By Bre Castaneda, Student Affairs Marketing
This February, six Union Board members got the opportunities to attend the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and the Pollstar Live! 2020 Conference. Of these Union Board students, Kat Ellingson (Canvas Creative Arts Magazine director), Sahil Patel (Films Committee director), Sean Reddy (Films Committee member), and Reilly Woehler (Lectures Committee member) were selected to attend Sundance, while Zaid Abdullah (Concerts Committee director) and Mak Smith (Concerts Committee member) were selected to attend Pollstar. Advised by Teresa Weimann (Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Leadership) and LaSabra Williams (Program Coordinator), these selected students were able to not only gain some valuable insight into the music and film industries in hopes of improving the Union Board’s arts-centered events but have unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experiences with some of the most iconic individuals in these respective fields.
On Sundance, Reilly said that since she had first heard about Sundance in high school, it had always been a dream of hers to attend. During her time at Sundance, she noted how surreal was to be among such a diverse group of film fanatics. “Seeing so many people with [Sundance] passes, and knowing most people you saw walking down the street were going to Sundance from around the country and around the world were coming to this one spot to watch movies…was so cool, [especially in how] it’s brought so many people together.” In talking about some of her favorite films, Reilly mentioned that with certain films, she pictured how they might benefit or appeal to IU students. In seeing Lance Oppenheim’s Some Kind of Heaven – a documentary following four residents of the largest retirement community in the United States trying to discover their greatest meanings and purposes in life – Reilly likened the self-discovery process of the main characters to be like that of your typical college student navigating their own sense of purpose.
In bringing what she’s gained from her experience at Sundance back to the Union Board, Reilly hopes that the Union Board will be able to screen some of the more impactful films she and her fellow Union Board members saw, as well as potentially invite some of their filmmakers to speak more on their films.
Mak went into Pollstar Live! knowing about Pollstar’s importance in the music industry as a database for artist and venue data, especially since it’s used by the Union Board to plan events at IU Bloomington as well. However, Mak noted how there were still several surprising and unforgettable moments they faced at Pollstar Live! “I think the most memorable experience was when I asked Nicki Minaj a question during her interview. She said she missed playing on college campuses after I asked her if she remembered playing [at IU Bloomington] for Little 500 with Lil Wayne. At the end of her interview … I thanked her and she proceeded to blow me a kiss.” On top of these star-stricken experiences, Mak also talked about how much they benefitted from networking with professionals in the music industry, adding that gaining networking experience in any field is something that they hope current and future Union Board members can also gain.
Mak made an interesting note about embracing unique, outside-the-box talent when planning Union Board music events for IU students. “I think it’s a really valuable lesson to learn about target markets, and I believe we should implement more of what students who may be outside of our normal crowd,” ultimately creating spaces for exciting and extraordinary artists and fans.
These trips were made possible thanks to the generous donations made by members of the John Whittenberg Society, in hopes that the Union Board will use these experiences to plan bigger and better events for IU students. In selecting these students, Teresa hoped that they would gain film and music networking opportunities that would not only benefit the Union Board in continuing to plan more exciting events for IU students but allow the students themselves to benefit from these valuable experiences in the film and music industries – in ways that contribute to their progression as IU students and beyond.
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