Sept 2014 for web

INCLUDES VIDEO SHOWCASE ON CAMPUSACTIVITIESMAGAZINE.COM

Campus Activities Live! At Mansfield University

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Meet one of the most progressive colleges when it comes to activities for their students

Intimate Partner Violence

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Craig Karges

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Artist Report Cards

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Certainly violence has been in the headlines recently and violence on campus is no exception.

Craig Karges is one of the market’s most fascinating performers and students still line up to see his show.

AMERICA’S GOT TALENT WINNER MAT FRANCO 20

Mat Franco Takes Home the Gold as He Wins One Of The Nation’s Most Coveted Awards On National Television.

Schools start the year with a bumper crop of artist reports. Check out who is turning heads on campus.

IT’S ALL INSIDE

From the Publisher Real Life CAM Live! at Mansfield Univ Spanky

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Dealing With Violence The Exceptional Mr. Karges Artist Reports

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RANDOM THOUGHTS & OTHER MINDLESS DRIBBLE

What Makes You Chill?

You know the feeling! That special song that gives you chill bumps or that particular movie, book or even television show that wakes up your emotions and gives you that chill down your back. Everybody that is human experiences this, some more often than others.

Probably music is more responsible for those reactions and for me, some of the best voices have now passed on. Dick Clark once said that Karen Carpenter had the most beautiful voice he had ever heard and if you were around when she was alive, you would have to agree.

The Carpenters were responsible for hit after hit after hit and it was Karen’s melodic voice that you heard. “We’ve Only Just Begun” has been the anthem played or sung at more weddings than any other commercial song simply because it speaks to the life ahead. If you have never had the chance to listen to this song, try googling it and giving it a listen, you will be duly impressed.

A few years ago when Warner Brothers was still sending out CDs for us to critique, there was a compilation with Toby Keith, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and others. Most of the songs on the CD did go on to national airplay. But There was one song on the CD that I have played in my iTunes Library hundreds of times. It was called “All That I Remember” and unfortunately iTunes shows the artist as Daryl Worley but it is definitely not Worley. I do remember the girl’s name was Janet and she had the most incredible voice... it gives me chill bumps every time I hear the song. Why the song was never released by her had to be politics at the label because she hit it out of the park.

Another contemporary artist from times gone by is Harry Chapin. Of course, he is known for “Taxi” and Cat In The Cradle” but he was known for his stories converted to music. In fact, he was one of America’s best storytellers, many being extremely touching. For instance “A Better Place To Be” lasts a full ten minutes. I suggest “I Want To Learn A Love Song” which is the tale of a teenager’s path to adulthood. Harry founded World Hunger Year and he supported it financially with profits from his shows. One of his shortest songs speaks for itself because in 2:26 “The Shortest Story” describes the birth of a child in a country besieged by poverty.

On Thursday, July 16, 1981, just after noon, Chapin was driving on the Long Island Expressway on the way to perform at a free concert scheduled for later that evening at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York. Near exit 40 in Jericho he put on his emergency flashers, presumably because of either a mechanical or medical problem (possibly a heart attack). He then slowed to about 15 miles per hour and veered into the center lane, nearly colliding with another car. He swerved left, then to the right again, ending up directly in the path of a tractor-trailer truck. The truck could not brake in time and rammed the rear of Chapin's 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit, rupturing the fuel tank as it climbed up and over the back of the car, causing it to burst into flames. A spokesman for the Nassau County Medical Center said Chapin had suffered a heart attack and died of cardiac arrest, but there was no way of knowing whether it occurred before or after the accident. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.

We would really like to know what causes chill bumps for you.

Email me at chills@campusactivitiesmagazine.com and tell us what songs, books, movies or tv shows have really affected you. We will try to print some of your responses.

W.C. Kirby, Jr.

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www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

BY ELAINE PASQUA

All Tweet, No Meet !

Did you ever walk down the street or sit in a public place and notice how many people are looking down at their smart phones? I spend a lot of time in New York, a city rich in varied architecture, interesting people, and fun sites. It’s remarkable how people are missing out on the things that surround them, or bump into one another.

good friends, his career has taken off, and he is helping me make connections in the corporate market. This never would have happened without that quick conversation in the airport.

A must-read book titled The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to make the Most of Them Now, by

I’ve seen groups of students sitting together in a restaurant looking at their smart phones; none are conversing. In a world of ever-increasing technology it is easy to get addicted to the easy access of information that is in the palm of our hands and to escape social interaction.

I am not discounting the power of the internet and its ability to network people globally, but we are slowly losing our skills to connect with people who are sitting right next to us. A 1980 study found that college students spent 53% of their time interacting face to face as oppose to 24% in 2006. I am sure the numbers are much lower now.

When people are immersed in their devices, they are losing the opportunity to make valuable connections from casual conversations. Some of my greatest friendships and opportunities have developed from people I met in public while striking up a conversation.

While standing on the airport security line in the Charlotte Airport, I turned to the man behind me and said, "This gets really old after a while." As we talked, I learned that he was the last passenger off the plane that landed on the Hudson River in 2010.

Dave Sanderson was beginning a speaking career on leadership based on this experience. I offered to mentor him to find work on the college circuit. We are now

Meg Jay PHD, addresses life-changing connections. In one chapter Dr. Jay writes about weak ties. We tend to gain our greatest opportunities from more casual relationships, or “weak connections,” not from within our own circle of friends. The person sitting next to you could be an incredible resource, but you may never gain that opportunity if you are immersed in your smart phone.

Recently I asked campus administrators to share their observations of the changes they have seen in today's students due to the increase in smart phone use. Some feel that they are lacking empathy as they text more. Students are not seeing the expression on people's faces and miss subtle nuances when they do not hear the tone in their voices.

One professor stated as he approached his classroom on the first day of this semester,

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all of his students were standing in the hall looking down at their devices. Not one was talking with another. This same professor said that he is observing a decline in critical thinking because students are not reading the same literature as they did in the past. Most of their information is coming from the Internet.

Another administrator said that her students now expect immediate responses to their emails. With the speed of the internet people want things right away. She has observed that the students do not read her emails thoroughly because they are used to one-liners from social networking. Many students struggle to solve their own problems as they are tethered to their parents through their devices.

Some students have told me that their social skills have declined and they consume more alcohol. When one uses alcohol as a social lubricant, it interferes with the ability to develop long-term social skills. A female student stated that she believes that the hookup culture is perpetrated by smart devices. Many are not developing the skills to communicate in an intimate setting. Others experience anxiety and the fear of missing out as they read their friends posts on social networking sites.

I am not advocating getting rid of these devices…believe me I love my IPhone, but I think we should find balance. Try to take a break and do things a little differently.

You may discover that it can be efficient to pick up the phone to make plans. You gain a lot more information and have more flexibility in a one minute conversation than you do going back and forth while texting.

Set aside some time during the day where you put your smart phone down. Unplug… take things in and embrace the people around you. There’s a lot to discover!

Questions on college life?

Email me at elaine@elainepasqua.com www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

INTERVIEW BY IAN KIRBY

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www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania and a part of the PA State System-Higher Education or PASSHE, (pronounced pasche´) While they do regular bookings of all types of performers in the mainstream campus demographic, they also have an impressive list of national artists who have graced their stage such as Ron White, Goo Goo Dolls, The Band Perry, Aziz Ansari and many more. Steve Plesac, Director of Student Activities and student programming, has been at Mansfield for 6 years and tells us more about the campus and its programming.

“We are located 25 miles from Corning, New York, which is very famous for CorningWare initially and now is the source of a vast majority of all LCD screens that are produced.

We are also near Elmira, New York and Williamsport, Pennsylvania where the Little League World Series is held.

We are a rural campus, in a small town in Tioga County.”

All the PASSHE schools are liberal arts schools and Mansfield is known for a couple of popular majors. “Most of the PASSHE schools are known for their education programs, because the schools started as state teacher’s colleges and then became universities. Beyond teaching degrees we are known for our very large music department. We have over 200 students in that program majoring in music which includes vocal chorus, music education, music technology in sound and lighting and production. We also have a marching band that could compete with just about any other college or university. The university takes a lot of pride in the band, which includes well over 200 members in itself. Music is a very large major here. We continually win titles with our chorus, which goes to competitions all over the U.S. and Europe.”

There are benefits directly to the campus activities program as a result of this.

“It works out great for me as Campus Activities Director, since we have such a talented student body and one of our most popular attractions is our open mic nights. Not only are they a great draw for the students, but it’s an awesome way to stretch our budget and allow us to bring in more major concerts. Every Wednesday night we have an open mic night at The Hut, one of our venues that is sort of like a ski

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chalet. It has built in lights and to make it a great variety of entersound equipment, so everything tainment from week to week.” is self contained and really easy to do on a regular basis.

Every Tuesday is trivia night at one of the local restaurants which The Student Activities Office has provides gift certificates for the a healthy programming budget event. “We usually get about 70for the school’s size, topping the 100 students for team trivia on $200,000 mark. “We have the Tuesday nights. Then on Friday means to program a wide variety and Saturdays we do dance parof activities for students regularly. ties. We have two different sound On Thursday nights we do a sort systems, both flown, one for DJs

booked right out of college himself just before he broke. He went from $40,000 to $250,000 almost over night. I have had many successes over the years of getting those kinds of opportunities. It is really just about doing the research, having a feel for what is trending and of course having some great relationships that I have built with the major agencies over the years. We never use

Mansfield Brings The Stars To Campus Eric Church

Goo Goo Dolls of live potpourri of things involving arts and entertainment. We do everything from live bands, hypnotists, jugglers and comedians to performing artists like cirque entertainers. Just in the next couple of weeks we have a former Cirque du Soleil performer, juggler Greg Kennedy, the band Brazilian Twins and comedy magician John Cassidy coming in. We have a hypnotist coming in and tribute acts tend to do well here. Country, alternative and hip hop are all popular here. Every Thursday students can count on a 9 o’clock show and we really try

Ron White and one for live acts, everything state of the art.”

Of course Mansfield is also known for their large scale shows. “We have Ron White coming in for a second time in three years. We just had Aziz Ansari come in, which was a great buy for us. It has been really rewarding to book some of the acts we have in the past and see them go on to great national fame. I have been booking activities for almost 30 years, and it is a really cool feeling to book someone like Kevin Hart, who I

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a middle agent or buyer and I think that gives us a lot of room to breathe compared to having someone else do the work for us.”

