Berry Nice | From SAS to SNL

At Penn, people tend to associate making it in the real world with scraping their way up the Wall Street food chain. In terms of bragging rights at class reunions, jobs in finance and business rule supreme.

Despite campus myth, not all noteworthy Penn alums were once the over-eager pant-suit types handing out freshly pressed resumes at one career fair after another. Along with Wall Street, the entertainment industry is chalk full of former Quakers. So, if the corporate grind isn’t your jam, take refuge in the fact that your Penn degree can prepare you for more than just i-banking.

Spinner.com recently ranked Penn number 17 on their list of the top 20 universities with legendary musical alums. Of course, the famed John Legend quickly comes to mind. But another highly under-recognized belting beauty from Penn is Tammi Terrell, who was Marvin Gaye’s counterpart in several hit duos including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing.” Terrell attended Penn for two years before she began recording full time.

Just this September, former Bloomers president and 2004 College graduate Vanessa Bayer joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. Not too shabby a gig by any standards. Her spot-on impression of Miley Cyrus is “pretty cool” in my opinion, as is the Ivy League diploma that likely hangs in her dressing room.

There is something to be said about having some smarts in today’s entertainment industry. The skills you learn while majoring in obscure this or that are not a waste if you opt for an alternative career. Just take Penn’s own Mark Cronin for example. After earning a degree in chemical engineering, Cronin went on to become a producer of Flavor of Love, Rock of Love and other VH1 hit series’ that revolutionized pop culture.

Cronin’s many hours spent laboring in the Mask and Wig Clubhouse turned out to be more practical in a sense than his upper-level chemistry classes. The Mask and Wig alumni roster is full of big wigs (I couldn’t resist). Paul Provenza, the director of the comedic flick The Aristocrats, was Class of 1979.

All this alumni name dropping aside, if you’re thinking about pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, my advice: go for it.

English professor and Rolling Stone Contributing Editor Anthony DeCurtis recently said in his seminar, “If you have the choice one summer of taking that internship or recording an EP with your band, do the EP. That’s the opportunity that won’t always be there.”

Also, take advantage of the surplus of resources Penn has to offer.

Career Services offers advice to students looking to work in the entertainment industry post Penn. Kelly Cleary, Career Services senior associate director, said that “in the entertainment industry, people hire as needed. They don’t have to do outreach like [on-campus recruiting].”

Cleary suggested that Penn students interested in media and entertainment look into Wetfeet Insider Guides or Vault Career Insider to learn the ins and outs of the industry. Both can be accessed through the Career Service’s website.

She also pointed out that finding a knowledgeable mentor can be the key to success. Lucky for us, several Penn alums have proven their Penn loyalty. According to Cleary, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross returns to campus every year to give a presentation at his alma mater.

Penn may not be the obvious choice for aspiring entertainers, but the school and the city have a lot to offer. “The diversity of people here can be a great sample audience,” College junior and Mask and Wig member Wolete Moko said. “You can just hop on SEPTA and learn from great performers from across the country.” So don’t forget, when you’re at Penn, your future parody Johnny Depp interviews on SNL are only a BoltBus away.

Kensey Berry is a College sophomore from Little Rock, Ark. Her e-mail address is berry@theDP.com. Berry Nice appears on Tuesdays.

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