Six UNL students and a faculty member are featured in the mtvU reality show "Student Bodies" which begins airing Nov. 22. (Check local listings, viewing schedules may change.)
The three-episode series premiers a fresh show each of the next three weeks on the network and online. It features two student teams, led by UNL Army ROTC cadets Brandon Meyer and Ben Paige in the role of personal trainers. Master Sergeant Thomas Gray, a senior military science instructor, rallies the teams as they compete for weight loss and overall fitness in a six-week boot camp. The winning team wins a spring break trip to Las Vegas.
UNL seniors Kara Vlasin and Jacque Thiele are dietetics majors. In the first seven-minute episode, Vlasin confesses to often snacking on raw cake mix and sees the program as a way to change her habits.
"This is the just the first step to really a better and longer life," she said.
Freshmen Laura Jackson and Corey Sutton describe their love of fries and burgers, and are admonished by Master Sergeant Gray to avoid the ice cream.
"I would just like to stop gasping for air every time I walk to class," Sutton said.
UNL Campus Recreation plays a big role in the show; staff there assisted with many aspects of the filming, which took place over the past two months. Episode one features teams navigating Campus Rec's Challenge Rope Course. Later in the series, contestants will visit the weight room and run stairs in Memorial Stadium.
Programming on mtvU is shown in the UNL Campus Recreation Center and on college campuses nationwide.
"UNL is a valued partner to mtvU, and we've been looking for opportunities to showcase the school and its students on-air for a while now," said Adam Koscielski, mtvU senior director, affiliate relations. "With mtvU having a significant presence in the Recreation Center, 'Student Bodies' was a perfect fit."
The series, in its fourth season, can also be watched online at http://go.unl.edu/4ju.
- Dave Fitzgibbon, University Communications