This school is a great example of one that balances and spreads their budget well, has a dedicated student body and a great sense of leadership in the activities department. For more information on the programming done at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, contact Steve Plesac at Steve Plesac splesac@mansfield.edu. www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

By The Book. all genres of literature, I am totally dependant on the humorous essay to get through the day. Awaiting the release of any new book penned by the hilarious (in alphabetical order) Michael Ian Black, Bill Bryson, Sloan Crosley, Cindy Guidry, Diana Joseph, Anne Lamott, Jenny Lawson, Laurie Notaro, David Rakoff, Celia Rivenbark, David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, or Cintra Wilson, has me almost shaking for my reading fix.

By Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA Spanky)

I confess I have an addiction. Actually, I have dozens, but the one I will reveal today is that I am a hopelessly uncontrollable bibliophile. That’s right, I’m hooked on books.

Books are to me what parties are to Lindsay Lohan, I go through several each week. There have been months I have spent more money on books than I have on food; they are my sustenance. My house is overrun with them, in drawers, in closets, under the bed. Because I think of my books as my old friends I can’t get rid of them. I can look at a book and recall where and when we spent our time together and the fond memories I made doing so. My real friends hate to help me move because I literally have thousands of my paper friends, and they’re so heavy you have to use smaller boxes and that makes for many more trips to the truck.

But you’d have a better chance getting a pipe out of a crackhead’s grip than a book out of mine.

When I learn that one of my favorite writers has a new book out, I begin jonesing until I can get my hands on it. Although I read www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

This has been a lifelong addiction. Because my older sister was a school teacher I was taught to read before I started school. Throughout my childhood my parents would drop me off at the library when they opened on Saturday morning and pick me up when that closed that afternoon. It was a perfect day. Naturally this was in the pre-digital age, when you didn’t have a world of knowledge at your fingertips with Google, Wikipedia, and YouTube; back then if you wanted to know something you had to flip some pages. Consequently the era was a bullshitter’s paradise, unlike now, when any questionable statement can be fact-checked with a few clicks on your phone. People actually once made their livings selling encyclopedias door to door; now I doubt the average teenager knows what an encyclopedia is.

Back then it was simply impossible to comprehend that owning a book store or record store would soon be a bad investment. I recently read that because of the internet, the days of the brick and mortar library are numbered. That news is enough to make a grown man cry. As in me. As in now.

I have yet to read a book on a Kindle, or an iPad, or on anything other than, well, a book. I love the tactile experience of turning a page, of writing thoughts the book has triggered in the margins, of looking at my bookmark when the book is closed to see how much I have left. I find the musty smell of a used bookstore intoxicating. The closest I’ve come to a digital book experience are with audiobooks when I’m driving

and reading is impossible, or at the very least, unsafe. If I have a trip of more than an hour you can bet the farm I’ll be listening to an audiobook, usually laughing my head off, which tends to frighten the drivers in the cars beside me.

Eventually I know I will have to convert from reading a page to reading a screen, because the printed word unfortunately shares the same fate as the dinosaur.

When a venerable publication like Newsweek dies and goes to digital heaven it is only a matter of time until all magazines follow. That is why I feel so honored to write for this fine publication for as long as their printing presses roll.

As a college-aged student I do not expect you to share my addiction to books. In fact, I suspect not all of your experiences with books have been altogether pleasant. If you are a freshman reading this and have yet to experience the shock of selling your textbooks back to the school bookstore, take my advice and bring some lube, because what they will do to you will make it painful to sit down for a week. It goes something like this: “Here is a fifty dollar book I’d like to sell.”

“Here is a quarter.”

My school bookstore hated buying my books back, because I highlighted. Well, not just because I highlighted, but because I had my own system of highlighting. Instead of marking all the important stuff I’d need to know in yellow, I’d just mark out everything else in black.

I just dipped that calculus book in ink. It was not my friend.

Steven Kent McFarlin (AKA “Spanky”) has been described by the press as a “campus entertainment icon.” He offers two great events at one great low price, and has been voted “Campus Comic of the Year” (LaffGuru.com) and the “Campus Performer of the Year” (TalkingAboutMyGeneration.com). His credits include over fifty TV appearances, including: Showtime, Good Morning America, and The Late Show. You may contact him at standupcomic@live.com.

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www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

Anyone in my close circle knows that Violence Against Women (VAW) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are issues that ignite my passion. VAW and IPV have colored my life from day one as I was born into a home marked by domestic violence. My mother was a victim and my father, an abuser. I am happy to say that my mother and I eventually escaped that situation—she has been happily remarried for thirty-three years and I am a well-adjusted adult. I am not in an abusive relationship—breaking the cycle of violence. I am raising a teenage son who has been taught with love and guided by example of what healthy relationships look like and how to treat others with respect and dignity. And, I am actively working to help others avoid VAW and IPV through my work with Kirkland Productions, Inc. and Girls Fight Back.

Most importantly, my mother and I are here to share our stories and that is the biggest success of all. The Bureau of Justice Statistics tells us that 2,340 people in the United States were victims of intimate partner homicide in 2007 and females made up to 70% of those who were killed, a proportion that has changed very little since 2007. To save you the time on the math, that is over 6 people a day murdered in the name of love. As a US resident, if you have been a victim of IPV and you live to talk about it . . . you are absolutely a success story. Though these statistics are shocking, they don’t reflect the substantial number of cases that are never reported at all. Nor do they even begin to show the psychological, physical, and financial impact on those victims who weren’t killed. Their lives and those of their family members, friends, and children will be forever altered. For those affected by this crime, this will always be a part of their story and a piece of their life experience, as it is a piece of me. I am happy to state, that in my case, I feel I can now say it has yielded positive results. I truly hope that my first hand experience can help others.

SIDE NOTE: The issues of VAW, IPV, Domestic Violence/Dating Violence, Stalking, Sexual Assault, and Rape are thoroughly entwined, but are separately defined. For the case of this article, I am going to use the term IPV from here on out when stating from my perspective. IPV is defined by the CDC as physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse. This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples and does not require sexual intimacy. I think this is very important to note because when we use the term Domestic Violence we often get the picture in our minds of a man abusing his wife and that just isn’t a complete picture of abuse. This type of abuse does not discriminate. It affects people of all ages and ethnicities, all genders, all sexual orientations, and all marital statuses. It affects people in relationships and those who have left those relationships. It also is not narrowly defined by the tell-tale sign of a black eye that is often interpreted as the true sign of “domestic violence.” Many victims have no scars or physical injuries to show. The term www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

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IPV is inclusive and much more respectful to the victims who can include men (yes, men!), all of our LGBT community, and all of those romantic relationships that are not necessarily included in the formal guidelines of marriage. So, now that I have clarified, I want to tell you how I ended up in the jury box.

I got that dreaded letter in the mail recently—the jury summons. Seriously, who has time for this? I am a single parent, I run three companies, I travel extensively for work (and sometimes for fun), I am self-employed with a large number of people who depend on my work for their income, and I also have the audacity to have an active social life. My life is no more or less important than any other citizen who gets the same notification in the mail. I know that. I truly do, but I wouldn’t be a full-fledged American if I didn’t have just a tad of self-importance, right? So, yes, I am not excited as this really isn’t convenient, but I recognize that it is my civic duty as I have never served on a jury. Many years ago I received a summons but was excused because of the birth of my son. A few years back I received a second summons and showed up to the courthouse but was never called to a court. Round three and the dates conflicted with planned travel so I deferred. And deferred again. And deferred yet again, before I realized I just had to take care of this responsibility.

After a jury orientation and a few hours of waiting around, my name was called and I was informed I had to drive quite a ways to yet another court to report there. Really????? They can do that???? Apparently, they can. Annoyed, I started navigating through more unfamiliar Los Angeles highways and got to the next courthouse to start the waiting around process again. After a few more hours, just when I thought we were going to be sent home, we were called into the court and given a few preliminary bits of information. We were then told that since it was so late in the day, we would report back the next day to start jury selection.

On day two, the judge explained to us how jury selection works. Initially we

were provided with a lot of instructions, our civic duty was emphasized by the judge, the importance of honesty and our part in the judicial system was underscored with more than a few sighs of exasperation from the prospective jury pool, and we were introduced to the key players in the case, namely the prosecuting attorney, the defense attorney, the defendant, and, through name only, the witness list of both parties to ensure we did not personally know any of those people. No one did, so at that point the judge told us that this case was one involving an accusation of domestic violence. I put two and two together and realized that the defendant’s only witness was, most likely by the names, his wife. My first thought was that as soon as they saw what I do for a living (information I was required to provide up front), I would be out of there! Then I slowly started to realize, that though I never had a chance to experience justice from our legal system for the wrongs that my family and I experienced, I might have a chance to participate in justice for someone else who might be in a similar situation. And, then, my final and very somber realization was that though I had been personally affected by these issues, I was there to be fair and to follow the law and I couldn’t let my feelings affect that process. Emotional overload!

After all of the preliminary information was out of the way, 35 – 40 of us were lined up and seated and given a piece of paper to fill out asking for our juror number, city of residence, our occupation, the occupation of everyone else in our household, and details of our previous jury experience. Then, one by one, the judge asked each of us to read this out loud in open court and asked clarifying questions when necessary. My profession was initially listed as “business owner/victim advocate” in the forms I filled out during the orientation on day one, so, though a full explanation of my profession is much more detailed than that, I repeated it on this form and to the judge out loud.

There were definitely some “clarifying questions” asked by the judge. As a Victim Advocate (VA)—I am a certified VA with NOVA, The National Organiza-

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tion for Victim Assistance—what would I consider my specialty? I hesitated, knowing how this would be perceived, before I truthfully answered, “Violence Against Women.” . . . pause . . .

The defendant and his attorney both turned their full attention to me. The defense attorney quickly returned his attention to the judge and his papers.

But, though I initially thought it was my imagination and was later told by other jurors that it definitely was not, I had the defendant’s full and undivided attention for the rest of my time in court.

He continued to look directly at me with a blank and cold stare almost as if we were playing a game to see who would blink first—it wasn’t me, I assure you. I continued to meet his blank glare, silently telling him, “Those close to you might be afraid of you, but I KNOW that abusers are nothing but pathetic cowards and I invite you to try some of that shit on me anytime. PLEASE. BE. MY. GUEST. I would like nothing more than to return your bullshit with a quick groin strike. EYES! EYES! EYES!” In self-defense fight classes, we scream out body parts to the person engaged in the fight to indicate where she can strike next in defending herself against an attacker.

Yeah, I knew that in thinking this that I was not impartial or unbiased. I am also not apologizing for it. As the judge stated many times during this process and I truly believe as part of my own personal mantra—not a single adult walking on this earth is unbiased or impartial. To be so would be inhuman. We are each made up of a series of life experiences and interactions and those will always impact the way we view everyone and everything around us.

There are times I wish this wasn’t so.

With that said, I consider myself to be a very fair and just person in the way I genuinely try to view things from all sides before coming to my own conclusions. But, everyone knows, I don’t harbor a lot of love or patience for asshole abusers. There you go.

