This article was updated on 8/29 at noon.
The Student Association Programming Board is set to bring singer, songwriter and actor Ross Lynch to Binghamton University. The event will take place on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Anderson Center and include an interview, a Q&A session and a subsequent performance by Lynch.
Promoted as “An Evening with Ross Lynch” as part of their Insights series, the Instagram post announcing the event told students to “expect behind-the-scenes stories, career highlights, and maybe even a sneak peek into what’s next. Other events in the series included featured guests Giancarlo Esposito and Rainn Wilson.
Melissa Dalton, the SAPB’s insights chair and a senior majoring in biology, described the most exciting aspect of hosting Lynch.
“Students can look forward to seeing one of their favorite childhood stars at this event,” Dalton wrote. “We grew up watching Ross Lynch on Disney Channel and listening to his music. I think it is exciting that we are coming full circle with him as young adults.”
After his Disney career, where he starred in “Austin & Ally” and “Teen Beach Movie,” Lynch pursued other acting opportunities. He eventually landed a role as Jeffrey Dahmer in the 2017 film “My Friend Dahmer,” and a year later, the role of Harvey Kinkle in Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.”
Alongside his acting career, Lynch began to pursue music as a guitarist and vocalist for R5 — which split in 2018 when he and his brother, Rocky Lynch, started their duo band, THE DRIVER ERA.
Atticus Fauci, the vice president for programming and a junior majoring in economics, shared how the board decided to bring Lynch to BU.
“We heard the student body last semester when Ross and his band’s name kept coming up,” Fauci wrote. “There were a lot of comments on Instagram posts and he was mentioned a lot in our surveys. We then looked into if he was an option and he was. The deciding factor was the 15 minute acoustic performance, something new to excite the student body.”
Booking an event of this caliber requires intense coordination between multiple parties and months of planning. Fauci explained that the board’s process includes scouting potential options through United Talent Agency and releasing an interest survey where students can vote on which guest they prefer to see. The SAPB then compares the potential guests’ availability, pricing and more, while taking the survey into account. Once they’ve settled on a speaker, the SAPB consults lawyers to review the contracts and begins to promote the event.
The board has hosted several events with guest speakers, though Dalton wrote that Lynch adds a uniqueness to the series.
“This event is different compared to some of the other celebrity guests the insights team has brought to Bing because it brings a sense of nostalgia,” Dalton wrote. “Giancarlo Esposito and Rainn Wilson are both incredible entertainers who gave us such interesting perspectives but these are celebrities we recognize in our adult lives. Ross Lynch is someone we can all remember watching and idolizing from such a young age.”
As of Thursday morning, the event was sold out.