If you’ve seen our mascot videos, you’ve probably seen the Roanoke Rapper.
Junior Aaron Riggleman stars as the Roanoke Rapper and Sophomore Jimmy Cunningham is his rhythmically-challenged sidekick.
Aaron is the SGA president and a regular riot. He ad-libbed a lot of the video. At the end, he references a Hannah Montana watch — that prop was supplied by the creative director whose daughter is a big Hannah Montana fan. Jimmy even sports a “High School Musical” note pad — another prop borrowed from the creative director’s daughter. (Her Hannah Montana wig even makes a few appearances in other videos).
If you haven’t yet, check out the Roanoke Rapper and other silly rejected mascot videos on YouTube or at www.classiccollege.com. You can even share them with your friends. Those with a sense of humor, of course!
Our mascot contest is completely under way now and we’ve had lots of great ideas. One of the more questionable ideas was a Klingon. What?!?! Trekkies of the galaxy unite!
So, here’s some behind the scenes information on this video:
The student playing the Klingon is M.D. Espinosa
His hair is actually a Hannah Montana wig
His forehead (or whatever) is made from a football and was painted up nice
To promote Roanoke’s mascot contest, we created a series of “rejected” mascot audition videos. One is the Rassler, performed by Cory Lawson. Videographer Steve Mason, who filmed the auditions and is a Roanoke College alumnus himself, was so impressed by Cory’s performance that he is interested in using him on other projects.
At Roanoke College, the first Saturday in May is usually the day of Commencement exercises. After commencement, I always try to make it home in time to watch the Kentucky Derby. The connection between Roanoke College and the Kentucky Derby really comes together for Roanoke alumnus Brad Hennegan ‘93. He and his brother, John, made a documentary film about the race known as “the run for the roses.” The First Saturday in May – featuring heroic Thoroughbred champion Barbaro – chronicles the journey of a diverse cast of six hard-working trainers and their jockeys in pursuit of horse racing’s Holy Grail – the Kentucky Derby.
The Hennegan Brothers are getting a lot of press for the film. On Friday, they are scheduled to be on the Martha Stewart Show on NBC. Here’s the link to the Roanoke College e-news story about Brad (written around this time last year):
And here’s a link to the site for The First Saturday in May film: http://www.thefirstsaturdayinmay.com/. Unfortunately it’s not playing in the Roanoke area yet but you can watch the trailer on their Web site or order the DVD.
It’s almost May and that means it’s time for our seniors to graduate! It’s a bittersweet time for those of us who have watched these students grow and mature during their years as a Roanoke student. We have several students who work in the PR office and it’s hard to let them go. Just as they become well trained and productive employees, then they graduate on us! Of course, that’s always been the goal but still we don’t want them to go just yet. Employers, take note. Grab these Roanoke graduates while you still can. You will not be sorry!
Commencement always brings a certain excitement to campus. The commencement speaker is always a big deal and this year Roanoke graduate John McAfee returns to his alma mater as our featured speaker. He will also receive an honorary degree during the ceremony. McAfee’s name will forever be associated with the virus protection company he founded. He was a math major at Roanoke. Wonder if he ever imagined back then where his career would go? He’s worked for some of the world’s biggest technology companies, then founded several companies himself. Looking forward to hearing his commencement address.
Several Roanoke College students are featured in a MTV Choose or Lose video produced by the local Street Team reporter. The video is about former President Bill Clinton’s appearance in Roanoke to campaign for his wife Hillary, where Roanoke College took a group of students, faculty and staff to hear him speak.
Sabina Thaler, the MTV Street Team reporter, interviewed several Roanoke College students about their perspective on politics and the upcoming election.