I also know and recognize that abusers have their own baggage.

Many have experienced abuse themwww.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

selves. Many could benefit from some serious therapy to work out their problems and deserve sympathy for the road they traveled that led to them being abusive in the first place. But, who couldn’t use a little therapy?

There are plenty of people out there (I know quite a few personally) who have been through some seriously tough shit in their life and they don’t choose to work that out by beating, raping, battering, belittling, or in any way harming those around them . . . More importantly, those whom they claim to love. That choice is the greatest cowardice of all, and to those many many people out there who have sought help to heal themselves rather than continue the cycle of abuse, I applaud you. THAT is true courage.

I digress. Whether the defendant was guilty or not of what he was accused, I

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didn’t know and still don’t. I didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision, and consciously committing myself to that, I would do my best to view him as innocent until proven guilty. After a full afternoon of further questioning and many clarifications about whether we, the jurors, could follow the rule of law, honor “innocent until proven guilty,” and not allow our personal feelings to dissuade us from following the terms of the law, we were finally released for the day. I left thinking that perhaps I would be selected for this jury and was already carrying on a full internal dialog reminding myself how important it was to follow my civic duty and be impartial.

Justice and legal justice, in my eyes, are two very different things. We have the law and then we have justice and, sadly, the two do not always go hand

in hand. I won’t insult your ability for basic social observation by giving you a long list of examples, but I will give you one example that involves someone close to me. I have a dear friend/speaking client named Stacey Lannert. You can read her full story in her book Redemption or watch her Oprah appearance on Youtube. To make a long story short, this is a brief summary of Stacey’s story.

Stacey Lannert was released from prison where she served eighteen years for fatally shooting the man who raped her from ages 8 through 18. That man was her father. The governor granted her clemency in 2009 from her sentence of life without the possibility of parole, and within six days, she walked out of the prison gates. When Stacey was tried for her crime, the court considered many facts of the

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case including the fact that she fatally shot her father. The much longer story of her abuse at his hands was not included in those facts for consideration.

That was legal justice as the law was written at that time, but that was not justice. The truth is much more complicated than that for Stacey and for many others in the justice system. In true justice there is very little black and white and a whole lot of gray area.

Bottom line, despite all of its faults and failings, I do believe in the American justice system. So does Stacey, for that matter. As I write this, she is beginning her first year of law school. It isn’t a perfect system, but I believe that the best way to achieve justice is to honor the law and work to change the law when it fails us.

lieve, and that I have received training in these issues. At one point the prosecutor asked another male juror how he would react if the victim testified for her abuser instead of against him, and the man stated that he would be less likely to believe the abuse. Then he asked me the same question, and I stated that there are many reasons that a victim might not want to testify including . . . “Objection.”

I was cut off there and the defense attorney asked to speak to the judge privately. The attorneys and judge left the room for quite some time and when they returned, the question being di-

rected to me was much softer, less pointed, and certainly did not give me a platform to say what I wanted to say which is . . .

Here are just a few of the possible reasons that a victim of IPV might have when choosing not to testify against their abuser:

Shame and humiliation around publicly acknowledging the abuse • Fear of retaliation • Fear of being murdered (victims are 75% more likely to be murdered if they flee or have fled than if they stay) • Cultural norms mandating that mar-

Back to day three of jury selection, the defense attorney and prosecuting attorney began their questioning of the jury pool and the question of honoring the law was brought up time and time again. We were provided with many hypothetical situations, for example, if a man is being tried for the crime of sleeping on the sidewalk and the only witness testifies that the man was asleep, is he guilty or not guilty? Correct answer: Not guilty. The only testimony we have is that he was asleep.

There was no testimony as to if he was asleep on the sidewalk, which was the question we were to answer. This went on and on.

I was singled out again, as I fully expected to be, for individual questions from both the defense attorney and the prosecuting attorney. The defense attorney was hammering me about my ability to be fair and just and to not jump to conclusions based on my experience or prior knowledge. I assured him repeatedly and in different ways that I prefer facts to assumptions. All the while, his client was still trying to stare me down. The defense attorney, on the other hand, used what occurred to me later was a clever tactic. It was obvious that both attorneys had typed “Girls Fight Back” into a search engine and I am sure found out quite a bit about me through that search. They knew what I do for a living, what I be-

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riage is forever • Cultural norms mandating that the man is the head of his household and prevails in all things • Religious beliefs • Disapproval from family/friends/children • Fear of not having financial support if separated from the abuser • Fear of losing custody of their children • Love for their partner despite the abuse • The belief that this time (as they have probably heard from their abuser) really is the last time and it will be better in the future • The underlying belief that they are not worthy of better than this relationship (an idea probably also reinforced by the abuser) • Fear of deportation • Fear of criminal prosecution for any related or unrelated crime they may have committed • Lack of emotional support in the decision to leave • Fear of losing their home • Language issues that prevent clear communication with law enforcement, medical staff, attorneys Check out the hashtag #whyistayed for personal reasons from survivors.

I was annoyed that I wasn’t given a platform to say this in open court for all of the other potential jurors to hear because I know how hard it can be to understand the vast gray area in the intricacies of IPV. Soon after this question, the attorneys were allowed to list their first choices to be removed from the jury panel and, no big shock, the defense attorney excused me. In light of all things, this was the right end result. I do think I can follow the rule of law as a juror despite my personal experience, my professional knowledge, and my strong feelings on the subject; but, I also know that if I were in a deliberation room and another juror made an uninformed comment such as, “a victim who doesn’t testify against her abuser clearly was not abused,” that deliberation room would become my classroom. Justice? . . . Maybe, maybe not. I can be fairly persuasive when I get on my soapbox and I am not sure that would have allowed for a balanced decision among all of the jurors, which www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

is why we have a jury system in the first place. In the end, the system allowing each attorney to remove a few jurors balances things out, allowing the criminal justice system to function. In that vein, the prosecutor (as I was being dismissed) took his chance to remove a juror who had admitted during questioning to being an abuser himself.

I won’t get to see this case to its conclusion. I don’t know if the defendant will be found guilty or not guilty. I do know in my heart, however, that despite the legal conclusion, the victim (if these allegations are true) is not going to find a solution to her problem in that courtroom. In no way am I discounting the hard work that law enforcement and the criminal justice system do to combat IPV, but I do know that it isn’t the answer. Despite the verdict, the victim may return to the abuser. The cycle of violence may continue as the problem is too deeply rooted to be solved by a legal penalty. This has been made evident time and time again, most notably to Americans in the life story of Nicole Brown Simpson and most recently in the publicly debated case of Janay Rice. Their stories, familiar to most of us, are sad and tragic, but not at all unique. What sets them apart is the visceral way in which they were exposed to the public, making it all but impossible to continue to look the other way. But, IPV hurts just as much with or without a public audience; and, these scenes are being played out behind closed doors every single day.

My experience of (almost) sitting on a jury stirred up a lot of emotion and reflection for me. I believe at the core that we are all here on this earth to look out for one another. I believe in treating all other women as my sisters and I know we can affect each other’s lives positively if we always keep that in mind first and foremost. I need to hold onto that, because if not, what’s the point? I also know that I will never look at a jury summons the same way again. It isn’t just a hassle. It isn’t just a disruption to our busy lives. It is an opportunity to come together as a community to work toward justice for all of our sisters and brothers, and we are so very lucky to live in a country that allows us that op-

portunity. So, when that dreaded envelope shows up in your mailbox, I hope you can consider this as well. Speak with your voice and in your truth to do what’s right. It may seem small at the time, but it isn’t. We don’t all have the time to volunteer, or be an activist, or the money to donate to causes we believe in, but we do have our voices and our truths. I truly believe that together we can make a difference and create positive change. I hope you do too.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. For more information about booking Girls Fight Back, Students Fight Back, Stacey Lannert, or interACT to empower your campus to fight back against violence, you can reach us at: booking@kirklandproductions.com or 866-769-9037

About the author: Gina Kirkland opened Kirkland Productions, Inc, a college entertainment / speakers agency, in 2000. In 2007, she opened her second company, KP Comedy, and, in 2013, she channeled her lifelong passion for Women’s Issues into the purchase of Girls Fight Back. She runs the GFB Speaker Academy, is a NOVA certified Victim Advocate, works in partnership with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office of the Department of the Navy (DON SAPRO) on issues of sexual assault prevention and bystander behavior, is a graduate of the Gavin de Becker Advanced Threat Assessment and Management Academy, IMPACT Los Angeles, FAST Defense, and currently sits on the board of IMPACT Los Angeles.

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STORY BY IAN KIRBY Fame is a relative word, and in the mainstream, Mat Franco is a fresh face, but to many in he campus market, he is already a favorite. The college market has been his bread and butter for the majority of his professional career, a career that has certainly been transformed over night by his winning this season of “America’s Got Talent.” Mat still knows how to dance with the one who brought him though. “I have been performing in the college market almost exclusively over the past few years. I started performing in the campus market when I was in college myself and then went into it full time once I graduated in 2010.

He put in a lot of hard work since then, and his win of 2013’s “Best Male Entertainer” in Campus Activities Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards is evidence of that.

Our Award may be slightly overshadowed by his most recent title, but it’s an important landmark for someone only in the market full time for a few years and denotes

his popularity in it. “Quote about AGT and CAM voting.

Mat credits the campus market with much of his career’s forward progress and in fact, the stab he took at AGT was at the time really just a move to augment his campus presence. “When I first auditioned for ‘America’s Got Talent,’ I did it just for the experience of it. I thought it might be fun. I expected nothing (laughs), I expected I wouldn’t even get on the show. I thought ‘Hey if I do, it’ll make for some great video footage and be a great television credit. I had no idea what it was going to lead to the way that it has.”

Those regularly touring performers have an edge in the format of AGT and other similar shows, which Mat quickly points out. “The results of the show are determined by popular vote. I have spent the last four years touring around the country, playing for hundreds of college students at the time over 100 (and sometimes 200) nights a year. I’ve been able to

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become a part of all these different campuses, and they were hugely supportive throughout the voting process. Just taking a glance at social media and seeing how many people are talking about it and sharing it proves that. There were even campuses having viewing parties and other events to help support me.

It is incredibly gratifying and it gives me an even deeper appreciation for all the great relationships I have built in the campus market. The college market has been so supportive through the whole thing and there is nothing I can do but thank them constantly. That still isn’t enough.”

It doesn’t matter what you do, practice makes perfect. Going through the grind day after day is what hones performers to their sharpest point and there aren’t many markets that allow for more opportunity for this than for a regularly touring campus entertainer.

“Performance experience is huge.

Getting comfortable on stage is all about flight time and that is somewww.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF NBC/ UNIVERSAL

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thing I have gotten a lot of over the past few years and really throughout my entire life. I have been doing magic on stage for as long as I can remember. My first show was in kindergarten.”

