The Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) announced Friday that TV personality and producer Nev Schulman will be coming to campus for “An Evening with Nev Schulman.” Schulman, whose full name is Yaniv Schulman, is the host and executive producer of MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show.”
In his television series, Schulman attempts to help those who have gotten into online relationships that might be a bit, for a lack of a better word, fishy. In a world where anyone can hide themselves online, Schulman and his co-host Max Joseph attempt to bring together those who think they have found love on the internet. Beginning in 2012, the show was spawned from the critically-acclaimed film “Catfish” — which was co-directed by Schulman’s brother — that follows Schulman’s attempt to meet the woman he met and fell in love with online.
During the presentation, Schulman will talk about his background and work on “Catfish: The TV Show,” and audience members will have the opportunity to ask him questions. The author and television star hosts lectures at college campuses to speak about online dating and life in a social-media-saturated world. According to the SAPB’s Facebook page, the event will be followed by a meet and greet.
For those interested in meeting the MTV star, Schulman will be signing his book, “In Real Life: Love, Lies & Identity in the Digital Age,” which will be available for purchase outside of the venue. Schulman will only be signing for 30 minutes, however, so the meet and greet is first come, first serve. Schulman’s book uses his personal experience and experiences from his show to investigate the motives behind “catfishers” and attempts to help readers avoid being deceived online.
Bernadette Machuca, vice president for programming of the student association, is excited to be bringing a popular name to Binghamton University.
“It’s definitely a little difficult to find someone within budget that will be appealing to the majority of students,” said Machuca, a senior majoring in biology. “But when we came across Nev Schulman’s name, we felt that he had a pretty large following and we also felt that a lot of what his work is based on is pretty interesting and appealing to college students.”
Last year, the SAPB brought Giancarlo Esposito, who played Gus Fring on “Breaking Bad,” to speak at Binghamton University. Esposito, who also appeared in Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” and ABC’s “Once Upon A Time,” spoke to students about finding his passion for acting at a young age, and encouraged students to go after their own dreams.
Victoria MacGilfrey, a sophomore majoring in industrial and systems engineering, thinks that the event will have a good turnout due to the show’s popularity.
Allyson Maltz, a sophomore majoring in nursing who watches the show regularly, is curious if Schulman has difficulty staying professional during such emotionally charged situations.
“It’s a really interesting show,” Maltz said. “I like the shows that change every week. It’s a different story every week, but the same overall message.”
The event will take place in the Osterhout Concert Theater at 7 p.m. on November 5, and is free of charge.