r . . , y .y The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com I Thursday, September 24, 2009 BUSINSSBehind weekend essentials Sept. 24 to Sept. 27 LECTURE Anyone who watches news-based televi- sion is familiar with Mo Rocca's work. The political satirist has contributed regularly to "The Tonight Show," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "CBS News Sunday Morning." He'll be giving a free lecture tomorrow afternoon titled "Making It Up as I Go Along: Satire in an Absurd World." The lecture will start at 2:15 p.m. in Blau Auditorium in the Ross School of Business. SPELLING BEE Whether you were the champion of your grade school's spell- ing contest or just love watching Scripps's on ESPN, be sure to check out Friday's spelling bee at the Union's Pendleton Room. A $100 cash prize is up for grabs, so bust out your Webster's and start studying. Admission is free. Event starts at 7 p.m. FILM Deciphering an artist's work is like peering into his or her life, and watching a documen- tary about the artist gives you that same insight. With this in mind, check out "Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol" in UMMA's Helmut Stern Audito- rium on Saturday. The film chronicles War- hol's life and his influ- ence on the art world. Admission is free. The film begins at 4 p.m. r he typical college party begins with an empty living room, 20 or so people, and, most importantly, a suitable iPod mix tuned through a set of subwoofers scooped from the basement of one of the tenant's parents. And while this setting may seem to be enough, if not ideal, for the average party, LSA senior Adam Lynn and Business senior Jason Javer thought otherwise. Instead of the empty living room, they got a stadium. Instead of 20 peo- ple, 4,000 showed up. And, instead of a dinky-ass iPod, they got Nas. While a Friday night party is a sufficiently ambitious undertaking for the average undergrad, Lynn and Javer thought bigger. Way bigger. . It was last March when Lynn and Javer brought Nas to Eastern Michigan's Convo- cation Center. The show was the culmination of an entre- preneurial journey that began as away of coping with classic fraternity house drama, and it was a decisive success. It takes a lot, though, to make a rhyme-spitting Nas appear out of thin air, even though audience members are more likely think about the music than the work that went in to putting the whole event together. Lynn and Javer, however, now specialize in bringing big names to campus. Their company Social Studyz LLC aims to promote upcoming concerts even grander than their past scores. The two students' journey from typical undergrads to concert promoters and pro- ducers has been, in the words of Javer, "an ongoingentrepreneur- ial process." One of the first times they real- ized they had a knack for putting events together was when the two were appointed social chairs of their fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, their sophomore year. Lynn and Javier enjoyed a semester of planning and promoting parties until Phi Kappa Psi was placed on social probation. ' "This was devastating for a clubs across Ann Arbor, social chair where our job was throwing and promoting par- to show everyone a great time ties. They found that they on campus," Lynn explained. were more successful than Lynn and Javer decided to they ever thought. find a way around it. "We would throw a party that was designated for maybe 200 people and 800 people would V e kind of show up," Lynn said. "So we got this little le didea in our mind that rea ize pre y maybe there's a profit to be made out of this early on this scenario" ***yThey decided to be is ap y proactive about their Sbig skills. Their junior year, Lynn and Javer founded the business and student group Social Studyz LLC. -_ADAM LYNN There they began pro- moting parties at bars .1 ,- and clubs for a profit. By hiring represen- co-founder tatives from differ- ent student groups on campus to spread the "It was Jason's idea. He word and bring friends, many said, 'Well, if we can't do it at of their events were complete our house, let's just go some- hits. Setting their sights high, where else. Let's take our Lynn and Javer then started party somewhere else."' looking for a more chalieng- The two went to bars and ing, exciting and lucrative project. "We were constantly fill- ing up these bars and clubs. So from our aspect where was the next step we could take? That's how this whole process came about," Lynn said. "Thiswholeprocess"refers to what Lynn calls "the single hardest project of each of our lives": bringing renowned rapper Nas to Ypsilanti last February. After months of work including advertising, finding investors and booking a venue for their artist, Lynn and Jav- er's hard work finally paid off when they met Nas and witnessed the crazy amount of people who came to see him perform. Close to 4,000 people attended the concert at nearby Eastern Michigan University. Lynn and Javer were ecstatic. Not only to have met the hip hop royal, but also to have produced such an enormous event. "It was ... the coolest expe- rience I ever had," Lynn said. But he was quick to point out the hardships that came with the endeavor as well. See SOCIAL STUDYZ, Page 4B CONCERT Airtight, hella-crisp and endlessly melodic, Irish indie-electro- rock-poppers Bell X1 are one of the most promising imports to come to Ann Arbor as of late.. Opening is the equally catchy Wild Light. Hooks and smiles should abound. The show is tonight at the Blind Pig, with doors at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $12. 18+.