It’s not all grueling work though. “As much as it has been about a lot of practice, it’s also about loving what you do.

This is something that I truly enjoy, so as much as hard work has played a part in my success, so has the passion I feel for my craft. As long as it stays fun, I will continue to do it.”

Every performer at one point was a kid with a dream, and usually somewhere deep down they still are. Whether its the young guitarist dreaming of amphitheaters or the aspiring painter who wants their work in the Louvre´everyone likes to dream big. Unfortunately for most, those dreams don’t usually pan out, but every once in a while someone catches lightning in a bottle and does something like win “America’s Got Talent” four years into their professional career. The funny thing is though, Mat was never consumed with dreams of celebrity and riches. His motivations for performing have always been much more pure.

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“It’s crazy. I am such an optimist, I have always just enjoyed what I was doing and believed things would come out fore best. I never obsessed over my level of success, because I always have believed things will work out.

When I was a teenager doing shows anywhere that would have me from restaurants to private parties, I was always just happy to be doing what I was doing. Playing for elementary schools for example isn’t what most would consider the pinnacle of live performance, but every step of the way I have always felt really good about it. Once I finished college and saw how fun it was to be with college audiences, I really wanted to pursue that, so I did. That seemed like the coolest thing in the world. I decided on a whim to go on this show and try to help the work I am doing because it would be a fun experience and now look at where I am,” he says incredulously. “I really never expected to be where I am right now. Now I have no idea what to do with my life (laughs). All of these different opportunities have presented themselves over time and it has always seemed like right place, right time. Now with this huge opportunity sitting right in my lap it is really important for me to focus o what it is on what I want to do. Any time in the past sev-

eral years when I have decided to concentrate on something specifically, it has been the most efficient way for me to achieve my goals. Now I am in the position where I am being pulled in many different directions and I have to make some hard decisions about where I want my attention to land primarily.”

Wherever his focus lands, it’s quite likely that the college market will continue to be an area of importance for Mat. “When I made the decision to focus on the college scene several years back is when things started to really flourish for me and I felt like I was headed in the right direction.

Now it is important for me to zone in on how I want to use this opportunity to continue to enjoy my work.”

The interview for this story took place only three days after the big win and needless to say, this young man’s head is still spinning. He is still working out the direction in which he wants to head. “When I started shooting for AGT, it was literally my first experience with on camera work.

When we shot the audition out in Los Angeles in April, I was a complete newbie to the whole thing. I often feel like I still am, but the fact is I have done quite a

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bit of it now with all the rounds of auditions and eliminations I went through, and all the other TV spots we have done like ‘The Today Show,’ ‘Live with Kelly and Michael,’ ‘Extra,’ ‘Access Hollywood’ and others. I really have enjoyed that sort of hosting, emcee type of work. I look at Nick Cannon on AGT and it looks like he has a really fun job.

I wouldn’t mind possibly heading in that direction, to do some more on camera work and possibly hosting.”

While possibly moving into the role of television host is an ideal goal for Mat, he is also realistic enough to understand that it won’t happen over night, even with his AGT success. “I am still young and still like to travel so I definitely want to continue touring for parts of the year.”

Then there’s always the prototypical magician’s dream. “Vegas is another possibility. We are here in Vegas now for the ‘America’s Got Talent Live!’ show and as much as I love Las Vegas, I am not sure if this

is somewhere I want to hang my hat yet, but we will see. Once I get some of these shows under my belt I will have a better handle on how I feel about that.”

There’s no doubt that right about now Mat is feeling something like Dorothy in the eye of the twister.

He has calls and offers rolling in, quite enough to make his head spin at this point. Time will tell where he lands once the dust settles but again, it is apparent that the campus market is important to him regardless of his newfound fame and success. “I am trying to figure it all out. You have to realize these few months and especially last couple of weeks and days following AGT, it is really important for me to make the right decisions at this time. Just before this interview, I actually just got off the phone with Terry Fator, who was the winner of the very first season of AGT. His name is synonymous with Vegas now, but he was great to talk to

me about some of the ins and outs of his life just after he won and school me on some of the right and wrong decisions he made. He told me about his experience with the show and impressed upon me that above all else, it is important to sit back, take some time to think carefully and clearly and make the right decisions for myself at this time.

There are obviously many different people who would like me to go in many different directions, but I have to make sure I don’t get pulled apart in the process. The campus market has been great to me so far, and I think it will be a great net for me to have while I figure all of these other things out. It’s the place I know I have a home and plenty of opportunities to perform and I am looking forward to doing so more.”

For more information on booking Mat Franco, contact Franco Talent Agency at (401) 236-8638 or info@francotalent.com

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AN ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD AT XAVIER UNIVERSITY

STORY BY W.C. KIRBY

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I have been involved in the national campus entertainment market for more than 30 years now and I have yet to see an entertainer with the resiliency and skills that Craig Karges exhibits. Better yet skill, the masterful way he engages students in the audience. No wonder, he is one of the hottest properties still available to campus programmers.

Craig came into much of his early glory during my latter years with NACA and his light still shines as brightly today. If you are a DSA, just think how many hot acts you have seen over your tenure in the marketplace and count just how few are still occupy the level of support from students, Craig occupies one of those rare elite spaces in campus entertainment history.

forming Arts Attraction. In fact, a CNN news piece on Craig dubbed him "the king of college campus entertainment." Craig was also the fifth inductee into the National Campus Entertainment Hall of Fame. This year Craig earned "platinum" status on our Campus Activities Magazine Report Card Dean's List with an amazing 4.99 average (out of five) score.

In May, extraordinist Craig Karges celebrated a special milestone with his 5000th show. His touring schedule has taken him to 22 countries on four continents as well as all 50 states with more than five million miles of travel via planes, trains and automobiles and, as he is quick to point out -- he's not done yet!

Craig is arguably the most "decorated" performer working the college circuit. He is a six time winner of the National Association of Campus Activities Entertainer of the Year award (a record) and he captured NACA's Variety Entertainer of the Year title for 12 consecutive years (another record). He's done very well with our awards as well winning Entertainer of the Year four times (a record he shares with Justin Willman AKA Justin Kredible) along with 11 other wins in categories ranging from Best Live Novelty Performer to Best Male Performer to Best Perwww.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

"Experience the Extraordinary" and audiences do just that as tables float, minds are read, metal bends and the audience's imagination is challenged because they just can't believe their eyes.

"One of the cool things about reaching the five thousand show milestone is that it was primarily done through one night stands. It's not like I have a residency in Vegas where I'm doing five to eight shows a week. With the exception of a few casino runs and maybe a weekend at a performing arts center, the shows were done one venue at a time. That list of five thousand dates includes about three thousand college appearances," Craig says.

Craig began performing on college campuses right out of college. "When I graduated from Marshall University I immediately hit the road with the college market as my main focus. In the 90s I was averaging 175 campus dates a year," he explains.

What does Craig do to achieve this kind of recognition? While he bills himself as an "extraordinist" (a term he and former manager Clint Billups dreamed up) Craig is a "mystery entertainer" along the lines of a mentalist or magician. His show is billed as

The extraordinist keeps a more diverse schedule now. "The bulk of my work is on the corporate market. I also do a handful of theaters each year and some special events. Saturday I worked for the Ferrari Club of America at the Crescent Classic Rally in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The Ferrari owners spend their days driving the twisting roads of the Ozarks and spend their nights wining and dining. I was their closing night entertainment at the 1886 Crescent Hotel known as America's Most Haunted Hotel. Ferraris and a haunted

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hotel, what more could you ask for?"

But colleges still play an important part of his touring schedule. "I still love doing campus dates. It's where I started and it's where I'll always work as long as the schools keep calling and find an open date. I just finished my annual Back to School Tour.

This year I visited nine campuses in 14 days traveling over five thousand miles and entertaining over 10,000 college students," Craig says.

Craig's list of college orientation and welcome back week dates in late August this year was impressive. Central Michigan University -- 7th appearance; Carnegie Mellon University -- 15th appearance; Duquesne University -- 15th appearance; Xavier University -- 21st appearance; Lehigh University -- 4th appearance; College of William and Mary -- 6th appearance; University of Akron -- 20th appearance; Bowling Green State University -- 6th appearance; and Michigan Tech -- 17th appearance. That's 111 shows on just nine campuses over the years. "I'm so fortunate that these schools call me back year after year. I'm honored to be a part of these important on-campus programs," Craig says.

Those who have worked with Craig attribute at least part of his success to his wife, Charlotte, who has always handled his college bookings.

"Charlotte still keeps the master calendar and she remains my exclusive college agent. She's also the liaison between the agents who book me in other markets. However, with the college market representing only about a third of my calendar now, she has a little more free time. We only regularly attend the NACA National Convention and the occasional performing arts conference. Charlotte's not one to sit still. She's been an antiques dealer for over twenty years.

First in malls in the Pittsburgh area and then in recent years doing four or more higher end antiques shows as a dealer in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. In May, she opened a storefront in an historic building in our hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. It's really a magical space filled with wonderful objects. Not just antiques but jewelry and art -- everything Charlotte

loves. She's also doing some interior design work and, quite honestly, she's happier than I've seen her in a long, long time. The business is called Etc. and if you're ever traveling through West Virginia on interstate 70 stop in and take a look around," Craig invited.

What does the future hold for the extraordinist?

"More of the same, I expect. I'm working about 100 dates a year. It's a nice pace with a mix of shows for corporate, college, theater and special events. I'm working on my fourth book, tentatively titled 'The Book of Secrets' but I've been working on it since 2011 so it's a little slow going.

Don't expect it any time soon! I'll start 2015 by traveling to Europe on January 2nd for a Department of Defense tour of US Navy installations.

In February and March I'll be doing an extended tour of Asia for the navy as well."

What about retirement? "Oh, I think retirement is a while off. At least three years, possibly as many as ten and realistically about six or seven.

You know, I may never fully retire. The show is my life in a lot of ways. I don't have a lot of hobbies. I like to hike and I like to snow ski but if you told me I could only hike, ski or perform for the rest of my life and gave me the choice to pick just one of those activities, I'd have to go with performing, even if no pay was involved. I'm incredibly fortunate to have been able to do what I love to do for all these years and to get paid for doing it. It's been a great life," Craig says.

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Craig is an anomaly on the college circuit. Many performers play college dates as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Others work the market and then fade away, some over time and some much more quickly. Craig continues to work the market as his career continues to evolve. Over the years he has authored three books including the best selling Ignite Your Intuition. He has made over 40 national television appearances and has starred in two, one-hour syndicated television specials. He has become well known on the lucrative corporate market for his ability to blend entertainment, motivation and message in a single presentation and he tours a theatrical version of his show to theaters and performing arts centers throughout North America.

