Presentation Can Be Everything

Last Tuesday, February 7th, was the 14th annual Mock Rock Athletic Variety Show  findraiser held at Hill Auditorium . The show consisted of various skits, songs, and dances performed by many athletic teams, and trainers. The show was hosted by ESPN analysist Dana Jacobson and judged this year by, Laura Hoke, wife of the football coach, men soccer coach, Chaka Daley, Mary Petrovich President of the Letterwinners M-Club and a former Mott patient Max Merget. This years fundraiser supported the C.S. Motts Childrens's Hospital, Big Brother Big Sister of Washtenaw County and Student-Athletes Leading Social Change. During the show there was singing, dancing, jokes, jumps and a few wild performances. The most interesting part of the show was the performances that may have played to close to the line of being funny and just plain mean.

This is related to what we learned in our UC 256 class with the Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman. There are two things that occur when people express themselves to others, there is the impression they give and the impession they give off. The impression they give is totally intentional, with the use of words, sounds, symbols and more they believe this will form a connection. On the other hand, the impression they give off could be both intentional and unintentional, and happens when other people are recieving those expressions. And during the show, lets just say they were a few teams who may have gave off a bad impression.

Take men's soccer who played out a news broadcast skit that mocked many athletic teams. Although it was meant to be all fun and games, it was not well recieved by the judges and many in the audience, and consequently getting them the "better luck next year" award. Even their newly assinged head coach, Chaka Daley, couldn't sway the unimpressed audience with his great freestyling abilities. This was also the vibe given off during the men's ice hockey performance when they decided the make fun of their own teammates along with a few other athletes from different teams. In some cases (and surely not all!) their intent was just to entertain the crowd in the way they knew how and hopeful get some laughs. In the end it just came out to a lot of "oooo that's bad!" and a few, "wow, they're bold!" statements. At the same  time this could of been their plan from the beginnning. Having the audience react the way they did surely made their performance one that would never be forgotten.

Chaka Daley, Men's Soccer Coach



By the end of the show the main point of the event was realised, which was to raise money for a few worthy charities. Even though there were high and lows during the show, more than $85,000 was raised and the event was a success. This is the case every year at Mock Rock and proves to be one unforgetable night.