First-Ever Collegiate Campaign Videos Made

A group of UNC-Charlotte students have made the first-ever collegiate campaign videos on the internet.

The campaign videos were hosted on the media site YouTube, and distributed through the social networking site, Facebook.

School presidential candidate Justin Ritchie, and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Ernst came up with the idea. They felt it would give them a strong competitive edge against their opposing candidates.

Ritchie didn't want to do the average campaign video - he wanted something to grab the student body, and give them something to talk about. Ritchie & Ernst released four videos over the course of the campaign - each creatively highlighting important university issues - such as school spirit, parking, football, and construction.

Two of the videos reached the university's number one video spot on Facebook.

UNC-Charlotte is not a school of particularly high student involvement, and Ritchie and Ernst knew this. The marketing tools - handouts, flyers, and table tents, emphasized the point to vote for Ritchie-Ernst, nothing more. They were bright, colorful, and easy to read. Again, the same creativity found in the videos was found in the marketing.

Initially, the Ritchie-Ernst campaign didn't receive 51% of the vote - calling for a school mandated runoff election. The fourth and final campaign video, intuitively emphasized that a secondary election was at hand, and that students would need to vote again - for Ritchie-Ernst this time.

Election videos weren't the only thing in the Ritchie-Ernst campaign arsenal. A efficient and informative website, as well as beautiful marketing tools gave the campaign another edge.

Most of the promotional tools were devised and created by Rithie's friend and campaign manager, Marcus Hesse. Hesse directed and edited three of the campaign videos, and was a source of creativity on the team. Ritchie and Ernst fed campaign ideas to Hesse, who then came up with plans to incorporate them.

The Ritchie-Ernst campaign won the runoff election with 54% of the vote between two candidates. 1,421 students voted - as compared to only circa 500 in the university's previous runoff election.

First Campaign Video

Second Campaign Video

Third Campaign Video

Fourth Campaign Video

www.RitchieErnst.com

Official campaign flyer

Official campaign handout

Runoff campaign flyer

Runoff campaign handout

What's Happened to Bobby Lutz?

For the past eight years, the Charlotte 49er's have been road warriors, tearing up their Conference-USA competition and heading to five NCAA tourneys along with two NIT seasons.

2004 was the height of Bobby Lutz' career - an AP ranking of 17'th in the nation and a 7 seed in the NCAA tournament. It finally looked like UNC-Charlotte succeeded their dream of become of becoming yet another North Carolina basketball power-house.

Success was bliss, however, as the Charlotte 49er's would win no more. In that year's NCAA Tourney, Charlotte would lose a first-half 14 point lead against a vulnerable North Carolina State, only to lose by 14 points.

Despite the loss to NC State, the next pre-season brought Charlotte a New York Times "Sweet 16" pick and plenty of AP votes. However, just two weeks into the season, the now Atlantic-10 Conference Charlotte was called "The biggest disappointment in College Basketball" by FOX Sports - scoring a horrendous 9 points in a half against Mississppi State. Charlotte went on in the 2005-2006 season to lose many games by only a few points - including heart breaking losses to ACC foe Wake Forest on ABC Saturday television, and an arguably stolen double-overtime game at 3'rd ranked George Washington. Regardless, Charlotte surprisingly ended up a second-round NIT team.

This year, the Charlotte 49er's are currently a dismal 8-9 and not winning games. How is this possible? Charlotte is one of the highest funded and talented teams in the Atlantic-10 with the "Gatorade Mississippi State Player of the Year" David Booker, top Ju-Co recruit Carlos Williams, Leemire Goldwire & EJ Drayton (both part of the 2004 super team), as well as All-America Candidate De'Angelo Alexander. Out of high school, De'Angelo Alexander was ranked higher than Duke's JJ Reddick, and he went with Oklahoma to the "Elite 8" before transferring to then powerful Charlotte. Right now, De'Angelo is playing below expectations, and can't make shots. What would cause such great talent to perform so low? Bad coaching.

I have a theory about Bobby Lutz'. When he came to Charlotte, Bobby Lutz' was fantastic. Recruiting was, and still is, excellent. He took Charlotte to a whole new level, and won games. However, since, then, he hasn't really learned anything. Bobby still coaches his way - the exact way he did 9 years ago when he was competitive. Since then, the sport of basketball has evolved and moved on, and Bobby Lutz hasn't.

I realized this last year towards the end of the 2005-2006 season. In the last few seconds against St Louis, Charlotte lost at home by a successful last second inbounds alley-oop. "I have never seen a play like that before" Lutz' later stated. But I have - many times in fact - just by watching various TV college games.

Lutz is now forced to try new coaching methods with his team. Even though his team's style may look totally different (mainly disorganized), his signature 3 shooting still exists. If Lutz' doesn't learn anything new this season or next, he's history.

CONFIRMED: Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Country, Comix Zone Comming Soon to Wii VC

The just released February 2007 Issue of Nintendo Power highlights some new games that will obviously be coming out very soon for the Wii Virtual Console. The big titles include "Super Mario World" and "Donkey Kong Country" for the Super Nintendo - as well as "Comix Zone" for the Sega Genesis.

Evening Episode a Melancholy Extremity

Slowdance Records has turned out another uniquely interesting hit with The Evening Episodes "The Physicist Has Known Sin". The band's debut album- while wonderous pleasure to listen to, comes off as a little shaky.

The albums charm instantly draws you in, and keeps you listening with an open and inquisitive effort. As the tempo picks up into the album, the melancholy haze lifts, and you're introduced into The Evening Episodes true talent: A San Franciscan electronica body thumping extraveganza. As much fun as they are inspiring, The Evening Episode belongs in alternative rock. Their debut album shows a slight confusion with identity, as the melancholy subdued feelings and beats flutter awkwardly in and out, however still well executed with brilliant layering techniques.

The standout hit of the album, "Backstroke" is a rave of a song, but suddenly stops short, making you thirsty for more. "Learn your Ps and Q's" is also pretty fantastic, showing "The Episodes" strong emotional potential.

Nothing in sight can top the more diverse and mature "The Velvet Teen" of Slowdance Records, but I look forward to the "Evenings" next work and can only see it as a step in the right direction.