But he still plays colleges. Why? "To answer that same question, I posted a video of me going on stage at Xavier University. Standing ovation with such energy and enthusiasm. It's just a great feeling to get that kind of response from college students. Playing the market keeps me young!

Some of my agents and producers point out that I often lose money by taking college dates and I do. The other markets I work all pay significantly better than college shows. I try to price myself to still be affordable to most campuses and I never cancel a show to take a better paying date. I still love working the market," says Craig.

For Booking Information: Contact Charlotte Karges at Karges Productions (304) 233-4366 or ckarges@craigkarges.com www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

2014 GUIDE TO AMERICA’S BEST ARTIST RATINGS THE RATING SYSTEM: 5= EXCELLENT 4= vERY GOOD 3= AvERAGE 2= FAIR 1= pOOR

HERE IS A COMpREHENSIvE GUIDE TO ALL ARTIST REpORTS SUBMITTED BETwEEN JUNE 1, 2014 AND SEpTEMBER 15, 2014. ONGOING REpORTS wILL BE pUBLISHED IN SUBSEqUENT ISSUES . 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.

COMEDY

ARVIN MITCHELL Summit Comedy, Inc.

Philander Smith College, Little Rock, AR 08/08/14 50 Auditorium 5554454 Everything went great with Arvin Mitchell! His is a great comedian and kept the crowd laughing. We thoroughly enjoyed him.

Jasmine DeHart, Bless the Mic Intern/Street Team Director BRIAN C. JOHNSON Kirkland Productions

Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, PA 08/23/14 450+ Auditorium 4545-5Andrew Moyer, Director of Student Involvement C.J. JOHNSON Everything But The Mime

Kristiaan Rawlings, Dean of Students

COLLIN MOULTON Summit Comedy, Inc.

Florida Atlantic University (Jupiter, FL), Jupiter, FL 08/22/14 110 Auditorium 5555555 Collin was ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!! He was so hilarious and was such a personable guy. He made our crowd laugh so much, as as everyone was leaving the event, the new students definitely said they loved the event and the returning students said he was the best comic we've had! He made the show so personal too by connecting with the members of our audience, and I think that's what made everything so awesome!! We definitely would recommend him to anyone else who's looking!!

Samantha Johnston, Program Board Director DON BARNHART Fresh Variety

Arkansas State University-Beebe, Beebe, AR 08/16/14 100+ Owen Center Theatre 5555555 Great performance! Our students love it! Great for orientation weekend!

Andy Isom, Coordinator of Campus Life

Salve Regina University, Newport, RI 09/03/14 301 5555555 Wish he could have brought in more audience members for hypnosis, but otherwise great! Great company to work with, great artist to bring in. High attendance and lots of fun!

Shannon Soule, CAB

Peru State College, Peru, NE 08/16/14 200+ Theatre 5555555 Chloe has an incredible ability to engage the audience and build an outstanding performance based on their feedback and interactions. Two weeks into the school year, students are still talking about Chloe Hilliard's performance.

American International College, Springfield, MA 08/28/14 300+ Campus Center Auditorium 5555555 Thank you so much! Our students enjoyed his wonderful presence!

Melika Jackson, Student Activities President

CHLOE HILLIARD Summit Comedy, Inc.

ERIC O'SHEA Summit Comedy, Inc.

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University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI 08/31/14 1500+ Fieldhouse Gym 5555-55 Anna Haggerty, Comedy Director

Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA 09/02/14 300 RCC Large Ballroom 5555554 Eric was great to work with, really interested in working with our students on site, and seemed to care about his act and the audience experience. His agency was great to work with, especially with the craziness of the beginning of the year. I would highly recommend Eric for any number of events.

Casey Mulcare, Coordinator for Student Programming FRANCISCO RAMOS Summit Comedy, Inc.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 08/30/14 467 Union ballroom 5555-5Francisco was great, very easy to work with, professional. I would highly recommend him to another campus. He performed for a fall welcome back event, the content was spot on for the audience of first year students. I would highly recommend him for a college venue. Francisco was the funnier of the two comedians we booked. He opened the show and I'm glad it worked that way. He was so great that we didn't lose a single member of the audience for the second act.

Rebecca Grassl, Student Union Assistant Director

FRANK LIOTTI KP Comedy

University of Delaware, Newark, DE 08/23/14 50+ UD Perkins Student Center West Lounge 5555555 Frank was absolutely fantastic. Everyone I spoke to absolutely adored his performance. Besides that, Frank was incredibly easy to work with. We would have him back in a second!

Matthew Spicer, Assistant Director of Major Programming for HAVEN GEOFF KEITH Summit Comedy, Inc.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 08/30/14 467 Ballroom 5445-5Geoff was great, very easy to work with, professional. I would highly recommend him to another campus. He did a great job checking in about the content of the show, wanted to make sure his content was appropriate for our audience. He performed for a fall welcome back event, the content was spot on for the audience of first year students. I would highly recommend him for a college venue.

Rebecca Grassl, Student Union Assistant Director JAY BLACK Cutting Edge Entertainment

SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, Cobleskill, NY 08/30/14 161 Bouck Theater 5554-5Jay Black is a class-act. He does a great job with his comedy act and then has a Q&A with the audience. We enjoy having Jay perform at SUNY Cobleskill.

Mike Wacksman, Assistant Director of Student Life

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JOSH BLUE APA Agency

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/22/14 1200+ EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 5555555 Josh had the student laughing all the way out of the venue. The energy was high and students really enjoyed having him on campus in the first few days of the semester. He did a great job engaging with the students both before and after the show, and even stayed to take pictures and sign his autograph. Awesome performer; totally recommend to all school!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB KABIR SINGH Kirkland Productions

University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Champaign, IL 08/22/14 1000 Illini Union 4555-5Jared Eakins, Illini Union Board Program Advisor KEVIN BOZEMAN Summit Comedy, Inc.

Colby College, Waterville, ME 08/26/14 300+ Page Commons 5555-5Sam Helm, Assistant Director of Campus Life MARK ELLIS Fresh Variety

Miami University-Oxford, Oxford, OH 08/22/14 1000 student center pavilion 5555-5Very easy to work with and adaptable.

Great for our welcome week performance!

Laura Whitmire, Assistant Director of Student Activities MARY PATTERSON Kirkland Productions

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 08/22/14 200 West Hall Auditorium 5555555 Mary did a great job at RPI! Her material was quirky and unique to her and she made a connection with our audience. Our students enjoyed the performance --I would contemplate bringing her back to campus again!

Shante Brown, Assistant Dean, First-Year Experience MATT BAKER Summit Comedy, Inc.

Schreiner University, Kerrville, TX 08/21/14 143 Lion's Den 4455-5Matt was wonderful and easy to work with! He was incredibly friendly to my student staff and audience members after the show. As always, Summit Comedy was a pleasure to work with!

Angie Bauman, Director of Student Activities

MATTHEW BROUSSARD KP Comedy

St. Charles Community College, Cottleville, MO 09/06/14 100 Fine Arts Theater 5555-55 Matthew was AMAZING! He was hilarious and we loved the audience interaction. Everyone in attendance was raving about him and have already demanded that we bring him back.

Mandi Smith, Student Activities Coordinator St. Charles Community College, Cottleville, MO 09/06/14 100 Fine Arts Building Theater 5555-55 Matthew was AMAZING! He was hilarious and we loved the audience interaction. Everyone in attendance was raving about him and have already demanded that we bring him back.

Mandi Smith, Student Activities Coordinator MICHAEL PALASCAK Bass/Schuler Entertainment

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/17/14 250 Student Union Ballrooms 5555555 Michael was the perfect comedian to start out our school year. Having all of the student and professional staff in attendance, we had a clean show and the energy was high. This show helped the student ease into the school year with training. Michael was a class act before, during, and after the show. I highly recommend him to any and all schools!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB MIKE E. WINFIELD AND SAMMY OBEID Kirkland Productions

Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR 06/06/14 200+ Werner University Center 5545-55 Mike E. Winfield came out to Western Oregon and had a great time! He really went to bat and showed the students an amazing time. From discussions on a variety of topics, Mike E. Winfield was definitely a treat for all the students in attendance following our annual WOUMania 2014 event. Thank you!

Ed E-Nunu, Coordinator for Student Org & Activities MISSION IMPROVABLE Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA 08/14/14 600+ Kehr Union Ballroom 5555-55 Rob Rowinski, Special Events Chair NICK GUERRA Kirkland Productions

SUNY at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY 08/26/14 300+ College Union Ballroom 4534-42

Molly Downey, Special Events Coordinator

and found his humor clever and witty.

Approachable and fun, the show was non-stop laughs.

Nick Seidler, Director of Student Activities and Student Satisfaction

NICOLE BYER AND CARLY AQUILINO Summit Comedy, Inc.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 08/21/14 650+ McKnight Hall, Cone University Center 5555-54 Carly and Nicole suggested that when they perform at colleges they both perform for about 30 minutes then take questions together at the end which works out nicely since they like to limit meet and greets to 30 people.

So this allows the audience to feel connected even if they don't end up meeting the artists. *Note: It is up to school to decide length of performance. If you tell them no Q&A they will perform for longer.

Kristianna Kelson-Gallagher, Director, CAB Comedy NORMAN NG NMP Talent

Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 08/18/14 300+ Gleason Performing Arts Center 4555554 Norman was AMAZING!! We've had him on campus twice and will definitely bring him back again. NMP is great to work with ahead of time and Norman was great the day of. He is my favorite kind of performer, professional and fun!

Erica Richardson, Coordinator of Student Activities RYAN REISS Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA 09/06/14 135 Kehr Union Ballroom 5555-5I've had the pleasure of hosting Ryan at Bloomsburg twice, and both times he delivered. He's a true professional, and knows how to make people laugh. Ryan's one of the best in the business, and is someone you shouldn't pass up on. I HIGHLY recommend Ryan!

Rob Rowinski, Special Events Chair SAMMY OBEID KP Comedy

Wright State University-Main Campus, Dayton, OH 09/12/14 125+ 120 MedSci 5544-4Sammy is hilarious! He is the perfect comedian to bring to a college campus because his comedy is intelligent and well performed. KP comedy was very organized and a pleasure to work with as well.

Kate Page, Community Director Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee, WI 09/13/14 400 Kern Center Arena 5555555 Our students loved Sammy's show

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THE BLACK-JEW DIALOGUES Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA 08/26/14 450 Halbritter Center of Performing Arts 5555-44 Ron and Larry were fantastic to work with.

They engaged the students and made sure to tailor their performance to issues that directly related to the students of Juniata. They were hysterical and professional at the same time. I would most certainly want to bring them back to our campus in the future.

