Jeffrey has faced some daunting odds throughout his career, from dealing with alcoholism, family tragedy and overcoming other obstacles, he teaches students that anything is possible and no one should overlook their dreams.
With an extensive background as a teacher, he has the ideal experience to impart a message to college students and sits down with Campus Activities Magazine to discuss his program. “People come up to me afterward and say ‘I had no idea you did this!’ It just sort of happened to me,” he says. “They ask me why I was doing this and I think it’s because I am just trying to be useful. I have been a teacher for about 40 years in acting, but what most people in the college world don’t know is that I taught there as well. I taught www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
speech, theater and acting at Wayne State University for some time. I am very familiar with the academic world and I love it.”
A large part of Jeffrey’s talk is about achieving one’s dreams and life not being a dress rehearsal, and he cites his story as a real world example of just how that can be accomplished. “I was headed in a direction I shouldn’t have been,” he says. “I wanted to be an actor but I found myself in the academic world and it finally hit me ‘What am I doing here?!’ It was fun and I loved my students but it wasn’t what I really yearned to do.”
He began touring in regional theater and eventually made his way to New York and Broadway. “My first movie was ‘...And Justice For All’ with Al Pacino and from there all heck broke loose. I’ve had a pretty good shake of it since then.”
Jeffrey’s career has been interesting because it has kept him quite current. Even the college age folks of today will recognize him. “The young ones seem to know me because of this project called ‘Arrested Development’ which is very popular in that demographic. Here’s this guy they know as ‘Pop Pop’ from the show
talking to them about life goals, but it is a very humorous evening. I try to keep it light and very fun.”
The response from the show has been all around fantastic for Jeffrey, even if it’s a little hard to slap a simple label on. “People ask what it’s about. They ask ‘Is it about happiness?’ I say ‘I don’t know, I’m the son of Russian/Hungarian Jewish parents, so I don’t know a lot about happiness (laughs). It’s about being effective in the world...it’s about talking to young kids who are just about to graduate about getting their dream done. Never settle. I have so many people who I have taught over the years who have succeeded, when they kept at it! Most people stop, most settle and that’s a tragedy. Don’t opt for more comfortable rooms, I am opposed to that and that’s what my talk is about. It’s about my pitfalls, I am not speaking from some high pedestal, it is very much about the mistakes I made in my life and how they can be learned from. I am very, very candid about that, and there are lots of laughs.” For more information on bringing Jeffrey Tambor to your campus, contact Flip Porter at American Program Bureau (800) 225-4575 or fporter@apbspeakers.com
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On September 11, 2001, Michael Hingson and his guide dog Roselle made it 77 floors down the World Trade Center after it had been attacked. He now speaks internationally to audiences of all kinds on topics of trust, teamwork, leadership, diversity and inclusion.
Although well-schooled on topics of overcoming challenges and diversity as someone blind from birth, Michael didn’t set out on his initial career path to become a public speaker. “My college training is in physics with a master’s degree from the University of California at Irvine but my first job out of college was working for an organization called the National Federation of The Blind, which is the largest organization of blind people in the country. It is a social action advocacy organization.” Eventually after a few moves Michael had difficultly finding a job. (There is a widespread problem with employers holding the false notion that the blind are somehow less capable than seeing people. The Social Security Administration seems to back
this up with a figure of over 70% of the blind being listed as unemployed). “I couldn’t find a job and actually had interviews denied to me because I was blind. So, I decided to start my own company selling computerized design systems to architects. PC based CAD systems were pretty revolutionary by that time in 1985. After four years I sold the company and went back into the workforce. I worked for that company for seven years before I was moved to New York to open an office in The World Trade Center on the 23rd floor of Tower Two. I was recruited away to another company to open an office which happened to be on the 78th floor of Tower One of The World Trade Center. That is where I was on 9/11 and of course was able to get out.” Michael has been using guide dogs since he was 14 and was on his fifth one during the September 11th disaster. “A guide dog doesn’t do what most people think; the dogs don’t lead blind people around, it’s a team effort. The dog’s job is to keep the blind person safe while they’re walking, but I’m
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the one that has to tell the dog where to go step by step.” It’s a great illustration of the spirit and technique of true cooperation and is a message that translates well to both college and corporate audiences. Once Michael and Roselle were able to get out of Tower 1, the media caught wind of his story and he has since been seen on CNN’s “Larry King Live” multiple times and on the Discovery Channel, CBS, NBC, ABC, Animal Planet, Hallmark Channel, FOX News and more. Bring him to your campus for you students to get a first hand lesson in adaptability, determination, teamwork and inclusion of all kinds of people no matter their background or physical differences. For more information, contact Kirkland Productions at (866) 769-9037 or booking@kirklandproductions.com
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773.481.2600 (PH) 773.481.2601 (FX)
VOTE FOR US FOR 2014 BEST COMEDY ARTISTS AT campusactivitiesmagazine.com/awards.php 2013 ENTERTAINERS OF THE YEAR
INFO@BASS-SCHULER.COM www.MissionIMPROVable.com
YOUR GUIDE TO AMERICA’S BEST ARTIST RATINGS THE RATING SYSTEM: 5= EXCELLENT 4= VERY GOOD 3= AVERAGE 2= FAIR 1= POOR
If you want to know how good an act might be that you plan on booking, just ask another campus where they have played. Here are current reports from our readers. All ratings here had complete verifiable information and were signed by the reviewer. All reports must have been submitted by the school where the date was played. These reports are comprised of reports electronically submitted on our web site. Reports MAY NOT be submitted by the artist or their agency. ALL REPORTS MUST BE SUBMITTED ON OUR WEBSITE AT: http://www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com/arc/ THERE IS A DIRECT LINK TO THE REPORT FORM ON THE HOME PAGE. HERE ARE THE CATEGORIES FOR THE RATINGS FOUND AFTER THE BUYER’S NAME AND PLAY DATE: (1) ORIGINALITY; (2) ARTIST’S ABILITY; (3) RELATIONSHIP TO THE AUDIENCE; (4) COOPERATION / ATTITUDE; (5) ROAD CREW / MANAGEMENT; (6) AGENCY COOPERATION; (7) PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS PROVIDED. Campus Reports listed in RED indicate the buyer reported a perfect score in all categories that applied to their campus performance for that artist or event. ATTENDANCE (When Available) AND THE LOCATION ON CAMPUS WILL FOLLOW THE PERFORMANCE DATE. THESE RATINGS REPRESENT ACTUAL SHOWS REPORTED BETWEEN OCTOBER 1 AND OCTOBER 25, 2013 sssss INDICATES A PERFECT SCORE FROM FIVE (5) OR MORE SCHOOLS WITH NO SCORE LESS THAN A 5
