'Cruise Control' to take off this fall

While many IU students are lounging around this summer, 15 volunteers have been working hard to bring a new breed of reality TV show to students this fall. IU Student Television will launch "Cruise Control" during the first week of school. \nExecutive producer Jesse Wallace, a junior majoring in telecommunications, said he joined IUSTV in the fall as a studio director for news. Because IUSTV is expanding, he said he thought it would be "cool to have a show to see what's out there for the students."\nWallace said the show will be a "mix between reality and sketch comedy." According to the IUSTV Web site, "Cruise Control" will film "fun, weird, and crazy" locations in Bloomington and surrounding areas. IUSTV is a volunteer-based, student-run television station that airs programs on public access.\nThe show consists of about 15 volunteers including hosts seniors Mica Habarad and Hillary Lodge and juniors Nick Hoyt and Andy Mills.\nWallace said he had confidence in the hosts. \n"We can put any given four of them together, and it will work well," Lodge said. \nShe said she's excited about hosting the show.\n"It's a really fun place to be," Lodge said. "You get a lot of experience."\nMills said the show has been a good opportunity to gain experience.\n"Hosting has been a good experience because it forces us to be creative, on the ball and witty," Mills said.\nAlthough each host said the show has been a good experience so far, Hoyt, one of the hosts, said the show will be an asset in the future as well. \n"It's great to be able to experience different things," he said. "It will be great for the future when looking for a job."\nThe crew has completed about nine shoots and is still going strong. The first season is half complete with recent footage including trips to Bloomington's Rose Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis Children's Museum, Indianapolis Zoo and the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. The crew is also looking into other places to visit in the near future.\nMany of the volunteers expressed hopes of what the show will bring not only to IUSTV but to the campus overall. \n"'Cruise Control' will be a poster for IUSTV while trying to relate to young people," Wallace said. \nAlthough the show is geared largely toward incoming freshmen, Manager Anthony Leong discussed the importance of reaching out to upperclassmen as well.\n"The show will be beneficial to them also," Leong said.\nWallace said many students are unaware of the different places there are to visit near Bloomington. \n"Our goal is to get people to realize what's out there," Wallace said. \nAlthough the first season is almost complete, Lodge said the volunteers are not running short on ideas.\n"There are a ton of opportunities in and around Bloomington that we hope to bring to IU's attention with a comedic, entertaining and informative show," Lodge said.\nThe first episode of "Cruise Control" will air during the first week of school on campus channel 2 and channel 3 in Bloomington.\nStudents interested in submitting story ideas to the show can e-mail Jesse Wallace at jesjewal@indiana.edu. \n-- Contact staff writer Holly Davis at htdavis@indiana.edu.