Lilah Flores, Inbound Coordinator

MUSIC

LIVE BAND KARAOKE Bass/Schuler Entertainment

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/23/14 1600+ EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 5555555 Students had an absolute BLAST with the live band karaoke! The whole night, people were jamming to their favorite songs with their friends.

Some even performed which was a great time. It was great seeing students come out of their shell and perform in front of people. Such a great activity; fun was had by all!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB MITCH CLARK Houla Entertainment

Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA 08/23/14 45 McCaffery Lounge 5555555 Our students absolutely LOVED Mitch! He was barely finished performing and they were already asking me when he could come back!

Megan Cranney, Assistant Director, Student Activities California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA 08/25/14 100+ Outside Convocation Center 555555Mitch did a great job and gave the perfect atmosphere that we needed for the first day of school. We had him outside on a beautiful day where people sat and listened, but also in a high traffic area so everyone walking by could enjoy it. We picked that location because it was right next to our new cafeteria and we wanted to draw the students down there and it worked!

Mitch did a wonderful job. He had a great voice and also played requests if students asked! He was very friendly to our whole board as well as all of the students. We were extremely satisfied with his performance and cannot wait to have him back.

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Suzy Hart, Vice President SAB

Alderson Broaddus College, Philippi, WV 08/29/14 120 Outdoors near bonfire 5444343 We loved Mitch! He did a fantastic job and we were impressed with his performance.

Julie Caldwell, Campus Activities Coordinator

VARIETY

CHRISJONES Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Saint Mary of the Woods, IN 08/22/14 120 Cecilian Auditorium 5555555 Chris Jones has been performing at our New Student Orientation for 4 years. He is consistently one of the most highest rated events on our evaluation. His show is dynamic and always evolving. Chris is incredibly professional and we could not ask for a better person to kick off our academic year.

Jeff Malloy, Dean of Students Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL 08/23/14 250 Mohr Student Center 5555555 Quite possibly the best artist experience and performance I have had and seen at Lake Forest College.

Patrick Doggett, Associate Director

University of Mount Union, Alliance, OH 08/30/14 130 Campus Grounds 5555-44 Chris' performance was rock solid.

Two weeks later, students are still talking about it! Also, he arrived to campus extra early to participate in our Good Eats Dinner where the board members and a guest chef cook for the act. This is a great chance for the students to have some extra quality time with them, and Chris was an awesomely gracious guest.

Lindsey Laret, Advisor, Raider Programming Board CHRISTOPHER CARTER Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Morningside College, Sioux City, IA 08/16/14 324 Eppley Auditorium 5555555 Bass/Schuler sent us promotional materials far in advance which was wonderful as this was our first event of the year. Chris showed up early on campus to do teasers in the cafeteria.

The students couldn't stop talking about the show that night after meeting him in the cafeteria. The show was outstanding. Chris was very professional and was able to bring our new freshmen out of their shells. It was the perfect orientation event!

Julie Pitel, Student Activities Coordinator

University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 08/19/14 1200+ College Campus 5555--5 We have brought Chris to our campus before, he is excellent to work with and the students always enjoy his performance.

Carrie Calovich, The Spotlight: Comedy Coordinator St. Charles Community College, Cottleville, MO 08/20/14 100+ Student Cafeteria 5555-55 Mandi Smith, Student Activities Coordinator

McKendree University, Lebanon, IL 08/21/14 400+ Hettenhausen Center for the Arts 5555-5Christopher Carter always gives a top-notch performance and is great to work with. The quality of the show has been a reason that we have rebooked Christopher for so many years. Our students are always amazed and when you hear them talking about the show days after it was performed, you know that you've had success.

Craig Robertson, Director of Campus Activities

Loras College, Dubuque, IA 08/23/14 400+ Theater 5555555 Christopher Carter is great to work with and the students are still talking about him. We will most likely have him again each year.

Melissa Klinkhammer, College Activities Board Advisor SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, Cobleskill, NY 08/26/14 415 Bouck Theater 5555-55 Christopher Carter was GREAT. He came early to do teasers in our dining hall and students LOVED his show.

We had 415 students attend and they want him back.

Mike Wacksman, Assistant Director of Student Life COMEDY HYPNOTIST ERIC MINA GP Entertainment

Georgian Court University, Howell, NJ 09/09/14 100+ Court Cafe 5555555 Phenomenal, will book for welcome back week Erin Mccarron, CAB

Shippingburg University, Shippingburg PA 09/11/14 203 Caddis Union Building 5555555 Such a great show! Largest turn out of the year!

Kristina Carey, entertainment chair CRAIG KARGES Karges Productions

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 08/19/14 1700 Tent

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5555555 Craig performs for us every year during Orientation; the OCS and RAs who have seen him before are excited to see him again and again and get the 1450 first years excited to attend the show; As always, this year's performance was wonderful with new acts. Thanks for a great show.

Anne Witchner, Assistant Dean; Director of Student Activities

Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 08/21/14 800+ Duquesne Union Ballroom 4555555 Craig gives his audience a jaw-dropping experience every single time!

Jade Leitzel, Director of Orientation

Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 08/23/14 800+ Steel Stacks/Arts Quest 5555555 One of the best performers we bring to campus. Our students love him!!

Matt Kitchie, Director of Student Activities

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/26/14 1200+ EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 5555555 Craig is one of the best magicians I have ever seen. He's funny, too, which helps the students connects with him as he blows their minds! Craig has been coming to the University of Akron for a long time and each time, he gets better and better. Overall, he's a wonderful performer and will wow your students.

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB

Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 08/29/14 800+ Rozsa Theater 4555-44 This was my first time working with Craig. He was extremely easy and low-key to work with, which was great during a busy week. The students were very engaged in his program, and it was fun to hear all of the engineering majors hypothesizing about his methods.

Sheena Kauppila, Assistant Director of Orientation Programs

Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY 09/04/14 125 Reisinger Concert Hall 5555555 I have had nothing but exceptional experiences working with Craig in the past, and this show was no different.

He is incredibly easy to work with both before leading up to the date and on the night of the show. This year, he put on a great show and the feedback from our students was all positive.

Many of our students are performers and therefore can be wild-cards with the audience participation pieces. He rolls with everything our students throw at him!

Joshua Luce, Director of Student Activities

DANIEL MARTIN Bass/Schuler Entertainment Saint Josephs College, Rensselaer, IN 08/15/14 200 Ballroom 5555555 John May, Director of Events and Activities

College of Saint Mary, Omaha, NE 08/19/14 160 Gross Auditorium 5555555 Caelee Lehman, Director for Student Leadership

Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA 08/23/14 101 Memorial Ballroom 5555-55 Dan was amazing! Very personable and engaging with students, staff audience.

Justin Donnelly, Asst. Dir. of Student Involvement Converse College, Spartanburg, SC 08/24/14 100+ Daniel Recital Hall 5555555 Madeline Marion, Graduate Assistant

Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA 08/27/14 150+ l 5555555 Highest attendance at a CAB event since I have been at Ursinus!

Alexandria Sutton, CAB Executive Board Arcadia University, Glenside, PA 08/29/14 150+ Great Room 5555--5 Tess Giordano, Variety Chair

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach, FL 09/05/14 350+ John-Paul Riddle Student Center 5555555 Overall was a great show! The end was mind blowing & students went crazy! Very happy with everything that took place.

Mark Miller, Chairperson ERIC MINA GP Entertainment

University of South CarolinaColumbia, Columbia, SC 08/20/14 1000 Russell House Ballroom 4555554 Luke Ferguson, Special Events Coordinator

York College Pennsylvania, York, PA 08/24/14 300+ 5555555 Funniest show i have ever seen!

Loved it!

Elizabeth Poole, Student

Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg PA 09/10/14 63 HACC Harrisburg 5555555 One of the best shows we have ever had.

The students loved the comedy and wanted to keep watching.

Nick Pozza, President Student Programming Board

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FREDERICK WINTERS Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 08/16/14 700+ Ballroom 555554Jeremy Sippel, Program Assistant

Lincoln College, Lincoln, IL 08/24/14 150 Johnston Center 5555555 Frederick was great as always.

Thanks!

Jeff Nelson, Dir of Student Activities Vermilion Community College, Ely, MN 09/09/14 155 Theater 5555555 great job!

Rob Hinrichs, Assistant Director of Housing

JOEL MEYERS Agency for Speakers and Entertainers

SUNY at Albany, Albany, NY 08/21/14 750+ Campus Center Ballroom 5555555 A pleasure to work with and a definite magical experience for both students and professional staff!

Aneela Gillani, Graduate Assistant

SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica-Rome, Utica, NY 08/28/14 230+ Student Center MPR 5555555 Joel was amazing. We had fun from the moment we met him and all of the students loved him. He brought in the biggest crowd we've had in quite some time. Our students even stuck around to talk with him and take tons of pictures. They really enjoyed him and his performance. Joel is an awesome guy and we will definitely be bringing him back to our school again. We love Joel!!

Shelby Sebro, CAB President JOHN CASSIDY Sophie K. Entertainment

Pennsylvania State UniversityDubois, Dubois, PA 08/27/14 100 Student Union 5555-5Our students absolutely LOVED John Cassidy! Hilarious, high quality show.

They demanded we book him again next year. Great to work with and super easy set up.

Marly Doty, Assistant Director of Student Affairs Penn State Lehigh Valley, Center Valley, PA 08/28/14 60 Penn State Lehigh Valley 4545544 Leyna Belinsky, Coordinator of Student Life JONATHAN BURNS Fresh Variety

Tompkins Cortland Community College, Dryden, NY 08/27/14 55 Student Center 5555555 Jason Boring, Assistant Director for Student Activities

Iowa State University, Ames, IA 09/05/14 800+ Memorial Union Great Hall 5555-55 It was great to have Jonathan back at Iowa State! He did a great job of entertaining all ages in the crowd. Many families commented on how funny and original he was!

Natasha Banks, Co-President of Events for Cyclone Family Weekend

MICHAEL C. ANTHONY Neon Entertainment

Des Moines Area Community CollegeBoone, Boone, IA 08/27/14 85+ DMACCBoone Campus Theatre 4444444 Jonathan was GREAT!!! His performance engaged the crowd and held them for the entire show!! Will certainly have Jonathan back!

Steve Krafcisin, Student Actv Coord

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 09/03/14 1594 EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 5555555 Michael brought the energy to his performance, as he has consistently done since he first came to Akron 17 years ago. Michael did a fantastic job engaging with the students. They loved him. We recommend Michael to any school who is looking for a great performer to wow the crowd!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB

JONATHAN FROST Chilling Entertainment

LEE TERBOSIC Houla Entertainment

Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA 08/29/14 75+ Gruber Theater 5555555 Lee was awesome! The teaser that he did in the Cafeteria before the show was definitely a highlight and highly recommended.

