Flashback to the time before you made your decision to go to Kent State University. You might’ve been a junior or senior in high school and come to Kent for a campus tour. Do you remember your campus tour? I’m sure it wasn’t anything like Alex’s awkward campus tour. This week’s Her Campus celebrity is Alex Hirz; freshmen at Kent State who created this hilarious Youtube video. I was lucky enough to interview this week’s campus celebrity in the Hub, the only place on campus where you can get a chicken sandwich and fight slavery. Make sure to watch Alex’s awkward campus tour here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
Her campus: What’s your major?
Alex: I was theatre. I recently changed to digital media and film.
Her campus: What made you change?
Alex: I joined the show (The Agenda) and it changed everything. It made me realize that I could do those things and that Kent had a great program for it.
Her campus: What activities are you involved in?
Alex: The Agenda show on TV 2 which is a satirical news show. I also do stand up and short films, it kind of goes hand in hand with that.
Her campus: What inspired you to create the awkward campus tour Youtube video?
Alex: Every week on the show we have pitch meetings where we decided what we want to do and there was something in the news about campus tours changing locations. So, someone was like we should do a tour video, but I didn’t really know what I was doing yet. I just thought of this character that was super awkward and doesn’t know what’s going on around him.
Her campus: So that’s a character you? That’s not you?
Alex: No, that’s not me. I wouldn’t be able to function as a person if that were me. I’m not that awkward.
Her campus: Are you shocked at how viral it’s gone?
Alex: I’m really shocked. It makes me really uncomfortable because when it first started to get popular I was like it’s cool that the show is getting recognition. When it got up to 4,000 I was like okay we can stop watching it, it doesn’t need to get popular. People started to come up to me and say “I saw your video.” I’m not trying to be humble like ‘oh god it’s so hard to be known’ it’s nice but it’s weird.
Her campus: So, people recognize you?
Alex: Yeah, which is weird because I didn’t think I was that recognizable. I was just wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
Her campus: What’s your favorite place to hang out on campus?
Alex: Well, that character probably just wants to hang out at his mom’s home, but I like to hang out at Franklin hall. I don’t really go to the nest.
Her campus: What’s your character’s name?
Alex: See that’s the thing, his name is just Alex Hirz. So maybe that’s why people think it’s the same person.
Her campus: Describe your dream job
Alex: I want to write comedy and do what I’m doing now but I want to make independent films. I would say writing and performing on a live comedy show, something like SNL, really just any writing job for a show.
Her campus: Who is your favorite comedian?
Alex: John Mulaney, he used to be a writer for SNL. He does the kind of comedy I want to do.
Her campus: Any advice for incoming freshmen?
Alex: Just get involved in whatever interests you because that’s how you meet people you’ll be around the people life. I kind of was a loner when I came here and I wasn’t in activities where it was like “make new friends” but if you find something that your passionate about, you just have to find other people who are passionate about the same thing.
Her campus: Anyone you’d like to thank for your success with this video?
Alex: I’d like to thank my friend Jeremy Hubert who directed the video and thought of a few jokes that I used during it.
There you have it. The man in the Hawaiian shirt isn’t as awkward as he seems. Now for the real question, will there be an awkward campus tour 2? I guess we’ll all have to wait and see.