COMEDY
ADAM GRABOWSKI Auburn Moon Agency
Central Ohio Technical College, Newark, OH 10/21/13 30 Warner Center 5555555 Adam is a carefree, no worries type of performer. Very easy to work with and a great show for the students! Students were talking about his act over the next few days and still laughing at his jokes. I would definitely recommend! Holly Mason, Asst Director of Student Life Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 10/23/13 80+ Pirate's Cove 5555555 The event was amazing! A lot of people came out to the event and there were people going around and asking when the event was so that they knew when to attend. People said that Adam was hilarious and that we should bring him back again. They liked his down to earth feeling and felt like he was really cool. He got along with the students very well and was great to work with. He definitely deserves the title of best comedian for college campuses from how his show went and from how he acted with the students. We'll definitely bring him back again! Jhaelyn Arteaga, Coffee House Chair Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science, Paul Smiths, NY 10/26/13 70 College 5555-55 Adam is one of the funniest comedians we've had on this campus. Adam was easy to work with and a lot of fun to hang with before the show even started. Definitely worth booking. Chris Fleming, Pres Student Activities Council
Nazareth College, Rochester, NY 12/05/13 75 Colies Cafe 5555435 This was the best event of the semester at Naz! Adam had everyone laughing and was a great guy to work with. We had the highest attendance so far and are really looking forward to
having him back sometime soon. #bananahammock Ahren Henby, Live@Naz Chairperson ADAM MAMAWALA Sophie K. Entertainment
University of New Haven, West Haven, CT 08/31/13 300 Auditorium 4455555 Adam was a pleasure to work with. This is the second year in a row that we brought him to campus for our Welcome Week. Both years were fantasic! Kirsten Ellison, Coord of Student Activities BARRY ROTHBART Kirkland Productions
University of Delaware, Newark 12/18/12 38 Perkins Scrounge 1125-4Geena Hoffner, DE
Walsh University, North Canton, OH 11/08/13 250 Cecchini Center 3324-5Overall, I think it was a rough show for Barry. While the students did laugh at times, it didn't go over well. To be honest, I think Barry went too far and was too much for our students (content wise). I explained our student population clearly beforehand and I think he needed to take more of this into consideration when selecting content. I asked for a "NACA like" or like your "Conan performance" related to content- but we got the HBO version or late night comedy club version. Overall, the show did not match his NACA performance. Barry was kind to the student volunteers and did arrive on time. Michael Koluch, Assist. Dean of Students GEOFF KEITH Neon Entertainment
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA 12/06/13 100 Kehr Union Ballroom 5555-5Rob Rowinski, Special Events Chair
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GINA BRILLON Sophie K. Entertainment
Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 09/26/13 25 University Union Grand Ballroom 4555554 Gina was so fun to have on campus. She is very easy going and seemed to really connect with the crowd even though we did not have very high attendance at the program. Gina and Vlad did something especially fun when they took a group photo with everyone who attended and created an Instagram video of the crowd. I had a great experience working with Gina and would encourage any and every other school to bring her to campus! GINA YASHERE Kirkland Productions
Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 11/15/13 150+ McCombs Campus Center 5555-5Gina was great to work with, our students highly enjoyed her show! Jason Chapman, Assist Dir of Student Activities JESUS TREJO KP Comedy
Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Port Arthur, TX 11/13/13 50 Student Center Homecoming event 5555555 Jesus was a pleasure to work with. He is very cooperative and interacted well with the students. Claire Thomason, Director of Student Activities LARRY OMAHA Artists West Entertainment
Georgia Highlands College-Cartersville Campus, Cartersville, GA 11/07/13 60+ Student Center 4435-55 Larry was great to work with and he put on a great show! Students, faculty, and staff loved him! Megan Youngblood, Student Life Coordinator
Georgia Highlands College-Paulding, Dallas, GA 11/11/13 25 Classroom 5555-5Larry was great. He really involved the students and was receptive to his audience. Lyric Sprinkle, Student Life Coordinator Roane State Community College, Harriman, TN 11/19/13 50 Princess Theater 5555-44 Sarah Hooper, Coodinator MIKE E. WINFIELD AND SAMMY OBEID Kirkland Productions
Siena College, Loudonville, NY 11/09/13 100 SSU 240 5555-55 Mike E Winfield was wonderful to work with. His show was fantastic and appropriate for our college. Mike even stayed after the show to talk to students and to take pictures. He was a great artist and his comedy was hilarious. Our students are still talking about his show a week later. Lauren Dougherty, Assoc Dir of Student Activ MISSION IMPROVABLE sssss Bass/Schuler Entertainment
Bradley University, Peoria, IL 11/25/12 50+ Ballroom 4445443 They were great and super easy to work with, really enjoyed it! Helen Lagerblade, ACBU Performing Arts Coordinator Baker College of Allen Park, Iola,KS 10/14/13 70 College 4455455 Ryan Bilderback, Director of Student Life
Cloud County Community College, Concordia, KS 10/15/13 75 Homecoming week Activity 5555555 They were amazing the Student are wanting them back for next year. Carleen Nordell, Director of Student Activities
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Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, NY 10/19/13 119 McDonald Lecture Hall 5555555 Caz loves MI!!! The guys were great and met with our Improv club on campus. They gave our students great pointers and helped build their skill set. We would love to bring these guys back for their other show, Shot of Reality! Victoria Sokolowski, Campus Prog Coordinator Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, PA 11/02/13 30+ Gemmell MPR 5555555 This event was more than awesome! Shelby Ehrin, Student Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11/05/13 70 Adelphi University 5555-55 Hannah Chambers, Entertainment Chair of Student Activities Board
Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO 11/22/13 75 Houston Center for the Performing Arts 5555555 I love how they went above and beyond to try to get more students to come to the event. Anthony Maly, Campus Activities Coordinator MURDER MYSTERY Bass/Schuler Entertainment
