Ferris State Live

Ferris State Live was a weekly documentary program that aired on Fox 32 News of Cadillac every Thursday at 10:30 PM as part of Fox's 10:00 News programming block. In January of 2010, its Fall 2009 volume of its 2009-2010 season wrapped up, leading to new episodes being scheduled to carry through the season to its finale in May of 2010 before beginning a season anew in fall of 2010. The Dozerfleet founder was one of many participants in the spring lineup's production team. The show itself was later replaced with Ferris Out Loud, which focused on making the hosts and backgrounds more entertaining, with a shorter intro.

Episodes
Main article: List of Ferris State Live episodes

The Fall 2009 Advanced Class was rotated along a matrix of crew positions every week to produced a total of 27 episodes for the school year, but only produced 13 episodes for the fall semester. In spring of 2010, the latter 14 episodes were assigned to a new crew, with a new rotation matrix. Shows did not have episode titles per se, and were merely listed by numeric sequence and by production/air date.

1. The Outreach Bird is the Construction Word
President Eisler opened things up by stating what an honor it was for him to be on the show alongside Scott and Leah. Leah then proceeded to mention that they were opening the show whilst simultaneously celebrating the school's 125th anniversary. Eisler went on to talk about how Woody and Helen were big on "providing opportunity," which he believes became part of the school's core mission. Leah brings up how in the spring previous, Ferris hosted its own version of the Big Event, which was said to be highly successful. Eisler added in that this was just one of many ways that Ferris students have stated to him that they would like to be involved in the area. Leah commented from there that several of those programs have been cut, even as demand for them rose. The segment ended with Eisler reminding Sandy and Leah that without a good faculty and a good curriculum, there was no sense in having a school regardless whatever else it offered. The second guest, Miles Postema, continued with Eisler's speech earlier, adding details about various events surrounding the campus as pertained to volunteer work. Leah went on to talk about the exponential growth of Ferris' Big Event, and mentioned a barbecue.

When Scott and Sandy teamed up for their first segment, their immediate first point of interest was The Rock Cafe. They, like many others around campus, were impressed by the success of its renovation. Scott followed up by talking about an increase in enrollment on campus, to which Sandy credited the faculty for making a hard effort towards that improvement in enrollment. Afterwards, Sandy began to talk about how the East Campus Apartments were torn down, to be replaced by newer apartments that felt more like homes than dormitories. Finally, Scott and Sandy finished with a plug for Ferris' new Facebook material.

2. Fritz and the Footballs
Leah began by welcoming Fritz Erickson, the vice president of academic affairs, to the show. He responded by informing Leah and later Scott about just how much fun it was for him to transition to Ferris from over in Wisconsin. Afterwards, Fritz commented on how impressed he was by the Big Event, and the volunteerism involved with it. After a few questions, he elaborated on how he runs into someone he knows quite often at the grocery stores.

Claire mentioned to Leah all the various events that she oversaw as Student Government president. When Scott inquired how one would get involved, Claire suggested the best way to get information was at the Student Government front desk, or at the website. She quickly made a plug for "Blues and Barbecue," stating that it was founded in 2008 as a way to raise scholarships for students in honor of a deceased former Student Government member.

Leah followed up by talking about the Big Event some more, mentioning that there were over 700 volunteers involved in it. Claire reminded Leah that Ferris' Big Event is inspired by the Texas A&M Big Event. She finally mentioned how grateful the townsfolk were, and finished up by promoting the Holiday Food Drive.

Scott began with the Grand Valley game, and Sandy was pumped for Ferris football while wondering what kind of season the team would have. He mentioned that the Bulldogs had a rough start, losing in a 17-10 game.

Sandy then argued that the Bulldogs needed to forget about their loss to Grand Valley, and take out their aggression and frustration during their then-upcoming Northern Michigan. He also discussed the Cross-Country event, and mentioned that the volleyball team was having more luck than the football team. Scott and Sandy finished by discussing Heritage Month and some of the festivals happening around campus at that time.