Megan Cranney, Assistant Director, Student Activities MAD CHAD TAYLOR Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, KY 08/23/14 300+ Ransdell Chapel 5555555 He was great!

Trent Creason, Director of Student Activities

Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA 08/24/14 360 Main Dining Hall 5555-55 Chad was amazing! The students LOVED him and definitely want him back!

Marissa De Lucia, Coordinator of Student Programming Regis University, Denver, CO 08/26/14 200+ Quad 3555--4 The show was great! The students really like Chad--we did well with the audience. We started just a little late, but it was not a big deal.

S.Ellis, Asst. Director MATT THE KNIFE Matt the Knife Productions

Widener UniversityMain Campus, Chester, PA 08/29/14 390 Auditorium 4455-55 Matt the Knife was a very entertaining variety act. Not only did he blow the crowd's minds, he made them laugh while he was doing it.

Emily Wright, President of Pride Activities Council

East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 07/14/14 600+ Hendrix Theatre 5555555 Michael is hilarious, engaging, and the audiences love him (both students and parents)! He is the hit of our orientation program. Michael is extremely easy to work with!

Karen Smith, Associate Director, Student Transitions

MICHAEL KENT Fresh Variety

Brevard College, Brevard, NC 08/20/14 200 Dunham Auditorium 5555555 One of the best shows I have ever seen and booked. Thank you!

Le Tavoloni, Director of Student Activities

Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA 08/22/14 80 Student Union 5555555 Angela Cuva, Assistant Director of Leadership Dev. & Student Activities

Otterbein University, Westerville, OH 08/23/14 350 Cowan Theater 5555555 Always great to work with and loved by the students! Thank you!

Jennifer Bechtold, Director, Orientation SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, Cobleskill, NY 08/24/14 349 Bouck Theater 5555555 Michael Kent was awesome. What a great way to begin our school year.

The students were amazed by his talents. We were lucky to have him perform at our college.

Mike Wacksman, Assistant Director of Student Life

Hilbert College, Hamburg, NY 08/26/14 120 Theatre 5555555 Michael was fantastic to work with.

Punctual, friendly and the students loved him. He was a riot. It was such an asset that he provided a promo as well. I would love to have him back.

Tommy Vane, Director of Student Activities Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, MD 08/27/14 125 Noon - Dining Hall 5555555

32, CAMpUS ACTIvITIES MAGAzINE速, BACK TO SCHOOL 2014

Michael always does a great show.

We book him for our first noon show of the year to set the tone for the year.

Always a pleasure to work with.

Christine Storck, Director of Student Engagement

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus, Bowling Green, OH 08/28/14 400 Ballroom 5555554 We have had Michael on our campus multiple times and he is always well received!

Jodi Webb, Dean of Students Miami University-Oxford, Oxford, OH 08/31/14 400+ Wilks Theater 5555555 Still Miami's favorite!

Sam Von Hoene, SEAL Ambassador

Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH 09/01/14 350 SNHU Banquet Hall 5555555 Great show for our new student programs. Always a crowd pleaser.

Scott Tierno, Executive Director Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, NY 09/04/14 100 Student Center (NCCC) 5555555 Always awesome to work with! Show was very well done and students loved it! Michael Kent was amazing!

Heather Saba, Technical Assistant The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga 09/05/14 300+ Roland Hayes Auditorium 5555555 Michael continues to deliver a show that surprises all and never ceases to exceed expectations!

Austin Arias, Assistant Dean of Students

Emory and Henry College, Emory, VA 09/06/14 100+ Wiley Hall 5555555 This was one of the best shows we have ever had at our college. Michael was the best artist with whom I have worked during my time in Student Activities. It is no wonder why he has won his awards. I would recommend him to any college or university. Outstanding!

Josh von Castle, Director of Student Activities Johnson & Wales UniversityProvidence, Providence, RI 09/10/14 200 Schneider Auditorium 5555555 Ian Martin, Associate Director RAN D' SHINE Everything But The Mime

Orange County Community College, Middletown, NY 09/02/14 40+ Kaplan Hall, Great Room 5555-53 Excellent performance that was funny, amazing and educational.

Juan Carlos Pi単eiro, Coord. of Student Engagement & Student Activities

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SEAN BOTT Bass/Schuler Entertainment

Northeast Community College, Norfolk, NE 09/03/14 191 Cox theater 5555-55 Sean was a pleasure to work with and was so positive and flexible when we had some unexpected issues arise.

Carissa Kollath, Director of Student Activities SPIDEY GP Entertainment

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA 08/23/14 1200+ Haas Center for the Arts 555555Rob Rowinski, Special Events Chair TEAM M&M Everything But The Mime

Ivy Tech Community CollegeRichmond, Richmond, IN 07/24/14 300+ Annual Backyard BBQ 5555-55 Big Success! Hope to have them back at sometime! I have given 2 other organizations the vendor contact name and number!

Sharon Lilley, Administrative Assistant Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 08/23/14 1700 SIU Student Center 5555554 Mike and Margaret (Along with Carol from Everything But the Mime) are awesome to work with! Team M&M are very professional as they send promo material before the show and following up with a "thank you" note following the show. They are very independent which makes life easy whenever you are hosting a large event!

Between their balloon creations and fabulous face painting, our students LOVE when we have Team M&M. I would highly recommend them!

Emily Spann, Coordinator of Student Programs THE CRESCENT CIRCUS Metropolis Management & Entertainment Group

Castleton State College, Castleton, VT 08/30/14 26 1787 room 555555An awesome act and very friendly people!

Second time we have brought them to our school. Just wish more people would see the fantastic performance. But that is in no way the performers fault, they have a quality act. Students just don't often appreciate the talent coming to our campus. We thank the crescent circus for the positive attitude and bringing a hysterical, interactive and mind blowing show.

David Levoli, Vice President of Campus Activities Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ 09/05/14 50+ 5555-44 Our students absolutely LOVED this performance. Nathan really knows how to captivate the audience through his humor and talent; the

room was full of laughter and amazement throughout the show. They have such a unique act that you don't usually find in other magicians, such as extreme hula-hooping and stunning acrobatics. It was such a pleasure having Nathan and Morgan perform for us!

Hannah Ovadia, On-Campus Programmer Western New England University, Springfield, MA 09/12/14 180 Sleith 100 5555555 Absolutely loved the show and the performers, was more than expected.

The show had me laughing in my seat the entire time.

Shaine Spencer, Spirit and Homecoming Chair of CAB

NOVELTY

AIRBRUSH PENNANTS Fun Enterprises, Inc.

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/23/14 1641 EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 5555555 This was one of the most popular areas as the line was consistently long until the end of the show. Students really enjoyed getting their pennants throughout the night and the artists did a great job of helping students create awesome memories for years to come. Overall, a great job by the airbrush artists!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB AIRBRUSH TRUCKER HATS Kirkland Productions

Kansas City Kansas Community College, Kansas City, KS 08/29/14 250+ Allied Health Patio 5555-53 The artist started late because her equipment did not arrive on the flight with her. But after the artist received her equipment, she stayed the full 4 hours. The airbrush trucker hats were a big hit and the students enjoyed interacting with the artist. The delay was worth it. I can always count on Kirkland Productions for quality programs and professionalism.

Linda H. Sutton, Director of Student Activities ATOM, THE WORLD'S FASTEST PAINTER Mark Sonder Productions, Inc.

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/23/14 1600+ EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 5555555 Students had a wonderful time watching ATOM make masterpieces of art in only a few minutes. I had to see for myself and was very impressed with the way that he created his art: high-energy, high-spirited, and with lots of "wow" moments. Everyone had a great time watching him work

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his magic. Awesome time!

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

Edison State College, Fort Myers, FL 07/01/14 500 Outdoors 5555555 Lester and Susan were fabulous! We had over 500 students, faculty and staff at the event and the line never ended, but they stayed friendly and fun the entire time! The headbands, hats and face paintings were all very original and so much fun. I cannot wait to invite them back to campus for other events.

Adriane Fike, Student Life Specialist

Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 08/22/14 122 Oglesby Union Courtyard 4554-53 Only challenge is that they don't produce quickly. They do high quality work and Lester is a crowd pleaser, but with thousands of students at the event, we are unable to serve as many as we should at the pace.

Allison Peters, Assistant Director University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/23/14 1641 EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 5555555 The students had such a great time with Lester and Susan. They were able to take home balloon animals that were awesome, and Susan really does a great job making the students look beautiful with her body art. Together, they formed a great combination to wow the crowd and help people create memories!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB Pasco-Hernando Community CollegeSpring Hill, Spring Hill, FL 08/27/14 250+ Welcome Back Week 3444555 Lyz Molina, Student Activities Coordinator Pasco-Hernando Community CollegeNorth, Brooksville, FL 08/28/14 100 Outside 4555444 Sandre Lyons, Coordinator of Student Activities

San Jacinto College-South, Houston, TX 09/08/14 200+ Student Center 555555Lester and Susan are amazing! This is probably my most popular activity and I don't even provide food! Lester and Susan are very personable and great people to work with. They show up early and ready to work. They are very personable with the students and the students love them. I've been asked by students to bring them back more often.

Stephanie Alvarez, Coordinator, Student Life San Jacinto College Central-Pasadena, TX

09/09/14 200 College 5555555 Lester & Susan are by far the best performers we have had here. They are always going above and beyond with their act and the students can tell. They are one of the most popular acts we have on campus and we will definitely use them again in the future.

Christopher Gates, Director of First Impressions Student Life

Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 09/13/14 1200 Benson University Center 5555555 We LOVE Lester and Susan at Wake Forest. We had LONG lines from 10pm-2am. They are so very talented and their interaction with college students is the BEST! Thank-you for making our late night program a HUGE success.

Jordan Fashimpaur, Campus Traditions Chair BEAR CREATIONS Kirkland Productions

Lone Star College-Tomball, Tomball, TX 08/26/14 200+ on-campus event -----55 We ordered the basic Bear Creations package with wolves (our school mascot) from Kirkland and staffed the event ourselves. Everything was shipped to us neatly in easily manageable boxes with a suggestion sheet on how to set up the event. All we had to do was unpack a few boxes, set up the tables and run with it.

Kirkland even included lanyards with pull tags on them to help zip up any of the wolves with caught or hard to get to zippers. The wolves themselves were large and of excellent quality. They even had paw prints on their feet! The students loved them (and so did the staff) and we ran out pretty quickly. Out of the batch of 204 we ordered, only six had defects (broken zippers) but people still wanted them.

Make sure to order plenty because these stuffed animals will go fast!

Danielle Thornton, Program Coordinator CARICATURE ARTISTS Fun Enterprises, Inc.

