Michael “#MiamiMike” Baumhardt, Associate Director of Student Activities & Student Organizations
Hurricane Productions, University of Miami (FL)
Which program board do you oversee and what is an example of their events? Hurricane Productions is the University of Miami’s entertainment and programming board, and largest student-run organization. With seven individual committees, HP provides free on-campus entertainment for students. These committees include Canes Night Live, CaneStage Theatre Company, Cinematic Arts Commission, HP Concerts, HP Daytime & Special Events, Patio Jams, and the Rathskeller Advisory Board. HP hosts over 225 events annually that include indoor and outdoor movies, live musical performances, theater productions, free giveaways, and much more!
What is your favorite part of your job? The favorite part of my job is the ability to plan so many great events with students and really see them own the event. Also through being in a cultural and tropical metropolis like Miami, allows me to work with our programming board to create many unique and exciting events.
Advice on how to keep students motivated: With any event that a student or group of students plan, there is always a lot of time and effort that goes into the planning (particularly if a volunteer position like we have at Miami). Particularly for the day of a major concert or festival, I encourage the students to live in the moment and remember how well they spent the past few months preparing for this event. Concerts take months and months of planning, and are gone in a matter of a couple hours. Be sure that all your responsibilities are covered, then enjoy the event and take in the fun and excitement on the faces of the students in the audience. That’s when you everything that you did for that show was truly worth it.
Keep up with all things Hurricane Productions:
Instagram: @HP_Miami
Facebook: /hpmiami