3. Hate Walls and Ballparks
Bryan Lochan, an RA in Brophy/McNerney Halls, discussed a diversity program on campus that involved the building and subsequent tearing down of a "wall of hate," where students would get to write on the blocks various slurs they've been hurt with, so that eventually, the wall could be torn down. The wall was an open event to the entire community, not just to Ferris students.

Brandi came on to talk about the 5th/3rd Bank-sponsored Battle at the Ballpark, which was scheduled for October 3rd. Scott and Leah wondered how that was coordinated, and Brandi assured them that 5th/3rd was actually very cooperative. Leah ensured former Ferris students that the event was ideal for Grand Rapids residents.

Brandi eventually gave a plug for the Alumni Office home page, saying it was the ideal place to go to check for various sponsored alumni-relevant events.

Ticket prices for Battle at the Ballpark were $5 for students and $10 for the general public. Focus on the sports end of things switched to Women's Tennis; and Sandy commented on them having good seating.

Scott also mentioned that volleyball was doing well, to which Sandy replied that he believed volleyball would be "a roller coaster" for Ferris.

4. It's Just Lust, Jim
"It's Just Lust, Jim" was produced on October 5th and aired on October 8th of 2009. Katie Edwards, a senior volleyball player, came on to talk about building wells in Africa. She claimed she was raising a donation asking for a penny for each well.

Sex and the College Student specialist Dr. Robert Friar came on to talk about sex; but also to talk about brain chemistry on love. He claimed that he first got into the program because the college wanted someone to teach a course on STDs. However, Friar got into the psychology of love and lust and started teaching on those subjects as well, since he found students were desperate for answers on these topics and on their own dysfunctionality in relationships. Compared to that topic, STDs alone were "boring."

Tapping into neurobiology for answers, Friar recalls discussing how the hypothalamus works. He relates that to how susceptible a brain in love with the idea of being in love can become to suggestion when under the influence of hypothalamus-dominant thinking and brain wiring. When asked if students are facing the same issues concerning their sexuality as what they did 20 years ago, Friar responded that it's taken on new dimensions. However, while the issues have taken on new dimensions and students face them to a greater extent than before, the same core issues are still in place.

Friar blames this on teen-aimed programs in TV and advertising primarily, but also elsewhere, that send mixed messages to teens. No message is worse than the mixed message. He also blames it on the fact that parents are too embarrassed to be forthcoming with their almost-grown kids about sex, including all the little details of it. Therefore, kids seeking answers look to the streets for information. They may get a lot from the streets, but with any sort of sound values system filtered out long in advance.

After a long detour, Friar was able to state the obvious to audiences: What many who are young think is love, when analyzed, is really little more than lust. Meanwhile, the Wyoming Whitecaps allowed their baseball field, Fifth/Third Stadium, to be temporarily transformed from a baseball park into a football field so Ferris could play there for a special event.

5. Poor Homecoming
"Poor Homecoming" was produced on October 12th and aired on October 15th of 2009.

Carla Miller came on to talk about the Ferris Foundation, what it is, and that it had been in operation for 19 years already.

Sandra Winchell, a biology major, came on to talk about organizing Box City. It had something to do with Habitat for Humanity. She went on describing how hard it is to build a house. She also states that where a normal construction worker would put one nail, HfH puts five. Much of the time as she talked, her tongue ring provided a distraction to viewers.

"Homecoming's here for real this time!" is all Scott had to say.

"Yeah! A lot's gonna happen!" Sandy replied.

There was also some interspersed footage of a dancing Spider-Man and a bonfire. A parade added to the excitement.

6. Beating a Mildly Diverse Horse
"Beating a Mildly Diverse Horse" was produced on October 19th and aired on October 22nd of 2009.

Lo and behold, Michael Wade showed up. He was Assistant Director at the Office of Multicultural Students Services. And he came to talk about...da da da da! Diversity. Yep. What else?

Feell chill, and mellow, as Director Dr. Jospeph Lipar of the Card Wildlife Education Center rattles on about the oodles of preserved wild critters on display in what most students call simply: "the stuffed animal museum." He gives hours open, days a week open, etc.