Concordia University-Wisconsin, Mequon, WI 10/30/13 106 Concordia University 2345552 We started off with 106 people in attendance looking forward to the "murder mystery" which we were told was going to be like the game of clue but with real people, so students were expecting that. It was not at all what we thought, and we ended up with only 40 people at the end because everyone else got up and left. Sheila Cotton, Interim Coordinator of Campus Activities NBC'S STAND UP FOR DIVERSITY W/ GINA BRILLON & VALDIMIR CAAMANO
Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10/15/13 65+ Fordham University - McGinley Center Ballroom 5555-55 Mr. Caamano was a very great act. We could not have had someone more relatable to our audience. Extremely funny and overall great person. We are glad to have had him perform on our campus. Ramon Cabral, President - El Grito de Lares University of New Haven, West Haven, CT 11/14/13 50+ Germen Club 5555555 The comedian name isn't appearing, we had Vladimir Caamano come to our campus in November. Vladimir was funny and everyone enjoyed his show. Sylvana, Scope
Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ 12/12/13 30+ Performing Arts Center 4555--4 Vlad was, and continues to be, a hysterical and entertaining comedic act. Initially meeting him at NACA Nationals, it was decided that he would be a fit. He was very funny, and his performance was great-I look forward to an opportunity to see him again! Jimmy Farney, Secretary, Student Life Board SAMMY OBEID KP Comedy
California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA 11/13/13 37 Performance Center 3343-54 Show was good...Sammy was very easy to work with and it was a pleasure to have him on campus. Robert O'Neill, SAB Evenings Program Chair STEVE GILLESPIE KP Comedy
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 11/12/13 250 Hendrix Theatre
3234452 J Janak, Student Activities and Assessment THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING! Kirkland Productions
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 11/14/13 60+ Gifford Auditorium - Huntington Beard Crouse Hall 5555555 Bushra Kabir, President of Muslim Students' Association VLADIMIR CAAMANO Sophie K. Entertainment
Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 09/26/13 25 University Union Grand Ballroom 4555554 It was so great to work with Vlad. We had a great time all the way from picking him up at the airport in Peoria to hanging out before and after the show with the students. Even though we did not have a huge turn out at the event, the audience really loved the show. Gina and Vlad did something especially fun when they took a group photo with everyone who attended and created an Instagram video of the crowd. I would definitely recommend Vlad to any school looking for a great comedian. He was great! Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 10/25/13 50+ University Union 5555-55 Eric Prochnow, Marketing Specialist Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12/06/13 25 Vassar College 5555-43 Katie Duarte, Poder Latin@ Co-Community Relations Chair
MUSIC
BALL IN THE HOUSE DMS, Inc.
University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 10/30/13 302 Student Union Starbucks 555555Ball in the House was acca-awesome! They had the crowd up and dancing at in our Starbucks! Super interactive show for everyone in attendance. They were great to work with and extremely nice! Holly K. Pilcavage, GA-RHPB BONNIE PIESSE Degy Entertainment
University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 11/12/13 226 Student Union Starbucks 555555Bonnie was an absolute delight! She was such a sweetheart with a beautifully powerful voice! Holly K. Pilcavage, GA-RHPB JASON LEVASSEUR Bass/Schuler Entertainment
University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 11/05/13 375 Student Union Ballroom 555555Jason was the emcee for SAMS Rock Alike event this year. He was hilarious, extremely personable and easy to work with, and his music was amazing! He helped our entire event to flow seamlessly from beginning to end. Holly K. Pilcavage, GA-RHPB
VARIETY
CHRISJONES Bass/Schuler Entertainment
East Georgia College, Swainsboro, GA 11/19/13 200 LFG Auditorium 5555554 Hypnotist chrisjones is amazing. He's the only performer we have ever booked more than once, because as soon as his show is over the
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students start asking for him to come back. He's absolutely hilarious, and his hypnotism DEFINITELY works (sometimes almost too well!). We will continue to have him back every year, and our students, staff, and faculty already can't wait for his next show! Taylor Edenfield, Asst. Director of Student Life Kishwaukee College, Malta, IL 12/04/13 75+ Student Lounge 5555555 Allison von Ende, Coord of Student Activities
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA 12/06/13 60+ Trax 4555555 Chris helps promote his show -- and engages students we don't often see at events. He runs with the track team and does teasers in the cafeteria. He is a natural when it comes to relating to students. Brent, Dir Stu Act CHRISTOPHER CARTER Bass/Schuler Entertainment
Colorado Mountain College-Leadville, Leadville, CO 10/24/13 35 Climax Gym room 401 5544-44 Christie Hofmockel, Coord of Student Activities Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL 10/31/13 250 Jobe Lounge 5555-55 Christopher Carter was awesome!! Everyone was really into his show. Michael Rico, Pres of Programming Board
Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL 11/05/13 150+ Center Bridge 4555-55 Christopher Carter always blows students away...they are walking away wondering how that just happened. Always a crowd pleaser and a staple program at JJC...he's been coming here for years and we never tire of his show! Pam Dilday, Director of Student Activities Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL 11/16/13 50 Mohr Student Center 5555555 The best college mentalist on the market right now. Patrick Doggett, Assistant Director
Highland Community College, Highland, KS 11/18/13 275 Culbertson Auditorium 5555555 I have seen Christopher Carter four different times now and every single show he seems to amaze me! He is great to bring onto campus and puts on a great show! Tyler Nordman, Director of Student Life
Quincy University, Quincy, IL 11/22/13 100 Student Center Main Dining Room 5555-55 Christopher Carter is a hit every time he comes to our campus. He interacts well with the audience. Crystal Sutter, Director of Events CRAIG KARGES Karges Productions
University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, WI 10/26/13 500 Markee Crossing 5555555 A great show for Family Weekend. We have had numerous parent positive evaluations. Artist was ultra prepared and even arrived early/ontime. Outstanding connection with the audience. Provided a positive show and message. David M. Nevins, Dir. of Campus Activities Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ 10/28/13 250+ Yavapai College Performing Arts Center 5555-55 Craig is a consummate professional from initial contact, promo materials to his dinner time teaser and his show! He provides an astounding performance that thoroughly engages the audience! It is wonderful in this day and age to be able to provide a family friendly show of such wonderful quality. Craig is so very person-
able and truly loves what he does! He mesmerized and wowed us with his incredible abilities and leaves you wondering, “How does he DO that!” I have had audience members calling for more! We will definitely bring Craig back next year! Bob hoskovec, Director of Student Life
