Two MSU students are calling a blue Chevrolet Aveo home for nearly a week. They're only allowed to leave when going to class or to the bathroom.
Since Monday, they've been living in the parking lot behind Urban Outfitters, 115 E. Grand River Ave., spending their nights in sleeping bags with the front seats moved back and their legs stretched out.
They do homework in the cramped space and eat meals while using laptop computers and wireless Internet — all in an attempt to bring the comforts of dorm life to their temporary dwelling. They will not shower for the duration of the contest.
For five days, Arya Khatiwoda, a premedical junior, and Keri Zolman, a pre-law senior, are competing against six other teams from different universities across the nation to win Aveos for themselves and their respective schools.
Zolman said she thinks it is "weird" to pack up her "whole life for a week to live in a car."
To win, the students must get the most votes through www.aveolivinlarge.com or by text messaging 82590.
The MSU team was in fourth place as of 10 p.m. Tuesday. The MSU Public Relations Student Society of America, or PRSSA, helped plan the Aveo Livin' Large Challenge contest and events at MSU. Jennie Ecclestone, vice president of the group, had a part in developing the national contest at a PRSSA national assembly in San Francisco in March. At the assembly, students were asked by Chevy to create a marketing plan, targeting 16 to 25 year olds, she said.
It was at this event that the idea for the Aveo Livin' Large Challenge contest was born.
Khatiwoda and Zolman sent in an application, videos of themselves and photographs and were interviewed before being selected by Chevy to compete.
"It's a creative way to market to our age group," Ecclestone said. "And it's great to see MSU get together as one and support one another."
They are allowed 10-minute bathroom breaks every two hours, which includes a trip to 7-Eleven or Panchero's Mexican Grill — both within walking distance of the car.
From 8 a.m. to midnight each day, the students are taped on a webcam that delves into their personal lives — leaving no room for privacy. Each day's experiences are updated in a daily online journal. Khatiwoda and Zolman have also created a Facebook.com group to increase awareness about the event. More than 900 people have joined the group.
Khatiwoda said she is participating in the contest to get out of the everyday routine of life.
"You get bored of your day-to-day, going to class, coming back, sitting around doing nothing — wasting your life on the Internet," Khatiwoda said.
Throughout the week Khatiwoda and Zolman are hosting a series of events to help the community. The events are not required by Chevy in order to win the car.
"We have always been involved on campus, but this year, we just really decided to put ourselves out there even more," Zolman said. "We wanted to try to live life more excitingly and take what opportunities arise."
One of the events the women are hosting is a canned-food drive, which will benefit a community food bank.
Even though she was nervous at first, Khatiwoda said the experience of helping others eliminated any anxious feelings.
"It has made me realize how many friends I really have and how nice people can be," Khatiwoda said. "I was just bored of the same thing every day."
Visitors brought the women cookies and candy to show their support for the team and encouraged them to keep going.
One of the events Khatiwoda and Zolman are hosting includes a Wednesday performance by Ladies First, an all-female a cappella group on campus. On Thursday, the two women are participating in a date auction with friends, the proceeds from which will go to the Lansing Area AIDS Network. The Spartan Marching Band also will perform.
Chevy spokesman Travis Parman said this demographic is one of the hardest to reach because the group relies heavily on the Internet rather than traditional media, such as television, newspapers or magazines.
"This has been a campaign developed for students, by students," Parman said.
Other automotive companies, such as Nissan Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co., are trying to tap into the 18-25 age group as well.
Nissan did a similar promotion by hiring comedian Marc Horowitz to live for seven days in a Nissan Sentra.
"He's a free spirit," said Darryll Harrison, a Nissan product spokesman.
Horowitz did everything from ordering a pizza to going on a date in his car, Harrison said.
Ford is sponsoring a trip across the country in a Ford Escape Hybrid and is creating a video blog to film the voyage, similar to the way Khatiwoda and Zolman are being filmed 16 hours a day.
"It's just a unique experience where we can use it to help others," Zolman said. "It has helped me trim down the fat of my life and take the essentials and make due with what I have."
Tara Thoel can be reached at thoeltar@msu.edu.
