 "Photo: Rami Rotlewicz")
Adam Brock is out with his friends at Devaney’s Too. He’s on the dance floor when someone suddenly pulls him to the side. He doesn’t know this person, but they recognize him.
“You’re the kid from The Paper!” the stranger said.
Brock has heard these words many times before.
“Yeah. Hi, I go to college too,” he responds.
Some might recognize Brock from the MTV series, The Paper, for being the advertising manager for his high school newspaper and the “busiest human being alive,” according to the show’s Web site.
Brock’s high school was chosen for the reality show through an open casting call. He said that a series of interviews were conducted before the main characters were picked. He was one of them. Each cast member was assigned a camera operator, and filming began in Brock’s junior year.
While Brock is no longer a part of the journalism world, his schedule is as packed as ever. Between holding a justice seat for the Student Government Association’s Judicial Council and his newly elected position as vice president of the Interfraternity Council, he found little time to sit down and chat.
“No matter what day it is, I have an event,” Brock said, still dressed in his SGA polo.
Even though it’s been more than a year since The Paper aired, Brock expressed the struggles of dealing with his celebrity stereotype. He said that no matter what position he holds, someone brings up the show.
When he came to UCF, Brock was double majoring in journalism and advertising/public relations, but he ended up dropping both and choosing political science and legal studies.
He said his passion was no longer with journalism.
“After the show, I wanted to branch out,” he said. “I didn’t want to be known as ‘Adam from The Paper,’ because I’m more than that.”
As a justice, Brock is working on two different initiatives: parking and transportation, as well as housing. He is helping SGA launch KnightDrive, a safe-ride program that will offer UCF students free, nonjudgmental rides home.
“He’s in the office all the time,” said Mike Kilbride, SGA chief of operations. “He helps out beyond his responsibilities.”
Brock also has his hands full with other positions in the IFC and his fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi. He said he is planning to start a philanthropy called Coins for Cambodia to help raise awareness for disadvantaged Cambodian Jews. His goal is to raise $1,500 to put one Cambodian child through school for 12 years.
“He’s done an absolutely fabulous job with everything,” said Kyle Schumacher, IFC’s recently-elected president. “I don’t know how he balances it all.”
In addition to his involvement with SGA, IFC and Alpha Epsilon Pi, he works at Starbucks.
He explained that Starbucks goes through “gallons and gallons of milk” every day and all its plastic gets thrown away. Brock is working with the Student Sustainability Alliance to create a recycling program for all the plastic.
“I would like to create a program where — at least we start in Orlando and the UCF area — we can go ahead and recycle that and give back to the community,” Brock said. “That’s something that’s very important to me.”
Despite trying to escape his television image, Brock believes that the face recognition has a positive side. He received an internship with Starbucks because of it. The internship will consist of six weeks in Seattle and six weeks in South Africa, where he’ll be able to work with bean cultivation and a recycling program, as well as help open up new stores.
“Starbucks means so much to me, as well as SGA and IFC and everything along those lines,” Brock said, touching his chest. “They’re very close to my heart.”
Brock wasn’t always this active. He said before middle school he rarely got involved in any activities. Then, when he was 14, his father passed away. He went through a stage of depression but said he found staying active therapeutic.
“No matter what, staying active like this, I know he’d be proud of me and all my accomplishments,” Brock said.
With an active schedule, Brock also reserves some time for fun by attending as many UCF events as he can. He said he is passionate about musical theatre and has been a season ticket holder for the UCF Conservatory Theatre since his freshman year.
“My friend Colton, he just created the Glee Club. I’m going to join it because I love singing,” Brock said. “I actually tried out for American Idol this past summer.”
Brock wants to be known for more than being someone who was on MTV. He’s actively involved around campus and strives to give back to his community.
“He isn’t a student that’s there just to take notes and spit them back out; he really wants to soak it up and apply it,” said Joan McCain, one of Brock’s advertising/public relations professors. “To me, that’s a sign for a huge passion for life.”
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