Saint John Fisher College, Rochester, NY 10/29/13 100 Basil 135 5555555 Craig was amazing! He was very personable and great with the audience! He wasn't a disappointment! Sarah Ziolkowski, Novelty Coordinator
Rollins College, Winter Park, FL 11/02/13 100 Campus 5555555 This was an incredible show! People were amazed by Craig's work and continue to talk about how shocked they were by his work. Craig's love for his work can be seen throughout his show. A truly incredible performance this was the second time we brought him to campus! Julia Galmarini, Director of Campus Activities DANIEL MARTIN Bass/Schuler Entertainment
Bluffton University, Bluffton, OH 10/10/13 280 Bluffton University Founders Hall 5555-55 Daniel Martin was FANTASTIC! I was blown away by his personality from the first phone call and the momentum did not die, ever. I highly recommend Daniel as a person and performer Neil Macke, Homecoming Committee DR. JIM WAND Wand Enterprises
Luther College, Decorah, IA 10/11/13 650+ Auditorium 5555554 Dr Wand is a campus favorite year after year. His performances are always full of energy and professionalism. He is a true pleasure to work with. Emma Hartmann, Co- Chair Student Activities Committee FREDERICK WINTERS Bass/Schuler Entertainment
Franklin College, Franklin, IN 11/05/13 275 Auditorium 555555Natalie Brewster, Coordinator of Greek Life and Activities JONATHAN BURNS Fresh Variety
North Central Texas College, Gainesville, TX 10/17/13 40 Indoors 5455--3 Daisy Garcia, Director of Student Life
Illinois College, Jacksonville, IL 11/02/13 238 Gymnasium 5555555 Jonathan is hilarious! He did great for our Family Day performance and everyone children to adults thought he was great! Brianna Klein, Special Events Chair University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 11/20/13 344 Student Union Ballroom 555555Jonathan was a riot! His awkward humor had the crowd roaring and his act was silly beginning to end. Loved working with him! Holly K. Pilcavage, GA-RHPB JONATHAN FROST Chilling Entertainment
Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT 10/26/13 110 Barone Campus Center Lower Level 4435554 Show was a little late at night so attendance was not as high as anticipated. Yet good showing of audience. Performance started slow but as it went on, the performance got better and better and entertained the audi-
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ence. Wish the setting fit the mood, but Jonathan was able to make it work and the show was definitely a success. Javier Rivilla, Co-Director of Late Night Entertainmnt MARK TOLAND MT Productions
Clarke University, Dubuque, IA 11/01/13 80 Student Activity Center 5445555 An awesome show and the crowd loved him.....definitely a must have on campus! Mollie Calvert, Vice President MAT FRANCO Franco Talent
Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 08/17/13 250+ Alma Thomas Theatre 5555-55 Mat's show was incredibly entertaining and he was very easy to work with. Our students really enjoyed his show. Jason Chapman, Assistant Director of Student Activities MATT THE KNIFE Matt the Knife Productions
West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV 10/31/13 200 Social Hall 5555555 I have had the privilege of working with Matt in the past. My students always request him to come back! He has an amazing rapport with students, and has no problem staying after the show to talk to students, take pictures, sign autographs. His show is original and incredible! My students are already asking for him next year. YOU CANNOT GO WRONG BRINGING MTK TO YOUR CAMPUS! Roxanne Bright, Coord of Student Activities MICHAEL KENT sssss Fresh Variety
Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Natchitoches, LA 10/17/13 1400+ A.A. Fredericks Auditorium 5555555 This was an amazing show. I never thought a comedian/magician/smarta$$ would work at NSU, but there you have it! The tweets were crazy out of control! They loved him! It was a packed house for sure and so many people came up to me afterwards saying we killed it! Thanks Michael Kent for giving an amazing show as well as dominating the Emcee portion as well. Yonna Pasch, Director of Student Activities Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 10/23/13 115 Ballroom 5555-44 Loved the music. Overall great performance. Kept it clean, but still funny! Thanks! Suzanne Brett, Executive Director, DPC
New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 10/24/13 60+ Old Westbury 5555555 This show was amazing! Even watching Michael Kent perform a second time, I'm still astounded by him. He is one incredible performer. Navpreet Sachdev, President of CPB Saint John Fisher College, Rochester, NY 11/05/13 104 Basil 135 5555555 Amazing show! Very personable! Awesome Sarah Ziolkowalski, Novelty Coordinator Volunteer State Community College, Gallatin, TN 11/06/13 118 Cafeteria 5555555 Tabitha Sherrell, Coord of Student Activities
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN 11/14/13 250+ Auditorium 5555555 Best event we have had all semester. Michael is an incredible professional and performer. We
will continue to book him. Austin Arias, Assistant Dean of Students
University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 11/20/13 344 Student Union Ballroom 5555555 Michael Kent was hilarious! He was super interactive with the audience and they loved every second of it! Great guy to work with all around. Holly K. Pilcavage, GA-RHPB Union College, Barbourville, KY 11/21/13 160 Student Center 5545554 We enjoyed having Michael at Union College & look forward to working with him in the future. Excellent performance! Donovan Spann, Campus Life Assistant
Wright State University-Main Campus, Dayton, OH 11/23/13 150+ 120 Med Sci 5555555 Michael always does a wonderful job advancing the show so you know exactly what to expect. On the night of the performance, he arrived a couple hours early to do some teasers for our students in a dining area. Michael's devotion to getting students in the seats helped make the show a success. Michael is great to work with and a blast to be around. He truly demonstrates that the success of your event is a team effort. Daniel Schraeder, Assistant Director for Residence Life RAN'D SHINE Everything But The Mime
Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg, Middletown, PA 10/29/13 80 Community Center 5555-55 Ran'D Shine was great. He was very interactive with the audience and adapted his show to our students. He kept many students involved and had everyone laughing. Evan Huckfeldt, Programming Board Chair Pennsylvania State University-Lehigh Valley, Center Valley, PA 10/30/13 50+ Room 135 5555-54 He was amazing and I will definitely consider having him back in the future. The students were amazed. This is not your typical magic show. Leyna Belinsky, Coordinator of Student Life Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ 12/03/13 10+ Friend's Hall 4555555 Really exceptional magician! Great audience interaction. Alex Hoteck, Music Chair, College Programing Board RODERICK RUSSELL GP Entertainment