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/23/14 1641 EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall 5555555 The caricature artists did a great job of creating a keepsake of the event for students who attended. Their artwork was very well done. They finished their art work in a timely fashion and did a great job with keeping the students engaged throughout the night. I would recommend to all other school who are looking for something like this for their campus! Fun and easy to work with!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB CASINO NIGHT Auburn Moon Agency

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/23/14 1600+ EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall

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5555555 Students LOVED played the card games and slot machines throughout the night. Having this attraction allowed for us to embody the casino feel and students were able to take part for the opportunity to win great prizes such as a TV, movie bundles, and things for their rooms on campus. It was a great event and fun was had by all!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB DIGITAL CARICATURES Kirkland Productions

Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Port Arthur, TX 08/26/14 50+ Student Center --55-5As always everything went very smoothly with the event. The artist was very professional, cooperative and friendly with all of the students. I am always confident that Kirkland Productions will provide quality shows. Highly recommend this agency.

Claire Thomason, Director of Student Activities FUN FOTOS TO GO Everything But The Mime

The University of TexasPan American, Edinburg, TX 08/28/14 500 5555555 Incorporated our own original art work and did an amazing job!

L. Mabel Cortina-Matos, Program Coordinator

UTB, Brownsville 08/29/14 900 Main Lawn at UTB 5555555 Not the first time we bring them on to our campus....WE LOVE THEM!!!

Cristina Rivera, Administrative Assistant IVAN PECEL Fresh Variety

Saint Johns University, Collegeville, MN 08/31/13 150 Auditorium 4345343 Ivan did not require a ton of set-up which was really nice. He also engaged with the audience very well.

Emily Johnson, Joint Events Council

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, Winona, MN 08/29/14 80 Common Room 5555-5Ivan is perfect for college campuses.

I highly recommend you give this type of performance a shot on your campus. You will not regret it.

Lance Thompson, Director of Student Activities JOHN MCLOUGHLIN DESK CLOCKS Kirkland Productions

University of Houston, Houston, TX 08/28/14 500+ Campus Recreational and Wellnes Center 5555555 Erica Rios, Social Media and Novelty Chair

PHOTO BOBBLEHEADS Kirkland Productions

Lone Star College-Tomball, Tomball, TX 08/25/14 498 on-campus event 5555555 The students absolutely loved the photo bobbleheads and so did the faculty and staff! All of the offices around campus wanted to have bobbleheads of their staff to display. We were pleased with the quality of the product and John McLoughlin was great to work with.

Danielle Thornton, Program Coordinator POP ART PHOTOS Kirkland Productions

Lone Star College-Tomball, Tomball, TX 08/27/14 250 on-campus event 5555555 The Pop Art Activity was a first on our campus so did not know what to expect. Once a few brave souls went first to test the waters, people started lining up for their Warhol photos.

Overall, it was well-received by students and staff and a few wanted additional pictures with different poses.

We were pleased with the quality of the product and John McLoughlin was great to work with.

Danielle Thornton, Program Coordinator SILHOUETTES BY KATHRYN Everything But The Mime

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/23/14 1641+ University of Akron 5555555 The silhouettes were awesome! The students had a great time and took home a keepsake to help them remember such a wonderful night.

Kathryn is great at what she does and is awesome at helping people make memories.

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant for RHPB

SPEAKERS

CINDY PIERCE Kirkland Productions

Mid-Plains Community College, North Platte, NE 08/25/14 150+ Community College 5555--4 Cindy did a Great job here at North Platte CC. Our students are still talking about her show. Many have asked if we will bring her back next year as they want her to come back. She is one of the best performers I have seen on this topic. Highly recommend her to all of our contacts here in Nebraska Community College circuit.

Janelle Higgins, Area Associate Dean of Student Life Mid-Plains Community College McCook, McCook NE 08/25/14 130+ Weeth Theatre 5555555 I truly enjoyed what Cindy Pierce had

to say! Hope to hear her speak again someday!

Julia Bauer, Area Activities Specialist

Mid-Plains Community College, North Platte, NE 08/25/14 230 McDonald-Belton Theater and Weeth Theater 5555555 Cindy Pierce was very welcoming and respected the audience. The audience respected her, Cindy found a way to get on their level and relate to them.

Joshua York, Assistant Housing Director/Student Activities Director DAVID COLEMAN Coleman Productions, Inc.

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/18/14 154 5555555 Dave Coleman has been coming to the University of Akron for years and he has not lost his touch. He gets the students involved by speaker to them on their level and by giving it to them straight. He shows students that being a leader is natural and anybody can do it if they put their mind to it. He gives the students a chance to learn more about each other and to become comfortable in their own skin. He never fails to amaze us!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant of RHPB DEL SUGGS Del Suggs

Mohawk Valley Community CollegeUtica Branch, Utica, NY 06/23/14 6 Classroom 5555-5Del came in and trained our new student government officers. This was a day-long training and he taught them important skills that they will use in the upcoming year and also throughout their life. He did a tremendous job and I highly recommend him!

Sandy Cummings, Coordinator, Student Activities University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/14/14 42 5555555 Del was a fantastic leadership speaker. He entertained the student leaders on campus by showing them exactly what it means to take your leadership to the next level. With his training, students are able to help influence the next year's leaders on campus. The University of Akron looks forward to seeing Del come back to campus and continue to guide our student leaders in their leadership journeys!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant of RHPB DON BARNHART Fresh Variety

Salve Regina University, Newport, RI 09/03/14 300+ Lecture Hall 5555555 Mary Crimmins, Asst Director Student Activities ELAINE PASQUA Pasqua Productions, Inc.

Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 08/22/14 750 DeBaun Auditorium

34, CAMpUS ACTIvITIES MAGAzINE速, BACK TO SCHOOL 2014

354555Elaine is incredibly easy to work with and she was able to present a tough topic to our new students in a way that was both informative yet comical at times. I would recommend her as a speaker to other institutions.

Kristie Damell, Assist Dean of Students PHIRED UP Kirkland Productions

Oklahoma State UniversityMain Campus, Stillwater, OK 08/13/14 2000+ Gallagher-Iba Arena 555555Josh Orendi from Phired Up is AMAZING.. He was very interactive with the students and everyone enjoyed his presentation. Great speaker!! Definitely want him back next year.

Palvih Bhana, Coordinator, New Student Programs SEX SIGNALS Bass-Schuler Entertainment

Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 08/18/14 400 Tilson Auditorium 5555-54 Aimee Janssen-Robinson, Asst. Dean of Students

Ellsworth Community College, Iowa Falls, IA 08/19/14 250+ Kruse Main 5555555 Looking forward to getting them back here soon!

Maurie Tomke, Coor. of Student Engagement Doane College-Crete, Crete, NE 08/22/14 250+ Auditorium 4455-43 Samantha Greenberg, SPB Intern

Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, OH 08/22/14 700 auditorium 4545-44 Joy Wyatt, Director, Counseling Center

University of Houston-Victoria, Victoria, TX 08/31/14 385+ Freshman Orientation 5555-55 The students loved it! They were engaged and have continued to talk about the event. Several have already asked us to have them back next year.

The performers were very professional and met the students.

Elena Torres, Counselor STUDENTS FIGHT BACK! Kirkland Productions

Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY 08/22/14 200 West Room 555555The program was good and touched on several topics we wanted to educate students about including trusting your instinct about bad situations, not being afraid to intervene if you think a friend is making bad decisions, and teaching some basic self-defense moves. Bree worked well with the audience and knew when to calm them down and when to allow discussion.

Andy Fulton, Associate Director, Student Activities

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

THE HOOK-UP Catharsis Productions Bass/Schuler Entertainment

New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM 08/15/14 110+ Ilfeld Auditorium 3445-42 We received feedback from students and staff that the promotional flyer appeared to them to be promoting drunk sex.

Corilia, Advocacy & Education Coordinator TOM KRIEGLSTEIN Swift Kick

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/17/14 149 University of Akron 5555555 Year after year, Tom manages to wow the crowd and motivate students to maximize their learning and growing experience while away at school. He creates an atmosphere with his "Dance Floor Theory" presentation that helps show students that the important part about being a leader is to connect with people and to be positive. Students were eager to meet with Tom and to give free hugs!

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant of RHPB TRACY KNOFLA High Impact Training

University of Akron Main Campus, Akron, OH 08/16/14 145 University of Akron 5555555 Tracy was beyond amazing with her training of the True Colors. Students enjoyed getting involved with what Tracy had on the agenda for the day.

The smiles on the students' faces says it all. Not only that, but Tracy brought high energy throughout the day which kept students engaged and inspired to be leaders and make a difference on campus. She did a wonderful job talking about how we are all different, but how the world needs people like us if we want to make an impact.

Robbie Williford, Grad Assistant of RHPB TROY STENDE Kirkland Productions

Campus Advantage, Oracle, Arizona 06/10/14 31 COD Ranch 5555-4Troy was absolutely amazing to work with and very well received by the student leader group. Such a powerful message with facilitator tips tied in.

The info and lessons learned was more than expected and just what the group needed to kick off the conference. Here are a few comments from the participants: I absolutely loved Troy Stende he was amazing and really made me take a look at my own life and reevaluate it. I enjoyed his ice breakers they were fun and innovative and not repetitive. Troy was able to keep my attention, while teaching me at the same time. The Keynote speaker was extremely inspirational and I value the time that was spent on

the skills and interactive items that were focused on in regards to listening skills and how to present items to a group of people. I loved Troy. He is an amazing public speaker. He gave me an entire new outlook on how to speak and listen to people. The breaking barriers was an awesome experience as well.

Kelly Vickroy, National Director of Residence Life University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 07/19/14 55 Classroom in Hanson Hall 4555-3Marc Skjervem, Director of Marketing and Recruitment Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA 08/19/14 48 The Event Space 5555-4Agency seemed impatient to receive contract despite contract being submitted well before printed date. Annoying to be 'badgered' for the paperwork when institution was meeting printed request.

Chris Jachimowicz, Dir of Student Leadership Programs

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 08/23/14 200 Surbeck Ballroom 5555555 Troy was an exceptional speaker. He had the crowd on their feet the entire time. This program is a great way to start off the new school year by helping students build new friendships and connections. I highly recommend Troy, and I know we will have him back on our campus.

Cory Headley, Assistant Director, Student Activities and Leadership Center Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX 08/26/14 800+ Basketball Court 4455-5Kevin Bazner, Assistant Director

University of Regina, Regina, SD 09/02/14 1500+ University 4555-44 Troy was wonderful! This was our second year having him at our Orientation events, and I think he was even better this year than last year! We loved him! The student body and staff were very impressed and he definitely made a great impression overall.

Elissa Curr, Recruitment Liaison Coordinator

www.campusactivitiesmagazine.com

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