Special Guests in 400G

Special Guests in 400G

 

Life as a student in historic Finch Fieldhouse is always an adventure. You never know who or what you will see when you walk through the doors. However, life as a student in RPL 400G is turning out to be a completely new adventure in itself. 

 

The students in the Gus Macker class have been very fortunate to have several guest speakers come to class this semester. Every guest has been welcomed with the famous “Macker Tunnel” and has given insight to the students about different aspects of the tournament weekend.

 

The first speaker we had the chance to meet was Gus Macker himself, Scott McNeal. Gus came the second week of class, and he definitely brought the energy. He gave a great historical background of himself and how the Macker tournament went from his parent’s driveway to the national sensation it is today. While it is incredibly beneficial to know the history of the tournament, it was even more beneficial for the students to know what Gus expects from us. This 3-on-3 tournament is his “baby” and he is completely passing the torch to our class to carry on a rich tradition that he built. No pressure at all for us, really! Keep in mind, the students in this class were hand-picked because Tim and Lori knew we all could be counted on to bring the same energy and professionalism to the tournament that Gus does. No fear Gus, the Finch Fanatics are here!

 

In week four of class, Tim’s mother, Suzi Tengen, came to speak about the importance of volunteers to an event. While it may seem silly to most, Suzi carries her “infamous” fanny pack that contains a variety of things that just may save an event. She carries a first aid kit in case of any minor injuries, sunscreen and Advil, tissues and Chapstick, but she also has a few more unusual additions as well. In Suzi’s fanny pack you can also find nail clippers and a nail file, a notepad and pencil, mints and floss, and some spare change. While Tim makes fun of her endlessly for it, Suzi’s pack really is a volunteer’s best friend. The students were lucky enough to have been given Gus Macker drawstring backpacks, so maybe they will carry an updated version of the fanny pack at this year’s tournament.

 

A few weeks ago, Matt Young from the Mount Pleasant Convention and Visitor’s Bureau came to visit. He was able to give our class a look at how the Mount Pleasant CVB and Gus Macker have been collaborating the past few years to put on a great tournament and draw people to our unknown oasis. The CVB started a commission to bring sporting events to Mount Pleasant since it is directly in the middle of Michigan. This way, teams from Detroit and teams from the Upper Peninsula have virtually the same distance to drive to the same tournament. In terms of sales and sponsorships, Matt’s biggest piece of advice was to learn the product you are trying to sell, get feedback, and know who you are selling to. He also said that a CVB’s goals may differ from the goals of the event that they are sponsoring. It was a unique perspective on how the tournament we are running has an impact on the community we live in.

 

Kelsey Forsyth, our “Gus Goes Green Guru” wasn’t our only student guest speaker this semester. Meredith McIlhargey is a senior Commercial Recreation major and has not only helped with the RPL 400G class since it’s inception, but she also worked with the Gus Macker tournament this past summer. She put together a slide show of photos from her experiences and prepped the class for what the set up and tear down of the weekend would look like. While it looked intimidating, she assured us that as long as we all cooperated and worked hard it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as we all started to expect. The Macker team has a great system in place and as long as it can be executed properly, it’s nothing the students can’t handle.

 

 

Has YOUR team registered yet? What are you waiting for! Just click here (http://www.macker.com/tournaments/mtpleasantmi.html) to get registered for the CMU Gus Macker!

 

Until next time….MACKER ON!

 

 

Team Macker!

On Thursday April 5th, the RPL 400G students got a heavy dose of what the energy level of the Mt. Pleasant Gus Macker weekend is going to feel like.

 

Six members from Team Macker came to visit us and give us a little view of what life is like on the corporate side of Gus Macker. When you imagine the word “corporate,” things like stuffy, humorless offices come to mind. This is not the case with Gus Macker. The staff is more like a family and they seem to have as much fun in the office during the off-season as they do when the tournaments are in full swing.

 

The class started with the most pumped up Macker tunnel our class has ever created. The last guest through the tunnel was the Macker Man – an awesome surprise for all of us! 

 

Scott McNeal, Gus Macker himself, got the ball rolling and introduced each of the visitors and gave a brief insight to what they do. 