University of South FloridaSt. Petersburg Campus, St. Petersburg, FL 10/24/13 140+ University Student Center 5555555 Roderick had our campus buzzing about his performance all week! His mindreading and sword swallowing abilities had the audience on the tip of their feet; he also had no issue with signing autographs and taking pictures after the show which made it truly memorable to the students. Roderick was very easy to work with during his time here, and all accommodations were easily completed with him. We are so glad we chose Roderick for our feature Homecoming Week entertainment! Darren Lasso, Director of Stage Acts for Harborside Activities Board SEAN BOTT Bass/Schuler Entertainment
Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 11/01/13 50 Alumni Memorial Union 5555555 Jenny Oxley, Late Night Program Assistant THE CRESCENT CIRCUS Wally's World Of Entertainment
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Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA 11/08/13 70 Kehr Union Ballroom 5555-5The Crescent Circus puts a New Orleans Jazz style to magic, acrobatics, and juggling. Highly recommended!!! Rob Rowinski, Special Events Chair WADE LIVE Wade Live
Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, NY 11/02/13 112 McDonald Lecture Hall 555555Wade always brings a crowd! Live animals and funny jokes, my students always talk about the performance for days afterwards. Looking forward to see more new tricks! Victoria Sokolowski, Campus Programs Coordinator
GAMES
BODY ART BY SUSAN Everything But The Mime
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach, FL 11/04/13 200+ West Lawn 5555555 Susan was an absolute joy to work with! Can't wait to bring her back. In fact, we are bringing her back at the end of this week hour our Homecoming parade! Thanks so much! Jessica Searcy, Assoc Dir of Student Activities CARICATURE ARTISTS Kirkland Productions
Central Community College, Grand Island, NE 12/03/13 150 Christmas Party 4455-4Travis filled in on short notice, but provided a great show. He was outgoing, bantered comfortably with the audience and was quite easy to work with. Nick Freelend, Activities Director HOT AIR BALLOON RIDES Kirkland Productions
Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 10/17/13 428 West Field 5555555 The pilots I worked with were absolutely fantastic and I couldn't have asked for a better set of artists to work with. Alex Thrasher, Event Chair MAKE & TAKE: "FAMILY CRESTS" Kirkland Productions
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, WI 11/14/13 200 Commons -555-55 Kirkland is always a joy to work with. We had a scheduling issue on our end and days before the date they were able to move around some things and get here on the day we actually needed them for. The Kirkland employee really had fun with our students and made it enjoyable for everyone. We will look at bringing the Family Crests again paired with our International Education Week again. Kaitlyn Fitzgerald, Student Involvement Specialist- Marketing MARGARET'S "ART ON YOU" Everything But The Mime
Roane State Community College, Harriman, TN 10/28/13 200 Oak Ridge Campus 5545554 Sarah Hooper, Coordinator Student Engagement PHOTO BOOTH Kirkland Productions
Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Port Arthur, TX 11/01/13 100 Mascot birthday party -555555 As always not a single hiccup. On time, equip-
ment in great working order and rep just as nice as always! Claire Thomason, Director of Student Activities PHOTO KEYCHAINS Kirkland Productions
University of Minnesota-Crookston, Crookston, MN 11/04/13 150+ Northern Lights Lounge 5555-5Our student loved it. The key chains were really good quality and the artist was efficient and great to work with. Ashley Hoffman, Programming Board Chair PHOTO SNOWGLOBES Fun Enterprises, Inc.
University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 12/04/13 408 Robertson's Cafe 555555The snowglobes are a perfect gift for the holidays! The students that came out had so much fun posing and taking silly pictures for their globes! Holly K Pilcavage, GA-RHPB SCARY MOVIE POSTERS Kirkland Productions
Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 10/31/13 100+ Student Union Building 5555-5John is such a pleasure to work with, from planning logistics through the event and his followup email thanking us for bringing him to campus. We've used him for several different events and each one has been a success. Claire Maginness, Unit Coordinator SNAP SHOTZ Endeavor Entertainment Inc.
Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, NY 11/08/13 127 McDonald Lecture Hall 555555Snap Shotz is one the best photo events around! 3 photos, 3 poses, under 1 minute! Then students can decorate their frame any way they want it. We bring it to campus at least once a year, sometimes more! Victoria Sokolowski, Campus Programs Coordinator ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE ATTACK Bobby K Entertainment
Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, NY 10/30/13 130 Lower Gym 555555Zombie Attack worked out great with our Halloween programming. They brought 2 make up artists with 2 crew members to run the "capture the flag" style game. Our students loved the make up and posting pictures were all over campus. Victoria Sokolowski, Campus Programs Coordinator
SPEAKERS
DR. JOHN CORVINO Kirkland Productions
Lafayette College, Easton, PA 10/24/13 200+ Colton Chapel 5555-54 Corvino, unlike many campus speakers, engaged at the perfect level with his audience. Brett Hendrickson, Asst. Prof. Religious Studies
Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, AR 11/07/13 300+ Garrison Lecture Hall 5555-55 Great performance. Look forward to having him return. Dr. Steven Todd, Assist Professor of Philosophy GIRLS FIGHT BACK! Kirkland Productions
Clemson University, Clemson, SC 11/19/13 450 Tillman Hall 5555555
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GREAT GREAT GREAT!!! Everyone absolutely loved it and Heather did an INCREDIBLE JOB!!!! Dylan Caulder, VP Philanthropy and Programs, Panhellenic council
Laraway School, Joliet, IL 12/09/13 60+ Gymnasium 5555-55 It was an awesome performance. I wish you would touch a little on the statistics behind the prevalence of sexual assault (or assault in general), to give more of an idea of how serious this topic is, and how often it does hit close to home, and also the age range most affected. I also think it would be good to just tie in that these self-defense moves do not only have to be used on a stranger attacking you, but could also be used if you happen to be cornered by a boyfriend pressuring you (and teach yes boyfriends CAN rape you- many young people think it's not rape if it's your boyfriend, husband, etc), a family member cornering you, or a friend trying to take advantage of you. Kristen Rojas, Social Worker JESSICA PETTITT Kirkland Productions
Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 10/07/08 88 Student Union 5555-55