Take Back the Night was discussed. It's a program where women with pickett signs shout: "Give money, so men stop raping and beating us." It's a good thing because...they can speak as a mob. They're scared that speaking individually will just bring on more beatings and rape; by some unknown mythical hood who's out for revenge, apparently. Scott complained about the days getting shorter.

7. Hilly Wall of Famous Bulldog Kids
"Hilly Wall of Famous Bulldog Kids" was produced on October 26th and aired on October 29th of 2009.

Bill Scheible was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Music Industry Management Association Vice President Chris Jane showed up. He looked more like a bouncer than a VP. Chris likes Ferris' music program because students organize almost every part of a concert themselves; not common at most music schools.

Scott and Sandy chit-chatted some more about the Wall of Hate, where students got to write on bricks a the slurs that have ever applied to them. Meanwhile, Ferris is about to have a tough time. They've gotta face Hillsdale. And Hillsdale is no easy win.

8. Hillsdale Swallows a Pill Bug
"Hillsdale Swallows a Pillbug" was produced on November 2nd and aired on November 5th of 2009.

Dr. Ellen Haneline, Dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences, came on to be guest speaker. She mentioned all the myriad ways that her program can help students, since health care was considered at the time to be the single most-booming industry. She seemed optimistic of the school acquiring a molecular diagnostics program, as well as the growth of administratium.

Prof. Dr. Phillip Watson came on to talk about bugs, and the place they hold in forensic science. He first had to clarify to Leah where Qatar is. In sports news, the Bulldogs got their clocks cleaned by Hillsdale's football team. Sandy put the best spin on it he could: the former-Ferris-coach-turned-Hillsdale-coach was on his way to great things, supposedly.

Marketing
Of all the ads that the spring crew was expected to produce, two of them were designed specifically to air on Fox 32: Gilberts' Carpets Plus of Big Rapids and the Ferris State Live Fox 32 Promo.

One of them was paid for by the school simply for the network to let viewers know about FSL being part of the news programming block on Fox. The other ad was paid by Gilberts' to Ferris so that they could get more noticed in the area. As part of that deal, Ferris got many of its flooring and furnishings from Gilberts'. Other furnishings were covered by Big Rapids Furniture, which donated them to help pay for broadcast time of their ads on the Ferris Access Channel as a part of the Ferris in Focus commercial break slots.

Appearances and crew
The show was hosted by Sandy Gholston, Leah Nixon, and Scott Roman in fall 2009 - spring of 2010. It's regular faculty staff consisted of Glen Okonoski, Clayton Rye, Fred Wyman, and Connie Morcom, although Debbie Carley managed records and helped coordinate distribution as well as Steve Cox. The show's technical engineer was Pat Tobin. All equipment was managed by Media Supply Staff, and all A-roll was shot in-studio on the Ferris State campus.

Guests
New special guests were invited each week to discuss that week's particular topics of interest. Guests for the first week's show included Paul Cicchini of WBRN News/Talk 1460 AM radio.

Crew
All members of the TVPR 499 class were instructed to rotate various positions of crew within the show's production, so that no one member did one task all the time.

Crew members in the spring of 2010 consisted of: Ben Wyman, David Stiefel, Dominique Gibbs, Eric Stacy, Frank Molner, the K.A., Lamarr English, Megan Barker, Nate Totten, Nick Blohm, Sara Tuttle, and Tabby Young. For personal reasons, Derek Rottman dropped the class and was not included. He originally made it a class of 13.

Production
All shows were scheduled for production on Mondays throughout the Spring 2010 semester. Production occurred in the Interdisciplinary Resource Center (IRC) building's TV studio (IRC 153.) B-roll was shot wherever it was needed, to tie-in with commentary in the studio. Shots were made in 480i with widescreen deactivated, in a digital simulation of NTSC. Content was fed through Avid "mojo" devices to allow the signal to be redistributed both in digital air and cable as well as analog cable. Part of this had to do with the fact that a lot of studio equipment in the IRC control room was still NTSC-oriented analog equipment.

Music
"Chimo" by New Day was used as the opening and closing theme for all episodes, though it was not credited.