A Mars Hill College student has taken an entrepreneurial twist to college life. He puts together and coordinates college parties and events and DJs at them.
The service called GME stands for Grown Man Entertainment and hosts parties playing primarily rap and hip-hop. GME also provides live entertainment, such as rap artists.
The venture was created by Demetrius Smedley, a sophomore at Mars Hill, and includes Dre Westfield of Eastern Tennessee State University and Cornell Kelly, who is also a student at Mars Hill. GME is on Facebook and at myspace.com/grownmanent.
Demetrius started this venture when he was a freshman, last academic year.
“Grown Man Entertainment is a movement,” Smedley said. “It's a group of guys just trying to make money and have fun while in college. Also, we want to bring some fun to the people around us.”
The students started the venture to help pay for expenses while being in college. Their parties bring in about $2,000 to $5,000 per party, which is split up among the three of them.
Smedley sees his thriving venture as a potential “empire” and is setting long-term goals. GME has booked events in Alabama and for other colleges, according to his social networking accounts.
Parties are open to any college student. The admission is $10 a person before the set “party-time." Prices change as the crowd grows. Ladies get in free until the party gets going.
Smedley uses his own DJ system and uses a sound system provided by the club or school where the party is held. GME has hosted parties at MHC and ETSU. They have also worked at clubs such as Club Cashba.
To throw these events GME must personally talk to the club owners, but in order to throw parties at colleges, permission is sought from a student activities director.
GME hosted the dance on campus during homecoming in which a fight broke out. (See story page 1). Smedley, a wide receiver for the Lions, said the dance was the “wildest party” he has hosted. No one was injured.
GME provied live entertainment that night with Chapell Rose featuring Tay Murray, both students, who performed an original rap song.
Smedley, a physical education major at MHC, plans to keep GME alive even after graduating to help bring in money and to help students have fun during their years in college.
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