I apologize that this was not submitted within 30 days. I would highly recommend Jessica to any campus that is wanting to host her. Jessica's presentation to faculty and staff on Facing Trans was outstanding. She created a safe space in which individuals increased their understanding of the differences between gender identify, sexual orientation and how these impact intersecting identities. Her Sticks and Stones presentation to our residential life professional and student staff was outstanding. The open educational environment she created not only increased understanding of the topic and how staff could positively impact their residents, but one of the participants thanked her for making him feel welcome despite the fact that he is a conservative Christian. While she was also generous enough with her time to have a round table discussion with the individuals from our Career Opportunities and Employer Relations staff on meeting the needs, in particular, of trans gender students. Afterward the director thanked me as she felt it was such a productive conversation. Finally, Jessica presented “Mean It” during an all campus event. This program really challenged myself, staff, and the students in attendance to think before acting. It heightened our awareness of how everyday we can choose to be nice and respectful or regardless of our intent be mean to those around us. Her presentations were extremely practical and impacted our students in
GOO GOO DOLLS AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE © grand opera house
a positive way. I can't say enough about positive comments about Jessica. In addition to being an outstanding and insightful presenter who related well to students she was extremely low maintenance and a joy to host. Dr. Jerri Arnold-Cook, Director of Leadership and Cultural Programs Concordia College at Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 11/18/13 20+ Knutson Center 5555555 We would hire her again in a heartbeat! Moriah Nelson, Campus Service Commissioner MICHAEL HINGSON Kirkland Productions
Tarrant County College District, Fort Worth, TX 11/22/13 159 Tarrant County College 4445-54 Michael was a true inspiration to the students. They loved him! Stevie Blakely, Coordinator
were amazing. Our students loved the show and the message. Layla Bluefort, Violence Prevention Case Manager
SPEC EVENTS
THE HARLEM WIZARDS Fresh Variety
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 11/09/13 120 Fleming Gym 4545443 Tamara Leak, Campus Activities Board Weekend Chairperson
SEX SIGNALS Bass/Schuler Entertainment
Johnson C Smith University, Charlotte, NC 09/12/13 150+ Biddle Institute 5555555 The show was wonderful, both performers
2014 conference schdule
NACA NATIONAL CONVENTION: FEB 15-19, 2014 HYNES CONVENTION CENTER, BOSTON, MA NACA NORTHERN PLAINS: April 3-6, 2014 • St. Paul, MN AEP WORLDWIDE SIGNATURE EVENT: JUNE 19-21, 2014 GRAND OPERA HOUSE, WILMINGTON DE CONTACT INFORMATION:
• National Association For Campus Activities (NACA) • (803) 732-6222, naca.org • Association of Entertainment Professionals (AEP) • Ian Kirby (803) 941-7228, aepworldwide.org
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CAMPUS ACTIVITIES MAGAzINE®, FEBRUARY 2014, 35
Story By Ian Kirby
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In 1979, at less than 30 years old, Michael Uslan, avid Batman fanatic and self-proclaimed comic book geek walked in to the office of the president of DC comics and asked to purchase the film rights to the Batman franchise.
“He was very nice about it, but I could tell I was close to being laughed out of his office,” Michael says.
30 years later, he is responsible for every incarnation of Batman you’ve ever seen on film, including the recent trilogy that has earned close to 3 BILLION dollars so far. He takes time out of his hectic schedule to speak with Campus Activities Magazine about his incredible story and the college presentation he gives that offers real life proof that anyone can realize their dreams. If a blue-collar comic book fan can own the rights to his favorite super hero, imagine what you can do.
“You are talking to one of the true, original comic book geeks,” he says. “My mother said I learned to read from comics before I was four years old. By the time I graduated high school, I had a collection of over 30,000 comic books dating back to 1936.” Not mentioned by Michael but extremely noteworthy is the fact
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that in 2005, he donated this entire collection to Indiana University's Lilly Library.
Michael attended the very first comic book convention ever held. “I was a total and complete fanboy geek and by the time I was eight years old I was completely enraptured by Batman. Much more than Superman or Spider Man or The Incredible Hulk, Batman captured my imagination because not only did he have the greatest super villains in the comic universe, but I could iden-
tify with him because he was the only super hero who was human...who had no super powers.”
Even to this day, Michael still feels the same way about The Dark Knight. “I would contend that his greatest super power is his humanity. I believed that if I was a kid and I studied really hard and worked out really hard (and if my dad bought me a cool car) I could be this guy (laughs). So that was the path that I set out on.”
For those not familiar, the recent series of films in The Dark Knight trilogy hearken back to the original days of Batman, when the character was largely defined by the darkness and tragedy Michael was so enraptured by. Strangely enough, it was the exact opposite of this interpretation of the character that brought him the drive to do something about it. “When I was in eighth grade, the Adam West ‘Batman’ television series came out. I was so excited, I couldn’t wait. It was January of 1966 and when it came on I was simultaneously thrilled and horrified by what I was seeing. I was thrilled that Batman was on TV and the car was cool, but I was horrified that the whole world was laughing at him; Batman was being presented as a joke. As a true Batman comic book fan, that just killed me.”
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That very night after seeing the show for the first time, Michael made his own vow, just as Bruce Wayne did as a boy, kneeling over the bodies of his murdered parents. “My parents were safe in the kitchen, but I swore that somehow, some way, I would find a path to show the world the true Batman. The dark and serious creature of the night who stalks criminals from the shadows.” Batman was originally created in 1939, perhaps justly reflecting the dark days of the beginning of World War II. It was far from the campy version of the late 60’s, when media really began it’s role in the collective distraction of our society from bigger and more serious social issues. “I set out to try to erase from the collective consciousness of the world culture these three words: Pow, zap and Wham! That was what really set me on the path toward making these dark and serious Batman movies, the first of which was masterfully executed by Tim Burton in 1989.”
This was the easy part. As he shares with college students, the real test is how you go about getting off your butt and knocking on doors. “The problem for me was: How do you get there from here? What happens when you have a dream and you are burning with a passion but have no means? I didn’t come from money, I’m from a blue collar family. My dad was a stone mason and my mom was a bookkeeper. I couldn’t buy my way into Hollywood to accomplish this and I didn’t know anyone in Hollywood. So, when I talk to college students, I talk to them about my journey. I tell them ‘Hey, I am no different form you.’ I just had a dream and passion and I believe you have to be willing to forfeit any sense of entitlement that you have that the world owes you something or it’s just going to come to you.