 

First up was Patty Donovan, Marketing Manager and creator of the Magic Manual. The Magic Manual is an intricate piece in the Gus Macker puzzle. Each tournament organizer gets a Magic Manual and it holds every piece of information they need to host a tournament in their city. To make it even cooler, it’s split up by what needs to be accomplished each month leading up to their tournament. It also includes booklets like “ClipArt,” “Policies,” and “Finances” to really give organizers every detail they need at their fingertips. She is described as the one who keeps everyone on task at the office (see previous note on how FUN it is to work for Gus Macker). As Tim said, “When everybody’s flippin’ out, Patty is the one that isn’t.”

 

Next we got to hear from Jason VanSloten. Jason is the foreman for the tournaments, the mastermind behind all loading and unloading of hoops and courts. He is the first guy to a tournament and the last one to leave. Jason keeps the tear down and set up running smoothly and on time. During the months of January-May when there are no tournaments, he gets to do promotional events, assemblies, and press conferences to promote Macker. One of his proudest moments was the fastest tear down ever at last year’s CMU Gus Macker. Challenge accepted!

 

After Jason, Tim Bracey spoke to us about doing community relations and sponsorships for Macker. Having played in past Mackers, Tim has a really good idea of how the tournaments work, which makes it easier for him to talk to potential sponsors. His current project is gaining “big name” sponsors for Macker tournaments since it is becoming a national phenomenon. Another project is collaborating with Morehouse College in Atlanta to bring a program like RPL 400G to their campus. 

 

Curtis Adams is a CMU alum, who was a running back on the football team. He then played in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers. He does officiating for Gus Macker and like Scott, is the biggest Chippewa supporter ever (those two bleed maroon and gold). He described what he does for Macker in five words, “I like to have fun!” Curtis definitely found the right fit.

 

Our last speaker didn’t join us in the classroom, instead, we joined him on the patio in front of Finch. Joel Skinner has thought up a new game that will be implemented at the CMU Gus Macker: American Bag Toss. He pitted the Special Events team members against each other in a competition playing his game for Subway gift cards (which are considered gold to college students!). He wanted to get an idea of how college students liked the game before introducing it at tournaments. Judging from the fun we had, it’s safe to say it’s a hit (shout out to my partner Jenna for winning the Subway gift cards)! Want to play American Bag Toss? Come out tournament weekend and give it a “toss”!

 

Come out to the CMU Gus Macker April 28th and 29th to meet Team Macker and participate in all of the activities we have planned! Register your team today at http://www.macker.com!

 

Until next time…MACKER ON!

RPL 400G with Team Macker on the steps of historic Finch Fieldhouse!

CMU Gus Macker Special Events

Hey Macker Fans!

 

This past Thursday provided an opportunity to see a different side of the 2012 Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Festival: the special events side!

 

Throughout the weekend there are a few basketball-related special events that take place along with the actual tournament. In the back of Finch Fieldhouse, players can participate in 3-point, free throw, and bank shot contests. These activities will start at 9 am on Saturday the 28th and go through 3 pm. On Sunday the 29^th, they will start again at 9 am and go through 12:00 pm. Stop by and try your hand at another award!

 

While the Gus Macker Festival is revolved mainly around basketball, there are many other fun activities that go on during the weekend, especially at CMU! As it’s been mentioned, Event Management students play a huge role in putting on the festival at CMU. This year’s group of students was presented with the opportunity to plan “green” activities to fit with the “Gus Goes Green” theme.

 

Some of the recreation classes are getting involved and volunteering to help with various games, including basketball recycling. Leave No Trace is a student organization that will be hosting mini “workshops” on leave no trace camping, which is the idea that when you go camping you should leave the area how you arrived. The Student Recreation Association will be helping kids make recycled arts and crafts and Campus Grow will have an activity that lets you get a little dirty. Weather permitting, these activities (and many more) can be found on Saturday the 28th from 9-3 and Sunday the 29th from 9-12 on the lawn in front of Finch Fieldhouse.

