GIST
Six-foot-three sophomore Kyle Campbell prides himself on one unique talent . . . fitting himself in a small duffel bag. Join the Tribune in learning about his special skill, his road to fame on the Late Show with David Letterman and the craziest things he’s seen as a Resident Assistant.
MU Connection: Campbell spends his days balancing coursework in the College of Engineering with his job serving customers at Real Chili. Campbell is also the R.A. on the second floor northwest wing of O’Donnell Hall where he has entertained residents with his now infamous “duffel bag trick.”
Discovery of the talent: “Well, I’ve always been able to do these weird contortionist things. Duncan, the guy that was on (Letterman) with me, and I decided to enter our senior talent show back in high school. He unicycled and I wanted to do weird contortions. Well, I couldn’t walk in with just myself to try out for the show; other people were walking in with guitars and stuff. My friend’s dad had this duffel bag from the army, so I decided to try and fit myself in it.”
The journey to Letterman: “I sent a guy at Letterman a clip of my video, and he emailed me back the next day and got my phone number. It was cool to get a reply, but I didn’t think anything of it. He called me about a month later and said I was chosen to appear on the show. I literally went from being behind on homework to flying to New York in a span of just six days.”
The Letterman experience: “Once they told me to go out (to perform), it was terrifying because you knew there was no going back. I was also surprised at the studio. I was expecting a huge thing, but the greenroom was about the size of a bathroom and I kept hitting my head in the hallways because they were so cramped.”
Thoughts on the other guests: Campbell also shared his feelings about the two other individuals on the “Stupid Human Tricks” segment. According to Campbell, the 11-year-old whose talent consisted of making siren noises was reminiscent of “that annoying Western kid on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory who kept asking all those stupid questions.” However, “lipsucker man” was cool and Campbell even went to dinner with him after the show. Campbell also claims he spoke to Eva Langoria’s stylist. “She said Eva apparently thought I was going to die (in the bag)!”
Pet Peeve: Campbell said if there’s one thing that gets on his nerves, it’s fake laughter. “When someone tells a joke, there’s always that one person that takes it too far and tries to bring attention on themselves by laughing obnoxiously.”
Favorite Food: According to Campbell, French toast and bacon are not only the supreme foods but are also inseparable.
Dream Vacation: “My brother and I are hoping to go to South Africa for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.”
Biggest Challenge: “It sounds cliche but it’s probably trying to balance working with my classes, as well as hanging out with all my friends.”
Proudest Moment: “Well, the lady (from Letterman) who was in charge of my flight and limo service said I was her favorite stupid human trick. She said we were her favorite non-celebrity guests that she ever had.”
Favorite spot on campus: According to Campbell, the OD duty room is where it’s at. “Lots of shenanigans go down in there.”
Why Marquette: Campbell, who hails from Iowa, said to him, any city is a big city. He said he wanted to go to a school that had not only a “big-city feel,” but also was part of downtown.
Most needed change on campus: “Well, in the OD duty room, I swear the furniture is from 1952. Seriously, our couch has holes in it.” Campbell also said engineering classes that begin before 9 a.m. are not acceptable.
Craziest thing you’ve seen as an R.A.: “Well, I’m a newbie R.A., so I haven’t seen as much crazy stuff as some of the others. But, this one time, someone crapped on the bathroom floor in my wing twice in one day. It was just right in the middle of the floor. We call (him) the ‘phantom pooper.’ ”
ONLINE: Provide Link to YouTube video of Kyle doing his trick