“If you are willing to get up off the damn couch and knock on doors until your knuckles bleed, you CAN make your dreams come true. I did
it. The Batman movie franchise was built on my bloody knuckles. That is the message that I really take out. I say ‘Use me as your example. I did it and so can you.’ Is it easy? No. Is it quick? No. But if it’s important to you and you have been lucky enough to discover what your passion in life might be, you have a great opportunity to follow that and make it a part of your life, for the rest of your life.”
Michael’s story doesn’t end with his acquisition of the Batman franchise. In his 20’s, Michael purchased the rights to Batman for movies, TV and animation. Against the strong advice of everyone, including the President of DC Comics himself, he spent the next 10 years being laughed out of every film studio meeting he made. We only have room for the condensed version of the story here, but if you’d like the full story about Michael’s journey, check out his autobiography, ‘The Boy Who Loved Batman,’ available from Chronicle Books. Better yet, book him on your campus! “How does a kid just into his 20’s manage to get the rights to Batman? Well the answer is no one else on Planet Earth wanted it. Nobody was interested in Batman. The President of DC Comics at the time was horrified. He treated me in a very fatherly way and he said ‘Michael, for God’s sake, please don’t do this. Since Batman went off the air on television he is as dead as the dodo. No one is interested in Batman anymore, save your money.’”
Michael’s desire was not assuaged. “I knew that if I approached these as dark and serious movies, no one had ever seen that before. No one had ever seen dark and serious comic book movies, or dark and serious super heroes. It was almost like a new form of entertainment. I told him this, and that I thought we had the chance to do something really new. He asked me if there was any way he could talk me out of it. I told him no.”
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After a six month negotiation, on October 3, 1979, Michael and his partner acquired the rights to Batman. “At that time I had been unable to get a creative job in the movie industry. When I was graduating from college, I sent out 372 resumes my senior year. I got two job offers. One was in the mailroom of a big talent agency for $95 a week in New York and the other was working for a producer in L.A. fetching coffee. I couldn’t figure out how to make that work so I had to come up with a plan B. For me, that was law school. I took every course I could find having anything to do with entertainment or communications and when I got out of law school I got a job at a movie studio as a motion picture production attorney. I learned how to produce and finance films and network like crazy in the industry. That was when I felt like I had the credentials to go back to DC Comics and buy the rights.” Michael says the most important step in the journey was not coming up with the overall concept and dream, but to actually put into action the steps necessary to put him in a position where he could acquire those rights. “Thanks to the genius of Tim Burton, our first film, ‘Batman,’ was a great success. But it was a long, hard ten year struggle because every studio told me I was out of my mind and turned me down. I never gave up, I held on by my fingertips and never knew where my next dollar was going to come from. Believe me, when everyone tells you your idea stinks and everything you are doing is wrong, it tests your mettle. You have to look deep inside yourself and ask ‘Is everyone right? Am I just being stubborn, or do I really believe in myself?’ I kept coming up with the answer that I was on the right path and thank goodness for Tim Burton, because everything changed.” To hear the rest of the story and a truly inspirational message for your students, call Mike D’Andrea at Greater Talent Network at (212) 905-3801 or MikeD@greatertalent.com. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
DEREK HOUGH: Known best for his Emmy winning choreography on ABC's hit show, Dancing With The Stars, Derek Hough has stolen the hearts of America with his fun personality and exquisite talent. He knows exactly how to get people to perform above their own expectations by believing in them, enabling them to believe in themselves. Feigin_h@unitedtalent.com
JUDSON LAIPPLY: Over 100 million people have viewed his hilarious Evolution of Dance video on youtube.com. This inspirational speaker is a breath of fresh air in a world full of sometimes-stale motivational speakers. Judson’s presentation “Life is Change” is highly motivational, creative and appealing, while extremely down to earth. The College Agency (651) 222-9669
LUCA PATUELLI: Born with arthrogryposis, a rare muscle disorder that limits motion in the joints, Luca has never let his condition slow him down. Discovering his passion for breakdancing at the age of 15, Luca created the “ILL-Abilities” crew, a group of dancers who all overcome physical limitations. SPEAKERS’ SPOTLIGHT: 800-333-4453
COLLEGIATE EMPOWERMENT: Collegiate EmPowerment has served over 1.5 million College Students and over 10,000 Higher Education Professionals from over 2,100 Colleges and Universities across North America. The presenters share their expertise in areas like improving leadership skills, alcohol awareness, financial literacy and more. NEON ENTERTAINMENT (800) 993-NEON
ANNA GUNN: Gunn is an Emmy award winning actress who most recently starred as Skyler White on AMC’s award winning series Breaking Bad. She faced incredible controversy with her antagonizing role of the shows main character, Walter. She discusses being a victim of the emerging trend of cyber bullying and the strength it took to overcome intense controversy. Feigin_h@unitedtalent.com
TROY STENDE: Troy has been helping colleges and universities develop their student leaders and increase retention rates by delivering life-changing programs that he has shared in 47 states and five countries. With a 78% rate of repeat bookings, Troy has become an integral part of orientations, retreats, and leadership series. Audiences love him. He’s energetic, positive and 100% genuine. booking@kirklandproductions.com
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WADE DAVIS: A former NFL cornerback Wade courageously came out in public – claiming his identity and becoming an instant role model for the LGBTQ community. Wade is the executive director for the You Can Play Project’s New York City program, an advocacy organization working to eradicate homophobia in professional sports. jodisolomon@jodisolomonspeakers.com
KYLE CEASE: Kyle is now speaking on how to let go of fear, moving out of the consumer mind set and into the creative mind set, ending anxieties and more. 2009’s #1 Comedy Central Comedian has 23 years in comedy and 800 college appearances. “Our ability to do anythiung is hindered only by the belief that the past is real.” info@joeyedmonds.com
STACY PRUSSMAN: Stacey addresses Body Image and Eating Disorders through her personal story...the different types of eating disorders and the warning signs, while adding a fresh, humorous twist to this serious topic. She provides tools to create strength and self-confidence and shows how to find body acceptance in everyday life. The College Agency (651) 222-9669
BILL ROSEMAN: Rosemann has written and edited the titles of characters: Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Batman, Superman and the Avengers. Inspirational and entertaining, Rosemann gives audiences a rare look inside the world of an iconic brand while dispensing insights into learning from these larger-than-life characters. tmoll@kepplerspeakers.com
BRIAN HEAT: With more than a decade of experience as a teacher, school administrator and college success program developer, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and radio show host, Brians infusion of high-energy motivation and heart-felt passion has developed into an uncanny Rocktstar Educator persona that truly makes him one of a kind. JUS’ WIGGIN • juswign@yahoo.com
FAGBUG: Erin Davies' Volkswagen was tagged with the words "fag" and "u r gay" on the driver's side and hood. She decided to embrace what happened by keeping the graffiti on her car to evoke a dialogue about homophobia. Erin planned a crosscountry trip in her car and produced an award winning documentary about the adventure. customerservice@endeavorentertainment.com.
