Come Home Matt Pandamiglio

My ten-year-old daughter exclaimed "that's a Trinity mug!" as we were watching "Sleepwalk With Me," a film by comedian Mike Birbiglia on Netflix. Based on his own experiences, the film follows Matt Pandamiglio in his journey through family, love, sleep-walking, and stand-up comedy. A quick rewind revealed that my daughter was correct. Matt went to college at Trinity University, and our logo appears multiple times on that mug, a pennant, and on a t-shirt. In one scene he does some stand-up in the campus pub and my daughter said "look, he's in the Tigers' Den!"

Well, he wasn't. In fact, Trinity on film seems to not be in Texas and is most certainly not filled with location shots of our real San Antonio campus. But who cares. In the Rodney Dangerfield film "Back to School," shot mostly on location in Madison, Wisconsin,there is a cut-away to a pool scene at the USC campus pool. We won't nit-pick. This is the biggest little thing since our Mississippi Miracle.

Funny thing is that several months ago I was forwarded an email from University Communications in which someone was asking permission to use the Trinity name and logo in a sleepwalking movie. This sounds exactly like the kind of thing we would say no to because it is so random. But apparently someone on the film project went here -- or dated someone who went here--  or knew of us for some random reason. Or maybe we seemed easy. Director Sharon Jones-Schweitzer followed up with "their people," and sent them the Trinity merchandise featured in the film. Good call Sharon! While we have not yet realized an increase in new student applications, we haven't lost any ground either.

Mike Birbigla is funny. And he has a blog. And he sort of went to Trinity. See where this is going? So if I were Matt/Mike, I would want to do a very special engagement at Trinity University. All faux-alumni-comedians owe it to their fake alma maters, no?

So, I challenge ASR and the Program Board: Go get Matt, er, Mike, and bring him to campus. Maybe he will screen his movie and do his act for us. And I challenge Mike - come home Matt. Sleepwalk With Us!