 

The special events staff is also in charge of planning the Opening Ceremonies of the festival. The opening ceremonies set the tone for the tournament, so it’s their job to make sure it is a high-energy, exciting set of events that gets players and spectators pumped up and ready for a great weekend. No pressure, right? I can’t give away all of the fun, so make sure you come out for the start of the weekend at 8 am on Saturday April 28th on Dream Court to see what these talented students have in store!

 

Until next time, MACKER ON!

 

Gus Goes Green!

Hello again Macker Fans!

This year at CMU, Gus is Going Green! It’s been mentioned, but now you get to find out exactly what that entails (and how you can help too!).

It all started on the first day of class (February 9th). Every student in the class got presents, which isn’t a bad way to start a class. Tim and Lori gave every student a water bottle made of recycled materials as well as a wristband that says “GUS GOES GREEN!” on them to help us really “buy in” to what we are doing this year. Another big shock of the class was discovering that Tim, the king of print outs, would be going paperless for this class and learning how to use BlackBoard (an online learning tool used by many CMU professors). It should be noted that he has been successful in his endeavor.

The 400G class is also participating in Nike’s “Re-Use A Shoe” program. All semester students are collecting old athletic shoes to donate to this program. We collect the shoes, give them to Nike where they break down the shoes and then recycle them into things like playgrounds, tracks, and basketball courts. Want to help? Bring your old shoes (athletic shoes only please) to the tournament and we will take care of it from there!

On Thursday March 15^th, senior Kelsey Forsyth, an Outdoor Recreation major and Event Management minor at CMU, came to class to talk to us about how the tournament will be implementing different “green” initiatives leading up to the event and throughout the tournament weekend. Kelsey is the go-to-gal for “Gus Goes Green”. She is the one researching and applying the environmentally friendly efforts!

She presented some shocking facts: “During a typical five-day conference, 2,500 attendees will use 62,500 plates, 87,500 napkins, 75,000 cups or glasses and 90,000 cans or bottles.” This directly affects Gus Macker since food is offered throughout the tournament weekend. How can the weekend’s waste be minimized?

Classic Fare Catering, who is providing the “yummy factor” (concessions and volunteer meals) of the weekend, already has many green initiatives in place. Their silverware is made from potatoes which allows them to break down in landfills. Kelsey is also in the midst of working out compost pick-up for the tournament to be distributed to local farmers.

A few different student alliances are also getting involved, like the Student Environmental Alliance, Campus Grow, and Take Back the Tap. Check out this clip from the movie “Tapped” and see what difference a purchase of a water bottle like the 400G class has can make! Along with the Student Recreation Association, these student groups will be helping during the tournament to help host different “green” activities, especially for children, during the festival.

Kelsey is doing a great job of really helping “Gus Go Green”, so be sure to come out for the tournament April 28th-29th to see all of these efforts, and more, come to life as we help to reduce our carbon footprint.

Until next time, MACKER ON!

Welcome to the Macker Blog!

Hello Macker Fans!

Welcome to the official blog of the 2012 CMU Gus Macker! This blog is the place to learn all about how this particular tournament is put together!

 

The CMU Gus Macker is different from all of the other Macker Tournaments put on across the nation, due to the fact that it is organized in it’s entirety by Central Michigan students. These students are not JUST volunteers–they get school credit for it too!

 

RPL 400G-The Organization and Administration of Basketball Festivals-is a class offered through CMU’s Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services Department. Students have to apply for this class like they would a job by filling out an application and then submitting a short essay explaining why they want to take the class and what their particular set of schools can contribute to the festival. The students are then picked by Dr. Tim Otteman and Dr. Lori Irwin who co-facilitate the course.

 

The class is composed mainly of students who are pursuing a minor in Event Management. There are different “jobs” including Court Captains, Facility Operations, and Sponsor Relations, as well as Bracketologists and Trophyologists. In addition to the event students, athletic training students become the medical staff, students in Professional Sales handle area sponsorships for the tournament, and the ROTC students provide security for the weekend.

 

Not only is this particular weekend of the tournament unique in how it is put on, but this year is even more special than in the past. The CMU Gus Macker is making every effort to reduce it’s carbon footprint by going green in every possible aspect of the entire tournament!

 

Stay tuned for more information on how the students are going green for the tournament and more Macker fun!

 

Until next time…MACKER ON!