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FOR MORE INFO: CAMPUSACTIVITIESMAGAZINE.COM
FRANK MEEINK: By 16, Frank was one of the most notorious skinhead gang leaders on the East Coast. By 18, he was doing hard time in prison. After being paroled, he defected from the white supremacy movement. He speaks on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League and appeared on MTV, and CNN to stop hate crimes internationally. ADMIRE ENTERTAINMENT 845-365-3436
ROBERT TOWNSEND: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – the Motown classic describes Robert Townsend. He started out as an extra in movies and has since become a heralded actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and cable network CEO. Townsend continues to overcome and climb even bigger mountains in the entertainment industry. APA • craig@apa-agency.com
ODD?ROD: Odd?Rod has an inspirational story of overcoming growing up in poverty with a drugaddicted mother and an absent father. His lecturebased workshop shows his ability to react to the audience. The show is a conversation as the audience is encouraged to ask questions making each presentation unique and personal. BASS/SCHULER ENT • (773) 481-2600
ERIKA DUNLAP: She was the only Black woman to represent the state of Florida in the Miss America contest . . . and won! She was seen on the Oprah show, O’Reilly Factor, Amazing Race 15, Ambassador to US troops overseas, and over 150 keynote addresses. A dynamic and engaging presenter, she is a positive addition to any presentation. carol@everythingbutthemime.com
LARRY BUTLER: His presentation “ 10 Steps to A Dream Job” is getting rave reviews. “Larry really knows his stuff because he’s been there and done it!” Scott Booker, Central Ok State University . A “How-To” Presentation for getting your dream job after graduation. Larry has 40 years experience in the record industry and touring with rock stars. DCA PRODUCTIONS - (800) 659-2063
JAMIE DEWOLF: A poet, filmmaker, teacher, writer, comedian... and great grandson of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. A kid raised to be a preacher who instead became a circus ring-leader, growing up in the shadow of a dangerous religion and becoming one of its strongest critics... a poet expelled before he was 18, to become a Grand Slam Champion and internationally touring writer. adam@coalitiontalent.us • 949-916-2844
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If You Are A Student With Skills In ANY Of These Areas: SOCIAL MEDIA WEB DEVELOPMENT INTERVIEWING OR WRITING CUSTOMER RELATIONS VIDEO OR PHOTOGRAPHY
CAMEO PUBLISHING is looking for you.
We are the world’s leading publisher for campus entertainment, have the official publications for The Association Of Entertainment Professionals (AEP) and offer print and graphic design services to the Worldwide Entertainment Industry. Gain valuable experience for your resume; Have the opportunity to meet and interview some of the world’s most recognized entertainers and speakers; Meet some of the world’s most influential people in the entertainment industry; Jump start your opportunity for employment.
Internships are available that do not require re-location with summer and part-time hours during school. Conference and Show travel is supplied for some positions. If you are interested, contact W.C. Kirby at kirby@cameopublishing.com or call toll free (800) 728-2950 for details.
Earlier that year, the then 39-year-old had completed his first Ironman as well as run the ING NYC Marathon. He had been training hard in order to trim 30 minutes off his personal best to run a 3:13, hitting his goal and qualifying him for the 2006 Boston Marathon. At the time, he hadn’t realized that he was also training for his life. Long underwent more than 40 operations before he finally began a grueling rehabilitation regime. He had to learn how to walk again, on crutches and then with a cane, his body rebuilt with pins and rods. However, the psychological consequences of the accident were harder to process than his physical severities and he fought through months of fear, despair and loneliness before he began to gain his life back. With inspiration from friends, family and strangers, Long was determined to become his former self again and, in 2008, he set his goal on running the ING NYC Marathon. Running would once again save his life. After just 11 months of training, and a mere 3 years after his gruesome accident, Long completed the marathon in 7 hours and 21 minutes. The following year he would complete his second Ironman, finishing just under the 17-hour time limit.
His story was covered in a wildly popular article in the March 2009 edition of Runner’s World magazine, and his life and journey both before and after the accident is chronicled in his book The Long Run. In 2010, he was named on Men’s Fitness magazine’s most-fit list. Long formed the I WILL Foundation which provides coaching, training and financial support to help people overcome adversity and challenges caused by illness or traumatic injury.
Matt Long has been a competitive athlete his entire life and that had never been more vital than on the day he lost everything. It was during the third day of the New York City transit strike, on the morning of December 22, 2005, that Long’s life changed in an instant. The 12-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department was cycling to work in the early morning when he was struck and run over by a 20-ton bus making an illegal turn.
The injuries that Long sustained pushed him to the brink of death and his doctors initially gave him less than a 5% chance for survival. He received 68 units of blood in the first 40 hours after the accident and spent the next 5 months in the hospital. Long has credited the talented team of doctors who saved his life for his survival, but there was no doubt that his level of fitness at the time of the accident was also a factor. The running, biking, and swimming he was doing at the time made the difference in his resiliency.
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From his days as a walk-on on the Division I Iona College basketball team, to losing his home during hurricane Sandy in 2012, his story about overcoming life’s obstacles and pursuing the most out-of-reach goals will resonate with every college student, especially during today’s uncertain economy. Long’s heartfelt presentation is as real as it gets – anyone who has ever faced a daunting challenge, whether it be running, athletics, school, work, or any of life’s unexpected curveballs, will connect with Long’s story immediately.
Matt Long motivates audiences with his story throughout the country, and internationally as well. He is represented and available exclusively through IMG Speakers bureau for speaking engagements and appearances (imgspeakers.com). IMG Speakers, a division of IMG Worldwide, Inc., is a leading speakers bureau and celebrity talent agency representing today’s best motivational speakers. In addition to Matt Long, IMG Speakers’ extensive client roster includes inspirational keynote speakers, sports broadcasters, current and retired professional athletes, head coaches, award-winning chefs, business executives and television personalities. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com
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